Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

Friday, December 8, 1944 Motion Picture Daily 3 Republic, *Vf Buy Million in Bonds H. J. Yates, Republic president, has purchased $500,000 in bonds for the Sixth War Loan Drive on behalf of Republic, the industry's national drive committee was informed yesterday. The sum was allocated to branches throughout the country, with New York buying $44,500 of the bonds. Hollywood, Dec. 7. — Universal today made a $500,000 corporate bond purchase and announced the additional purchase of $75,000 worth by employes of the company. Hellman Closes Deal For Four Re-issues Marcel Hellman will leave for London over the weekend, after having closed a deal with English Films, Ltd., for the re-issue of three Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., pictures, and "Crime Over London." Hellman also purchased some story properties while here. English Films will represent him in this country. Review "Night Club Girl" (Universal) A MINOR, tongue-in-cheek variation on the musical-comedy success-story theme manages here to whip up a good deal of frenzied merriment, some of which will be shared by the audience ; but the characters, plot and dialogue are so belabored beyond all resemblance to life that the cream of the jest goes pretty sour. The idea is that the dancing of the little girl from Windebaggo fails to take the Sunset Club in Hollywood by storm but that she finds fame and fortune through revealing there her mother's recipe for soupy hash. Vivian Austin is the babe-in-the-woods, teaming with Billy Dunn as her brother. Edward Norris, columnist, takes them under his wing and sneaks them into the floor show past Maxie Rosenbloom, proprietor of the club. They are somewhat overshadowed by the Mulcays, Paula Drake and especially the Delta Rhythm Boys before Miss Austin gets around to overshadowing Leon Belasco, the chef. Frank Gross was associate producer. Eddie Cline directed without restraint from a script based by Henry Blankfort and Dick Irving Hyland on Adele Comandini's original yarn. Running time, 61 minutes. "G."* Release date, Jan. 5. Tom Loy *"G" denotes general classification. Meiselman to Build Charlotte, Dec. 7. — H. B. Meiselman, owner of a circuit in this territory, has purchased the Roosevelt Hotel property here preparatory to erecting a theatre when materials are available. Cost of the property and the new house call for approximately $250,000. NEW YORK THEATRES HELD OVER 4th WEEK BRAZIL co-starring TITO GU1ZAR VIRGINIA BRUCE featuring EDWARD EVERETT HORTON ROBERT LIVINGSTON VELOZ and YOLANDA FORTUNIO BONANOVA and ROY ROGERS (King of the Cowboys) as Guest star A REPUBLIC PICTURE Midnite REPUBLIC ^ Shows w fcl w Bet_ CO 5-9647 THEATER 5lst &. 52nd RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL 50TH STREET & 6TH AVENUE Irene j. Charles DUNNE T BOYER TOGETHER AGAIN' with Charles Cobura A Columbia Picture SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION 1st Mezzanine Seats Reserved Circle 6-4600 NOW PLAYING AT MUSIC HALL HELD OVER SECOND WEEK Harmon Calls Films Vital War Weapon CARMEN MIRANDA — MICHAEL O'SHEA "something" for the boys" A 20th Century-Fox Picture in Technicolor JIMMY SAVO — MILDRED BAILEY — Plus On Stage — EXTRA! PEARL PRIMUS BUY MORE n/\v V 7th Ave. & BONDS KUAI 50th St. EXCLUSIVE AND TRUE! INSIDE CHINA TODAY *r*f VICTORIA l&Bg&Ba Broadway & 46th St. W \^ Doors Open 9:45 A. M. • Continuous f ARRYL F. ZANUC»£ PALACE B'WAY & 47th St. CARY GRANT "None Butthelonely Heart" WITH MISS ETHEL BARRYMORE BARRY FITZGERALD Alan Ladd T Loretta Young in PARAMOUNT'S "AND NOW TOMORROW" rln Person GLEN GRAY and the Casa Loma Orchestra ANDY RUSSELL JERI SULIAVAN SON & SONNY WALLY BROWN and ALAN CARNEY 1 1 1 T A 1 \ T: J : E : ON SCREEN First N. Y. Skowlni I 'CAROLINA BLUES' Kay Kyser Victor Moore IN PERSON" MILT BRITT0N and ORCH. HARRY SAVOY "The motion picture camera is the fourth most important factor in the winning of the war and ranks just behind radar, amphibious landing craft and the super-bomber," Francis S Harmon, vice-chairman of