Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

10 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, October 4, 1944 Reviews "Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (20th Century-Fox) r^AMON RUNYON has produced a rowdy, dazzling musical in color as a semi-biographical tribute to Ernest R. Ball, who wrote "Mother Machree," "Boy o' Mine" and "Let the Rest of the World Go By," as well as the film's title song and other sentimental tunes that brought him fame before the last war. Headlined by a couple of pleasant new stars and backed by some old marquee favorites, it should do well at the box office, especially since the script writers, Earl Baldwin and John Tucker Battle, balance the nostalgia of the lyrics with a story about as tender as a good catfight. Dick Haymes, fairly new to the screen, has made Ball a fascinating character : soft-hearted when seated at th piano and flightily hot-blooded in the presence of his eternal Irish inspiration, June Haver, burlesque chorine, who, for her own part, specializes in quick lefts to the jaw. He meets and loses her in Cleveland when they're both obscure and broke ; then, after he hits the jackpot, he finds her checking hats at Churchill's in New York. Here develops the real plot complication, a slender but neat trick whereby the musician's mentor, Monty Woolley, sneaks a famous actress, Beverly Whitney, into the ladies' room and bets his gambling rival, Anthony Quinn, that he can make a star of the first woman who comes out. Of course it's the hat-check girl, pushed and sprawling after a scuffle and mad as a hornet at the boy friend because she doesn't know what's going on. Nor does she get wise until after Quinn, to collect his wager, has railroaded her almost to Cuba. Then, naturally, stardom and love. Gregory Ratoff's direction keeps the action broad and noisy, and the many song-and-dance numbers staged by Alfred Newman and Charles Henderson follow much the same course, except when Leonard Warren and Blanche Thebom of the Metropolitan Opera have the spotlight. For good measure, Maxie Rosenbloom is on hand, to knock out the composer once when his lady isn't slugging at him herself. Running time, 90 mins. "G"*. Release in block No. 3. Tom Loy "Shadow of Suspicion" (Monogram) Hollywood, Oct. 3 SHOWMEN can rate this A. W. Hackel production right up with the toppers in the field of button-button-who's-got-the-jewels thrillers. With a few bigger names to exploit and perhaps a touch of polish here and there in the interests of comedy, it could take care of itself in top spots. It's way above par for its category. Marjorie Weaver and Peter Cookson are the leads, the former portraying a jewel dealer's secretary and the latter a young man who acts like a jewel thief, but isn't really. And a nice job they turn in, with Tim Ryan, Pierre Watkin, Clara Blandick and the other supporting players going along as nicely. The script, by Albert DeMond and Earle Snell, is intricately contrived but fast-flowing and preserves suspense until the last possible moment. It concerns a plot to steal jewels from a Chicago dealer and it manages to put everybody but the audience under suspicion at one time or another. Direction, by William Beaudine, is one of his best recent jobs. Running time, 68 minutes. "G."* Release date, Sept. 23. William R. Weaver Hollywood Has 50 Pictures In Production Hollywood, Oct. 3. — Two pictures were completed and others started in a week which closed with 50 features before cameras. The production scene follows : Columbia Finished: "Song of Tahiti." Shooting : "Eaaie Was a Lady," "Counterattack," "Together Again." M-G-M Shooting : "Hold High the Torch," "Women's Army," "Thrill of a Romance," "The Clock," "Anchors Aweigh," "Son of Lassie," "Valley of Decision." Monogram Finished: "Gun bmoke" (formerly "Saddle Smoke"). Shooting : "G. I. Honeymoon," "Saddle Pals." Paramount Started: "Duffy's Tavern," with Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charley Cantor, Marjorie Reynolds, Barry Sullivan, Victor Moore, and guest stars ; "High Man," with Robert Lowery, Roger Pryor, Phyllis Brooks, Mary Treen, Ed Gargan, Joe Sawyer. Shooting : "Salty O'Rourke,'" "Miss Susie Slagle's. PRC Shooting : "Strange Illusion." RKO Radio Shooting : "Come Share My Love," "China Sky," "Experiment Perilous," "Zombie on Broadway," "Isle of the Dead" (suspended), "It's a Pleasure" (International), "Wonder Man" (Goldwyn), "Tarzan and the Amazons" (Lesser). Republic Started: "Chicago Kid," with Donald Barry, Lynne Roberts, Otto Crehan, Henry Daniels ; "Topeka Terror," with Allan Lane, Linda Stirling, 'Twinkle' Watts. Shooting: "Lake Placid Serenade," "Hitchhike to Happiness," "Great Flamarion" (William Wilder). 