Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1945)

Thursday, December 20, 1945 Motion Picture Daily 3 Short Subjects Review "Doll Face" (20th Century-Fox) BASED on no less. an authoritative work than a play by Louise Hovick, perhaps better known as Gypsy Rose Lee, this slick little musical is concerned with the saga of a burlesque queen, Vivian Blaine, who, deserting downtown precincts, journeys uptown to seek success on Broadway. Dennis O'Keefe masterminds her efforts in this respect, while Perry Como, night club warbler, and Carmen Miranda, "Latin bombshell," lend their distinctive talents to the proceedings. What results is a breezy musical chockful of entertainment values. When Miss Blaine is turned down for his show by Reed Hadley because she has no "culture," O'Keefe prevails upon Michael Dunne, handsome but intellectual author, to "ghost" Miss Blaine's autobiography in order to make her a personality of distinction. Dunne becomes more than casually interested in Miss Blaine, which disturbs O'Keefe no end because he and the actress have an understanding and a ring to go along with it. When O'Keefe finds Miss Blaine and Dunne together, he burns and breaks off their engagement. The book appears, hits the best-seller lists, and Hadley offers the lead in his new show to Miss Blaine. On opening night, O'Keefe, in order to effect a reconciliation with her after she ignores his pleadings, refuses to permit her to appear, as he has a contract for her exclusive services. They are reconciled. Miss Blaine is adequate in the lead and vocalizes pleasantly. Como is smooth in his musical renditions and Miss Miranda is good in a "samba" routine with Ciro Rimac, the dancer. Martha Stewart and Dunne are fresh personalities on the Fox lot. Leonard Praskins did the screenplay, from Harold Buchman's adaptation. Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson contributed a fairly catchy score, of which "Chico-Chico" has already caught on. "Somebody's Walkin' in My Dreams" and "Here Comes Heaven Again" are also smooth ballads. Lewis Seiler directed, while Bryan Foy is credited with production. Running time, 80 minutes. General classification. Release in February. Charles Ryweck "Hitler Lives?" ( W ar ners) Here is a forceful indictment of German savagery in war coupled with an eloquent reminder that the doctrine of world conquest is destined to still again assert itself unless stemmed by watchful world. The presentation pulls no punches in driving its message home, with scenes of the grotesque remains of thousands of victims of the Nazis, including the distorted forms of men hanging from a scaffold and huge piles of human skeletons found in "murder factories." "The 'spirit' of Hitler is still alive in Germany," the film contends, in spite of surface appearances and can lead to another conflict, just as Bismarck guided the German people into another war after his end and World War I was followed by World War II. Knox Manning narrated for the short, which was made under supervision of Gordon Hollingshead. Running time, 20 minutes. "Magic on a Stick" (M-G-M) This issue of John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" depicts the story of an English chemist who discovered, through a personal tragedy, the principle of today's sulphur match. Running time, 10 minutes. 'Best Film' Group Is Announced by Gallup Dr. George Gallup, director of Audience Research, Inc., announces the names of 10 contenders for the "most popular" film of 1945, based on his continuous polls conducted among filmgoers for Photoplay magazine, as follows : "A Song to Remember," "Anchors Aweigh," "God Is My Co-Pilot," "Hollywood Canteen," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "National Velvet," "Son of Lassie," "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," "Thrill of a Romance," "Valley of Decision." Ten More Films Are Classified by Legion The National Legion of Decency has given an A-I rating to "Adventure for Two," Two Cities Films-United Artists, and "Miss Susie Slagle's" and "Tokyo Rose," Paramount. Classified A-II were "Deadline at Dawn" and "The Falcon's Alibi," RKO-Radio; "It Happened at the Inn" (French) and "Vacation from Marriage," Alexander Korda, both M-G-M, also "One Way to Love," Columbia. A class B rating was given to "House of Dracula," Universal, and "Road to Utopia," Paramount. Wamboldt to Coast M. P. Wamboldt, Eastern production director of American Broadcasting, will transfer to Hollywood on Jan. 15, becoming West Coast production manager, reporting to J. Donald Wilson, director of production of the ABC Western division. Wamboldt directed for Warner Brothers and headed the Hollywood office of Compton Advertising Agency in years past. Wamboldt will be replaced in New York by Lt. Col. Howard Lynn Nnssbaum. RCA-Victor Workers Get 10% Pay Boost RCA-Victor division of Radio Corp. announces a general salary increase for its employees which sets a new minimum and raises by 10 per cent the earnings of most salaried workers. The increase, retroactive to Dec. 15, applies to all salaried employees to whom increases could be granted without wage negotiations. Cowan in New York On New Story Deals F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited," which he recently purchased, will be the first production on his new schedule, Lester Cowan, who has arrived here from the