Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

Monday, November 8, 1948 Motion Picture Daily 3 QS vs Para, Reviews "The Plot to Kill Roosevelt" {Selected Films-United Artists) OFFERED as a spy thriller of international intrigue, the title of this production is more sensational than the production itself. It is obvious that the title has strong pulling power for box-office consumption. The setting is Teheran, in 1943, where Derek Farr, playing an English war correspondent, has stumbled on "the plot to kill Roosevelt." The atmosphere, crowd scenes, costumes and character types generally associated with the mysterious East appear a-plenty. William Freshman directed, with Marta Labarr adding extra glamour as a Russian ballerina involved in the proceedings. The film has movement without action and builds up little suspense before the denouement. The scale of production is elaborate. Manning Whiley gives a good account of himself as the suave ringleader of the plotters ; the cast as a whole is generally adequate. Running time, 83 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, not set. "The Plunderers" (Republic) ASSOCIATE producer-director Joe Kane fabricated a lively little Western in "The Plunderers," accentuating Trucolor in the chase through many holdups, double-crosses, Indian attacks and an assortment of situations usually found in a pretty good Western. Much conversation and romance detract not a bit. Plainclothes Army officer Rod Cameron is supposed to work up a friendship with Forrest Tucker, a bandit whom Rod must bring to justice. Rod grows to really like Forrest. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Ilona Massey, a friend of Tucker's sweetheart, Adrian Booth. Finally, in an Indian attack, the bandit and his sweetheart are both killed after he redeems his honor, and Rod's dilemma over having to hang the man he had come to like is solved. Action and gunplay are the keynotes, with personality honors going to Miss Booth and Tucker. George Cleveland does a fine comic part as the sheriff and Paul Fix is good as the bandit's accomplice. Miss Massey and Cameron handle the principal parts with assurance. Gerald Geraghty and Gerald Adams wrote the screenplay, based on an original by James Edward Grant. Running time, 87 minutes. General audience classification. For December release. (Continued from page 1) (was upheld by the U. S. Supreme i Court. The government has offered j iew findings and conclusions of law md offered them as adequate for the fashioning of a new decree by the ' New York court. The case is back in the New York court, "not for retrial, but foj^n amendment of an existing j injunt/^Sa and for additional findings approf ?e to the amendments adopt j ed," the government said, in offering ! its findings. Loew's was first to take an opposite stand with a memorandum holding that the U. S. Supreme Court had ordered a full inquiry into theatre acquisitions and their subsequent operations as a means of determining the extent, if any, of illegal market control. Loew's charged that the government did not furnish any new proof to support its move for divestiture and divorcement. Asked New Inquiry on Theatres Paramount subsequently asked the court to take upon itself the "burdensome task" of a new investigation into theatre ownerships with the indication that this would mean another long trial. The stand taken by Loew's and Paramount is expected to be endorsed by 20th Century-Fox and Warners today by way of memorandums to the court. In what probably was the most surprising of all the more recent maneuvers by defendants in the case, United Artists last week asked for a complete re-trial of all the distribution issues before the court. It was UA's claim that previous rulings in this and other government and private cases, had left the entire system of licensing motion pictures in a "very dubious and uncertain state." UA, continuing, said that the entire distribution structures of the "Little Three" were jeopardized by the government's alleged attitude of doing nothing to "protect" them in their ef forts to remain in business. Actually, the government in its proposed new findings, conclusions and amended judgment concerned itself extensively with the divestiture issues and gave little space to distribution practices. Columbia, Universal Silent Columbia and Universal have yet to be heard from, formally, but it is anticipated that they will align themselves with UA during the course of the hearing. Universal is understood to have already prepared a memorandum objecting to, among other things, one government finding which the company feels could be interpreted to mean that clearances would be justified only in the absence of prints. The New York court has expressed itself as being unfriendly to the idea of protracted proceedings from now on and indicated that a special master might be appointed to take over. New York attorneys have privately speculated on this, even to the extent of discussing the court's likely candidates for the job. Suggestion was heard that if a master is to be named, the court might look to the American Arbitration Association's Appeals Board which comprises George W. Alger, chairman, Albert W. Putnam and Robert McC. Marsh. They are said to be particularly qualified because, while they have knowledge of the industry, they have no ties to it that might subconsciously influence them. It was Circuit Court Judge Augustus