Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, March 27, 1944 Personal Mention BEN KALMENSON, Warner general sales manager, returned from the Coast late last week. • Sol A. Schwartz, RKO Theatres Western zone manager, and William Howard, RKO vaudeville booking head, returned from California at the weekend. • Harry M. Warren, general manager of Central States circuit, has returned to Des Moines from a twoweek stay in Cuernavaca, Mex. Mrs. Warren accompanied him. • Harold Lagar, of Paramount's home office, has been inducted and will report to the Navy today. He was given a farewell luncheon by fellow workers Friday at the Hotel Dixie. • Michael Daly and Joseph Di Lorenzo, owner and assistant manager, respectively, of the Daly Theatre circuit, Hartford, Conn., were in New York at the week-end. • W. C. Gehring, 20th Century-Fox Western sales manager, left at the weekend for Minneapolis and will visit other Midwestern exchanges thereafter. • A. H. Blank, president of TriStates and Central States circuits, left Des Moines at the weekend for Hollywood where he will attend a meeting of Paramount partners. • Eileen O'Connell of 20th-Fox's radio department left at the weekend for Concord, N. H., for a ten-day vacation. • C. C. Moskowitz, Loew's vice-president, is scheduled to leave Wednesday for a three-week vacation in Miami. • Robert M. Gillham, Paramount advertising-publicitv director, left at the weekend for Washington. • Tom Baldridge, M-G-M Washington exploiteer, returned from New York over the weekend. • Al Burkes, M-G-M Charlotte exploiteer, was in New York over the weekend. e Philip Zahn has announced the engagement of his daughter Ruth to Sgt. Bernard (Bingo) Brandt. e Alfred Edward Daff, Universal foreign supervisor, has arrived in London. • Nate Spingold, Columbia Pictures executive, left for the Coast over the weekend. Rackow to Monogram Winnipeg, Man., March 26. — Victor Rackow has replaced Abe Feinstein as local office manager of Monogram Pictures, Ld. Tradewise By SHERWIN KANE MPPDA Meeting To Be Held Today r\ NE of the most pointed presentations of the possibilities of the motion picture in the postwar world which we have heard given publicly was' contained in a talk by Louis Nizer at the testimonial dinner. to Bob Wolff at the Waldorf last Tuesday, in anticipation of Wolff's departure for London about the first of April to become managing director for RKO Radio in Great Britain. Nizer pointed out the new uses to which the motion picture is being put by governments throughout the world, involving the development of its educational and editorial possibilities. The greatest application of this screen potential, he believes, will be in the dedication of the motion picture to the cause of lasting peace once this war has been won. He cited evidence that Germany even now accepts defeat as inevitable and plans for the next war. He sees the motion picture as perhaps the most powerful weapon in the hands of the victorious Allies to be dedicated to the frustration of that plan and the preservation of the peace. ■ He does not overlook the role the American industry may be called upon to play in such an undertaking, nor that of its executive representations in world capitals throughout the postwar world. The London slant on the projected visit of Isidore Ostrer to these shores is that it is motivated almost entirely by private, which is to say, personal reasons, despite the fact that he will be authorized by the British Film Producers Association to explore, as its emissary while here, the possibilities of postwar reciprocities between the British and American industries. London asserts that the voyage is being undertaken at Ostrer's suggestion, that the trip will be at his own expense, that he will have no official commission from the B.F.P.A. and will not be authorized to commit that organization in any way while here. His exit visa still is under discussion with the government and, in the meantime, no date for his departure can be set. The possibility of a visit by Francis W. Baker, head of the Kinematograph Renters Society, to the United States is being discussed with Michael Balcon, but no decision has been made yet. If Baker eventually does come over, it would be on a sales mission on behalf of the product he handles. His visit would have no connection with the projected Ostrer trip. Said Balcon when queried about this : "Baker can sell our pictures without others helping." Universal's recent financial advertising, placed in key newspapers across the country, has been favorably commented on in leading financial and advertising circles. The advertisements, prepared in connection with release of the company's annual statement to stockholders, presented by chart, illustrations and text the basic story of the company's operations in a manner which could be readily understood by Mr. Average Reader. The comments which have been heard on the ads would indicate that considerable institutional value attaches to this type of approach to the public. Financial men were impressed by the picture it presented of a "house in good order," despite the serious problems of the day. Advertising men viewed it as a new presentation of motion picture affairs to a segment of the public that ordinarily draws its impressions of the industry from the amusement pages and from fan magazines. The corporate story of the industry was never in better state for presentation to the public than it is today. Though it is all too infrequently told, it is, nevertheless, a story worth the telling. Addenda : John J. O'Connor, Universal vice-president, is scheduled to be given a new long term contract shortly after his return from the Coast studio, where he is now visiting. . . . Charles Francis Coe, on inactive status for the final year of his contract with MPPDA, is not expected to be re-named vicepresident of the Association at the annual election scheduled for today. . . . Max A. Cohen has withdrawn from the MPTOA, of which he was a member of the board of directors. . . . Jack Kirsch, president of Allied of Illinois, is reputed to be the only exhibitor organization official in such a capacity to hold a multiyear contract, and at a reported salary of $20,000 annually. The annual report of Will H. Hays to the board of directors of MPPDA, touching upon a wide variety of wartime industry operations and accomplishments, is scheduled to be read at the organization's annual meeting here today. The annual election of officers anufi directors of MPPDA will be held at today's session, with no changes in the present directorate indicated in advance. Officers are : W. H. Hays, president ; Carl Milliken, secretary, and George Borthwick, treasurer. All member company presidents with the exception of Spyros Skouras, who is in London, and Harry M. Warner, in Hollywood, will attend the meeting. Four Receptions For C. B. DeMille Washington, March 26. — Netherlands, Sweden, China and the State of Arkansas will honor Cecil B. DeMille, producer of Paramount's "The Story of Dr. Wassell," which will have a preview f at Constitution Hall here on April 1. Arkansas, the home State of Cmdr. Corydon M. Wassell, the Navy doctor whose exploits are depicted in the film, will give a luncheon on March 31 ; the Netherlands Embassy will be host to DeMille at a dinner for 200 guests on April 1 ; the Swedish Embassy will fete him on April 2 and China will honor him on April 4. Rapf Will Retire as Executive Producer Hollywood, March 26. — Harry Rapf will relinquish his post as executive producer for M-G-M when he leaves here the first week in April for a three-month vacation in the East, it was learned at the weekend. Upon returning he will join the studio executive staff. For some time there have been persistent rumors that Rapf would retire from his position, with the bulk of his duties taken over by M. J. Siegel. Rapf joined the company in 1924 as associate producer along with Louis B. Mayer in the merger of that year. RKO's $9,500,000 Loan Is Closed Contracts between B. F. Keith Corp., RKO theatre subsidiary and the First National Bank of Boston for $9,500,000 of refinancing of existing Keith obligations at 3% percent were signed here on Friday. In connection with the loan, a mortgage for $7,600,000 by B. F. Keith Corp. to the Old Colony Trust Co., Boston, covering metropolitan theatre properties, was recorded here on Friday. Among the properties involved are the Fordham, Franklin, Royal and Chester theatres, Bronx. Details of the loan were published in Motion Picture Daily last Friday. 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 Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center,New York, 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address, "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, 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 Life Bldg., William R. Weaver, Editor; London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl, Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1944 by Quigley Publishing Co., Inc. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac^ Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.