Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1949)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, September 29, 1949 Personal Mention SPVROS P. SKOURAS, president of 20th Century-Fox, and Mrs Skouras. will leave here today by United Air Lines for Denver and Hollywood. • Homer Harman, formerly director of advertising-publicity at New York's Roxy Theatre, is head of new realty development in the King's Point section of Great Neck, Long Island. • Bert L. Orde, motion picture ad vertising representative for Redbook magazine, will arrive in Los Angeles on Monday from New York for a 10 day stay. • F. E. Geesal, Hymen M. Wheel er, Milt Brauman and David Brown, Pittsburgh, and Sam Wheeler, Washington, were recent visitors at the New York Variety Club. • Mrs. William T. Orr, wife of the Warner Brothers' executive and the daughter of Mrs. Ann Warner, is the mother of a baby boy born at Good Samaritan Hospital, Hollywood • Dr. J. Georges Bouchard and Donald Cameron have been re-ap pointed for a term of three years on the National Film Board of Canada • Paul McNamara, Selznick Releasing Organization national advertisingpublicity director, is here from Hollywood. • Joel Levy, Loew's out-of-town booker, has returned here from a week's tour of the circuit's New England houses. • Nathan Levinson, head of Warners studio sound department, celebrated his 23rd year with the company. • Frank Slavik, owner of the Capitol Theatre, Mr. Gilead, O., sustained a broken wrist in an automobile accident. • Eugene Arnstein, Film Classics treasurer, will leave here today by plane for New Orleans. • Jack Cohn, Columbia executive vice-president, returned here yesterday from Miami. • Lewis Cotlow, producer, has returned here from his third expedition to the Amazon country. • Julian Lesser, producer, has arrived in New York from Hollywood. Al J olson was visitor yesterday. a White House Mark Stevens, actor, has left New York on a tour of veterans' hospitals. 'Jolson' in the Midwest Detroit, Sept. 28.— The Madi M Ml Theatre on Oct. 13 will give "Jolson Sings Again" its Midwest premiere. 'Hamlet9 Gets Scroll At Press Luncheon Universal-International will mark the first anniversary of the record run of Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" at the Park Avenue Theatre in New York today with a luncheon at the 21 Club for New York film critics and the publishers and editors of the trade papers, and with a huge birthday cake at the theatre for all patrons attending today's performances. New York University's department of mo Hon pictures will award a special scroll to "Hamlet," a J. Arthur Rank production, at the luncheon The scrolls will be presented by Dean Thomas Clark Pollock of the Un versity's Washington Square College of Arts and Science, to Nate J. Blum berg, president of Universal, on behalf of Rank. Prof. Robert Gessner, chairman of the motion picture department will speak. Also attending from N.Y.U. will be vice-chancellor Harold O. Voohis. Attending the luncheon from the Rank Organization will be J. B. L, Laurence, Seymour Peyer and Jerry Dale. From U-I will be John J. O'Connor, Maurice A. Bergman, Henry A. Linet, Charles Simonelli, Philip Gerard, Jeff Livingston and Milt Livingston. Which Headlines Will You Read? Hollywood, Sept. 28. — Replying to unfavorable publicity surrounding the recent Humphrey Bogart nightclub brawl, the Motion Picture Industry Council recited a long list of community actions sponsored or supported by members of the industry, and asked the question, "Which Set of Headlines Will You Read?" Among the activities listed were the fund-raising campaign for the Community Chest, visits to veterans hospitals, the safety award given a leading Los Angeles showman for production of a series of traffic accident shorts, Variety Club of Southern California's drive for a Boys' Club, and others. US Asks More Time For Griffith Order Oklahoma City, Sept. 28. — The Department of Justice has petitioned the Federal District court here for 60 days additional time for filing its findings and proposed judgment in the Griffith Theatres anti-trust suit. Filing originally was scheduled for Saturday. If the extension is not granted the government reportedly will file basic proposals on Saturday and supplemental details later. New Home Office and Theatre for Crescent Nashville, Sept. 28. — Cresent Amusement Co. has awarded a contract for the construction of a threestory building here to house a new Princess Theatre and administration offices for Crescent on the second and third floors. Designed to seat 1,200, the theatre will have a stage and dressing rooms for stage or vaudeville shows. The cost is estimated at $400,000. State Dept. Again Without Film Chief Washington, Sept. 28. — Merrill C. Gay has been transferred from his post as State Department film expert and liaison to the Department's Far Eastern division, and the Department is currently seeking a successor for the job. The new man will be the fourth to fill the film post in less than two years, a turnover which is hardly reassuring to the industry. The industry has indicated it would prefer someone to stay on the job fairly long, such as George Canty, who spent four years in the post. That way, the industry figures, the man picks up familiarity with the job and can really help the film business. 