Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

2 Motion Picture daily Wednesday, March 28, 1945 Insider's Outlook By RED KANN Personal Mention ROY HAINES, Warner Western and Southern sales manager, entrained from Hollywood yesterday for New York, via Salt Lake City and Denver. • John C. Tack son, London Films director, returned to New York yesterday from the Coast. He will leave for England within two weeks accompanied by William Williams, also of London Films, who will arrive in Xew York today from Detroit. • Capt. Daniel R. Morgan and Sgt. Galloway, formerly assistant manager and a member of the junior executive staff of the Roxy, New York, have received the Silver Star and a Commendation. • Shirley Epstein, daughter of Sam Epstein, Omaha circuit operator, has been married in that city to Sam Bernman. • Edward Gabriel, Capitol exchange manager, Philadelphia, is at Temple Hospital, that city, for an appendectomy. • Ross McCalsland, manager of the Telenews Theatre, Denver, and Mrs. McCal'sland, are in Dallas. • F. H. Smith, manager of Paramount exchange operations. Salt Lake City, is due back there from Montana and Idaho. • Neil Fletcher, Palace Theatre treasurer. Dallas, is in California looking into a $70,000 inheritance left by a friend. • Maxine Basler of Earle W. Sweigert's Paramount exchange staff in Philadelphia, has resigned to join the Red Cross. • Nina Scott, booker at the Sheffield-Republic Salt Lake City exchange, is recuperating after an operation in that city. Al Wilkie. Paramount home office publicity manager, left Hollywood for Xew York yesterday on the Superchief. • Hugh Braley, Paramount division manager, is visiting Salt Lake City and Denver. • Ira Adams, Nelson, Neb., exhibitor, has been appointed county attorney for Nuckolls County in that state. • Paul Esterly, manager of the Strand Theatre, Reading, Pa., is vacationing in Florida. • Leon Bamberger, RKO Radio sales promotion manager, will leave here Friday for a Florida vacation. • Donald J. Bezahler, son of Joel Bezahler of M-G-M. will be barmitzvahed in Brooklyn, April 21. • Olin Clark will entrain from Hollywood for New York today. CPREAD over most of this ^ regular Wednesday area on April 19, last year, and again seven days later was a consolidation of facts, surmises and analyses of David O. Selznick's position in United Artists. Highlight:were stock ownership and stock influences which trailed acquisition of Sir Alexander Korda's 25 per cent interest by UA Productions, wholly-owned subsidiary of United Artists Corporation, and Neil F. Agnew who, somewhat earlier, had resigned from Paramount to handle Selznick's sales. In the light of current deploying, a few selected excerpts are worth reprinting because the}7 fit inextricably into the pattern of what may be : "The big and solitary question is: Will one-quarter keep him [Selznick] content? . . . At best, it is a part-way answer. Partway because the competent Selznick is also a very ambitious Selznick. An accepted analysis of him here [in Hollywood] encompasses these motivations and objectives, but it must be pointed out it is others than David himself who supply the ingredients : "1 — He wants to be top-kick in any setup of which he is a part. This suggests management, or control, or both. "2 — He seeks a broadly-flung company bearing his family name and has had this on his reputed list of futures for sonic time." ■ \\ ith significance all its own, there also was this: "On the Selznick side, what about Agnew? David wants to have in Xew York a selling factor on whom he can place complete dependability. Structurally. Selznick is the kind of person who will never 'include himself completely out' of any of his activities. Therefore, he will be having his say in sales, too, but the dominant say will be Agnew's. "This will relieve the producer for production, but it also sets up a valuable asset if and when Selznick ever contemplates the need for a national sales manager of his own." The italics did not appear originally. They are emphasized today for their pivotal values. ■ Xow, a year later, matters are stirring. They are stirring on behalf of a national selling organization emblazoning the Selznick name in the celluloid firmament— and high in it, too. Xo one can foretell with unchallenged accuracy how closely intentions will match events or the precise juncture on the calendar when the ambition will bear fruit, if it does. Today, the raw stock situation is ruling the industry's roost and plans must be tailored to meet the prohibitions of w-ar. This is why the plan under which Selznick would withdraw from UA after delivering his inescapable commitment of five attractions — three dow7n and two to go — in favor of a distribution machine under his own banner is among the unpredictables of the day. ■ However, make no mistakes and do not treat lightly the discussions continuing with Harry Ross. The view is that in Ross Federal reside the potentials of another national distributor. Thirty-one offices are functioning in key cities. They are fortunately endowed with floor space, desks, typewriters, telephones. Vaults appear to present no knotty problem. Parcel post, expressage and film carriers are available to all comers. ■ Manpower reputedly offers no insurmountable^, either, for everyone is aware that a freshlylaunched enterprise attracts men who believe they see an opportunity in another pasture, hopefully greener than their own. In the thousands of bonded checkers employed by Ross is a manpower reservoir which offers interesting and unknown exploratory possibilities, moreover. There may be agreement or none over the reasoning this sets forth. WTiat is more to the point is the fact the principals in the case do not believe their handicaps are too severe to lick. They do not even acknowledge them to be severe. ■ That, however, is on the side of personnel and physical requirements. Raw stock, without which it is obviously impossible to produce, is another matter. It is the big matter, looming large and uncertainly over all else. If this engages your attention and you are after more. Fridav means more. That's Motion Picture Herald dav. 1,000 Members, Goal For Cinema Lodge A goal of 1,000 members for Cinema Lodge, B'nai B'rith, in the film and allied industries was set by Albert A. Senft, president, at the election and installation of officers at the Hotel Astor here last night. Senft called for an intensive membership drive to be conducted in alH film offices and other branches of the industry in Xew Y'ork to achieve this goal. Cinema will continue its program of honoring industry leaders for their contributions to human welfare and the traditional ideals of American freedom during the coming year, Senft said. Barney Balaban. Samuel Rinzler and Harry Brandt have already received the Cinema 'Honor Scroll.' Schwalberg Presides Alfred W. Schwalberg. Cinema honorary president, presided at last night's installation, following the election which saw Senft reelected tor another year. Vice-presidents elected and installed included S. Arthur Glixon. Bernard Goodman, Leo Jaffe. Samuel Lefkowitz, Jack H. Levin, Martin Levine, Milton Livingston. William Melniker, Alvin T. Sapinsley. Xorman Steinberg. Louis Weber, Robert M. Weitman, Robert Wile and William Zimmerman. Max B. Blackmail was reelected treasurer : Julius M. Collins, recording secretary, and Herman Levine. corresponding secretary. Officers were installed by lodge members following brief addresses by each member assigned to install a specific officer. Treasury Invites Bids On Excess Equipment Washington, March 27. — The surplus property office of the Treasury is inviting sealed bids, to be opened next month on a date not yet fixed, for a considerable quantity of surplus used photographic equipment, including a considerable number of projectors, both silent and sound, for 35 and 16mm film. A large part of the surplus equipment in the hands of the Treasury consists of laboratory apparatus and film cans, mostly 16mm. and unused and used reels for 16mm film. Col. Rudd at Newsreel Col. Augustin G. Rudd has bpen released from active service in the Army after three years, and has returned to Xewsreel Theatres. Inc.. as executive vice-president. He was formerly a vice-president. Col. Rudd is also a director of Xewsreel Theatres and vice-president of Xewsreel Distributors, Inc. Harry Ross Marries Dallas, March 27. — Harry Ross, president of Ross Federal Service, and Gloria Dalchau were married here yesterday. They will return to Xew Y'ork in two weeks. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, 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 194S by Quigley Publishing Co., Inc. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. 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