Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1947)

6 Motion Picture Daily Monday, March 17, 1947 | "One of the finest nusical ever REPORTER Review "Time Out of Mind" ( U niversal ) ROBERT SIODMAK foregoes murder and the psychological for straight drama on this occasion and comes up with a well-acted piece so leisurely in pace and content that it seems longer than its 88 minutes. Perhaps Rachel Field, on whose novel "Time Out of Mind" is based, did her concentrating more on character development than on story progression. It is the film, not the book, which is up for appraisal here, however, and the analysis is that it takes a good deal of footage before Phyllis Calvert wins Robert Hutton. Hutton plays the son of Leo G. Carroll, Maine shipowner who decrees the son must follow the father. The conflict between them develops because Hutton wants music to sing through his being, not the salty tang of the sea. Ella Raines, his sister, is on his side. So, too, is Miss Calvert, servant in the household and practically a member of the family. She conspires to get Hutton and Miss Raines off to Paris to pursue his muse. He returns after three or more years to find his estranged father dead and Miss Calvert still in love. Hutton, meanwhile, has married the wealthy Hel ena Carter. It is an unsuccessful match, predicated on money. Hutton deliberately throws away a concert arranged for him, takes further to drink, is nursed back by Miss Calvert, recovers his stance as a composer and emerges triumphant at a New York concert. Miss Calvert and her love become triumphant, also. This is all there is to the dramatic action. Performances, on the other hand, are better than the norm. In her first American-made film, Miss Calvert is very good. Hutton is far better than this reviewer has even seen him. The experienced Carroll, always to be relied upon for an intelligent acting job, does not disappoint. Good support comes from Eddie Albert as a minor-scale heavy and from John Abbott, whose characterization of music critic is one of the best things in the film. "Time Out of Mind" is top-grade all the way on the production side. On the entertainment side, it is satisfying at best. Abem Finkel and Arnold Phillips wrote the screenplay. Miklos Rozsa and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco prepared an effective music score. Running time 88 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, not set. Red Kann CSU Here (Continued from page 1) fore delegates of various AFL unions at a meeting at the Hotel Piccadilly here Friday afternoon. J. L. Nisbett, leader of the CSU delegation which also includes Walter R. Scheibel and Edward J. Smith, disclosed that since their arrival last Tuesday they had met with several locals, adding that they would hold further meetings this week in Brooklyn and Queens. Unions attending the Friday meeting included the International Association of Machinists, whose Hollywood local is part of the CSU and the Brotherhood of Painters, also involved in the Coast dispute. In addition to a pledge of $10,000 from the painters and a suggestion by Louis Weinstock, of the Brooklyn district council, that the union collect $1 from each member, it was disclosed that the machinists union has been contributing almost $3,000 a week to the CSU fund. Meanwhile, efforts of the CSU to bring about a strike settlement conference of all parties to the dispute over the weekend, as reported Friday in Motion Picture Daily, appeared headed for at least temporary delay. Richard F. Walsh, IATSE president, said here that he would be willing to hold such a conference with William Hutcheson, international president of the Carpenters Brotherhood, and L. P. Lindelof, international president of the Painters Brotherhood. Walsh indicated that action by these executives alone could resolve the issues in the jurisdictional dispute. Hollywood, March 16. — U. S. Conciliator Frank Wenig, who conferred on Thursday with CSU president Herbert Sorrell on issues underlying the studio strike, met on Friday with the major producers' labor con Jack Warner Cited (Continued from page 1) Gen. Arnold said : "The entire motion picture industry won the gratitude of the nation for the part it played through our four years of conflict. Jack Warner, a leader in that industry, is a fine example of the wholehearted effort and integrity of that great part." Arnold was introduced by Brigadier-Gen. John P. Doyle, who explained that the Medal for Merit grew out of the badge for military -merit which was established by Gen. George Washington in 1782 and in its present form was authorized by executive order of President Roosevelt in 1942. "Since then," General Doyle said, "it has been awarded to those few civilians who have most distinguished themselves by their service to their country." President Truman's citation of Warner for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the United States" was read by Major L. C. Quinn, Jr. In addition to the civilian service for which he was cited in "this connection, Warner entered active army duty with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to expedite the development of the first motion picture unit. That duty completed, he returned to civilian life to aid in the mobilization of the motion picture industry for war effort. President Truman's citation credited Warner with having, "on his own initiative, pointed out to the armed services of the United States the use which could be made of motion pictures in the effective prosecution of the war." tact man Pat Casey in an exploratory session. An expected conference with IATSE international representative Roy M. Brewer, was postponed due to Brewer's illness. Asking Stays (Continued from page 1) feature on a run selected by an exhibitor, all of which are scheduled to go into effect April 1. Likewise to be requested is a stay of competitive bidding, which is due to start July 1. "A tremendous hardship" will be imposed on UA if these sections of the decree are placed in effect and then finally reversed by the high tribunal, the company will point out, adding that, in such an event, it would have to "undo everything it bfr' ried to do" to comply with the Ne ork rulings. Columbia's application for a stay, filed on Friday, elaborates on the same general argument as planned by UA. Incorporating a statement by Abe Montague, Columbia vice-president and general sales manager, it declares that the selling and administrative detail required by competitive bidding would force the company to add approximately $600,000 per year in augmented personnel ; $300,000 through increasing the sales force from 100 to 140, another $200,000 in the exchanges and $100,000 in the home office. Columbia further argues that it would be forced to compete on unfair terms with Producers Releasing, Monogram and Republic, which are not bound by the decree, and with the five theatre-owning defendants, which can show their own product in their own theatres on any terms they choose. Moreover, the application declares, the slowing down of licenses under competitive bidding would slow down the turnover of working capital, thus causing "considerable refinancing and costly borrowing." Inevitably, Columbia argues, these increased costs would have to be passed on to the exhibitor and then to the public. Legion on 'Duel' (Continued from page 1) set forth as follows : "Immodestly suggestive sequences; glorification of illicit love." "In effecting the revision the producer, David Selznick, has responded with cooperation and understanding to critical reaction subsequent to the trial engagement of the film in Los An^ geles and has thus displayed an awareness of responsibility for the moral and social integrity of motion pictures," said a statement issued by the National Legion of Decency, here. PCA, Radio (Continued from page 1) Production Code Administration for whatever application can be made to higher radio standards. Don Petty, NAB general counsel, just returned from Hollywood, will report on results of the study and his consultations with the MPA, at NAB's Special Standards of Practice Committee meeting in New York on March 31. 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