Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Jun 1949)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 19, 1949 Personal Mention EZ. WALTERS, Altec Service • comptroller, is in New York from the Coast. • Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin, RCA Laboratories vice-president and technician consultant, was presented the Poor Richard Club's 1949 gold medal in Philadelphia for his achievements in television. • William McCraw, executive director of Variety Clubs of America, spoke in Chicago last night at an installation meeting of Chicago Tent No. 26. • Paul Broder, Realart president, and Jack Broder, vice-president, from Detroit and Hollywood, respectively, are in New York for a company meeting. • W. T. Willis, manager of the Ritz and Milan theatres in Milan, Tenn., has been elected president of the local Chamber of Commerce. R. E. Baulch, president of Crescent Amusement, has been elected vice-president of the Nashville Cham ber of Commerce. • Henry Friedman, operator of the Lawndale and Main Line theatres in Philadelphia, has returned to that city from a trip to Puerto Rico. Robert M. Gillham, Selznick Eastern advertising-publicity director, was in Washington from here yester day on business. • Alfred Werker, Eagle-Lion direc tor, is here from the Coast for a vacation. Marvin H. Schenck and Mrs. Schenck will leave here tomorrow for a vacation in Hot Springs, Ark. • Walter Titus, Republic Southern District manager, is visiting the Atlanta exchange from New York. • Cyril Wooley has been appointed manager of the Walter Reade Paramount Theatre in Plainfield, N. J. • George Jessel, 20th Century-Fox producer, is here from Hollywood. Joe Grossman, 60, UK Studio Manager London, Jan. 18. — Joe Grossman, 60, one of the country's best known film studio managers, died of a heart attack today at Associated British Picture's Elstree studio, which he managed. Following a youth spent in several branches of vaudeville and the theatre, Grossman was named by the late J. D. Williams to manage Elstree when the latter built it ; he had remained there since. He was a favorite in royal circles, and was twice decorated by the King for war work. S.G. Gets $100,000 Additional Capital Screen Guild Productions' franchise holders have increased the company's capital by $100,000, it was announced here yesterday by Robert Lippert, SGP president, following a two-day board meeting. » The additional $100,000 is needed, Lippert said, for promoting the recently-completed "I Shot Jesse James" and other forthcoming pictures. ''Jesse James," Lippert reported, is the company's biggest budget picture to date. 100 Argentine Films For the US Market Davis Resigns Mono. Phila. Exchange Post Resignation of Al Davis, Allied Artists-Monogram manager of the Philadelphia exchange, was announced here by Morey Goldstein, general sales manager. Davis is leaving to do buying and booking for an independent circuit. Max Gillis, Eastern district manager, will have headquarters in Philadelphia and supervise the district from there. Brenon and Mamula To Leave Selznick Aileen St. John Brenon and Nick Mamula will leave their respective publicity posts with Selznick Enterprises in New York within a week. Miss Brenon handled all magazine publicity while Mamula was newspaper, trade paper and syndicate contact. Miss Brenon and Mamula went to the Selznick organization two years ago. Both will announce future plans shortly. Plans for the importation of Ar gentine product into the American market were announced here yesterday by Juan Martin, former member of the Argentine diplomatic corps in the U. S., who has arrived in New York from Buenos Aires. Martin has acquired exclusive North American, Canadian and Philippine distribution rights to 100 Argentine pictures turned out during and prior to 1948 and to be made during 1949 and 1950, he said. This arrangement excludes the few Argentine pictures already in release here. The films, which come from six Buenos A ires studios, will be distributed in the U. S. and Canada by Martin's own organization. Argentine studios are now turning out about 40 feature films a year, Martin said. Newsreel Parade Kranze Promotes Beier and Magill B. G. Kranze, sales vice-president of Film Classics, has promoted Nat Beier, recently F. C.'s Boston branch head, to branch manager of Philadelphia, replacing Mort Magill who will remain with Film Classics as sales manager of its Philadelphia branch. Several Rank Films At N. Y. First-Runs With the opening of Two Cities "Take My Life" at the new Trans Lux 59th Street Theatre yesterday, the J. Arthur Rank Organization is represented on New York screens with several first-run films. "Hamlet" is in its 17th week at the Park Avenue Theatre, "The Red Shoes" is in its 14th week at the Bijou, "Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill" recently