Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1946)

— — 1 FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOVE MO^t«m PICTURE gTXOB PICTURS ASSOC nr AMERICA, «*>ouo. OF 28 ^EST*44Tr-l «» Y0RK*18, * W y COPIES); |, ^)59. NO. 59 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1946 TEN CENTS Names • • .New Global in Today's »«•* \>« SIM'H Is Set by M-G-M TED GAMBLE, Portland, Ore., circuit operator, now understood to be winding up his duties as director of the Treasury Department's War Finance Committee, and Robert Coyne, field director and assistant to Gamble, will be honored at a dinner at the Metropolitan Club, here, tonight to be given by Treasury associates. In charge of arrangements for the testimonial are Fred Gehle, director of war finance, who will be toastmaster ; Clarence Pritchard, of the Warner home office, who served as secretary of the committee, and Guy -Emerson, vice-president of the Bankers Trust Co. Si Fabian, Oscar Doob, Malcolm Kingsberg and Harry Mandel are among the film people slated to attend. Silliphant Is Named Schlaifer's Assistant Stirling Silliphant has been named assistant to Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising, exploitation and publicity at 20th Century-Fox's home office. Lt. (jg) Silliphant has just been released from active duty in the Navy Reserve, after almost three years of service. Prior to entering the Navy, he was with 20th-Fox, first in the publicity department then as an assistant to Spyros P. Skouras, president. In the Navy Silliphant handled training film assignments on the West Coast, and was photographic officer in Alameda, Cal., among other assignments. Continental Edition Will Be Inaugurated May 1 M-G-M will begin production by May 1, or possibly earlier, of an international newsreel for distribution outside of the U. S. and Canada, Arthur M. Loew, president of Loew's International Corp., announced here yesterday. Some of the American newsreel companies do produce British and French versions for distribution in those countries, but none produce an international reel. The name of the new M-G-M newsreel will be "Metro News." Production headquarters have been set up in London. The newsreel will be produced under the banner of M-G-M Pictures, Ltd., and will be issued in both 16mm. and 35mm. Over-all supervision of the new (Continued on page 14) Backrooms in Detroit Close Lesser and Robinson Form New Producing Company Hollywood, March 26. — Sol Lesser and Edward G. Robinson today announced the formation of Film Guild Corp. to produce top-budget pictures under the executive management of Lesser, and starring Robinson. Korda Will Distribute French Films in U. S. Sir Alexander Korda has formed Tricolore Films, Inc., to distribute French features in the American market. The organization will complement Korda's London Film Productions, Inc. Laudy Lawrence, president of London Film, will also head Tricolore, with Jean Desbrosses of France as vice-president. General Eduord Corniglion-Molinier, French film producer and one of France's most decorated war heroes, is chairman of the Tricolore board, which will also include Korda, Arnold Grant, general counsel for the company, and Morris Helprin, Korda's American production executive. The first film acquired by Tricolore is "Les Enfants du Paradis." IATSE officials in New York were awaiting word yesterday from Detroit representatives on the closing of the backrooms of the exchanges there following the series of work stoppages by the film shippers, poster clerks and inspectors. One official reported that he had heard that the distributors had studied the possibility of moving film shipping handled by the Detroit exchanges to other centers in the area, including Chicago and Cleveland, as a (Continued on page 15) Government Plans New Surplus Sale Washington, March 26. — The Surplus Property Board is planning a second sale of raw film, surplus material and projectors at Astoria, Long Island, it was learned here today. The first sale, presently in progress in Bal timore, will be extended through Apri 12 ; buyers without priority slips may participate in the Maryland sale on April 10-12. The sale at Astoria will include (Continued on page 14) Capital Says Metal Ceilings Hazardous Washington, March 26. — Construction inspection officials in the district government, here, are reported to be taking steps against the future use of metal theatre ceilings. A spokesman of the building inspection unit told Motion Picture Daily that the metal ceilings are considered hazardous by the government. Griffiths Receive 6-Week Extension For Filing of Brief Oklahoma City, March 26. — Federal Judge Edgar S. Vaught today signed an order granting Griffith Amusement Co. and related defendants an additional six weeks in which to submit a final brief in the anti-trust case tried last year. The final Griffith brief had been due April 1. The new delay indicated Vaught's decision in the case might not be handed down until the spring of 1947, or about nine years after the Justice Department first brought allegations in 1938. The judge ordinarily takes a summer-long recess, starting late in May. Doom Condon Bill, Others at Albany Albany, N. Y7, March 26. — Senator Condon's bill redefining places of public assembly and making changes in building-code enforcement laws appeared dead as the Legislature moved toward adjournment tonight. The measure, supported by the State Labor Department, passed the Senate but was bottled up in the Assembly rules committee for the second consecutive year. The CondonWashburn bill, changing a section of the law under which violators of regulations for the fireproofing of projection machine booths could be prosecuted, was killed in an Assembly committee after passing the Senate. Several measures legalizing bingo in New York City and Long Island died. The Schupler bill, creating a state theatre in New York City with a $1,500,000 appropriation was killed in an Assembly committee. The Moritt and Young-Mitchell bills, limiting the powers of the New (Continued on page 14) U.S. Building Restriction Order Issued Hits Major Construction Projects; Few Exceptions Washington, March 26. — The curtailment order prohibiting new non-essential construction for an estimated period of 18 months with emphasis on local conditions was issued today by the Civilian Production Administration. Exemption is made for small projects, as reported by Motion Picture Daily exclusively last week. Construction and repairs on theatres may not exceed $1,000 under the order. Having a sweeping effect upon the industry, the order further restricts the erection of studio sets costing more than $15,000. The CPA told Motion Picture Daily that this restriction on production sets will not hamper the indus (Continued on page~i4) Rank in 100 More Houses John Davis, on behalf of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, and Robert J. Kerridge of New Zealand, jointly announced in London yesterday that they have completed negotiations whereby Rank has entered into a partnership with the Kerridge interests for running and development of approximately 100 theatres controlled by Kerridge in New Zealand, spokesmen for Rank declare here. "It is not contemplated making any (Continued on page 14) $8,881,000 Ascap Income for 1945 Income of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, from 29,489 licenses issued to theatres, night clubs, hotels, radio stations, amounted to more than $8,881,000 dur1945, Irving Caesar, assistant treasurer, reported to some 500 members at ASCAP's annual meeting at the RitzCarlton Hotel here yesterday. Net income exceeded $7,244,000. The license (Continued on page 15)