Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, June 30, 1948 Telecasters' Confab On Democrats' Meet Representatives of the 18 television stations which pooled to cover the Republican Party convention in Philadelphia last week, will meet here Friday at the office of Mutual Broadcasting's J. R. Poppele for a review of the assignment and to consider possible improvements in handling the Democratic convention, opening July 12 in the same city. It is not unlikely that Paramount's reproduction of Gov. Dewey's acceptance speech at its Broadway showcase will come up for discussion, Poppele said, but as reported yesterday, legal action is not contemplated. Paramount originally had applied for authorization from the pool, offering to share the coaxial cable costs, but was refused. As of yesterday it had not sought rights for the television pictures of the Democratic conclave. 'FriscoTheatre Opens; 2 More Are Planned San Francisco, June 29. — Golden State's El Rev Theatre in Chico, a 900-seat showcase replacing the American which burned, has been opened here. Two other new houses are planned for South San Francisco. A $60,000, 500-seat house is to be built by Charles Ide in Soquel, and the Arthur MayerJoseph Jacobs theatre at Capitola, construction of which was halted several months ago by Federal regulations, has been resumed. It will cost about $70,000. Minneapolis Combine In Deal with Para. _ Minneapolis, June 29.— After a six-month so-called "boycott" of Paramount product due to disagreement over terms. Independent Theatres Association, Minneapolis buying combine of 27 members, submitted a deal to the Paramount exchange here and it has been approved by the home office. Meanwhile, Theatre Associates, largest of the Minneapolis buying combines, is still holding out against Paramount's terms after almost two years of intermittent negotiations. Schreiber Quits Century Edward Schreiber, for the last two years advertising-publicity director for Century Theatres, has resigned, effective tomorrow, to enter business outside the film industry. Schreiber began in the industry at Warners 13 years ago and left during the war to head the advertising and publicity department of the WAC. After a year as partner in a public relations agency, he took the post with Century. Benedict on U-I Stint Lowell Benedict, former M-G-M magazine contact, has joined the Universal-International publicity staff as a temporary replacement for Jeff Livingston who has been assigned to special duties for J. Arthur Rank's "Hamlet." Reviews "The Twisted Road" (RKO Radio) AN unusual screen attempt to examine human emotions in the extremity of fear and hopelessness is made in "The Twisted Road." The story of two young lovers in a grim flight from the police, it unfolds with relentless drive. As entertainment, it should have especially strong appeal to patrons whose tastes go beyond the formula plots. The cast assembled is an extremely effective one, headed by Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger as the young lovers, and including Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen, William Phipps, and Ian Wolfe. What is most striking about the Charles Schnee screenplay is the credibility of its situations, made all the more so by excellent camera work. Granger, convinced that he was "railroaded" to prison, escapes with two hardened lifers, Da Silva and Flippen. At a hideaway Granger meets and eventually marries Miss O'Donnell. Thoughts of starting life anew fill the pair and they even toy with the hope of being eventually cleared through legal aid. However, Granger finds that his past delinquencies have too much momentum to be sidetracked. His prison pals force him to participate in new crimes, and even after their death, he finds he cannot escape the grip of circumstances. What is worse, Granger in time finds himself resorting to the same brutalities that made his pals so despicable. As seems fated, a fusillade of bullets ends Granger's life. Performances are superb all around. Many fascinating touches stud the film, not the least of which is singer Marie Bryant in a nightclub rendition of "Your Red Wagon." There are some occasional heavy stretches in the John Houseman production, but for the most part it is strong and compelling entertainment. Nichols Ray has directed with distinction. Running time, 95 minutes. Adult audience classification. Set for July release. Mandel Herbstman "The End of the River" {Prestige Universal-International) A JUNGLE adventure drama that has many of the allurements of a travelogue has been sent here by J. Arthur Rank, for Prestige Pictures release. It is the story of an Indian boy and his struggles to find a place for himself in a seemingly hostile world. The picture was mostly photographed in Brazil. Produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and starring Sabu, it suggests many merchandising angles for the selective audience. The opening has Sabu on trial as a killer, the story then proceeding to tell in restrospect all the hardships that befell the young Indian boy. When a child his entire family was massacred by an evil tribal leader, and the incident burned into his memory. Through adolescence he gets a variety of jobs and is almost continually beaten or exploited by white employers. His misfortunes culminate in the murder of a man. who symbolizes for him the