Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

Wednesday, March 28, 1945 Motion Picture Daily 11 Sales Heads Back Curfew Several distribution company executives moved yesterday to attempt to induce the Loop Theatre in Toledo to abide by the Byrnes midnight curfew by instructing their branch and district managers to visit the theatre and seek cooperation of Jack O'Donnell, Loop owner. The Ohio War Manpower Commission through John L. Craig, State WMC director, had wired distributors to "insist" that their films not be shown at the Loop Theatre after midnight. Some distribution executives expressed doubt that more could be done contractually since commitments were in existence with the exhibitor before the curfew went into effect. 10 Contracts to Radio Contestants WMC Asks Film Ban To Enforce Curfew (Continued from page 1 ) whole the motion picture industry has cooperated splendidly in making the curfew effective, making the Toledo violation more glaring. Will Withdraw Curfew When the War Permits The midnight curfew will be withdrawn or modified "as soon as war progress permits," War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes told New York night club proprietors in a letter made public here yesterday. Contracts for appearances in Universal's forthcoming "On Stage Everybody" will be awarded during the final broadcast tonnisrht of the Blue Network program of the same title. The 10 winners, who comneted amongst 4,000 professional entertainers during the program's 42 weeks on the air, are : Ronnie Gibson, Strawberry Russell, Beatrice Fung Oye. Jean Hamilton. June Brady, Cyril Smith, Bob Hopkfns, Georgianna Bannister, Ilene Woods and Billy Lsher. They will leave here for the Coast tomorrow. The radio program, produced by Lou Goldberg, —ho will be associate producer of the picture starring Peggv Ryan, has lent itself to exploitation tie-ups for the "<>ture for thr past 42 weeks. In addition, the 10 winners will continue on various radio programs during the making of the picture, two of them on their own Blue Xetwork program "Sunny Side of the Street." Village Atmosphere Fritz Lang has begun shooting Greenwich Village backgrounds here for "Scarlet Street," first of the newly organized New Wrorld Properties' films, to be released by Universal. Joan Bennett also is here from the Coast for shooting on the picture, based on the French play. "La Chienne." Para., Loew's Differ On Product Terms Difficulty in agreeing on terms has prevented Paramount and Loew's from getting together on a product deal for the latter's 66 houses in the Metropolitan area. For the past four or five months no Paramount pictures have played Loew theatres in New York and those circuits which play Paramount after Loew's have been without Paramount product in consequence. To date, Paramount has not elected to sell away from Loew's. Negotiations will continue, it is understood. Davis Jubilant After Trip to South Africa Loxdox, March 27. — John Davis, managing director of Odeon Theatres of Great Britain, has returned here after a nine-week visit to Egypt, Palestine, Capetown, Johannesburg and Kenya, stating that he is "happier than ever" over results toward securing theatre outlets for British product in those areas. He declined to discuss particulars, however, pending a conference with J. Arthur Rank, British industrv leader. Technicolor Profit $859,156 in 1944 $843,607 S-C Net Rochester, N. Y.. March 27. — Stromberg-Carlson 'Co. reports 1944 net income of $843,607, equal to $2.97 a common share, compared with net income of $726,815. or $2.51 a common share, in 1943. Sales totaled $55,140.213, an increase of 35 per cent from the $40,946,618 reported for the preceding year. (Continued from page \) 1944 was $11,194,380. against $9,292,927 in 1943. and footage of positive prints rose from 125.773.775 to 161,979,084. An agreement recently was made between Technicolor and Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association for a line of credit up to $2,500,000 for the next ten years. Kalmus reported. Twenty-nine U. S. features were photographed in Technicolor during 1944, according to the report, and four others were filmed by Technicolor. Ltd.. British affiliate'. During the year, also, the company made prints on a wide range of subjects for most departments of the U. S. Government. Thirty-one features are either being photographed at this time or are in preparation for filming this year. With the demand for Technicolor's services exceeding the supply, the company is following a policy of taking care of its old customers up to their past volume before acceding to the requests of others. In the postwar, the company plans to double its capacity, having bought an entire block of land in Hollywood. Thus, it will be able to take care of about one-third of the entire film industry. Kalmus states. "Your management." he adds, "believes that only the lack of facilities and high costs as compared with black and white retard the industry from going all or nearly all to color." G.C.F.'s Proudest Achievement Blimp II Premiere! Gotham Theatre, New York, March 29th!