Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

First in [Radio jN Accural and Impartial MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert, tion Picture Industry |VOL. 56. NO. 103 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1944 TEN CENTS Mixed Needs in Capital for Postwar Period Freon and Manpower Are Cited As No. 1 Needs By AL SHERMAN Washington, Nov. 28. — "Let home offices worry about post-war planning" is the tenor of a survey conducted by Motion Picture Daily here to determine postwar needs of theatres and exchanges. This is especially true of exchange managers. However, among theater operators it develops that the one item given the most postwar consideration is freon gas. Carter Barron, Loew's Theaters division manager, -placed that item as No. 1 need. Frank Boucher, general manager for KogodBurka Theaters, agreed. And replenishment of staffs is the No. 1 need of exchanges. Of exchange men approached only one, Sam Galanty, Columbia's Mideast division manager, committed {Continued on page 9) Schenck Reports 19 'Dimes' Chiefs Nicholas M. Schenck, national chairman of the 1945 March of Dimes drive, to be conducted in theatres during the week of Jan. 25-31, received yesterday 19 more acceptances of state drive chairmanships from exhibitorleaders. Seven were reported Monday. The new acceptances follow : Carter Barron, John J.. Payette, cochairmen, District of Columbia ; Jack Kirsch, Maurice M. Rubens, Illinois ; Harry Katz, K. T. Collins, Indiana ; (Continued on page 10) OWI Names Perkins Aide in Far East Robert Perkins, Universal manager in Manila and Japan prior to the war, has been named by the Office of War Information overseas branch to assist Michael Bergher in a Far Eastern film operation which is in the process of formation, it is understood. Perkins, prior to his association with Universal, was with Paramount in Shanghai and Manila. He was repatriated on the Gripsholm in 1942 and served in the Army for two years, having just been honorably discharged. He is the son of James Perkins, Far Eastern division manager for Paramount MGM Plans 3 Video Outlets Loew's has filed applications with the Federal Communications Commission for permission to construct three television stations, one each in New York, Washington and Los Angeles, to involve an estimated minimum outlay of $1,000,000. General Electric equipment is specified, with high-definition transmission indicated. M-G-M Studios, Inc. seeks the Los Angeles outlet which would be assigned to Channel No. 8 (162-168 megacycles), while Marcus Loew Booking Agency seeks Channel 17 (282-288 megacycles) for New York and Channel No. 8, in Washington. Applications were filed through Herbert L. Pettey, director of WHN, Loew's New York radio station, and Herbert Bingham, Washington attorney. Warner Bros, has pending an application for permission to construct a television station in Hollywood and has already acquired property upon which to build a station. Paramount already has extensive in(Continued on page 9) Ritchey, Out of Navy, Back with Monogram Norton V. Ritchey, who for the past two years has served as a lieutenant in the Navy, has been placed on inactive status and has rejoined Monogram as vice-president in charge of the foreign department. Mrs. N. Witting will continue as his assistant. Bob O'Donnell Still Owes Blank a Steer Des Moines, Nov. 28.— A. H. Blank is still waiting for Robert J. O'Donnell of Dallas to pay off a Texas steer on that Fifth War Loan bet of last Summer when O'Donnell wagered a steer against Blank's Iowa hog that Texas would beat Iowa in war bond sales. Blank and Iowa won. O'Donnell, however, is not welching — neither he nor Blank can get together enough red points required by the OPA to slaughter the prize. 10,354 Bond Events Set A total of 10,354 special events have been booked by theatres for the Sixth War Loan Drive, including 3,254 'Bond Premieres,' 772 'Children's Premieres' and 6,328 'Free Movie Davs.' The figures include pledges up to last week, and many territories that show few premieres are now active lining up others, not definitel booked. Indications are that the sixth drive is well ahead of the fifth in these special events. Of the Bond Premieres, 1,016 are in towns of less than 7,500 population, as are 297 of the Children's Premieres. The distributors committee of the (Continued on page 10) Only 15 Actual War Films For the Turn of the Year Urges Film Stamp On Christmas Mail Citing the recent issuance by the Post Office Department of the commemorative stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the commercial film industry, as "a very significant occurrence in the public relations of our industry," Claude Lee, Paramount executive, yesterday urged every employee in the industry to use only the commemorative stamp on Christmas cards, and on correspondence generally, as a contribution in this public relations promotion. Distributors are approaching the turn of the year with less than a dozen and a half "top" war films ready for release, to be released early in the year or in planning or production stages at their studios in Hollywood. The number is the lowest since the ominous days before Pearl Harbor. And of the group several are not classified as out-and-out war films, but, rather, are postwar rehabilitation themes or servicemen's stories without actual fighting. Among the top war films ready for release or planned for early release in 1945 are: M-G-M's "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," 20th Century-Fox's "Winged Victory" and "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier," and Columbia's "One Against Seven," based on the play "Counterattack," and RKO's (Continued on page 10) Divorcement To Take Years, Says D. of J. May Be 2 Years Before Supreme Court Gets Case By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington, Nov. 28. — A number of years may be required for the disposition of the distributor-owned theatres if the Government is successful in its effort to divorce them through expansion of the film consent decree, it was said here today at the Department of Justice. Even if trial of the suit is started in the near future, as desired by the Government, at least two years is seen required to get it to the point of a Supreme Court decision. Assuming a decision favorable to the Government, it would then be (Continued on page 10) Industry Fund May Perpetuate MPSA Hollywood, Nov. 28. — Plans for establishing the Motion Picture Society for the Americas as a permanent organization, wholl^ financed by the industry, will be discussed by the society's board of directors, comprising heads of all studios, at a special meeting Dec. 7. Set up as a liaison between the studios and the Coordinator of InterAmerican Affairs, the society faces possible dissolution at the end of the fiscal year, June next. Harold Hopper, society president, will be chairman of the meeting. 2 2,8 2 5 'Free-Gift Features Overseas War Activities Committee headquarters here yesterday disclosed that 22,825 feature prints and prints of 24,359 short subjects have been sent to the Army Overseas Film Exchange for showing to troops since inception of the program by the industry. This week's delivery of the 16-mm gift-prints includes M-G-M's "Strike (Continued on page 10) Reviewed Today Review of "Belle of the. Yukon" appears on page 9.