same evil that wiped out his family. An acquittal ends the story, with the boy going to the end of the river to live with his wife in harmony. Bibi Ferreira offers a naturalistic portrayal as the yeung wife. The characterization of a seaman's trade union as a totalitarian outfit that deceives its membership and finally makes a thrust at overthrowing the government, may provoke objection from labor-conscious circles. Wolfgang Wilhelm did the screenplay, from the Desmond Holdridge novel. Derek Twist directed. A production of The Archers, the British Philharmonia Orchestra was under Muir Mathieson's direction. Running time 80 minutes. General audience classification. For July release. M. H. 16 Fathoms Deep [Monogram) Hollywood, June 29 FIRST feature picture to be filmed in Ansco Color and it has a good deal apart from that circumstance to recommend it as box-office material. The presence of Lon Chaney, Arthur Lake and John Qualen in principal roles takes care of marquee needs, and the subject matter — built around sponge fishing in the Gulf of Mexico — has the appeal of the unique. Additionally, the melodramatic action, toward which the picture builds slowly, generates a highly satisfactory degree of suspense. The scene is principially Tarpon Springs, Fla., beautifully caught by Ansco cameras, and there is a wealth of undersea material with a charm of its own. The story, by Eustace L. Adams and screenplay by Max Trell, present Chaney as an unprincipled dealer in the sponge-fishing trade, Qualen as an elderly captain whose boat Chaney takes from him by chicanery and seeks to retain by thwarting the new owner (Eric Reldary) in his effort to finance his purchase by making a first catch equal to the required payment. The attempt to sabotage the voyage results in a murder, for which Chaney pays with his life, unofficially, when the enraged fishermen learn what has happened and close in on him. Lake supplies comedy relief as a tourist with a camera. Others in the cast are Lloyd Bridges, Tanis Chandler, Ian MacDonald, Dickie Moore, Happy Cheshire, John Bibifer, Frant Means and Allen Mathews. It is an Arthur Lake production, produced by James S. Burkett and Irving Allen and directed by the latter. Running time, 83 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, July 25. William R. Weaver FCC Probe in Work In 48 Hrs: Harness Washington, June 29. — House Speaker Martin today named Rep. Harness of Indiana chairman of a special committee to investigate the Federal Communications Commission. Harness, who sponsored the resolution to set up the committee which was passed in the closing hours off Congress, said he hopes to have a\, staff at work in 48 hours. Other members of the committee are Republican Representatives Hall of New York and Elston of Ohio, and Democratic Congressmen Priest of Tennessee and Harris of Arkansas. A Senate Interstate Commerce subcommittee is also planning to spend part of the summer and fall looking into the FCC. District Theatres9 27th a First-Run Washington, June 29. — District Theatres has acquired the 1,400-seat Royal Theatre in Baltimore, bringing to 27 the number of theatres it is now operating in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The theatre will have a policy of first-run double features every other week and a single feature plus a stage show the other weeks. Sam Ward will be retained as manager. Mexico City Now Has 92 Theatres Mexico City, June 29. — Active theatres here now number 92, with prospects that they will total 100 by October 1. Two new ones have just opened, the Arcadia, a 3,200-seater owned by Arcady Boytler, the Russian who has been in Mexican pictures for 25 years, and the Cosmos, seating 3,650, which opened today with Selznick Releasing's "The Paradine Case." DuMont To Testify Washington, June 29. — Allen B. DuMont Laboratories and Philco Corp. have been granted permission by the Federal Communications Commission to participate in hearings reopening in September on the reasonableness of intercity television rates charged by A.T. and T. and Western Union. New Television Station Cincinnati, June 29. — A television station will be built and operated by WCPO, Scripps-Howard station operated by the Cincinnati Post. Two other television stations are now in operation here, one by Crosley Broadcasting Co., the other by WKRC, local Columbia affiliate, operated by the Cincinnati Times-Star. New Theatre for Guidry New Orleans, June 29.— Construction of a 900-seat theatre in the Nona Trading Center in Lafayette, La., has been started by Milton Guidry. He also operates theatres in several other towns in this state. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwiri Kane, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, 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, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director; Hollywood Bureau, YuccaVine Building, William R. Weaver, Editor; Chicago Bureau, 120 South La Salle Street, Editorial and Advertising. Urben Farley, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl. Hope Burnup, Manager, Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Theatre Sales; International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per vear, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c. PUBLISHED JUNE 30, 1948 IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION TWO