Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

2 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, March 27, 1945 Boost in Equipment. Prices is Refused Washington, March 26. — Manufacturers of photographic equipment preparing for reconversion to civilian production have been warned by the Office of Price Administration that until they can definitely show higher costs on their new output they will have to adhere to March, 1942 price levels. The OPA disclosed today that it had given -this information to members of the photographic equipment manufacturers' industry WPB advisory committee at a meeting at which a request was made for a higher ceiling because of increased material and labor costs. OPA officials explained to the committee that it was impossible to grant higher maximum prices on mere anticipations of increased costs and that it would be necessary for the industry to get back into normal production before action could be taken. To secure an increase, it was said, it would be necessary to submit actual cost data based on normal output, and it was pointed out that such figures could not be prepared now or while an industry is in process of reconversion. Plan Montague 20th Anniversary Awards Plans for Columbia's 'Montague 20th Anniversary' campaign, named in honor of general sales manager A. Montague, call for a series of awards to be given to sales personnel. The campaign got under wav March 16 and will continue for * 15 weeks, through June 28. As announced by Rube Jackter, assistant general sales manager and chairman of the campaign, the award set-up will provide an opportunity for participation on the part of all sales and booking personnel in the 31 exchanges of Columbia Pictures. The plan is a comprehensive one, designed to emphasize the individual achievements of each member of the Columbia sales staff. A series of national awards, based on billings, have teen set up and the prizes will go to the manager, salesmen, office managers and bookers of the 20 offices which have achieved the highest percentage of their 1944-45 billings quotas. Screen Extras Guild Launched on Coast Hollywood, March 26. — The Screen Extras Guild, a new organization headed by the veteran extra Larry Steers and launched since the Screen Players Union and the Screen Actors Guild came to an impasse on jurisdiction over workers doing bits, stunts and singing, today telegraphed the AAAA executive board its application for a charter. The board meets in New York tomorrow. Organizers have been circulating petitions since the SPU-SAG conflict was referred to the National Labor Relations Board on an appeal from the producers and SAG for revision of terms of the certification given SPU. Personal Mention NEIL F. AGNEW, Vanguard vicepresident in charge of distribution, will leave New York for London in two weeks. • Cpl. Norman Rolfe, former Connecticut manager for Lockwood and Gordon Theatre Circuit, celebrated his eighth wedding anniversary recently. His wife is manager of the Webb, Wethersfield, Conn. • James P. Mulvey, Samuel Goldwvn Productions New York general manager, arrived in Hollywood yesterday from New York accompanied by Harry Archinal, of the accounting department. • William Gleicher, of the M-G-M sales department has arrived in Los Angeles from San Francisco. He will visit Salt Lake City and Denver before returning to New York. • N. Peter Rathvon, RKO president, arrived on the Coast over the weekend from New York. He is scheduled to return April 9. • ' Barney Balban, Mrs. Balban and daughter, Judith, and Edwin Weisl, returned to New York yesterday from the Coast. Phil Williams, March of Time advertising director, will return to New York tomorrow from a 10-day trip to the Midwest. • Walter L. Titus, Jr., Republic branch operations head, is in Detroit. He will return to New York next Monday. Kirby Burns of Famous Players' Canadian booking department, has returned to his job following 30 months of service in England. • Lt. Col. Frederick P. Henderson, formerly of Eastman Kodak, has been awarded the Bronze Star for work on Guam. • Elmer Davis, OWI director, arrived in London from New York yesterday. • E. H. Groth, RKO Theatres New England division manager, is visiting New York from Boston. • Phil Bobys, Washington M-G-M salesman, has returned there from New York. • Cpl. Paul Amadeo, former assistant manager for E. M. Leow, Hartford, is home after two years in Italy. • Glenn Ireton, Warner Canada field representative, is en route to Vancouver from New York. I_TAL B. WALLIS will arrive in New York from the Coast early next month. • Arthur C. Bromberg, president, and Harold Cohen, special sales representative of Monogram Southern exchanges, have returned to Atlanta