Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

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8 Motion Picture Daily Monday, November 11, 1946 Greater Union and Rank Get 20 More By CLIFF HOLT Sydney, Nov. 3 (By Airmail.) — Greater Union Theatres, owned in part by J. Arthur Rank, has added 20 theatres to its circuit by purchasing the Clifford Theatre Circuit in South Australia, at a cost of £280,000. The purchase culminates a vigorous expansion policy accelerated early this year when the Rank group took a 50 per cent partnership in the company. During the past few months, Union has acquired ownership or control of several top Sydney suburban theatres, including the King's circuit of eight. In addition to it theatre-operating activities, Union is blue-printing plans to equip studios and engage in feature production in Australia next year. This will be done in association with the Rank organization. Exhibitors' Council M-G-M's 16mm. division in Australia has estimated that there are 10,000 situations throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands which are not served by 35mm. and will be suitable for sub-standard presentations. M-G-M has brought in several 16mm. prints of theatrical subjects and expects to have its first unit traveling New South Wales by Christmas. Meanwhile the formation of a Federal Exhibitors' Council representing independents throughout the Commonwealth is favored by the Queensland Exhibitors Association, which is preparing proposals for submission to exhibitors of other states. These call for a Federal Council with authority to speak for independents on matters of common policy. The idea is not to interfere with the autonomy of state bodies on local questions. A sharp difference in Australian exhibitors' attitude towards increasing admission prices is reflected in the annual report issued by the Exhibitors' Association of West Australia. The report declares : "Admission prices must be increased and a move has been made in this direction." Previously, Queensland and NSW exhibitor associations confirmed a policy opposing action to raise prices, whereas in New Zealand there has been agitation for some time to lift them by 25 per cent. SMPE of the East To Hear E. S. Seeley The contributions of theatre servicing to 20 years of sound motion picture progress, and a preview of possible theatre problems of the future which proper service will help solve, will be discussed by E. S. Seeley, chief engineer of Altec Service Corp., at the next monthly meeting, on Wednesday, of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, Atlantic Coast section, presided over by Frank E. Cahill Jr. of Warner Bros., chairman. Through the 20th Century-Fox, the meeting will be held at the Fox Little Theatre, at its home office. Compere, NBC Legal Aid Thomas H. Compere, Chicago attorney, has been engaged to represent National Broadcasting in legal matters in Chicago and Cleveland, by A. L. Ashby, NBC vice-president and general counsel, here. Reviews Stairway to Heaven {General Film Distributors — British) London, Nov. 5 <<C TAIRWAY TO HEAVEN," known in Britain as "A Matter of Life ^ and Death," was written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It had its premiere here in London at Metro's Empire Theatre, drawing the largest and most tumultuous crowd to Leicester Square since V-E Day. The. story concerns a British bomber pilot whose plane catches fire over the ocean, and who, gravely wounded, jumps without a parachute and lands in the sea unconscious but alive. The remainder of the crew is killed. The pilot is rescued, and he suffers queer hallucinations due to a concussion. He imagines he should be dead but isn't, and that the "conductors" of the other world come looking for him. The film develops with extraordinary charm and technical efficiency, showing alternately reality in Technicolor and fantasy of that other world as it exists only in the pilot's fevered brain. In the crazed man's imagination a trial is held in the other world's court on the issue whether the pilot should continue living on earth or should surrender himself to the hereafter. Powell and Pressburger put across myraid shafts of shrewd, ironic wit which may pass over the heads of many, but which make the film one of those "adult" exhibits that give distinction to the motion picture. "Stairway to Heaven," notwithstanding, his appeal to audiences of all sorts by reason of the moving performances of David Niven, the pilot ; Kim Hunter, his American girl friend; Marius Goring, "conductor" of the other world; Roger Livesey, the doctor endeavoring to save the pilot's life, and Raymond Massey, the prosecutor in the other world trial. This is a surefire British box-office bet. Britain's King George and Queen Elizabeth and the whole audience rapturously applauded the premiere. It is a film to be commended to discriminating American audiences. Running time, 104 minutes. Adult audience classification. Release date, not set. Peter Burn up "Wanted for Murder" (20th Century-Fox-Excelsior-British) PRODUCER MARCEL HELLMAN'S "Wanted for Murder," importedby 20th Century-Fox from Britain, is a solid example of what taut, stirring drama can be educed from an inherently commonplace, mediocre theme through the exercise of superior directorial know-how, flawless casting, excellent camera work and good script writing. Plainly and simply, what transpires in this film is the systematic tracking down of a psychopathic killer — a