Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

2 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, November 14, 1946 Bala ban Speakers Headed by Gibson Harvey Gibson, president of Manufacturers Trust; Henry Monsky, president of B'nai B'rith, and executives of the entertainment industry will head the speakers paying tribute to Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures, at the dinner in his honor sponsored by the motion picture division of the Joint Defense Appeal 'on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Hotel Astor, here. Jack Cohn, vice-president of Columbia Pictures ; Leonard H. Goldenson, vice-president of Paramount, and Sam Rinzler, Randforce Theatres, are serving as chairmen for the motion picture industry's effort. They point out that the event will highlight the division's campaign to raise $250,000 for the Joint Defense Appeal and help maintain the work of two beneficiary agencies. Other speakers scheduled for the event include William McCraw, Ed Weisl and Louis Novins. Additional leadership for the drive has also been announced. Harry Levine, Harry Romm and Robert Weitman, of Paramount; and Charlie Miller, Nat Kalchein and Tom G. Rockwell, of the talent field, will head the talent and agency division. Organization of the legitimate theatre division has been completed, with Russel Holman, Boris Kaplan and John Byram, all of Paramount Pictures, as co-chairmen. UA-Selznick Row Awaits Board Action Hollywood, Nov. 13. — Principals in the UA-Selznick conflict over terms of the latter's contractual relationship with the company uniformly reiterated yesterday's declaration that no further steps in the matter will be taken until the board meets in New York next week. Counsel for Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin, who seek a revision of Selznick's contract or his withdrawal from the company, said their recommendations to the board will stand as stated. A spokesman for Selznick, who spent the day in Arizona visiting his mother, said the producer is determined to stand on his rights and to resist the recommendations. UA president Edward C. Raftery said the company cannot comment prior to the board meeting. Davis Back After 8 Months in England Jack Davis, managing director of Associated News Theatres, Ltd., operating Monsiegneur News Theatres in England, and president of Monseigneur Enterprises, Inc., which controls the Forum Theatre, Metuchen, N. J., has returned to New York after an eight-month stay in England. While in England plans were made for reopening the firm's Marble Arch newsreel house in London as a television news theatre, next March. Personal HARRY NACE, JR., and Vincent Murphy of Paramount-Nace Theatres of Phoenix, are New York visitors. Stuart H. Aarons of Warners home office legal staff, has received the Military Merit Medal of the Philippines for "meritorious service" while serving as a U. S. Army officer on the islands. • William B. Levy, international sales head of Walt Disney Productions, is due in New York today from Atlanta, accompanied by Leo Samuels, foreign sales manager. Jack L. Wakner, vice-president in charge of production, is due to arrive in New York from Hot Springs, Ark., in about a week, and will leave for Europe shortly thereafter. • Louis B. Mayer will fly from Hollywood Nov. 29 for Mexico City to attend the inauguration of President Miguel Aleman on Dec. 1. . • Byron Price flew yesterday from Hollywood to San Francisco to address the American Automobile Association today, returning on Sunday. e Preston Sturges, United Artists producer, and Frances Ramsden, actress, are due in New York by plane from the Coast today. Leonard Schlesingee, president and general manager of Warner Brothers Service Corp., has left New York for the Coast for a months' stay. Phil Gersdorf of RKO Radio's Coast publicity staff, has returned here from Europe, en route to Hollywood. • Jeffrey Lynn, Warner star, returns from New York to the Coast at the weekend, following a honeymoon in Bermuda. Benny Zimmerman is the new manager of the Studio Theatre, Philadelphia, replacing Jack Weiss, who resigned. Mrs. Gus King of the Capital City Supply Co., Atlanta, has returned there from Dallas. Funeral Services for Cowdin, Jr., Saturday San Francisco, Nov. 13. — Funeral services for J. Chever Cowdin, Jr., son of Universal's board chairman, will be held here on Saturday. Burial will be in San Francisco's Cypress Cemetery. Cowdin, who was 33, died suddenly in Nassau, Bahamas, on Nov. 6, while traveling. Cowdin, Sr., who accompanied his son's remains from the Bahamas to San Francisco, will return to New York about the middle of next week. Mention HOWARD DIETZ, vice-president of Loew's, will leave New York for the Coast at the weekend. Charles Boyer, Enterprise actor ; David Lewis, producer, and Lewis Milestone, director, will accompany Enterprise