Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

6 Motion Picture Daily Friday, November 8, 1946 Review "The Verdict" ( Warners ) SIMILARLY as elaborate production mounting does not necessarily guarantee the commensurate commercial success of a film, neither does modest studio expenditure narrow down a picture's potential market. "The Verdict," a deftly done murder film, seems quite capable of taking on the box-office reponsibilities of more expensive product. Given a good build-up, it can hardly go wrong. William Jacobs produced, Don Siegel directed and topping the cast are Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Joan Lorring. With them are George Coulouris, Rosalind Ivan, Paul Cavanaugh, Arthur Shields, Morton Lowry, Holmes Herbert and others. Peter Milne's screenplay, from a novel by Israel Zangwill, is good mystery all the way and actually provides a plausible, wholly satisfactory explanation of plot developments which are ingeniously contrived and certain, to baffle the spectator. Fog-shrouded England is the setting. Shortly after a man convicted of murder goes to the gallows, evidence proving his innocence comes to the fore. Consequently Greenstreet is discharged as supervisor of Scotland Yard and his gloating subordinate, Coulouris, gets the job. What follows has all the earmarks of the "perfect crime" as Lowry is found murdered in his room to which there is only one entrance, a locked and bolted door. The identity of the murderer and how he committed the crime provide the mystery, and the solution, nicely timed for purposes of suspense, comes as a genuine surprise. Although its sombre subject makes it best suited for adult audiences, the latter will undoubtedly appreciate the intelligent handling of an intelligent script. Running time, 86 minutes. Adult audience classification. Release date, Nov. 23. ■ Gene Arneei Steelman (Continued from page 1) version, today called for organization of a permanent committee of leaders in the film industry. He disclosed that he will recommend the creation of such a committee, with an elected chairman and other officers, at the meeting scheduled for Nov. 19 at the White House between industry representatives and the government. (The industry already has a committee to handle Government films.) The Nov. 19 meeting was arranged at the behest of Steelman in order to work out a program for the production, distribution and exhibition of Federal films. Asserting that the proposed industry-wide committee could function in much the same manner as the War Activities Committee, the OMR director said that it is the mission of OMR to develop industry-wide cooperation through the creation of a central group which would be invested with control of all Government-industry activities. A temporary chairman will be appointed at the beginning of the Nov. 19 parley, and a permanent head will be elected at the close of the session. Show-Cause 'Caesar' Order to Sheriff A show-cause order, issued by Judge Lloyd Church of New York Supreme Court, was served yesterday on New York county sheriff John J. McCloskey at the request of" United Artists to determine why the print of "Caesar and Cleopatra," currently running at the Astor Theatre, here, had not been recovered. A writ of replevin was served on the Astor Wednesday when Maurice Maurer, manager of the house, refused to relinquish the film to permit opening of the UA-Hunt Stromberg "The Strange Woman," a booking planned to hold the house until a Technicolor print of David 0. Selznick's "Duel in the Sun" is available for a booking. George Raftery, attorney for UA, contended in His show-cause petition that stationing a deputy sheriff in the booth of the Astor, as done, did not execute the writ of replevin, and he asked the court for immediate action on the print. According to the booking contract, "Caesar and Cleopatra" was to have ended with Monday's last showing. Display advertising announcing the opening of "Woman" appeared in weekend papers here. Samuel Goldwyn seeks the Astor for a premiere of his "The Best Years of Our Lives." Gaumont British Sho w $1,878,036 Profits London, Nov. 7. — Gaumont British reports a net profit of $1,878,036 for the year ending March 31. This was a gain of $846,252. The company also declared an ordinary dividend of 12^4 per cent this year, compared with per cent last year. TRANSCONTINENTALFILMS, INC. 243 W. 56th St.. N. Y.