20th-Fox Shooting: "Czarina," "Where Do We Go From Here," "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe," "Hangover Square," "Nob Hill." United Artists Shooting : "The Tuckers of Texas (PCA), "Delightfully Dangerous" (Rogers), "Brewster's Millions" (Small), "It's in the Bag" (Skirball). Universal Shooting : "Fairy Tale Murder," "Suspect," "Salome — Where She Danced," "Frisco Sal." Warners Shooting : "God Is My Co-Pilot," "Pillar to Post," "Of Human Bondage," "Nobody Lives Forever," "San Antonio." Independent Started: "Wildfire" (Action Pictures), with Bob Steele, Eddie Dean, Sterling Holloway, Virginia Mapes. Shooting : "A Boy, a Girl and a Dog" (W. R. Frank). *"G" denotes general classification. Zukor Hails Griffis' Post in Red Cross (Continued from page 1) to the Paramount organization and reported that the Red Cross work in the Pacific would not be so much of a "doughnuts -and-coffee" nature but would deal, rather, with "greater morale values," such as maintaining contact between the men at the front and their families. Carl York, Paramount managing director for Sweden and the Scandinavian countries, introduced by Claude Lee, expressed pleasure on visiting the United States after a lapse of ten years. At a business session, the Pep Club elected new officers for 1944-45, as follows : J. L. Brown of the comptroller's office, president; Richard O'Connell of the foreign department, vice-president ; Richard Bennett of the accounting department, treasurer, and Rose Mirell, secretary. New members of the board of governors are : G. Knox Haddow, outgoing president ; George Weltner, David Cassidy, Harriet Miller and Al Sicignano. Local 306 to Take Over Harlem MPPA The IATSE New York projectionists' Local No. 306 will absorb one of the last two remaining projectionists' unions in New York at a meeting at Manhattan Center here today when it will take over the Motion Picture Projectionists Association, embracing Negro projectionists employed in theatres in Harlem. The only union standing in the way of Local 306's campaign to have complete jurisdiction over all projectionists in this area is the Independent Motion Picture Projectionists, which has about 100 members. Local 306 has about 2,375 members in about 500 theatres in the Metropolitan area. Legion Classifies Seven New Films The Legion of Decency has classified the following : A-l, The Great Mike," and "When the Lights Go On Again," PRC, and "Trigger Law," Monogram ; A-2, "Carolina Blues," Columbia ; "The Climax," Universal ; "Enemy of Women," Monogram ; class B, "The Merry Monahans," Universal. Brandt Plans Meet on Mayor's 'V-E' Idea Harry Brandt, who represented the managers of Broadway film houses at Mayor LaGuardia's meeting on "V-E Day" plans last week, will call a session of the heads of other local theatres to implement the Mayor's request that show "breaking" hours be staggered on the night of victory in Europe, provided the necessity for such action becomes apparent as the late approaches and the likely temper of the public is determined. The Mayor's suggestion is designed to keep streets from becoming clogged with people during show-closing hours. STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACTS OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AND MARCH 3, 1933 Of Motion Picture Daily, published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), at New York, New York, for October 1, 1944. State of New York 1 ss . County of New York) Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared Theo. J. Sullivan, who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the Business Manager of the Motion Picture Daily and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, as amended by the Act of March 3, 1933, embodied in section 537, Postal" Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit: 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher, and Editorin-Chief, Martin Quigley, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Editor, Sherwin Kane, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Managing Editor, Sherwin Kane, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Business Manager, Theo. J. Sullivan, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City. 2. That the owner is: (if owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, or other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as. well as those of each individual member, must be given.): Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Martin J. Quigley, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Gertrude S. Quigley, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Martin S. Quigley, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City; Colvin W. Brown, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York City. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, -stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in case* where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. 5. That the average number of copies of each issue of this publication sold or distributed through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the twelve months preceding the date shown above is 4810. (This information is required from daily publications only.) Theo. J. Sullivan, Business Manager. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of September, 1944. (seal) Dorothy S. Kavanagh, (My commission expires March 30, 1946.)