Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, March 29, 1944 5,000 Theatres Extend Drive for the Red Cross 'Marseille' Leads San Francisco with Healthy $29,400 San Francisco, March 28.— "Passage to Marseille," paired with "Smart Guy," got a leading $29,400 at the Fox, followed by $28,400 at the Golden Gate for "Action in Arabia" with the Ritz Brothers on the stage. "Lady in the Dark" and "Coastal Command" hit $13,500 in a third week at the State. Weather was good. Estimated receipts for the week ending March 24-29 : "Ladies Courageous" (Univ.) "Hi, Good Lookin' " (Univ.) ORPHEUM— (2,440) (20c-35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Gross: $13,000. (Average: $14,800). "Knickerbocker Holiday" (UA) "Men, on Her Mind" (PRC) UNITED ARTISTS— (1,200) (20c-35c-60c75c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $11,000. (Average: $11,000). "Mad Miss Manton" (RKO) WARFIELD--(2,680) (20c-35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Stage: vaudeville. Gross: $22,100. (Average: $21,800). "Action in Arabia" (RKO) GOLDEN GATE— (2,850) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Stage: vaudeville. Gross: $28,400. (Average: $25,000). "Passage to Marseille" (WB) "Smart Guy" (Mono.) FOX— (5,000) (20c-35c-55c-75c-) 7 days. Gross: $29,400. (Average: $24,000). "Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (Para.) PARAMOUNT— (2,740) (20c-35c-55c-75c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $18,600. (Average: $19,600). "Lady in the Dark" (Para.) "Coastal Command" (RKO) STATE — (2,306) (20c-35c-55c-75c) 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $13,500. (Average: $12,100). "Purple Heart" (2<tth-Fox) "Rosie, the Riveter" (Rep.) ST. FRANCIS — (1,400) (20c-35c-55c-75c) 7 days, 2nd week, moveover from Fox. Gross: $13,900. (Average: $11,600). Theatres Can Set Own Television Use Technical possibilities will permit "feeding" a motion picture theatre, by wire line, with a complete television show, B. Ray Cummings,* vice-president in charge of engineering for Farnsworth radio and television, told members of the Television Press Club at a luncheon at the Blue Ribbon here yesterday. Cummings, however, indicated that the direct "piping" of television programs into motion picture theatres might not be economically feasible although it is even now technically possible, although a circuit group of exhibitors in a large city could erect their own local television station and obtain their own channel for telecasts to their respective theatres. By having their own channel, theatres would receive television images broadcast by their own studios ; they could use "live" talent as well as films to make up a complete television program for theatres, said Cummings. Cummings said that television images can be carried within a city over a modified form of telephone cable and indicated that the cost of co-axial cable is not prohibitive. WB Zone Meeting W. Stewart McDonald, Warner circuit comptroller, and James M. Brennan, assistant treasurer, will conduct a meeting of zone contact managers to be held this Friday and Saturday at the home office. In attendance will be more than a dozen representatives from the field, in addition to home office executives. (.Continued from page 1) lections already show 100 per cent increase over last year," and Harry Arthur's St. Louis telegram, which stated: "Even though we started collections on the 16th in all Fanchon and Marco houses and our collections will run two weeks, we will still collect through the weekend of April 1-2." . All RKO theatres have received instructions from 'the home office to continue collections through next Sunday, and the same orders have gone out to Loew and Warner Circuit houses. Among other circuits which will extend the campaign are Malco Theatres, Brandt, Smalley, Butterfield, Wometco, Crescent, Thalhimer, Goldberg Theatres, Schine, Cabart, Strand Enterprise, Skouras, Varbalow, Cinema Circuit, Century Cascade Theatres, Hunt, Bijou Amusement, Skirball Brothers, Wehrenberg, Interborough, Fabian, Atlantic Circuit, Standard Theatres, Shea, and Basil Circuit. J. L. Cartwright, exhibitor chairman for Florida, wired from Tampa that all theatres in that state had lined up for a second weekend. Harry Lowenstein, Newark, advised that New Jersey had also swung into line. All Broadway first-run houses as well as subsequents also will collect for a second weekend. Pledges Still Come; Top 15,000; Record Although theatre collections for the Red Cross drive have been under way for six days, pledges from exhibitors are still being received in large numbers at New York headquarters of the industry's drive. More than 275 additional theatres have been heard from, raising the total number of participants to well over 15,000 mark, setting new record for exhibitor cooperation in a wartime cause. Randforce Collections Ahead of Last Year Red Cross drive collections by the Randforce Circuit aggregated $14,000 for the four days from Thursday through Sunday, it was announced here yesterday. The result compares with collections of $10,000 by the circut for the 10 days of the industry Red Cross drive last year. Loew's, Associates Present $48,328 Here The Red Cross War Fund in New York City started off this week with a jump of $48,328 in donations from Loew's Theatres and other exhibitors who played the short subject, "America Speaks," released by Loew's. This was part of the $155,000 donation announced by the company last week. Name Ship for Harris Washington, March 28. — Twentysix Variety Clubs