Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1944)

4 Motion Picture Daily Friday, December 8, 1944 'Something for the Boys' in Phila. Pulls Big $23,000 Philadelphia, Dec. 7. — Business in downtown houses remains dull, with holdovers and second runs predominating. The only major opening, "Something for the Boys," at the Fox, points to $23,000, with an additional §3,000 already taken in for the dual Sunday showing at the Earle. Estimated receipts for the week ending Dec. 6-8 : "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay" (Para.) ALDINE— (900) (40c-45c-50c-65c-7Sc-85c) 7 days, 4th week. Gross: $10,800. (Average: $14,600). "An American Romance" (M-G-M) ARCADIA — (600) (40c-45c-50c-65c-75c) 7 days, 2nd run. Gross: $4,500. (Average: $4,000). . "Casanova Brown" (RKO) BOYD — (3,000) (40c-45c-50c-65c-75c-85c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $16,500. (Average: $18,000). "The Big; Noise" (20th-Fox) 6 days "Something for the Boys" (ZOth-Fox) 1 day EARLE — (3,000) (40c-50c-85c-95c). Six days of vaudeville, including Johnny Long's band, Mary Lou Wilson, Tommy Morgan, Lew Hoffman, Sibyl Bowan. Gross: $20,000. (Average: $27,600). "Something for the Boys" (Zflth-Fox) FOX— (3,000) (40c-45c-5Oc-6Sc-75c-85c) 7 days. Gross: $23,000. (Average: $20,500). "Marriage Is a Private Affair" (M-G-M) KARLTON— (1,000) (40c 45c 50c -65c -75c85c) 7 days, 2nd run. Gross: $7,800. (Average: $6,600). "Since You Went Away" (UA) KEITH'S — (2,200) (4Oc-45c-50c-65c-75c85c) 7 days, 2nd run, 2nd week. Gross: $6,500. (Average: $5,800). "The Doughgirls" (WB) MASTBAUM—(4,70O) (4Cfc-45c-50c-65c75c-85c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $17,900. (Average: $22,500). "Mrs. Parkington" (M-G-M) STANLEY— (3,000) (4Oc-4Sc-50c-65c-75c85c) 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $24,500. (Average: $20,000). "The Master Race" (RKO) STANTON— (1,700) (4Oc-45c-50c-65c-75c85c) 7 days. Gross: $9,800. (Average: $9,400). PRC '44-45 Program Set by February {Continued from page 1) February four Westerns, two each starring Buster Crabbe, and two costarring Dave O'Brien and Tex Ritter. The six January features include: "Phantom of Forty-second Street," Al Herman, associate producer; "Swamp Man," an Edgar Ulmer production; "Deadline"; "Detour," Martin Mooney as associate producer ; "Undercover Girl" and "Fire Patrol," both Alexander-Stern productions. The four productions for February include: the Leon Fromkess production, "Queen of Burlesque"; "The Wife of Monte Crisco"; I. E. Chadwick production ; "Murder in Spades," a Harry Gourfain production, and "White Gorilla," a Sigmund Neufeld attraction. The two for the 1945-46 program are: "I Ring Doorbells," Russell Birdwell novel; another Fromkess production, with Martin Mooney as associate producer, and "Heritage," also a Fromkess production, with Herman Boxer as associate. Fourteen regular features and 12 Westerns already have been completed for 1944-45, of an announced program of 24 features and 16 Westerns. McKay and Ferris Give Best Radio Press Service, Editors Say RADIO EDITORS of newspapers of the United States and Canada, voting in Motion Picture Daily's ninth annual radio poll, conducted on behalf of Fame, Quigley Publishing Company's annual roster of motion picture and radio talent and talent in related fields, voted the press department here of National Broadcasting Co., headed by John McKay, as the network which gives them the 'Best Publicity Service' repeating their selection of last year. They also reelected the office headed by Earle Ferris as the individual pub-' licity office which likewise gives them the 'Best Publicity Service'. Polling of the nation's radio editors to determine their choices in publicity services rendered was first instituted as part of the Motion Picture Daily-Fame poll last year and was continued this year. Results of the balloting follow : NETWORK PUBLICITY DEPARTMENTS FIRST PLACE: National Broadcasting Company, John McKay, Manager of Press Department. SECOND PLACE: Columbia Broadcasting System, George Crandall, Director of Publicity. INDIVIDUAL PUBLICITY OFFICES FIRST PLACE: Earle Ferris. SECOND PLACE: Tom Fizdale, Inc. John McKay Earle Ferris Community Circuit Planned by K-B Washington, D. C, Dec. 7. — Zoning permits have been granted for the erection of the first of a series of community projects planned by Fred Kogod Enterprises revolving around film theatres by the Kogod-Burka Circuit, it was disclosed here today by Frank Boucher, general manager of that Washington theatre circuit. The first project will get under way in Southwest Washington as soon as priorities permit. More than $1,000,000 will be spent for this new type of community venture, which will be centered around a 1,000-seat