Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

Wednesday, February 28, 1945 Motion Picture Daily 7 Theatres in Full Curfew Compliance (Continued from page 1) streets to buy them. Gasoline also will be saved as taxi drivers find no business after midnight. W M C officials in Washington watched closely the acceptance of the order throughout the country. Typically, the San Francisco Regional ofreported outstanding cooperation <3T management, labor and communities in its area, while approximately | 60 all-night theatres in Southern California were darkened by midnight, and "night-shift" houses in Detroit and other areas complied with the ban. In New York, Washington and other Eastern cities, bad weather which reduced night club, theatre and other audiences was seen as a possible factor in the smoothness with which the new regime went into effect but communities which enjoyed comfortable weather appeared equally resigned to the curtailment of pleasure hours. N. Y. City Council Aids Enforcement with Law The New York City Council voted 14-to-2 yesterday at a special meeting for an amendment to force all theatres, bars, cabarets and dance halls to remain closed every night from midnight to 8 A.M., in line with the nationwide curfew order. The vote of the Council came after Mayor F. H. LaGuardia's move to back the curfew order by local law. More Demands Made By Laboratory Help (Continued from page 1) between Local 702 and the laboratories expire on March 10 ; negotiations on a hew pact started here Feb. 15. A further meeting will be held today. Other demands by the union, whose members have been hit in employment hy the raw stock shortage, include demands for a guarantee of a five day40 hour week of work. Replacements employed by the companies for Local 702 members who have gone into the Armed Forces would be discharged to make more work for regular union workers. Local 702 did not grant union membership to the replacements. Severance pay demands are for one and one-half weeks for each year of service ; two-week vacations are also sought. The union wants a one-year agreement and would continue its present maintenance of membership nrovisions in all contracts. Schiffrin to Paris On Film Problems (Continued from page 1) lems pertaining to French films made during the German occoupation and cleared for distribution for the U. S. ; and how many U. S. films dubbed in French by distributors here will be admitted to France. Schiffrin revealed that French weekly newsreel material is arriving here weekly and is distributed to the five newsreels, and, in turn, U. S. companies make domestic material available for incorporation in French reels, according to a temporary agreement, as reported in Motion Picture Daily on Feb. 7. U. S. to Seek Trial Date On New Decree Monday (Continued from page 1) cree, which may require several years to dispose of. At the hearing last Dec. 20 on the Government's petition for a new decree Judge Goddard indicated that he would be unable to preside at a trial of the issues before next Fall and urged the Government and the decree companies to try to reach a compromise outside of court. The move to have a date set for trial of the main Government decree petition, originally filed last Aug. 7 in Federal District court here, followed upon the five decree companies' reply last week to the Department's proposals for elimination of clearance. In the reply the companies contended that some of the Government's criticism of the decree's clearance provisions was unjustified and that "some of the relief required would work havoc in the industry." Meanwhile, in Washington yesterday it was stated that the Department is fully prepared to present its case against clearance at the hearing before Judge Goddard next Monday, and has applied for postponement until next May of the start of trial of its antitrust suit against the Griffith Circuit in Oklahoma City Federal Court, now scheduled for March 12, in order to concentrate upon the decree case here. In addition to the theatre divorcement phase of the main decree action, for which the Government now seeks the setting of a trial date, separate licensing of films and decentralized film buying by circuits is proposed. Consenting companies would be prohibited from acquiring further theatre interests upon entry of the order and divestiture of theatres constituting a local "monopoly" would be required. Local arbitration boards would be authorized to eliminate clearance where circumstances warranted. The Government proposes that theatre divorcement would have to be completed within three years after entry of the order. Selznick Will Press Action vs. Leigh Hollywood, Feb. 27. — Daniel T. O'Shea, executive director of David Selznick studios, said today that, despite the adverse decision of the British High Court in denying an interim injunction restraining Vivien Leigh from appearing in a stage play in London, Selznick's London counsel, Joynson-Hicks and Sir Walter Monckton, will proceed to ask for a permanent injunction. O'Shea said that since Miss Leigh appeared in "Gone With the Wind" Selznick "has not had the opportunity to present" her in other films, because the producer had granted her request to appear in plays in England. Citing the cooperation manifested by Selznick towards Miss Leigh when her husband, Lawrence Olivier, was