Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

Friday, March 9, 1945 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 7 Bagnall Says Stock Halted U.A. Deals Red Cross 'Kick-Off Set; N. Y. to 'Jump the Gun 9 {Continued from page 1) which, as a producer, will make raw stock available to them. "We have always operated on a close margin in printing," Bagnall said. "We don't make prints until we actually need them and consequently, we have been caught with five or six pictures which we can't print." Observing that UA has been the "hardest hit of any company," Bagnall said that it is asking the War Production Board to change the present method of computing its stock allocation from the base year of 1941, when the company had its smallest number of pictures, to an average over a period of years. "UA is entitled to more footage," he declared, "as much proportionately as the other companies have." Producers to Apply Queried as to whether UA might not take advantage of the report in yesterday's Motion Picture Daily of a raw stock reserve pool of 10,000,000 feet for independents, Bagnall said that individual UA producers will undoubtedly make application for some of this footage. United Artists planned to release from 20 to 25 films in 1945, Bagnall said. The company has a larger backlog than it has ever had; six pictures have been finished and delivered to UA, including "Delightfully Dangerous," "Brewster's Millions," "Hold Autumn in Your Hand," "It's in the Bag," "The Great John L." and "Bedside Manners." Almost completed and ready for delivery in the next few weeks are : "Spellbound," "Blood on the Sun," "Guest Wife" and "G. I. Joe." Pictures shooting, the UA vice-president said, are : "Paris Underground," "Captain Kidd" and "Young Widow." Bagnall revealed that UA had been forced to cut down the number of release prints in order to make stock available for production purposes. Not much harm was done by this, he said, as it was possible to operate with fewer prints. Bagnall, who arrived here this week, will return to the Coast in two weeks. Hearings To Continue This Week and Next Hollywood, March 8. — National Labor Relations Board trial examiner Maurice Nicoson said today that hearings in the jurisdictional dispute between Set Decorators Local 1421 and IATSE Local 44, which commenced yesterday, probably will consume the remainder of this week and part of next week. Decorators' business manager Ed Mussa was the principal witness at today's session, devoted to outlining the duties performed by workers in the disputed field. Variety Plans Socials Chicago, March 8. — The Variety Club here has completed plans to stage Saturday socials every week for the balance of the Winter and Spring seasons. Arrangements are being made with local distributors to preview key films for members and guests, on the order of the recent screening of "A Song to Remember" at which Columbia was host. (.Continued from page 1 ) executive coordinator ; Leon J. Bamberger, campaign director ; Oscar A. Doob, War Activities Committee ; Edward C. Dowden, New York public relations chairman ; Borough President John Cashmore, and Frank D. Schroth, publisher of the Brooklyn Eagle and chairman of the Brooklyn Red Cross chapter. Walter (Red) Barber, chairman of the Greater New York Red Cross War Fund ; Col. J. H. Bigley, executive director of the Brooklyn Red Cross chapter ; and the local Brooklyn theatre committee will lead the parade. At Borough Hall, a contingent of soldiers from Fort Hamilton and Coast Guardsmen from Manhattan Beach will act as a guard of honor. A number of stars of screen and stage will join the reviewing party at Borough Hall. Queens March 17 In Queens, on Saturday, Aiarch 17, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, cooperating with the War Activities Committee, will stage a Red Cross 'Parade of Stars,' with a show to follow in Jamaica Armory. Starting at 1 :30 p. m., the Parade of Stars will proceed from Jamaica Avenue and Sutphin Blvd. to 168th Street and then to the Armory. Latest report on the number of theatres pledged shows that 14,266, out of a possible 16,478, will participate, and that the list of 100 per centers in total theatres pledged, now includes Northern New Jersey, New Haven, Warner Red Cross Rally on March 15 A --ally in behalf of the 1945 Red Cross drive will be held at the Warner home office next Thursday, March 15, under the joint auspices of the company, the Warner Club and the Office Employees' Union. The company will declare a recess at four P. M. to enable all employees to attend the rally, which is to be addressed by a wounded Marine from the South Pacific, a Red Cross girl of the European area, and a Warner official. At the same time, the Red Cross will present a citation to Warner employees who have donated to the blood bank. To Examine Hitchcock A notice of motion to examine Alfred Hitchcock, director, before trial in New York Federal Court on Monday, was filed in that court yesterday by Sidney Easton, playwright, who is suing 20th CenturyFox for an injunction and an accounting on "Lifeboat," claiming the film, directed by Hitchcock, plagiarises the title of his play, "Lifeboat No. 13." Motion will be argued in court today. 'Souzof to Clasa-Mohme Hollywood, Mar. 8.