the War Activities Committee, told a gathering of 300 at a Rotary Club luncheon yesterday at the Hotel Commodore. Harmon, a lieutenant of infantry in World War 1, told the audience that "total wars are fought with cameras as well as cannon, and planes drop propaganda leaflets as well as bombs." He cited a remark made by the commanding general of the Armed Forces in Iceland, stating that "films are as necessary as food" to his men. "Motion picture film is made from the same materials as smokeless powder and manufacturers can't begin to meet the demands from civilans and the Armed Forces," Harmon said. Harmon said that the "good neighbor policy has been aided tremendously by films in that we have recorded an accurate job of locale, history, music and people, and that an increase of 250 per cent has been made in the Latin-American themes shown in our newsreels." Cigarettes to Bond Buyers in Phila.! Philadelphia, Dec. 7. — Al Lipman, manager of the Ambassador, neighborhood house here, pulled a 'Free Movie Day' rabbit out of the hat this afternoon and tonight. For every bond purchaser he will provide a slip entitling him to buy one full carton of his favorite brand of cigarettes. The rare offer was made possible through a tieup with the Warner Cut Rate Store, which provided enough cartons for 2,000 persons. Rubin Names 30 for Willkie Memorial (Continued from page 1) Willkie, to be held at the Hotel Astor, here, on Dec. IS. Rubin has also named a committee of 30 who will work with Skouras on the memorial luncheon. They include Jack Alicoate, Barney Balaban, Harry Brandt, Leo Brecher, Jules Brulatour, Ned Depinet, Walter Green, Francis Harmon, Will Hays, Marcus Heiman, Joseph Hornstein, Malcolm Kingsberg, Edward Noble, John O'Connor, Charles O'Reilly, Brock Pemberton, Ralph Poucher, Martin Quigley, Herman Robbins, Jack Robbins, William Rodgers, David Ross, Gradwell Sears, Lee Shubert, Skouras, Nate Spingold, Harry Thomas, Walter Vincent, Albert Warner and David Weinstock. India Is Hopeful on Equipment Quotas M. Akbar Fazalbhoy, managing director of the RCA Photophone Equipments, Ltd., Bombay, is confident that new theatre equipment quotas will be granted for exports to India by the Foreign Economic Administration in order to relieve the critical equipment situation facing India's 1,700 theatres, he disclosed at a press interview at the Hotel Commodore here yesterday. Fazalbhoy, who came here from India to attend the recent International Business Conference, also represents the Indian film industryIndia's postwar program, he said, calls for 10,000 theatres and mobile units to bring films to all urban and rural centers. Native film production will be increased from the current total of 160 films in 15 languages to an estimated 300 feature films yearly, in addition to 104 instructional snorts and 52 weekly newsreels. Studios and theatre equipment factories projected for postwar construction will need the assistance of American technicians, Fazalbhoy added. Producers are restricted to films of 11,000 feet length, Fazalbhoy said, because of the lack of raw stock, most of which is received from the U. S. Native films receive 70 per cent of total playing time, with American pictures capturing most of the remaining 30 per cent devoted to foreign product, he said. Justice Dept. Probes Equipment Charges (Continued from page 1) said that "several" complaints have been received but did not divulge the grounds on which they were based. The inquiries now being made are the routine studies on which, if they indicate a possibility that complaints are well founded, the detailed surveys on which a case may be based are initiated. No reports have yet been received, it was said. Raw Stock Allocation To Be Set Next Week (Continued from page 1) which can take no chances, might be asked to defer other than immedineeds until the raw stock manufacturing plants in France and Holland, which are ready to go except for coal, get into operation — when they could have film released here by the Army — which would use some of the European production.