in service, O'Shea said it was expected, now that he has been released, for her to return to America and make additional films for Selznick. He pointed out that she has not appeared in a Selznick film since Nov., 1940, and she had been granted leaves of absence only up to last April. Lt. Hobart, Formerly Of Technicolor, Killed Lieut. Morgan Linder Hobart, USNR, formerly manager of Technicolor's New York office, was killed in an air liner crash in Southern Virginia last Friday. After beginning with Technicolor in Hollywood, Hobart was transferred here in 1938. He left to take a position with the War Production Board in 1941 and entered the Navy the following year. Surviving are his father, Henry Morgan Hobart, former director-producer, and now executive assistant to the chairman of the board of Reeves Sound Laboratories here ; his mother, Mrs. F. C. Wright, also of New York, and a sister, Mrs. Russell Gleason, daughter-in-law of actor James Gleason. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery. FCC Starts Hearing Channel Arguments Washington, Feb. 27. — Oral argument on its recently announced frequency allocations for various types of television and radio service will open here tomorrow before the Federal Communications Commission, which has scheduled three days for the hearings but foresees the likelihood that they will run twice as long. Provision has been made in the schedule for discussion of theatre television, but so far the Commission has received no applications for time from theatre interests. Approximately 30 organizations have requested permission to submit arguments on various services covered by the proposed allocations, including the National Association of Broadcasters, Television Broadcasters Association, CBS, NBC, Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, RCA and Zenith Radio. Lester Is Named WB Memphis Supervisor R. P. »Hagen, manager of Warner Bros.' film checking service, has left New York for a two-week tour of Midwest branches, including Memphis where he will install a new field supervisor, W. C. Lester, for Memphis and New Orleans territories. Lester succeeds B. T. Burnside, who joins Warners' sales staff. H. E. Shepherd also has been added to the staff, as assistant field super visor for Memphis-New Orleans. Warners Drops 'Janie' Hollywood, Feb. 27. — As a consequence of Joyce Reynolds' decision t<retire from the screen, Warners ha' abandoned its intention to produce j series of "Janie" pictures. Ellison to Ideal William M. Cotton's Ideal Movie Group has appointed Philip L. Ellison, top cameraman, to its Hollywood staff. 60 Exhibitors at Paramount Lunch Philadelphia, Feb. 27. — Some 60 circuit executives and exhibitors, representing 90 per cent of the theatres of this territory, and from Pittsburgh, Washington and Baltimore, were guests at a luncheon in the Warwick Hotel here today, on the second day of a Paramount district sales meeting. Host at the luncheon was Earle W. Sweigert, Philadelphia district manager, who was toastmaster. Charles M. Reagan, Paramount vicepresident in charge of distribution, was also present. Officials of exhibitor organizations of this area were present. Speakers included : J. Lawrence Schanberger, Keith's Theatre, Baltimore ; Reagan, William Erbb, Eastern division manager ; Hugh Owen, New York and Southern division manager ; Oscar A. Morgan, general sales manager of short subjects; R. M. Gillham, advertising-publicity director, and Claude Lee, director of public relations. Also attending were Paramount branch managers, salesmen and head bookers of Pittsburgh, Washington and Philadelphia branch offices, and William Brooker and James Levine, district advertising representatives. Cinema Lodge Cites Harry Brandt Here (Continued from page 1) sented the scroll to Brandt after Jack H. Levin had cited Brandt's contributions on behalf of the industry's war effort. Albert A. Senft, Cinema president, presided. Another highlight of the evening was the institution of the Cinema Auxiliary into the lodge and the installation of its officers, including Mrs. Ann G. Blackman, president ; Mrs. Bessie Lefkowitz, first vice-president ; Mrs. Bea Fellman, second vice-president; Mrs. Bess Rosenthal, treasurer ; Mrs. Ethel Greenfield, recording secretary; Mrs. Betty Isaacs, financial secretary ; Irma Flanders, monitress. Mrs. Joseph Berenson of the Woman's Grand Lodge of B'nai B'rith presented the Auxiliary charter to Mrs. Blackman. Membership roster of the Auxiliary already includes women in all film companies and in other groups allied with the industry with a membership drive now in full swing. $5,000,000 Is Seen For March of Dimes (Continued from page 1) 996, 42 per cent increase over 1944 ; South Carolina (Warren Irwin, chairman) $32,055, a 47 per cent jump over last year; Arizona (Harry Nace, chairman) $20,859, 92 per cent above 1944. The four states turned in over $90,000 more than they did in 1944. "At this rate, the national total will run far above $5,000,000," predicted C. C. Moskowitz, Q~f the drive's executive committee. , Lt was sa4d that "terrific g-ains" are being' shown by small circuits. Rex O'Malley Killed Hollywood, Feb. 27. — The body of Rex O'Malley, actor, killed when his auto went over a 50-foot cliff, was found in the surf near Santa Monica today. He leaves a wife and two children in North Hollywood.