president Charles Einfeld to New York from the Coast on Monday. • Orville' Crouch, manager of Loew's Theatre, St. Louis, is on vacation. Frank Murphy is acting manager. • Frank Barnes, owner of the Sioux Theatre, Cranford, Neb., was operated on at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. • Max Rosenberg and Joe Levtne of Motion Picture Ventures, Inc., has left New York for Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Philadelphia. • Marlene Dietrich, Paramount star, has been awarded a medal by the Beverly Hills Post of the American Legion for her overseas service. • Edward G. Schultz, manager of the Plaza Theatre, Northampton, Mass., will be married on Nov. 20 to Rose Donicz. • Leon J. Bamberger, RKO Radio sales promotion manager, will return to New York today from Detroit. • Hunt Stromberg, United Artists producer, arrived in New York from the Coast yesterday. • Julian Blaustein, editorial supervisor for Vanguard, is en route to New York from the Coast. • Melvin Douglas has arrived in New York from Hollywood for a two weeks' stay. • Archie J. Laurie of Canadian Eagle-Lion will return today to Toronto from New York. • Herbert Crooker, M-G-M director of publicity, will leave New York for the Coast on Tuesday. • Hoagy Carmichael is due in New York today from Hollywood. Coast Strike Fails To Snag SG's Work Hollywood, Nov. 13. — Screen Guild Productions has put "The Return of Buffalo Bill" in work here, started filming of "Bells of San Fernando" yesterday, and will begin production of "Shoot to Kill" on Dec. 1, all despite the labor jurisdictional strike here, which has curtailed production activities at many studios. Respective producers of the three films are : Jack Schwarz, James S.. Burkette and William S. Berke. Asides and Interludes By JAMES CUNNINGHAM HALF in fun and wholly in earnest, the management of Famous Players-Canadian Theatres, at Toronto, suggests to its employes that whenever they feel they are overworked, . jgSj begin to sigh wistfully for "the f 1 old days," they should read the folio wing item, being the actual rules governing the conduct of a large Chicago department store some 80 years ago : "Store must be open from six in the morning until nine at night, all year around. "Store must be swept, counters, base shelves and showcases dusted, lamps trimmed, filled and chimneys cleaned, pens made, windows and doors opened, a pail of water and a bucket of coal brought in before breakfast, and attend to customers who call. "The employee who is in the habit of smoking Spanish cigars, getting shaved at the barber shop, going to dances and other places of amusement, will surely give his employer reason to be suspicious of his integrity and honesty. "Men employees are given one evening a week for courting and two if they attend prayer meeting. "After 14 hours of work in the store leisure hours should be spent mostly in reading." V Revoking war-time orders which had been issued to save materials, the Civilian Production Administration now formally and officially permits the use of more cloth in women's slips, nightgowns, "pop's" pajamas, negligees, demi-housecoats and brunch coats. But the CPA refuses to budge a yard on materials for new theatres! V _ Marvel of this age of motion picture distribution-exhibition and percentagepicture playing, is Charles Constantine Skouras, president of National Theatres, who is understood to have torn up his license agreement with Universal for the playing of "The Seventh Veil," when the box-office returns of the picture were in, and handed "U" an extra $50,000 in film-rental because the picture earned it ! V It was Lew Lehr who once said: "Never start ivork before breakfast. If you find you must work before breakfast, get your breakfast first." V Hollywood syndicate news-writer Frank Hughes is currently complaining in a Chicago Tribune survey of Hollywood studio writers that some of them get as much as $5,000 a week. Screen-writer Nunnally Johnson received $18,645 a week for each of eight weeks work in one stretch last year. V Mexican City policemen, when off-duty, make up to $20 daily "shaking-down" petters in that town's motion picture theatres. The cops complain that they need money, pointing to their daily wage of $1.75, less deductions for pension and other items. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane; Editor; Martin Ouigley, Jr., Associate Editor. Published daily except Saturday, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Bldg., William R. Weaver, Editor; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue; Washington, Jim H. Brady, 809 Atlantic Bldg. ; London Bureau, Golden Sq., London Wl, Hope Burnup, Manager ; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quieley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Heralld; International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies 10c.