Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1946)

Thursday, February 28, 1946 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 52% of Films Shown In Finland Are U.S. rs ban mornitocl-l Iti Washington, Feb. 27. — Fifty-two | per cent of all films exhibited in Finland in the last fiscal year were from Hollywood, the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce reports here. In 1938, 300 long films had been imported and in 1939, 313 tons were shinped into the country, but in other T _Z"^r years imports were usually less 'ti.T~^300. Of the imports in the pre\ war years, approximately 55 per cent came from U. S. However, during the I war the number of U. S. films was restricted to 75 annually (about half of the former imports) and only approximately two-thirds of these could be shown, because of the limited number of first-night theatres available for U. S. distributors. The importation of German films was practically unrestricted during the war, but did not reach a high figure. 35% Home Product About 35 per cent of the box-office receipts of Finnish theatres comes from domestic films. All foreign film products have equal rights in Finland, but because of the restricted market for domestic products, Finnish films have been granted certain privileges. Within the past few years Finnish film producers have been seriously hampered by the shortage of raw materials. There are now 446 theatres in Finland, with a total seating capacity of 129,630. Estimates place the number of admissions at 30,000,000 annually, the government reports. Legion Ratings for 5 Additional Films The National Legion of Decency has given its A-II classification to the following films: "House of Horrors" and "Smooth as Silk," Universal; "Genius at Work," RKO Radio; "Two Sisters from Boston," M-G-M. Columbia's "The Gentleman Misbehaves" was placed in Class B. Kostlan Reelected Omaha, Feb. 27. — IATSE Local No. 343 has reelected Alvin Kostlan of the RKO-Brandeis Theatre as president. Other officers are : Ben Cuttle, first vice-president ; Arthur Krake, second vice-president ; Victor Mortersen, financial secretary; Bayrd Loomis, treasurer; Howard Jackson, business agent ; Clyde Cooley, secretary. Academy to Broadcast Hollywood, Feb. 27. — The annual presentation of the Academy of Arts and Sciences awards will be broadcast in its entirety again this year by WJZ-ABC on Thursday, March 7 (after midnight), from 12:30 to 1 -30 A.M., EST, from the stage of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Spears with Classics Edward Spears has joined Film Classics of Kansas City, Inc., as branch manager, according to announcement by Nicky Goldhammer, general sales manager, here. New Martin Booker ! Atlanta, Feb. 27. — Mildred Castleberry, appointed booker of Martin Theater's headquarters in Atlanta. Review "Strange Impersonation" (Republic) PROBABLY the high point in its favor lies in the restraint with which "Strange Impersonation" engages in tri-lateral affairs of love, avariciousness and apparent tragedy. Resultantly it is for the most part free of the over-emotionality which under less careful guidance might have been its bane ; instead it is effective story-telling of more than adequate dramatic consequence. Propped with an abundance of test tubes and bubbling chemical formulae, the film casts Brenda Marshall as a brilliant feminine scientist, sharing a sincere love with her colleague, William Gargan. The very attractive Hillary Brooke, however, has covetous eyes on Gargan and endeavors to win him by means more foul than fair. What at first appears as an incidental aside comes to have an important bearing on developments as Miss Marshall's automobile barely touches a half-intoxicated passer-by, Ruth Ford. The latter subsequently claims damages from Miss Marshall, somewhat illogically using a pistol for purposes of persuasion. A scuffle follows and Miss Ford is killed. Miss Marshall, who had just previously become badly scarred in a blast of chemicals caused by Miss Brooke, assumes the identity of the dead girl and returns to the scene after a plastic surgery job. By way of extricating itself from all of this the film thereupon employs the awakening-from-a-dream device, Miss Marshall all the while having been under the spell of a new anesthesia which she had concocted and administered to herself. George Chandler, H. B. Warner, Lyle Talbot, Mary Treen, Cay