Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

First in Fiim-^nt [Radio ]N \\ iWjSj Accural 1 and Impartial MOTION PICTURE DAILY Aiert. tion Picture Industry L. 55. NO. 62 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1944 TEN CENTS 5,000 Houses Extend Drive For Red Cross Overall Participation Up To Record 15,000 By late today, it is anticipated, more than 5,000 theatres throughout the country will have agreed to extend Red Cross collections to include the coming weekend, WAC campaign headquarters reported here yesterday. The extension, requested as a means of assuring needed extra dollars, has brought a deluge of acceptance telegrams to the War Activities Committee here, 3,000 arriving by early yesterday afternoon. Typical acceptance wires were those of Charles P. Skouras, in replying from Los Angeles on behalf of some 600 National theatres under his jurisdiction, who wired: "The campaign in this territory has been set up to continue for a second weekend. Col (Continued on page 6) Projectionists and Others Give Terms Studio projectionists, make up artists and hair stylists presented their proposals for a new contract to the producers at yesterday's sessions here between the producers' representatives and IATSE officials at the office of Pat Casey, producers' labor contact. Further meetings were also held with representatives of the sound technicians. Main stumbling block in the negotia' tions with individual IATSE studio lo (Continued on page 7) 'Community' Vault For Exchanges Here Distributor companies who have their exchanges in the Film Center Building, 630 Ninth Ave., will avail themselves of a "community" fireproof film vault into which scrap film will be deposited •mce daily, it was learned yesterday. The vault, in line with the recommendation by Manuel A. Mojarrieta, Fire Department inspector of combustibles, was agreed to as the result of a conference between distributor representative and the Fire Department. 'Priority Entertainment' For Returning Wounded Plans for full-scale entertainment of returning American wounded servicemen have been completed here by USO-Camp Shows, with players of screen, stage, radio and other media of the show world routed to hospitals for the wounded and sick throughout the country. Servicemen confined to Army and Navy general hospitals in the United States will henceforth get a priority on entertainment. USO-Camp Shows, in coordination with the special service division of the War Department, has inaugurated a "Hospital Circuit," over which specially selected and produced units will travel, bringing directly to the hospitalized GI's a new show at least once very two weeks. Both ambulatory and bed patients will see all shows. They are being designed for performance both in {Continued on page 4) 'Absenteeism' at Exchanges Growing Absenteeism of employees of several companies' exchanges throughout the country is becoming a growing cause of concern, it was learned here yesterday. The situation, which has shown marked increase in the past six months, recently reached a stage where, it was said, in the San Francisco exchange of one company, total time lost was equivalent to the complete shutdown of the branch for one week. Some home office executives of exchange operations, while admitting existence of the problem, would not permit public identification of their companies with it. Absenteeism ranging from one to (Continued on page 7) 'Arms' at $100,000 In 4th Week, Best At B'way Houses Business at downtown New York first-run theatres continues above average this week with hold-overs holding up effectively. The fourth week of "Up in Arms" and a stage show at Radio City Music Hall will gross approximately $100,000, winding up a profitable run. A product jam and the decision of Music Hall officials to bring in the "Easter Show" this week will end the run of this film today. Columbia's "Cover Girl" and the theatre's annual "Glory of Easter" show will take over tomorrow. A new 20-year house record is expected to be set by "See Here, Private Hargrove," at the Astor, on its first week; $25,800 is claimed for the first five days, and the house expected to (Continued on page 7) Fitzgerald Chairman On 50th Anniversary H. J. Fitzgerald, head of FoxWisconsin Theatres, with headquarters at Milwaukee, has volunteered to serve as chairman of the exhibitors' committee for the 50th anniversary of motion pictures, to be observed by the industry next month. Fitzgerald is scheduled to arrive in New York tomorrow to make plans for exhibitor participation in the anniversary and to set up a theatre operators' committee. Para. Radio Policy Unchanged: Lewis Paramount, one of the largest users of radio to promote its films, has not embarked upon any policy of limiting the appearances of its stars and featured players on network radio programs, nor has the company increased the asking prices of its film scripts for radio use, Martin Lewis, radio head of Paramount's. studio publicity department, said here yesterday. Reports of a rift between studios and radio arose several weeks ago when Warners announced a new policy barring clearance of its scripts for radio broadcasting until at least four or five months after release, and increased prices on scripts cleared for commercial radio programs. Warners (Continued on page 6) All Keys Set For Saturday Tax Increase Frisco and Phila. Among Last to Set Scales San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas and Omaha are among the last of the large cities to effect new, higher scales of theatre admissions for enactment after 12 :01 A.M. Saturday, April 1, to conform with the new Federal ticket tax of one cent on each five, and, in many cases, simultaneously raising admissions beyond the tax rise to preclude using pennies where a round-figure price is permitted. Exhibitors in many concencentrated areas worked together in arriving at new price scales, competing first runs freouently agreeing to uniformity for their operations and subsequents building their new advances similarly, according to (Continued on page 7) London's Film Row Hit Hard by Bombs Londox, March 28 — It is now possible to disclose that Wardour Street, this city's "Film Row," was also damaged in a recent raid by bombs falling near the Kinematograph Renters Society Building, and causing casualties also to another building opposite housing General Film Distributors and the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association headquarters. Several offices in addition to that of GFD have been (Continued on page 7) Chicago Trust Suit Will Start April 3 Chicago, March 28. — Trial before jury of a suit filed by Thomas A. Murray, owner of the Thalia Theatre, claiming $1,000,000 damages for alleged violations of the anti-trust laws by Balaban and Katz and distributors is scheduled to begin April 3 before Federal Judge William Campbell. House Gets Bill to Drop Daylight Time Washington, March 28. — Representative Cannon (Mo.) today introduced in Congress a bill calling for the abandonment of daylight saving war time, which was adopted in 1942. Cannon said his bill was prompted by protests from almost every state, with Midwest farmers the most bitter critics. Setting clocks ahead has frequently affected theatre business, prolonged daylight causing many to remain outdoors.