Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

Friday, April 2, 1948 Motion Picture Daily 5 BRITAIN AIMS AT DEVELOPING CONTROL OF FILM INDUSTRY LONDON, March 31. (By Air Mail) Clear now to' the better inforr.ed is a governmental plan for control of the industry, mile Harold Wilson, president of tne Board of Trade, has declared more than once, as has Sir Stafford Cripps, -Cancel lor of the Exchequer, that the government has no intention of nationalizing the industry, both gentlemen have made it clear beyond peradventure that national i zation or no the Government proposes taking to itself a considerable say-so in the operations of the industry. One clear indication of the coming control is an investigation into production cost by the National Film. Production Council, Mr. Wilson, chairman, which me't first March 2J. The State .Film Bank, generally regarded as being around the comer and designed to help independents out of the ir financial difficulties, is another considerable straw in the u/ind at the moment. Also to be regarded is the building of the State Studio, to which Mr. Wilson had more or less pledged the Government. Attacks Hollywood HAN.VS ETSLER, the Hollywood composer who left the U, S, after a brush with the House Un-American Activities Committee, was talking about Hollywood in Prague last Monday and the Associated Press picked up these samplest "It is now a city in a terrible state of hysteria. Old friends regard each other with suspicion and you don't know whether you can trust your neighbors. People whisper. There are prying eyes. There is conspiracy in the air. Nervous thousands are quite sure the war will start next, week or next month, " Insert Local Name IT'S THE personal touch thai does the trick. And it is being applied in the UGM-Liberty film "State of the Union.'' Katherine Hepburn plays the wife of a presidential candidate. There is one scene where she opens a heap of congratulatory telegrams and reads the names of the senders. Audiences in each exchange center will find the first name familiar since Metro has supplied each of the J2 exchange areas with a 60-foot clip of the scene' where Miss Hepburn reads off the name of a personal i ty particularly well known in that area. For New York, Los Angeles and Canada it's "Mad Man" Muntz, Copyrighted Films Listed The January-June, 1947, catalog of copyrighted motion pictures was issued this week by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. All titles are listed alphabetically and followed by a description of type, production statement, release date, and physical characteristics of the film. New Production Company Gregory, Cook & Griffiths, Motion Pictures, Inc. , has been formed to produce low-budget pictures. The first to go before the cameras is "Strange Case of Malcolm Craige," on April 13. Ken Cook is president; Robert F.Griffiths, vice-president , and John Gregory, director of production. Loew's Tests Spanish Titles Loew's International has begun the testing of Spanish titles in Latin America for MOM pictures. Countries being surveyed are Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. Granada Profit $312,000 Sidney Be rnste ins Granada Theatres, London, has announced a profit of #312, 000 for the year ended September Jl, I947. This compares with $272,764 for the 1946 period. MAGIC SHADOWS The Story of the Origin of Motion Pictures By MARTIN QUICLEY, JR. Adventurous exploration of forgotten yesterdays— 191 pages, 28 illustrations. Bound in cloth. A Georgetown University Press book. ". . . the enjoyable opportunity of following in detail the struggles of savants and quacks, of scientists and rogues, and of the thoughtful and the crackpots who, in one way or another contributed to the march of motion picture progress during its pre-history." From a review by DR. ALFRED N. GOLDSMITH Gentlemen: • , Send copy(ies) of Magic Shadows at $3.50 per copy postage paid. □ Check enclosed. □ Send bill. Name Address QUICLEY BOOKSHOP 1270 SIXTH AVENUE NEW YORK CITY (20)