motion picture theatre embodying provisions for television, and to be named the Southern. John Zink, architect, already has completed plans for another K-B house, the Avon, in Southeast Washington. The Southern Theatre will be the center of a new area developed since the war. The planned project, which will cover an entire city block, will include parking lots, shops, recreation center and other aspects of full community life. More than 3,000 apartments already are in this war-developed area which is assured of permanency by the recently-completed Bellevue Experimental Station built for the Navy and designed for postwar use as a permanent Navy unit. Ignacius Frusucki Dies Hobart, Ind., Dec. 7. — Ignacius Frusucki, 53, operator of the Art and Strand theatres here, died yesterday. He is survived by three sons and his widow, who will operate the theatres. Discrimination Bill Hearings Are Set Albany, Dec. 7.— The State Com mission Against Discrimination has set seven public hearings on two pend ing bills which would aifect industry, including the film business, and labor unions and employment agencies in this and other industries. The first meeting, last week, highlighted dis agreement over the length the Board of Regents had gone in invoking a teaching program of tolerance and anti-discrimination. The bills set forth public policies against employment discrimination on race, creed, color or national origin grounds. They provide for the foster ing of goodwill and cooperation among groups, and define unlawful employment practices, such as barringemployment on racial, color or na tional origin grounds, or discharging an employee on the same grounds The same would apply to labor unions The bills also provide for safeguards for complainants, who would be reinstated, if discharged because of discrimination. The bills further pro vide for the prosecution of an employer or union who discriminates against an employee. The bills would supple ment all such present laws, of which there are a number on the books. M-G-M's Messenger East Hollywood, Dec. 7.— Lillian Messenger of the M-G-M story department, and assistant to L. B. Mayer in story and play purchases, will leave here tomorrow for New York to inspect the plays in which M-G-M has a financial interest. Rank Control Is Formalized (Continued from page 1) ministration, Ltd., for that purpose. It was the first complete get-together of Rank executives. Rank's program, disclosed in Motion Picture Daily on Dec. 1, includes the expenditure of at least $20,000,000 on production next year. Function of the new company will be to control not only all the promotional and propaganda services of Rank's widely spread production activities, but also their finance and contractual obligations. Rank further announced that managing director and, as such dictator of all the Rank advertising, production budgeting, contracts for the hire of actors, authors, studio-help, and so forth, will be F. L. Gilbert, who has held senior office in the Establishments Division of the Treasury. On the board of the new concern will sit Barrington Gain — who is expected to be the financial controller of all Rank's enterprises — and representatives of the three major Rank production outfits ; Two Cities, Gainsborough, Independent Producers. The plan calls for a complete revolution right down to the studio-base of operations. St. Louis Strike Hits ore Companies Continued from page 1) only Fanchon and Marco firstruns in operation. Only four of the subsidiary St. Louis Amusement Company's 31 theatres are open. A pressman's strike prevented the publication of afternoon newspapers, but there was no check of effect of the lack of advertising upon theatres. Locally, it is understood that negotiations are deadlocked, but efforts are being made in New York between Richard F. Walsh, IATSE international president, and representatives of several of the film companies involved to settle the strike, which has now spread to all but two of the exchanges, Columbia and United Artists. Company representatives met with Walsh in New York today and will meet again tomorrow. It is understood that Walsh has not yet received a report from Felix Snow, IATSE vice-president, of Kansas City, whom Walsh has designated to make a complete investigation of the strike. Companies Continue AAA Federal Support (Continued from page 1) the distributor representative. -However, since his resignation from Warners last Summer, the post of distributor representative is considered to be vacant. The AAA recently renewed leases on the St. Louis, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Boston tribunals, acting on automatic renewal clauses. Other leases are expected to be renewed from time to time as they expire.