from New York. • Ray Schmertz, son of I. J. Schmertz, 20th-Fox Cleveland branch manager, was tendered a farewell industry dinner prior to entering service yesterday. • Charles Skouras, National Theatres Corp. president, left the Coast vesterday for New York, ac-omp',nierl by his wife and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Rosenberg. • Gloria Jean Gold, daughter of Harry Gold of United Artists, has been married to Lt. Seymour Udell, USNR. • Mrs. Max Lefkowich, head of the Community Circuit, is recuperating' from an operation at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Cleveland. • Dennis Wratten, manager of the film technical service of Kodak, Ltd., London, is visiting the company offices here, and will go to the Coast soon. • Merritt Davis, Republic Southern manager has returned to Atlanta from the Coast. • Nat Turberg, Northio city manager at Hamilton, Ohio, is visiting Florida with his wife. • Nelson Trowbridge, Cincinnati theatre manager, is ill in General Hospital there. • J. S. Jossey and Kroger Babb, coproducers, returned to Cleveland last week from the South. • William Baker, Republic Midwest head, has returned to Chicago from a two-week Coast trip. • Tohn Balaban, Balaban and Katz Theatre Corp. head, is von a 10-day vacation. • Leon Fromkess. PRC president, is expected in New York from the Coast about April 15. • Bill Hoyle, of Lichtman Theatres. Washington, arrived in New York yesterday. • David Robinson, formerly with E. M. Loew's. Hartford, is now a major in Belgium. • John Jenkins, president of Astor Pictures, Dallas, is visiting Atlanta. Louis Meyer Dies New Rochelle, N. Y., March 26. — Louis Mever, former publisher of The Theatre Magazine and onetime Commissioner of Parks and Docks of New Rochelle, died in New Rochelle Hospital, where he had been taken following the death of his wife ten days ago. He was 74 years old. Celestials' Lunch Today A program of special entertainment for the next monthly luncheon of the Celestials, today, at the WaldorfAstoria Hotel includes Danny Kaye, Jackie Gleason, Earl Wrightson and the Ink Spots. Groups of recently returned veterans will be guests of the Celestials. Buck and Meyer Are Reelected by ASCAP Eli E. Oberstein, chairman of the committee on elections, will certify to the ASCAP board of directors tomorrow, the following results of the annual election: For the writers in the popular-music field: Gene Buck was re-elected by a vote of 75,242; George W. Meyer, by 71,036; Ray Henderson, by 70,439. In the standard-music field : John Tasker Howard replaced the incumbent director, Geoffrey O'Hara by a vote of 48,915. For the publishers, in the popular field : Max Dreyfus, Crawford Music Corp., 5,166 ; John J. O'Connor, Warock Music Co., 5,112; Jack Mills, Mills Music, Inc., 4,800. In the standard field: Donald H. Gray, H. W. Gray Co., Inc., 4,507. These directors were all incumbents. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL 50th St. and 6th Ave. Spencer Katharine TRACY HEPBURN "WITHOUT LOVE" LUCILLE BALL A M ETRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURE & The Music Hall's Great Easter Stage Show ON SCREEN "PAN AMERICANA" PHILLIP TERRY AUDREY i-ONG IN PERSON Tommy DIX Extra! Menasha SKULNIKJ Paramount presents Veronlea Sonny LAKE TUFTS Bddla Marjorie . irasken Reynolds {"BRING on the GIRLS" In Person The Ink Spots Ella Fitzgerald Buek & Bubbles Cootie William* and his Orchestra PALACE B WAY & 47th St. Dick Powell Claire Trevor Anne Shirley "Murder, My Sweet' AN RKO RADIO PICTURB SAMUEL GOLDWYN Present* BOB HOPE 'THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE' in Tecbn/co/or ASTOR Broadway & Continuous Doors open 8:30 A.M. 45th Street Popular Prices WALT DISNEY'S 'The THREE CABALLER0S' NOW in TECHNICOLOR Released by RKO Radio Pictures . '. Brandt's GLOBE MOTTON PICTURE DATLY, Martin Quigley, President and Editor-in-Chief; Colvin Brown, Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor. Published daily except Saturday, Sunday, and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York, 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address, Quigpubco, New York. Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Theo Sullivan, Secretary; Sherwin Kane, Editor; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Ave., Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Bldg., William R. Weaver, Editor: London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq. London Wl, Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1945 by Quigley Publishing Co., Inc. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York. N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per vear, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10.