Coast, discloses. He plans to acquire five or six properties before negotiating a release deal, he said. While in the East, he will negotiate for a play, several more stories, and will seek to sign writers. He will also make a decision on the previously announced "Free Press" while in the East. Cowan and his wife plan to spend the Christmas holidays in Mexico City and will then return to New York. Wight, Abarbanell Off To Orient for WE D. D. Wight, resident manager of Western Electric Co. of Asia, China branch, has left New York for the Coast enroute to his post in Shanghai. Wight, who served during the war as a commander in the Navy, was stationed in Chungking during most of his war service. R. R. Abarbanell, resident manager of the Philippine branch, is enroute to Manila to resume charge of the Philippine offices, which he relinquished when captured by the Japs at the fall of Manila in 1942. Abarbanell spent three and a half years' internment in the Santo Tomas internment camp before his rescue last April. Increased Payroll Bond-Buying Urged The 9,000 companies in New York State, including several film companies, which have accepted Victory Loan payroll-savings quotas totalling $150,000,000 have been asked to urge their employes and executives to make an extra "Victory E" bond purchase. In a letter to Treasury Department representatives in each of the firms, including 5,000 in New York City, which have a quota of $86,000,000, John P. Stevens, Jr., director of the Payroll Savings Division* of the War Finance Committee for New York, requested that a re-canvass of all subscribers be made. Coast 'Victory Queen' Contest Nears Finish Hollywood, Dec. 19. — Seven "Victory Queens," representing Western states arrived here this week for the final contest which will determine the girl to be named "Miss Victory Queen" in the industry's bond drive ■competition conducted in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona. The girls began yesterday a round of studio activities, preparatory to being given screen tests at 20th CenturyFox. The girls were guests at a "Victory" dinner given by Charles P. Skouras, regional chairman in the industry war loan drive. $18,294,825 Bond Sale By N. Y. Houses Irving Lesser, general chairman of the War Activities Committee of Greater New York, reports that the 750 theatres in the Metropolitan area sold $18,294,825 worth of "E" bonds in the first six weeks of the Victory Loan campaign ; number of bonds sold was 188,746. t The theatres, like others, are continuing their bond-selling activities through the end of the year. ■ $150,000 a Year to Film Foundation Aims and operating machinery of the International Film Foundation, new, non-profit organization "dedicated to the building of world understanding through the production and distribution of documentary films," . were discussed by Julien Bryan, executive director, before press, radio and educational representatives at the Town Hall, here, yesterday. Bryan, lecturer and producer of documentary films, disclosed that the IFF will operate with funds made available by the Davella Mills Foundation of Montclair, N. J. The initial grant to the IFF is $150,000 .a year for two years. Operations, Bryan said, will be world-wide, with films made in foreign countries for distribution in the U. S. and in this country for distribution abroad. He revealed that 10 films are already in production while two expeditions, one to Europe and another to the Far East, are slated for 1946. Distribution Plans Distribution, for the present, will be handled largely through existing organizations, such as the 250 film libraries and agencies used by government agencies during the war. The documentary film, Bryan said, offers the most effective medium for acquainting the peoples of the world with each other. Bryan recently completed a series of documentaries on life in the U. S. for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, in addition to 23 films on life in South America. He was producer of the "Background of the War" series, produced in Europe, and "Siege," released nationally in the U. S. by Pathe, which he made in Warsaw in 1939. Other officers of the Foundation are: Edward E. Watts, Jr., New York, president; George F. Pierrot, Detroit, vice-president; John Henry Leh, Allentown, Pa., secretary; Thomas C. Roberts, Princeton, N. J., treasurer. The board of directors, in addition to Bryan and the above, includes Paul J. Braisted, Haddam,Conn. ; Walter T. Fisher, Chicago ; William S. Halstead, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Dr. Harry A. Reed, New York. Officers Elected by Church Film Group Lt. Paul R. Heard, USNR, who is completing films in Hollywood for the Naval Photographic Services, has been named executive secretary of Protestant Film Commission, Inc. Officers who will head the commission include: president, Rome A. Betts; vice-president, S. Franklin Mack; secretary, Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale; treasurer, Kinsey Merritt. Directors named to the administrative committee are: Mrs. Raymond Pace Alexander, James H. Burke, Winfred P. Elson, Robert D. Jordan and H. Torrey Walker. Wexler an Agent Elliot Wexler, recently discharged as a lieutenant, senior grade, from the Navy, has gone into business for himself as music trade contact for motion picture companies, band leaders and singers.