— Clasa-Mohme has acquired American and Mexican distribution rights to "O Brasileira Joao de Souza," produced by Robert Chutz for Cinex Films, Brazil, and brought here for showings by the Motion Picture Society for the Americas. Albany, Buffalo, Delaware, Rhode Island, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. In Buffalo, Mayor Joseph J. Kelly has issued a proclamation for Red Cross War Fund Week in local theatres. Similar proclamations have also been issued by James A. Burke, president of the Borough of Queens ; Edgar Nathan, Manhattan ; James J. Lyons, Bronx ; John Cashmore, Brooklyn ; Joseph A. Palma, Richmond. As the drive draws near, Rathvon, in a letter to all exchange area exhibitor chairmen and distributor chairmen, urges that everyone strive to have all theatres take collections, "no matter how small the town, how small the theatre, how few shows they run during the week, or how few dollars they might obtain. "No exhiibtor should feel ashamed or hesitant about turning in a small collection report as long as he has done his best," added Rathvon. Brooklyn Owners Meet Brooklyn theatre representatives this week met with Red Cross volunteers who are to captain Brooklyn theatres during the drive to discuss its details. Edward C. Dowden, of Loew's, chairman of the Brooklyn Red Cross theatre committee, presided. Other theatre men present who spoke were : Edwin Gold and Manny Frisch, Randforce ; Larry Grieb and Al Zimbalist, RKO ; Myron Siegal, Century; Irving Ludwig, Rugoff and Becker ; Ben Simon, Jay Burton and Sidney Kain, Loew's ; Lou Levy, Fabian's Paramount. Dallas Owners Meet Today on RC Drive Dallas, March 8. — Chairmen of the various Red Cross committees for employee contributions among motion picture theatres and film companies in the Dallas area will hold a luncheon meeting tomorrow at the Variety Club, at which reports on pledges and money collected to date will be given. Attending will be Don Douglas, general chairman for theatre men here ; E. J. Solon and R. I. Payne, circuits ; John Q. Adams, "big gifts" ; James O. Cherry and Paul Scott, Dallas theatres ; Don Dixon, independent theatres ; F. W. Allen, allied firms ; Fred Hansen, theatre equipment houses ; Cecil House, exchanges. Cinema Party April 14 Cincinnati, March 8. — The Cinema Club has completed plans for a 'Cinema Night' at the local Variety Club on April 14, for members of both clubs and their guests. No date for installation of new officers has been set, it was announced by Rudolph Knoepfle, Republic salesman, president emeritus of the club, who recently was returned to the president's post. Tom Barry to Albany Albany, N. Y., March 8. — Tom Barrv has been transferred by 20thFox from New York to Albany as head booker in the local exchange. He has been with the company for 15 years. Dan R. Houlihan, head booker and office manager here for eight years, is now a salesman. 11,000 Phila. Labor Draft on Monday Philadelphia, March 8. — Theatre and exchange labor, given a low priority rating by the War Manpower Commission, may be affected, beginning Monday, by a WMC plan to transfer 10,921 men from 'less essential' industry here into highly critical local war plants. The program, involving male workers from 16 years of age, upwards, calls for them to be summoned into U. S. Employment Service offices and given as wide a war production job choice as possible. If they refuse, the USES will not give them certificates of availability, without which workers cannot be employed, until such time as they acceDt the transfer. "Philadelphia is the first city in which such a plan has been adopted," a WMC spokesman said, adding, "This is not the same as the Allentown 'war-work-or-no-work' plan." The program was prepared after months of conferences among labor, industry, Federal, Selective Service and WMC officials. There is an overall need of 25,000 persons, including women, in the Philadelphia area," it was said. Moley To Start as Blue Commentator Raymond Moley, newspaper and magazine columnist, will start a series of weekly news commentaries on the Blue Network starting Sunday in what was indicated by Robert E. Kintner. network vice-president in charge of news, at a luncheon for Moley at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria here yesterday, as a network move to offset broadcasts by columnists with "conservative, conscientious, middleof-the-road commentators." Kintner emphasized that Moley will have the same freedom of expression as do the Blue's other commentato'-' in the belief that the public is entitled to interpret the news in any way it sees fit. Discussing plans for his weekly scripts, Moley pointed out that he intends to bring the same "objectivity" to his radio programs which he now employs in his colums both in newspapers and in Newsweek. Conference Here on Films in Community "The Role of Films in a Coordinated Community Program for Youth Service" is the subject of one of six round tables to be held at New York University, Saturday morning, March 17, as part of a two-day conference. The National Board of Review and the local Metropolitan Motion Picture Council, as two of the sponsoring organizations of the conference, have prepared a program related to the proposed New York State Program for Youth Service from which the conference stems. The round-table chairman is Mrs. Bettina Gunczy, Secretary of the National Motion Picture Council. 3 Circuits Take Mono. Three additional circuits have signed for Monogram's 1944-45 product. Circuits signed are Cumberland Amusement Co., Tennessee; Atlas Theatres, Denver ; Evergreen Theatres, Oregon and Washington.