strangler of women — by a Scotland Yard inspector and his staff. The proceedings, directed by Lawrence Huntington, are recounted, for the most part, with a brash, documentary-like straightforwardness. The audience is apprised of the murderer's identity almost at the outset, and theatre-seat sleuths have but to relax and be carried away by a realistic demonstration of shrewd, dogged detective work that eventually spells doom for a clever, audacious killer. Eric Portman, the only cast member known 'to any extent to American filmgoers, turns in a splendid performance as the successful, respected London businessman who lives a Freudian nightmare of murder. Roland Culver is par excellence as the precise, sartorially-perfect inspector. Stanley Halloway, playing the inspector's chief aide, is especially good. Love interest is in the competent custody of Dulcie Gray and Derek Farr. Percy Robinson and Terence DeMarney are credited with the scenario, Emeric Pressburger and Rodney Ackland, with the screenplay. This film, which ranks among the better British psychological dramas, stands to make a box-office showing that is at least consistent with the financial accomplishments of its more effective British predecessors in the genre. Running time, 91 minutes. General audience classification. For November release. Charles L. Franke "Tumbleweed Trail (PRC) PRC has some solid situations and songs in "Tumbleweed Trail" that should be acceptable to many. Injecting ranch-land intrigue with a convincing twist here and there, Eddie Dean, Shirley Patterson, and a youngster named Johnny McGovern (keep an eye on him) do well in this latest Frances Kavanaugh screenplay, produced and directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. The conflict in this one involves Miss Patterson and her kid brother, played by Johnny, in their effort to keep a ranch in the face of a will forged by their father's half-brother, after the father mysteriously disappears. Eddie Dean and his stooge, Roscoe Ates, enter the picture with a song, and, running the gauntlet of ambushes by the half-brother, played by Brad Duncan, the two are hired as Miss Patterson's only ranch hands. The "shooting iron" is thereafter much in evidence, but, nevertheless, there is more than a semblance of character development in the unfolding of the story. It develops that the father wasn't really killed by his half-brother's henchmen, and that Dean is working for the U. S. marshall and finally nabs the outlaws. Three songs, sung by Dean and the Sunshine Boys are neatly woven into the film. The cast as a whole and the technical handling all contributed. Running time, 57 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, Oct. 28. Bill Cope Hungarian Filming May Be Resumed By ALEXANDER FODOR Budapest, Nov. 5 (By Airmail).— The four political parties now in control of Hungary's exhibition may attempt to revive the country's production. Local production is still stagnant because of lack of capital. Since the introduction of the new Hungarian currency, the Forint, new private capital has not yet been accumulated. On the other hand, the government is economizing all down the line and consequently is unable to invest any money in film production. Profits Into Production Lately the idea has been suggested that the political parties, which now receive the profits from exhibition, use those profits to restore production. They are said to be willing to attempt this and intend to start production soon, provided they can get a certain amount of support from the government and from production employes. The distribution of theatre licenses among the political parti©6 still continues. At present theatres are divided among the four political parties in this order : Social Democratic, 65 theatres ; Independent Little Farmers, 7"5 ; Communist, 68, and Peasant, 25. It is believed that the Motion Picture Export Association will start operations in Hungary some time next month. Oklahoma Variety Citation Dinner Oklahoma City, Nov. 10. — The local Variety Club of Oklahoma, which operates in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, will hold a dinner here on Dec. 3, at which time it will officially receive the silver plaque and charity citation award which it won at the last national convention, in New York, in May. The three judges who made the award to the tent are Martin Quigley, Jack Alicoate and Abel Green. At the presentation dinner the national tent will be represented by William McCraw, national executive director, and Chick Lewis, national publicity director. Industry personalities from all of the Southwest will journew to Oklahoma City for the event. FON Publishes Catalog Films of the Nations, Inc., has issued a 40-page catalogue listing 16mm. educational films of many lands that this non-profit membership corporation, sponsored by agencies of foreign nations, will make available. Maurice T. Groen is executive director ; other officers, all of New York, are : H. M. Moolan and B. Nordholm, vice-presidents; William Rosenfeld, secretary; H. Van Weeren-Griek, treasurer. R. Wilson Recovers Mexico City, Nov. 10. — Richard Wilson, associate producer with Orson Welles of "Lady from Shanghai," now being made at Acapulco, Pacific Coast port-resort, has resumed his work after a short rest to recover from a bad shakeup and 12 stitches in his head from a plane crash. While scouting for jungle locations for the picture near Acapulco, the plane crashed while skimming palm tops.