opened at the Little Carnegie, "Don't Take It to Heart" is in its fifth week at the Beacon, where it is coupled with "Waterloo Road," while "A Canterbury Tale" and "The Woman in the Hall" will replace the current bill at the Beacon on Saturday Will Rogers Drive Drawing Tomorrow Drawing for 89 prizes in the New York Metropolitan area "Save the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital" campaign will be held in the Hotel Astor tomorrow at two P.M. before industry leaders and others. The drawing culminates a campaign of more than four months to raise funds for the hospital at Saranac Lake, N. Y. Mrs. A. L. Simons, 73 Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Mrs. A. L. Simons, mother of M. L. Simons, editor of M-G-M's The Distributor. Mrs. Simons, 73, died at her Paris, 111., home yesterday after a long illness. Another son and three daughters survive. Simons left here yesterday for Paris, 111., to attend the funeral. Two New Theatres For Fox Midwest Kansas City, Jan. 18. — Fox Mid west will open two new theatres this month. The Fox, Atchinson, Kan., opening Jan. 27, replaces the Royal which has been razed. Willis Schafer, manager of the Fox Midwest Orpheum, Atchinson, will also have charge of the Fox. Fox Theatre, Beatrice, Neb., will be opened on Thursday, replacing the Rivoli which has been leased but is now being converted into stores by the owner. Jerry Hayes is manager. Reynolds to Aid Drive Dallas, Jan. 18.— Interstate's Robert J. O'Donnell, temporary drive chairman, has named Albert Reynolds, vice-president and general manager of Claude Ezell and Associates, as cochairman in Dallas for "Brotherhood Week." Fire at Briner House Columbus, Jan. 18. — The Liberty Theatre at Lancaster, owned by Erway Briner, was damaged by an $18,000 fire which is believed to have started when film jammed in the projector. An audience of 125, mostly children, filed out in orderly manner. (COMMUNIST leaders on trial in w NeW York is a newsreel highlight in all current reels. Other items include the new rocket ships, sports, fashions, etc. Complete contents follow: MOVIETONB JJEWS, No. 6-Red-trial in New York. March of Dimes. Heavy storms cause great damage in Western U S Light planes set distance record. Guided missiles. Speed skating. Ski jumping NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 240— Communist leaders m U.S. on trial. Guided missiles The President's Cabinet. International ski tournament. Polio poster girl treal Miami Bird show in M°n PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 43— Pilot r S K,et, '"W-distance flight. Rocket ships climb 13,000 feet per minute. Looking to spring. President Truman joins the union, raris: Uary Davis opens drive for world S tIZvn%, -T?p U-f Reds *° on trial ^ IN. x. Ski jump classic. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL, No. 314— Keds on trial. March of Dimes. Talkie traffic signals President Truman and ±-etn lo. Dog show. Pigeon show. Guided missiles. Skiing. WARNER PAT HE NEWS, No. 45— Keds on trial. Aviation news. March of Dimes. Dog show. Feeding cattle from the air. Paris hats. Ski meet Wire 1,000 Papers On 'Movies and You' United Press has distributed to approximately 1,000 newspapers a news feature on "The Movies and You" of the all-industry film series, the Motion Picture Association of America reports. The article, written by Jack Gaver, stated in part : "For the first time, the entire industry is cooperating to use what it considers the most graphic mass medium — the movies — to explain what makes it tick. The instruction is so palatable that the ticket-buyers won't even realize they are being instructed." "The Movies and You" series is hailed as "informative" by Mark Barron, drama editor of the Associated Press, in a wire-service story sent to all AP member newspapers. Production Drops On Coast to 22 Hollywood, Jan. 18.— The production tally dipped to 22 from last week's 26. No pictures were started, while four wound up. Shooting finished on "Prince of the Plains," Republic; "Africa Screams" (Nassour), United Artists ; "The Lady Gambles," Universal International ; 'Task Force," Warner. TV Ad Film Topic Charles J. Durbin, president of the American Television Society, will discuss the use of film on television by advertisers at the Jan. 27 dinnermeeting of the National Television Film Council, to be held at the Brass Rail Restaurant here. USO Benefit Feb. 21 Loew's has donated its Victoria Theatre in New York's Harlem for a midnight-to-five A.M. USO benefit on Feb. 21. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor Martin Ouielev Tr A^nHar. Fd,W P„hi;=v,»H am . c t . James R Cunninghams^ Ascher, Editorial Representative. Washington, Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco. London." ^^r^nSa^ ^AH^^' ^« « ^ « «=™r ££«t3 Sffi^ S««^