10Nation Premiere For 20th's 'Foxes' A 10-nation premiere has been set for 20th Century-Fox's "Prince of Foxes." Fifteen cities of the world will open the picture in November. Theatres involved in the worldwide debut are : Luxor, Buenos Aires ; Rex Cine, Anvers, Belgium ; Eldorado or Eden, Charleroi, Belgium ; Liege Palace, Liege, Belgium ; Palacio, Rio de Janeiro; Bolivar, Quito, Ecuador; Cairo Palace, Cairo ; Odeon, London ; Roxy, Hong Kong, and the Central in Caracas, Venezuela. In addition, the picture will open in Australia and Bogota and Cali, Colombia, and in Paris at theatres yet to be designated. Legion Reviews 8; Classifies Two 'B' Eight additional films have been reviewed by the National Legion of Decency, with two receiving a B classification ; they are : United Artists's "The Big Wheel" and "Without Honor." In Class A-l are: Columbia's "Blondie Hits the Jackpot" and Monogram's "Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters." In Class A-2 are: Republic's "The Fighting Kentuckian" ; Paramount's "My Friend Irma," and 20th Century-Fox's "Pinky" and "Prince of Foxes." E. Harris Ware, 71 Boston, Sept. 28.— E. Harris Ware, 71, Marblehead exhibitor, died here last night. He formerly owned the Warwick, Marblehead, Lansome, Beverly, Strand, and Peabody. Funeral service will be on Saturday at the Marblehead Unitarian Church. Burial is at Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead. Choose 'Columbus' Hollywood, Sept. 28. — The Protestant Motion Picture Council has selected the J. Arthur Rank-Univeral-International production, "Christopher Columbus," as its "picture of the month" for October. New Admission Tax Troubles in States Washington, Sept. 28.— Still reeling from an admission tax set-back in Florida, the industry may face more tax trouble in Delaware, according to the Motion Picture Association of America's legislative representative, Jack Bryson. The Delaware legislature has just started a special session to raise money for a veterans' bonus, approved by a recent referendum among the state's voters, and Bryson expects an admission tax to figure prominently in the state's new revenue possibilities. The Florida legislature, at a special session which ended last Saturday, approved a three per cent tax on tickets costing over 40 cents. Slightly offsetting this decision, the state ruled that no new municipal admission taxes could be levied, though existing city admission taxes could stay in effect. /. A. Maurer Will Address Forum J. A. Maurer, president of J. A. Maurer, Inc., and vice-president of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, will discuss "The Problems of the Film Producer, With the Advent of Color Television," at the production forum session of the National Television Film Council's second quarterly | forum meeting today at the Hotel Astor here. Forum will include a distribution forum^ headed by John Mitchell : a production forum, headed by Henry Morely, president of Dynamic Films, and a TV station forum headed by Ed Evans, film relations director of WPIX. Second annual election of NTFC officers will take place in the evening at a dinner at the Brass Rail. Film Quality Up, Says Miss Swanson The quality level of motion pictures today is generally better than during the war years, Gloria Swanson declared here yesterday. Miss Swanson shortly will embark on a country-wide tour to promote Paramount's "The Heiress" as well as develop good industry relations. Her first stop will be in Boston in about 10 days. She will address women's groups, preview groups, and other organizations. Miss Swanson has just completed "Sunset Boulevard" for Paramount, marking her first appearance in films since 1941. Miss Swanson said her future plans call for some more pictures, as well as radio and television work. Coaches at Preview College and professional football coaches and sports editors, writers and columnists will be guests of 20th Century-Fox here tonight at a preview of "Father Was a Fullback," to be held at Toots Shor's Restaurant. Irving Hecht Advances Irving Hecht, formerly in charge of special effects for Cinefifects, Inc., has been appointed secretary and general manager of the company. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting 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, INew York. Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-Piesident and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver, T a r> ^blc?¥0. Bureau, 120 South La Salle Street, Editorial and Advertising; Urben Farley, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. Washington, n.' v V^^V Natlonal 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 and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; 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 year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.