N. Hand, senior of the three jurists sitting in the case, who first broached the idea of assigning the remainder of the proceedings to a master. Byrnes Fails to Attend Scheduled Meet with Clark Washington, Nov. 7. — The lastditch conference slated for Friday between Attorney General Tom Clark and James F. Byrnes, 20th CenturyFox attorney, was not held when the former Secretary of State failed to keep the appointment, and Department of Justice officials said it was inconceivable that any last-minute agreement would be reached removing any more of the defendants from the Paramount case before argument opens tomorrow morning in New York District Court. Theatre Owners of America executive Gael Sullivan was a visitor here at the weekend but it could not be learned whether the former executive director of the Democratic National Committee conferred with Clark. Eiseman Promoted (Continued from page 1) years, prior to which he served as manager for United Artists in New York, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Abner has been with Metro for over 20 years, the last 10 as New Jersey manager. Kalmenson will announce Lefkowitz's new executive appointment as soon as he is well enough to return to duty. All changes will take effect on Nov. IS. Wanger Warns (Continued from page 1) Motion Picture Advertisers in the Hotel Piccadilly here. "The public is waiting to be sold and can't understand why it isn't being sold," he declared. The industry must take a lesson from Gov. Dewey's recent experience, Wanger said, and penetrate the great masses of "the people." Citing the verve of Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney and David O. Selznick, Wanger called for the type of "showmanship" demonstrated by those producers and less reliance on "popcorn and boards of directors." He said there is "no reason why we shouldn't be the most respected rather than the most maligned industry." Wanger congratulated RKO Radio president Ned E. Depinet, a fellow occupant of the luncheon dais, on his prospects for successful leadership of his company now that it no longer has what Wanger termed "high class directors." Dr. George Gallup's poll of public opinion and Audience Research Institure came in for criticism by Wanger. He said it was unfortunate for the industry that it has lawyers, pollsters, and absentee businessmen influencing policy and methods when their job is one for showmen alone. Wanger was introduced to the gathering by AM PA president Max E. Youngstein. Others on the dais were David Blum, Joan Bennett (Mrs. Wanger), William Heineman, "Evelyn Koleman and Harry McWilliams. *U* Exchange Merges Albany, Nov. 7. — Universal's "Big U" film exchange here has been merged into Universal Film Exchanges. New Para. Pact Splits Brackett-Wilder Duo Hollywood, Nov. 7. — Under new contracts signed by Henry Ginsberg, Paramount studio vice-president, with Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder the former is bound to the studio for five and a half years starting next March as a producer-writer-production executive and the latter for two pictures in "the next few years." Although Bracket's contract is exclusive, Wilder's is not. Included in the stipulations is a clause which provides that they may not be assigned to work on the same picture at any time but that each may be assigned to any other picture. Lachman to Coast On Carbon Outlets Edward' Lachman, president of Carbons, Inc., is en route to the Coast from New York to establish distribution outlets for his arc carbons in California, Alaska and U. S. Pacific possessions. Prior to his departure at the weekend Lachman, who is also president of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, announced the appointment of carbon distributors in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Memphis and Philadelphia to bring to 11 the number of cities wherein the company is represented. UA-SRO Deal (Continued from page 1) senting the deal to United Artists' board of directors for ratification here today or tomorrow. While executives of both companies were not available for comment, it is understood that among those attending a day-long meeting on Friday were David O. Selznick, Daniel T. O'Shea, president of Selznick's Vanguard Films, Inc. ; Ernest L. Scanlon, SRO vice-president and Vanguard's executive vice-president and treasurer ; Paul MacNamara, vice-president in charge of public relations for both SRO and Vanguard ; Milton A. Kramer, SRO executive vice-president ; Gradwell Sears, president of United Artists ; Paul Lazarus, Jr., executive assistant to Sears; representatives of the law firm of O'Brien, Raftery, Driscoll and Lawlor, and other executives of both companies. Altec Re-shuffling (Continued from page 1) banks, R. E. Pierce, L. J. Patton and F. J. Pfeiff are named field managers, and L. J. Hacking, . D. A. Peterson, B. Sanford, and M. N. Wolf have been appointed sales representatives. Jacobs Buys Price's Favorite Films of Cal. Seattle, Nov. 7. — N. P. Jacobs of San Francisco has purchased the interest of Harry Price in Favorite Films of California, Inc. Price has retired from the company, according to an announcement by Jack Kloepper, Northwest district manager here. Transfilm Names Doner W. B. Doner and Co. of New York has been appointed by Transfilm, Inc., also of New York, to handle promotion and public relations activities in connection with its television, educational and commercial film productions.