— CI. 5-4151 Exclusive Foreign Distributors FEATURES, WESTERNS. SPECIALTIES Write Call • Visit Cable Traneonfllm Arbitration Pact Looms at Studios Hollywood, Nov. 7. — As all factions and neutrals in the CSU-IATSE studio labor conflict turned their attention to machinery for preventing future work stoppages, the weekend neared with the present strike threatening to continue indefinitely. With nominated arbitrator Joseph Keenan due to arrive Friday morning, SAG, which promulgated the plan for arbitration machinery to settle all future jurisdictional disputes, summoned a committee composed of representatives .of CSU, IATSE and neutral unions to a meeting expected to be the first of a series running into next week. Among matters confronting the meeting was the "revised" plan offered by CSU attorneys after a conference had approved the SAG version and shared in selecting Keenan as arbitrator, although IATSE had denounced the CSU revision as indicative of bad faith. Unionists at large looked forward to the Friday meeting with confidence that differences between the plans could be reconciled. When adopted, after approval by all AFL unions in the studios and their international presidents, a "motion picture jurisdictional disputes arbitration contract" would bind the locals to submit disputes to a three-man board composed of Keenan and representative of each disputant, with leave to appeal to a higher board composed of an arbitrator chosen by each disputant and a third man chosen by them. Initially, the machinery would "be installed for a period between the adoption and Dec. 31, 1947, with half the expense pro-rated among the unions and half among the employing studios. Unaffected by the arbitration machinery, the CSU strike continued in status quo at the close of the sixth week, with the strikers demanding signed contracts embodying wage increases and the return of all strikers to their jobs without discrimination as the principal conditions of a settlement. Zukor, In London, Installs Perkins LO'Ndon, Nov. 7. — Adolph Zukor, board chairman of Paramount, officially installed J. E. Perkins as chairman and managing director in Great Britain, succeeding David E. Rose, now an independent producer. Zukor also initiated 58 members of the organization into the Paramount "25Year Club" at a banquet here tonight. George Weltner, president of Paramount International, and Ray Milland, Paramount star, also were present. Zukor presented to each of the initiates a scroll, membership badge, wrist watch and a leather album, containing portraits and brief sketches of each member. Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, cabled his congratulations. Espy General Manag For Vidor-Garnett Hollywood, Nov. 7. — Reeves Espy, who recently resigned as vice-president in charge of studio management at PRC here, has joined the new King Vidor-Tay Garnett outfit, Viking Productions, as general manager. Viking, he said, will make from six to nine high-budget films within three years. Distribufion has not been set. Variety Anniversary Charlotte, Nov. 7. — The Variety Club of Charlotte, Tent No. 24, will celebrate its sixth anniversary with a banquet Monday at Hotel Charlotte. Principal speaker will be William McCraw, national executive director of Variety and former attorney general of Texas. R. J. O'Donnell, national president, will also attend. "One People" Screening "One People," a one-reel animated cartoon produced by the foreign language department of the AntiDefamation League of B'Nai B'Rith, wil have a preview screening today at the Preview Theatre here. Production on Coast Still Stands at 40 Hollywood, Nov. 7. — Production remains unchanged as six new films went before cameras, five were finished, and one — "Vendetta" — was t -; porarily suspended ; the shooting f ' ij^ stood at 40. v J a' Columbia Finished: "Twin Sombreros," "The Guilt of Janet Ames," "Framed" (formerly "They Walk Alone). Started: "Prairie Raiders," with Charles Starret, Smiley Burnette, Nancy Saunders. Shooting: "Millie's Daughter," "The Lady from Shanghai." Enterprise Shooting: "The Other Love," "Arch of Triumph." M-G-M Shooting: "Undercover Maisie," "The Personal Touch," "Green Dolphin Street," "To Kiss and to Keep," "It Happened in Brooklyn," "Unfinished Dance," "Romance of Rosy Ridge." Monogram .Started: "The Devil's Deputy," with Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Peggy Wynne, Bonnie Jean Hartley. Paramount Started: "Blaze of Noon," with Anne Baxter, William Holden, Sterling Hayden, Sonny Tufts, William Bendix, Howard da Silva. Shooting: "Variety Girl," "The Big Haircut," "Unconquered" (DeMille) ; "Desert Fury" (formerly "Desert Town"^Hal Wallis). PRC Shooting: "The Red Stallion." RKO Radio Started: "Magic Town" (Riskin), with James Stewart, Jane Wyman, Kent Smith, Donald Meek, Ned Sparks ; "Dick Tracy vs. the Claw," with Ralph Byrd, Kay Christopher. Shooting: "Build My Gallows High," "Thunder Mountain," "A Time to Kill" (Hakim-Litvak) ; "Tarzan and the Huntress" (Lesser). Republic Shooting: "Gallant Man." 20th Century-Fox Shooting: "Forever Amber," "Mother Wore Tights," "Boomerang." United Artists Finished: "New Orleans" (Levey) ; "Carnegie Hall" (Federal) ; Temporarily Suspended: "Vendetta" (California). Universal-International Shooting: "The Egg and I." Warners Started: "Dark Passage," with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Clifton Webb, Tom d'Andrea. Shooting: "My Wild Irish Rose," '^The Woman in White," "Deep Valley," "Night Unto Night," "Love and Learn," "Possessed." E. G. Collins Promoted Eric G. Collins has been appointed RKO Radio director of advertising and publicity for Australasia by managing director Ralph R. Doyle, replacing Percy Curtis, resigned.