Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE DAILY it 60. NO. 95 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1946 TEN CENTS Grosses in Oct. At Key Houses Were Down $16,770 Average Against $18,038 in September Continuing the downward trend ,ho\vn in September, key city grosses were cut further by Indian a summer during October, to an iverage of $16,770 per theatre, compared with $18,038 in the previous nonth, according to reports from MoI 'ion Picture Daily field correspondents covering some 170 key runs ' :hroughout the country. October's average, which also compares unfavorably with the $17,708 recorded in Oct., 1945, indicated a sharper, drop for October and September this year than the decline in the same two months last year. Outpacing their closest contender, 'Notorious" and "The Killers" ap(Continued on page 4) jClark Calls Trade Heads to Capitol Washington, Nov. 12. — Production executives will be called into inference at the Justice Department : sometime in December to discuss plans tor an educational film program to i be cordinated with the assistance of j government agencies, Attorney Gen! eral Tom Clark's office said today. Tentative schedule is for Dec. 12. Francis Harmon, vice-president of th/3 ! Motion Picture Association, has al| <-eady been in conference with the (Continued on page 7) Iri-States Firm on Local Checkers KO Memphis, Nov. . 12. — Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee voted unanimously here late this afternoon as being opposed to "local checkers" employed by film exchanges to check their boxoffices when pictures are engaged on a percentage basis. More than 200 exhibitors voted for the resolution which was offered by the board of directors who met earlier in the day to formulate plans for the two-day convention. The main topic of the open forum — held for exhibitors only — during the (Continued on page 6) Firms Withhold Films, Michigan Allied Charges By HAL TATE Detroit, Nov. 12. — Distributors are deliberately withholding product from exhibitors today to create a man-made product shortage with resultant rental price increases, was the charge made by Michigan Allied's board of directors' meeting here at the Book-Cadillac Hotel, inaugurating the organization's 27th annual convention. Percentage terms are too exorbitant, was another charge leveled at distributors, with the board declaring that flat rental pictures are preferred (Continued on page 7) Richey Hits Film Controls Detroit, Nov. 12. — There can be no lasting benefit to exhibitor, producer or distributor, from controls which are set upon the film industry by legislation or court action, Henderson M. Richey, M-G-M's director of exhibitor relations, will tell the meeting of Allied Theatre Owners of Michigan, which opened at the Book (Continued on page 4) 4 U' -International Merger Formalized; New Product Is Set With the actual signing of papers in New York and Hollywood yesterday, the merger of Universal Pictures Co., Inc., and International Pictures Co., Inc., was concluded. As a result of the merger "U" becomes known as Universal-International Productions Co., with all current and coming product going out under the Universal-International trade mark. The signing of the papers culminated negotiations which began last August and marks the beginning of an expanded program devoted exclusively to top pictures with a roster of star names, and further means the elimination of Westerns, serials and small-budget pictures. "The Egg and I," starring Claud (Continned on page 6) 4Caesar' Reprieved By Goldwyn Bond United Artists' efforts to retrieve the print of "Caesar and Cleopatra," now showing at the Astor Theatre here, were stalled, at least temporarily, yesterday, when Sheriff John J. McClosky filed a brief in New York Supreme Court to support a contention that he had complied with the (Continued on page 6) "Till the Clouds Roll By [ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ] i HoUyzvood, Nov. 12 HERE are the stars, alphabetically as per the main title: June Allyson, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Lena Home, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Tony Martin, Virginia O'Brien, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Robert Walker. A difficult lineup of personalities to resist and, in. all probability, no audience will bother trying. Additionally, "Till the Clouds Roll By," which is based on the life and music of the late and famous Jerome Kern, features 22 of his melodies and his ballads, many of them long since taken to permanent heart by the American public. Thirdly, producer Arthur Freed and director Richard Whorf have remained doggedly faithful to the high production standard which Metro has set for its bigger musicals. This one is rich and opulent in color, eye-filling and beautiful to behold. The attraction appears foreordained for sweeping popularity, yet this obviously expensive film is not what it should be, or might, have been. It lacks excitement. It fails to get across any warmth for its principal characters. It is casual in its development and placid in its unfoldment. Its story reflects no high spots and its musical numbers, always an optical and frequently an oral treat, come through in the same tempo with one lonehand exception. This turns out to be the dance routine in a seedy Memphis cafe with Van Johnson and Miss Bremer as the principals. Unexpected and (Continued on page 6) Selznick in Center of UA Owners Clash May Refuse to Handle 'Duel', Other Films By RED KANN Hollywood, Nov. 12. — Internal rows, long latent, have broken out anew within United Artists and are expected to result in the refusal of the company to handle any further David O. Selznick product, including "Duel in the Sun," unless Selznick agrees to rewrite his distribution contract, which he is not likely to do. His co-partners, Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin, are understood to have instructed their directors to take this position when the board meets in New York Nov. 21 to vote on recommendations along these lines. Under Selznick's arrangement, it is understood, distribution charges unwind as the grosses rise. If "Duel" should gross the $20,000,000 or more (Continued on page 4) . MGM Names Shorts Experts for Field An increase in M-G-M short subjects rentals became imminent yesterday with the disclosure by William F. Rodgers, vice-president in charge of distribution, that the company has appointed special representatives in all of its 31 exchanges to closely study shorts sales, and that he, Rodgers, has (Continued on page 4) Hard Row to Get US Films Into Russia Washington, Nov. 12. — It will take a long time to get commercial exhibition of American-produced pictures in Russia because that country fears public acceptance of our high standards of culture by the people. Francis DeWolf, chief of the State Department Telecommunications Di(Continued on page 7) In This Issue Review of "Till the Clouds Roll By" will be found on pages 1 and 6; reports on theatre grosses on page 8.