Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

MOTION XTURE DAILY Alert, to thei^tion Picture Industry lOL. 56. NO. 101 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1944 TEN CENTS Roosevelt in Tribute to Film Industry Variety Banquet Held; War Effort Citation By SHERWIN KANE Washington, Nov. 26. — President Franklin D. Roosevelt paid tribute to the industry and to the Variety Clubs of America Friday night in a communication read to more than 500 guests assembled at the Mayflower Hotel to honor Secretary of State Cordell Hull, given the annual Humanitarian Award by Variety Clubs. The communication was read by James F. Byrnes, former Supreme Court Justice and aid to President Roosevelt, as part of the ceremonies of the evening. It was addressed to Carter Barron, general (Continued on page 6) Report Progress on New Building Code "Satisfactory progress" is being made on a revised building code for theatres and places of public assembly in all parts of New York State except New York City, according to a representative of the New York State Labor Department's advisory committee which has been holding meetings. The next meeting will be held Friday, Dec. 1. Representatives of the industry on the committee include Henry Anderson, Paramount; Martin J. Tracey, Century Circuit; Theodore Junge, alternate for Harry Moskowitz, Loew's and Glen H. Humphrey of projectionist's Local 337. Ramish, Founder of FWC, Dies at 82 Los. Angeles, Nov. 26. — Adolph Ramish, 82, has passed away at his home here. He was born in Grass Valley, Cal., Aug. 19, 1862. He pioneered in exhibition, financing production companies also. With the Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser, Ramish founded West Coast Theatres, now Fox West Coast. He became a First National franchise holder ; also once backed Charles R. Rogers. Variety Club Stills Executive Activity Home office executive functioning was practically at a standstill here starting last Wednesday. The Thanksgiving holiday shuttered all offices on Thursday, and the next day witnessed one of the greatest mass migrations of industry executive manpower, to Washington, for the annual Variety Clubs' 'Humanitarian Award' dinner. Nearly every top executive made the trip, with scores of lesser lights accompanying them. $31,097,641 Tax in Month Films Worth 2 Billions Average weekly attendance at film theatres in the U. S. is approximately 95,000,000, and there are about 16,793 theatres in the country, with about 2,000 closed, according to the International Motion Picture Almanac, just out, published by Quigley Publishing Co. The volume discloses that 193,222 are employed in exhibifion, distribution and production, earning $343,033,763 per year. Capital investment of theatres, studios and distribution facilities amounts to $2,050,000.000. The Almanac has some 12,000 biographies in its 'Who's Who' section, and more than 1,000 pages of facts and figures on industry personnel, structure and activity. A main division of the volume, arranged in 15 sections, is devoted to the far-flung, diversified contributions of the film business to America-at-War. Washington, Nov. 26. — Admission tax collections by the Treasury Department resumed their upward trend in October, on September ticket sales, after having declined seasonally the preceding month, jumping from $29,042,668 to $31,097,641, it was announced here Saturday by the Internal Revenue Bureau. Collections in October last year were $16,499,395. Collections in the third New York (Broadway) district, which dived from $5,000,000 in August to $1,463,000 in September, recovered heavily last month, totaling $4,873,946. October, 1943, collections were $2,043,582. Collections for the first ten months of 1944 were $239,149,479, compared with $136,293,040 for the corresponding period in 1943. Manpower Is Midwest's No. 1 Postwar Need Exhibitors in Good Shape on Equipment Rank Opens Odeon To All British ' By PETER BURNUP London, Nov. 26. — J. Arthur Rank, i announcing formally here at the weekend his "association" with Odeon | Theatres of Canada, emphasized that ■ the circuit would be used as an outlet ' not only for his own films but for all British product, "with quality and suitability the only tests." The British Board of Trade, Rank | said, had asked him to do everything ! in his power to obtain Canadian distribution, and it is understood that the BOT had a hand in the wording of the weekend statement, which charac (Continued on page 6) 'Henry the Fifth 9? {Two Cities'] London, Nov. 26 PREVIEWED by the press prior to its gala premiere at the Carlton Theatre tomorrow night for the benefit of the Commandos Benevolent Fund, this anxiously awaited $2,000,000 color production, shown at a time when J. Arthur Rank is challenging the world as a producer, demonstrates that Great Britain, despite outworn studio equipment, the manpower shortage and the perils of bombing, is able to turn out a film not only magnificent in all technical points but also showing a revolution in production technique as startling as Walt Disney s best. Disregarding the belief, based on past Hollywood efforts, that Shakespeare is box-office 'poison,' Laurence Olivier, the producer, director and star of "Henry the Fifth," has disdained the ancient theatrical fetish of the sacredness of the Shakespearean convention and, regarding the bard only as an unexcelled fashioner of a magic ring of words has compounded that same magic in a superb synthesis of color, sound and movement. It is infinitely finer than anything previously made m Ln (Continued on page 6) By SAM HONIGBERG Chicago, Nov. 21. — Assuming that theatre equipment becomes available within the next several months, demands for it among exhibitors in this territory will not be as heavy as had been anticipated. On the other hand, as soon as the acute manpower situation eases, exhibitors in this area will swamp with offers all competent ushers, doormen, cashiers, assistant managers and managers they can reach. Generally, the current equipment picture in the 300-odd theatres is quite bright. Freon is in demand, some replacements parts for sound systems and projectors are needed, but so far no theatre has had to close for lack of suitable operating equipment. I. Brotman, independent exhibitor (Continued on page 7) Johnston Arranges For New Financing Monogram has completed plans for the underwriting of 100,000 shares of preferred stock, at $10 a share, to net the company approximately $860,000, which will be added to working capital and also used for the reduction of present accounts payable and for production. Emanuel and Company, New York, will underwrite. It will be that company's first motion picture (Continued on page 6) Exhibitors Selling Bonds in 30 Plants Los Angeles, Nov. 26. — Scope of the Los Angeles Examiner's Sixth War Loan alliance with 650 Southern California theatres broadens here with the announcement by Earl Rice, chairman of the joint effort's 'War Industry Plants Bond Premiere Committee,' working under the supervision of exhibitor state chairman Gus Metzger. that bond-sales groups composed of theatre personnel are now on duty at industrial plants selling war bonds to (Continued on page 3)