Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1946)

Wednesday, March 27, 1946 Motion Picture Daily 7 Newsreel Parade OPENING pictures of the UNO meetings in Nezv York are carried by all current newsreel issues. Other events featured include President Truman's address to Democrats. Herbert Hoover in Europe, the trial of the notorious French "bluebeard," Navy carrier's "invasion" of, the <\tic, and miscellaneous other items. y jmplete contents follow : MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 60-UNO meets in New York. Truman outlines progress in talk to Democrats. USS Midway on Navy Arctic maneuvers. Most sensational trial in French history. Herbert Hoover in Europe on food study. Princess Elizabeth christens a carrier. Film stars honored for war services — Linda Darnell and Charles Boyer. Spring comes to Chicago — rope skipping and bag punching. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 258— UNO Council in New York. "Bluebeard" mocks judges — French trial. U. S. carrier invades Arctic. Army reveals new weapon. Yanks fight typhus in Japan. Army and Navy cite M-G-M stars. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 61— Swiss holiday. Bedell Smith to Russia. Hoover in Europe. "Last voyage" for Turkish ambassador. Capital's cherry trees. New Jap clean-up. Navy tests — carrier in the Arctic. UNO1 Security Council starts sessions in New York. RKO PATHE NEWS, No. 6J-UNO meets in New York. Hoover surveys food crisis in France. "Bluebeard" Petiot at scene of his crimes. Army embarks on Jap anti-typhus drive. Carrier Midway on Arctic cruise. Princess christens HMS Eagle. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL, No. 48S— UNO Security Council opens first U. S. parley. Test carrier in Arctic seas. President addresses Democrats. Jap's antityphus program. Champs show cue magic. National Board to Meet Tomorrow "Films in Today's World" will be considered by speakers at the 37th anniversary conference of the National Board of Review to be held tomorrow, at the Hotel Pennsylvania. Quincy Howe, president of the board, will open the conference and introduce the new executive director, Richard Griffith. The morning session will feature talks by Charles Previn, director of music, Radio City Music Hall; by Paul F. Heard, executive secretary, Protestant Film Commission; by I. C. Boerlin, president, Educational Film Library Association and Mrs. Frank R. Anderson, president, Motion Picture Council of Greater Cleveland. Dr. Luther H. Evans, Librarian of Congress, will be the first speaker of the afternoon. Arthur Mayer, film consultant to the Secretary of War, will follow. Aspell Heads MGM Branch in Seattle Thomas Aspell has been appointed Seattle branch manager for MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, succeeding Maurice Saffle, resigned, the company discloses here. Aspell has been with M-G-M for more than 16 years. He started in Kansas City as student office manager and after a year was promoted to office manager. In 1930 he was transferred to San Francisco in the same capacity and subsequently was made a salesman. He was promoted to assistant branch manager in San Francisco in 1942. Planet Will Make, Distribute 16mm. Los Angeles, March 26. — Galston and Sutton estimate a $2,500 gross for the initial week of the all-16mm. double bill at their Marcal Theatre here, asserting that, "we played to more people over the weekend than the house ordinarily draws." Planet Pictures' product is playing the house. Meanwhile, Planet's president, Jack Seaman, reports that his company is establishing distribution outlets throughout the country, with approximately half of that expansional operation completed. Distributors are being authorized to offer exhibitors first call on the company's product, he said. Planet, Seaman added, is concentrating now upon production and expects to complete six more 16mm. features, by Sept. 1, and to establish regular releasing service on the basis of one program a week. Optimistic Over Red Cross Results Although it is too early to estimate the money-return of the 1946 motion picture industry "Red Cross Week," which officially closed yesterday, members of the national committee are optimistic about the results, basing this view on the greater number of exhibitors who have volunteered to give additional collection days, plus the extra showmanship employed in conducting audience collections throughout the campaign. Harold J. Fitzgerald, national campaign director, also credited the "24 Hour Club" as serving an added incentive for exhibitors and film salesmen alike. Local newspaper publicity and free radio promotions also aided materially in advancing the industry's "Red Cross Week" in many situations, it was stated by Charles Schlaifer, national publicity director for the drive. Bryman, Five Others Promoted by MGM Harry Bryman, manager of the Cuban office of Loew's International Corp., has been promoted to assistant coordinator for the company's British Empire territory and assigned to the home office, here, under Charles Goldsmith, in a series of five promotions of managing personnel in Latin American territories, made by Morton A. Spring, in charge of M-G-M sales and theatre operations abroad. Robert O. Schoham, manager of Puerto Rico, moves up to Bryman's post in Cuba ; Gene Coen, now in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, takes over in Puerto Rico ; his old