Forrester and Richard Scott round out the cast. Anthony Mann directed the William Wilder production. Mindret Lord wrote the screenplay, from a story by Anne Wigton and Lewis Herman. Running time, 68 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, not set. Gene Arneel 350 at Variety Tribute to Cherry Dallas, Feb. 27. — Over 350 civic leaders, city and county officials, and showmen joined with the Variety Clubs of Texas, Tent 17, in honoring James Owen Cherry, chief barker, at a testimonial dinner here recently. Tribute was paid Cherry for his work in Variety's taking over the Boys Ranch at Copperas Cove, Tex. The project, which now has 53 boys assigned by juvenile courts of Texas to be fed, clothed, and educated, is now on a sound financial basis by virtue of Cherry's leadership. 'Bells' Voted Best Foreign language newspapers of New York have chosen RKO-Rainbow's "The Bells of St. Mary's" as the best film of 1945, with the annual award being presented on Monday during ceremonies broadcast over Station WNYC, when the principal speaker will be Edward Corsi, New York State industrial commissioner. Hutchins Joins NTS Albany, N. Y., Feb. 27.— William J. Hutchins has become manager of the Albany and New Haven offices of National Theatre Supply Company, to spend alternate weeks in the two districts. Hutchins was recently discharged from the Navy. Coast House Is Sold San Francisco, Feb. 27. — Blumenfeld Theatres, Inc., which operates three houses here, has purchased the Tivoli Theater from Mrs. Ernestine Kreling Leahy for $200,000. Joseph Blumenfeld, president, said that $75,000 will be spent renovating the 1,700seat house for first-run pictures. New Warner First Run Milwaukee, Feb. 27. — The Badger Theatre, Racine, a former Warner second run, now is a first run theatre, giving Warners three first runs in Racine. Fete 20th's Sochin On New Promotion Cincinnati, Feb. 27. — More than 100 attended the testimonial dinner given by the Variety Club here for Irving Sochin, 20th Century-Fox city salesman, who has been promoted to assistant branch manager at Indianapolis. Speakers were chief barker Lev Bugie, 20thFox branch manager; past chief barkers Maurice White, head of United Theatres ; Ralph Kinsler, general manager of Shard Theatres ; Peter Rosian, Universal district manager, and Peter Niland, secretary-treasurer of the Cinema Club. Past chief barker Arthur Frudenfeld, RKO divisional director, presided. Lawrence to Essaness Chicago, Feb. 27. — The Essaness Circuit is expanding its publicity staff due to its acquisition of the Loop's Oriental Theatre. Danny Newman, Oriental publicist, remains on the staff, working with Norman Kassel, head of the Essaness publicity office, and Keith Lawrence, formerly with General Service Studios, Hollywood, has been added to the staff. Frey Joins Doherty Samuel L. Frey, formerly with Pedlar and Ryan and with McCann Erickson, advertising agencies, who was recently discharged from the Army, has joined Doherty, Clifford and Shenfield, also an advertising agency, as assistant director of media. Move for Censorship Bridgeton, N. J., Feb. 27.— A board of censors has been advocated by the Bridgeton Board of Trade after an investigation of motion pictures shown at local theatres. Stern Assists Sharpe Lester Sharpe, head of Republic's Eastern story and talent department, has appointed Milton Stern as his assistant. California Theatre Complaint Rejected Frank C. Weller, arbitrator in the Los Angeles tribunal, has denied the relief sought by Steve Chorak, operating the San Clemente Theatre, San Clemente, Cal., in his clearance complaint against the five consenting companies, the American Arbitration Association reports here. The Finding Seven days' clearance from the closing date granted Laguna Beach and San Juan, Capistrano, Cal., over San Clemente is held to be reasonable and four days' clearance from the closing date granted Oceanside, Cal., is also reasonable, the arbitrator ruled. Palomar Operating Co., Margo Operating Co. and Southeast Theatres intervened. Sheldon Grengs has appealed on his combination clearance and some-run complaint against the five consenting companies from a ruling of the Milwaukee tribunal. He operates the Hollywood Theatre, Wausau, Wis. PREPARE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUND PRODUCTION .C INST AIL IkVOlCEv OF THE-' THEATRE BEST WITH ALL TYPES OF SOUND SYSTEMS ! ft N Si NG CORPS