Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, November 1, 1944 Personal Mention Insider's Outlook -By RED KANN HARRY J. MICHALSON, RKO short subject sales manager, and Frederic Ullman, president of RKO Pathe, left yesterday for a tour of key cities. • Ernest Freeman and Mrs. Freeman recently became the parents of a daughter, Susan Louise. Freeman is manager of the Towne Theatre, Allentown, Pa. • Jack Ziegler, who has been project manager for a Kansas City bridge company at Skagway, Alaska, has returned and rejoined Western Theatre Supply Co. at Omaha. • J. Lester Stallman, manager of the Astor, Reading Pa., has been named chairman of the Reading Community Chest theatre campaign committee. • Ed Lewis, until recently manager of the Roosevelt Theatre, Seattle, will move, with his family, to Juneau, Alaska, where he will manage the Gross Theatre. • Harry Novak, Warners' general manager in Argentina, will leave New York Saturday for his headquarters in Buenos Aires, following a twomonths' stay in the United States. • Mike Landow, former branch manager for Universal in Philadelphia, is critically ill in the York Hospital, York, Pa. • Gertrude Pressman, secretary to Al Davis at Monogram's Philadelphia exchange, has announced her engagement to Pfc Leon Dobkin. • Harry Blair of PRC here will be in New Haven the remainder of this week and will go to Toledo from there. • Harry Hunter, Paramount's managing director in Australia, has gone to the Coast and then will return to Sydney, his headquarters, from there, o Sid Blumenstock, assistant exploitation manager of 20th CenturyFox, returned yesterday to New York from Pittsburgh and Washington, e Gus Schaefer, RKO, Northeastern district manager, and Max Westebbe, Albany branch manager, are in New York. • Frank N. Phelps, Warner executive, left New York last night for Boston. • Bert Sanford, of Altec, returned to New York yesterday from California. .' : • . George Dembow of Nati°nal Screen Service will leave Hollywood Friday for New York. o Edward C. Raftery, United Artists president, will leave for New York from Hollywood Saturday. Hollywood, Oct. 31 IF the plan still has the breath of life in it, the architecture must now be changed. Studio heads are busy men. Some are so busy they have little time to attend meetings of the Producers' Association. Others are so engaged in these days of more and more expensive negatives that administration of the association reaches beyond limitations of their working days. In quick roundup, this is why there has been contemplated the advisability of employing an outside man. Favorably viewed at one long juncture was Dr. Clarence Dykstra, one-time municipal water and power commissioner of Los Angeles, city manager of Cincinnati, national selective service director, chairman of the National Defense Mediation Board. Now Dr. Dykstra has resigned as president of the University of Wisconsin to accept the post of provost of the University of California. That places him effectively beyond the pale of the unfilled job. ■ ■ The hotel situation here has been tight for months, as the flow of visitors from all points of the compass realizes full well ; also those in residence who try to locate space for them. From time to time studios have sought to circumvent this by tying up suites at the limited number of Grade A hotels. It has not been too successful. There is a five-day rule playing obstacle. The rule allows occupancy without interruption from Monday through Friday, then vacating premises over weekends and resuming on Monday. Anyone who has been through this attests to its lack of comfort and convenience. The situation has been solved by Paramount now. The studio has leased a house on Crescent Drive immediately beyond the Beverly Hills Hotel bungalow occupied by Frank Freeman. Paramount Guest House is its name. Arthur Mayer stopped there Friday en route to Honolulu, via San Francisco. Sam Dembow arrived Sunday. But he went to the Ambassador. ■ ■ Wednesday, November 1, is a date long ringed on the calendar. In Inglewood, ten miles to the south, Hollywood Park which no one here has to be told is a race track opens a 34-day meet. On December 30, Santa Anita, to the east beyond Pasadena, gets going and continues on a five-day-a-week routine for 55 days, which takes care of matters until March 13. Anyone who can get away, and those who can get away with it, will be on deck. If lots of business can be transacted in the patio at Lucey's, lots of business can be transacted in the clubhouse at Inglewood. On the opening day's card at Hollywood Park, coincidentally, is a horse called "High Resolve." Symbolism ? ■ ■ Smiles suffuse the Republic lot. Reason : The praise-sweep accorded "Brazil" by the trade press. Topper to date, however, is designed to be "Earl Carroll's Vanities," budgeted by the production department at $1,500,000 and distinctly not a figure whipped up by publicity impresarios. This reminds once more that when Herb Yates declared, as he has several times, Republic had full intention of moving into the dreadnaught division with its lead attractions, he was not kidding. No one kids with $1,500,000. ■ ■ Capt. Ray Wild, Air Forces ace, was one of those who addressed the well-stocked kickoff rally for the Sixth War Loan Drive here. He told this story about a Chinese proverb: "When a parent kisses a baby on the cheek, the child becomes a writer. A kiss on the forehead presages an orator of renown, and one on the lips means a citizen of future prominence. "I don't know where your mother kissed you" — turning to Harry Brandt — "but you've turned out to be a wonderful chairman." ■ ■ The situation with Margaret O'Brien — incidentally, she practically wraps up "Meet Me in St. Louis," reviewed today — was tense. The regulations on salary freezes blocked M-G-M from putting through an increase reported at 15 per cent. The moppet was heading for another studio, but riding to an amicable finish is the deal whereby royalties on O'Brien dresses, dolls, toys, caps, coats, etc., will go her way. Go her way to the tune of about $100,000 a year. Chungking Premiere Is Set for 'Tokyo' Chungking, China, and New York will have a simultaneous world premiere of M-GM's "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo." The premiere will be held Nov. 15, and in China the invited guests will include Chiang Kai-shek, and all Allied military leaders in the area. The initial New York presentation will be at the Capitol Theatre, with free seats to purchasers of 6th War Loan Bonds. Honor Balaban At Cinema Lodge Meet Film industry leaders attended the meeting of Cinema Lodge, B'nai B'rith at the Hotel Piccadilly here last night to honor Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, for his contributions to human welfare and the traditional idea of American freedom. Alfred W. Schwalberg, honorary president of Cinema, presented Balaban with a scroll. Dr. William Agar, executive vicepresident of Freedom House, was the principal speaker at the meeting and the U. S. Army's Industrial Services Division's film, "Weapons of War," was shown. Albert A. Senft, Cinema president, presided at the meeting, stressing Cinema's present campaign to double its membership in the film and allied industries. Peak Grosses Off 10%: Heineman While the top pictures are continuing to do big business, there has been a drop of 15-20 per cent from previous peak grosses for the average run of product, William Heineman, general sales manager for Samuel Goldwyn, who has just returned from a seven-week trip through the Midwest and Pacific Coast, reported yesterday. Heineman reported that patrons were showing a tendency to shop for quality, with comedy and color rating the greatest drawing power. Skouras to Assist V.N.S. Fund Drive Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, has accepted the chairmanship of the motion picture division of the 1944 campaign for funds for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Formerly known as the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service, the organization provides nursing care in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. The 1944 fund drive began last week. Fete Elizabeth Wilson Liberty Magazine will give a cocktail party at the Sherry-Netherlands Hotel here on Friday in honor of Elizabeth Wilson, Hollywood representative of that publication and Screenland, Silver Screen and Movie How. 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.; 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.