post is assumed by Jack Tilden, who has been trained in M-G-M's exchange in Buffalo; Dean Banker, appointed manager of Columbia, is already on his way there, replacing Carl Heumann, who will assume the managership in Venezuela. Elect Levin Head Of Cinema Lodge Jack H. Levin, vice-president and general manager of Confidential Reports, Inc., was elected president of Cinema Lodge, B'nai B'rith for the coming year at an e 1 e c t i on meeting at the Hotel Astor in New York last night. Levin succeeds Albert A. Senft, head of Sterling Sign Co., who held the office for the past two years. New vicepresidents elected were Marvin Kirsch of Radio Daily, Nat K. Loder of Republic Pictures, and S. M. Chartock, theatrical producer. Vicepresidents re-elected were Bernard Goodman, Warner Bros. ; Leo Jaffe, Columbia Pictures ; Martin Levine, Brandt Theatres ; Milton Livingston, Motion Picture Daily; Norman Steinberg, 20th Century-Fox ; Robert M. Weitman, Paramount, and S. Arthur Glixon, attorney. Sam Rinzler, who had been nominated as a vicepresident, declined election because of the pressure of other activities. Max B. Blackmail, Warners, was re-elected treasurer, and Julius M. Collins, ASCAP, was re-elected secretary. Rabbi Ralph Silverstein was elected chaplain. Installation of officers will be held at the Hotel Astor on April 30. It was disclosed at the meeting that the membership of Cinema Lodge in the entertainment and allied industries has reached 925, with a goal of 1,000 expected to be attained. Jack H. Levin Atrocities Film to Be Exhibited Here "Camps of the Dead," 16minute film account of Nazi atrocities which was used as evidence at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders, will be shown at the four Embassy Newsreel Theatres, here, beginning tomorrow. Col. A. G. Rudd, vice-president of the Newsreel Theatres, Inc., said that the short was made available by the French Information Service. The subject matter is described as being of an extreme "horror" nature, with shots of slaughtered civilians by the trainload. Film Based on Idea Of Balaban, Cohn A new film stressing tolerance, produced by Ben Blake, will have its premiere at the dinner opening the 1946 campaign of the Joint Defense Appeal, on Thursday evening, April 4, at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria. The affair will be attended by many in the entertainment world. Entitled "Linked in Freedom's Cause," and running for 30 minutes, the film was created at the suggestion of Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, and Jack Cohn, executive vicepresident of Columbia. It will be shown to private groups only, without charge. Quentin Reynolds is narrator of the film. Bella Joseph Named Bella Joseph has been named assistant to story editor Marion Doran, by Enterprise Productions. Miss Joseph was formerly an assistant in the Office of Strategic Services, in Washington, during the war. Morris to Handle 'Duel' Promotion Claud Morris will join the exploitation staff of Vanguard Films on April 1, it was announced here yesterday by Robert D. Levitt, Eastern director of publicity-advertising. Morris will do special exploitation on David O. Selznick's "Duel in the Sun." Morris recently resigned as head of exploitation for Samuel Goldwyn. Previously he was Midwest exploitation head for United Artists. Morris will leave for Selznick's Hollywood studios this week for conferences with Paul MacNamara, Selznick advertising-publicity head, and will then start a nationwide tour. TAC Elections at April 2 Session The pre-convention committees of the Theatre Activities Committee will report to the convention of theatremen April 2, the second day of the organizing meeting at the Chase Hotel, St. Louis, following last-minute ironing out of problems. The election of officers also is a matter slated for the April 2 session. TAC stated yesterday that 150 representative theatremen and 50 "observers" will attend. Si Fabian, as national interim chairman, will preside until officers are named. The interim committee will meet March 31 to work on final arrangements. To report Tuesday are William F. Crockett, chairman of the constitution committee ; Ted R. Gamble, in charge of the general arrangements group, and Harry C. Arthur, chairman of the St. Louis arrangements committee. Four Social Sessions Part of TAC Program St. Louis, March 26. — Theatremen here for the TAC convention will be entertained at two luncheons, a cocktail party and a dinner, according to Fred Wehrenberg, in charge of the entertainment. He has sent invitations to 110 St. Louis area exhibitors to attend the convention as "spectators." St. Louis Variety Club's annual dinner and dance Sunday night also will be on the program for TAC men here. Loew's Sues Harmon On 16mm. Cartoons Los Angeles, March 26. — Loew's, Inc., today filed suit in Federal Court against Hugh Harman Productions, Hollywood Feature Film Enterprises, and William Horsly, charging unlawful reduction to 16mm. of cartoons produced by Harman in standard measure for M-G-M, and with unlawful distribution of them in the 16mm. field. Complainant charges violation of copyright and demands an accounting of profits plus damages. Adams Film Completed Chicago, March 26. — Berle Adams, artist representative here, has returned from New York where he completed a 55-minute feature, "Beware," starring Louis Jordan and his band and featuring an all-Negro cast.