throughout the nation will take part, during the Fifth War Loan drive, in the dedication of a Liberty Ship to be named for the late Senator John P. Harris, father of John H. Harris, manager of the Harris Amusement Co. and founder of American Variety. Negotiations with the U. S. Maritime Service were handled by Alexander Sherman, for Columbia Mideastern publicity-exploitation director. Thomson Will Be First SAG Witness Hollywood, March 28. — Kenneth Thomson, former executive secretary of the Screen Actors Guild, will be the first witness called by SAG counsel William Berger in the case opening before NLRB examiner Charles Ryan here tomorrow, to present testimony designed to disprove claims of the Screen Players Union that Class "B" SAG players are discriminated against and neglected. Thomson will reveal the Guild's activities in investigating and bringing about the indictment of Willie Bioff, whose name was injected into the hearing by SPU witnesses. G_eorge Murphy, vice-president of SAG, will follow Thomson on the stand in the absence of William Cagney, president. SPU originally filed a petition for a hearing by the NLRB on a Class "B" bargaining agency election but have broadened its scope in an effort to include bit players, character players, stuntmen and others in the autonomous union sought by the SPU, a guild spokesman charged. Records of the studios and Central Casting will be introduced by SAG to show the exact percentage of "B" players doing bit parts, he said. One Obiectionable, Eight Are Approved M-G-M's "Broadway Rhythm" has been rated Class B, objectionable in part, by the Legion of Decency, because of "suggestive dance and costuming." Eight other films were approved. In Class A-l, for general patronage, were "Jamboree," Republic ; "The Pinto Bandit," PRC ; "Two-Man Submarine," Columbia, and "The White Cliffs," M-G-M. In Class A-2, for adults, were "The Amazing Mr. Forrest," PRC; "Days of Glory," RKO; "Her Primitive Man," Universal, and "Story of Dr. Wassell," Paramount. Moynahan Promoted The promotion of James Moynahan to chief publicity writer of March of Time was disclosed here this week by MOT's advertising-publicity director P. A. Williams. Moynahan, formerly attached to MOT's London and Paris branches as a script writer, has been with the New York office since 1942. Jensen Rites Held Los Angeles, March 28. — Funeral services were held here yesterday for Henry C. Jensen, 84, old-time exhibitor in this territory, who operated the Raymond, Palace Grand, Glendale and later the Hollyway and Melrose in Hollywood. Surviving are his widow and a son. Warners Reopen Two Atlantic City, March 28. — Warner Bros, will reopen the Earle Theatre on Saturday with a permanent motion picture policy. The Virginia, another Warner house now closed, reopens Friday for the season. Para. Radio Policy Unchanged: Lewis (Continued from page 1) averaged about six network plugs weekly for its films. For several years the company had been accepting an average of $750 for the use of a screen script by a half-hour radio program like the CBS Playhouse and $1,000 for an hour show like the "Lux Radio Theatre." Recently Warne asked an advertising agency f $5,000 for the script of "Destination Tokyo" and $3,000 for "One Way Passage." M-G-M also is understood to have asked higher prices recently, but Paramount, according to Lewis, has not changed its policy. Lewis is in New York for several days to arrange radio ' promotion for Paramount's "The Story of Dr. Wassell" and "The Hitler Gang" and is setting Paramount stars on radio programs to promote the films. Hold Radio Depreciates Films Warner policy, according to Alex Evelove, studio publicity head, is based on the belief that "in many instances a property representing great effort and investment depreciates to a marked degree in a mere half-hour broadcast, definitely detracting from its screen value to the exhibitor." Recently Paramount arranged for the broadcast of a series of "air previews" of unreleased pictures on the CBS Kate Smith program. A continuation of this policy has not been decided upon, according to Lewis. In recent years the main commercial users of film scripts were the "Lux Radio Theatre" and the CBS Playhouse program. "Screen Guild Players" program is a package deal with proceeds going to motion picture relief funds so that the film companies permit use of their scripts on this program gratis. Universal 'Revives9 Vaudeville at Palace Vaudeville came back to the Palace Theatre yesterday morning, brought back by Universal to promote Charles K. Feldman's "Follow the Boys." The affair started at midnight Monday with a broadcast from backstage in which stars of the picture participated. With Bill Stern as master of ceremonies, the program included George Raft, Zorina, Sophie Tucker, Ted Lewis and Joe Laurie, Jr. Following the broadcast stars of the old Palace did turns once more, among them Irving Fisher, Joe Howard, Fred Stone, J. C. Nugent, Ella Shields, Fritzi Scheff, Leo Carillo, Smith and Dale, Ethel Levey and Buck and Bubbles. After the vaudeville, "Follow the Boys" was screened. NBC to Operate Station for U. S. Washington, March 28. — Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones announced today that the Defense Plant Corp. had authorized a contract with the National Broadcasting Co. for the construction of broadcasting facilities at Dixon, Cal., at a cost of approximately $500,000. The plant will be operated for the Government by NBC with title to the station remaining in the Defense Plant Corp.