We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
Friday, May 18, 1951
Motion Picture Daily
3.
Allied Meet
(Continued from page 1)
tant to Paramount president Barney Balaban.
He declared that this cooperative effort, COMPO, required not only finances but the active support on "the firing line" by individual exhibitors in a program of support in contributing ideas and information. COMPO projects, he stressed, should be applied locally, too.
He decried the fact that the motion picture industry today stood alone among business groups in not having developed adequate basic research needed for the industry.
Henderson M. Richey, M-G-M's director of exhibitor relations, pointed out the opportunity for each exhibitor in any area with increased population to get new patrons for his theatre.
Another speaker was Hardy Hendren, of United Film who covered the field of screen advertising.
Others Elected
The Kansas-Missouri unit's election saw William Silver of Cameron, Mo., chosen vice-president and Jay Means of Kansas City, Mo., secretary treasurer.
New Kansas directors for three year terms are : V. Anderson of McPherson, Eugene Musgrave of Minneapolis and Ralph Winship of Phillipsburg.
New Missouri directors elected to three year terms are : Jay Means of Kansas City, William Silver of Cameron and J. T. Chosen of Sedalia. Two directors elected to fill unexpired terms are Herbert Jeans of Warsaw, Mo. and Charles Potter of Kansas City. Sullivan was reelected representative to the national Allied board. He had been president since the unit, now holding its fourth annual meet, was founded.
Freeman Cites Film As Value to Industry
Hollywood, May 17.— Speaking as an individual, Frank Freeman, Paramount Studio head, told trade press reviewers in advance of the screening of _ "Passage West" that he considers this film has plus value for the whole industry in that it stresses the power of simple faith to overcome obstacles and problems of daily life.
Freeman said the Pine-Thomas production, while conforming to melodramatic requirements fully, serves the industry and public by showing graphically how an abiding belief in God makes for social amity and wholesome human relationships.
Paramount Plans A 'Golden Circle' Film
Plans to film a top-budget production titled "The Golden Circle," were announced here by Paramount Pictures, which said the film will serve as a showcase for the "Golden Circle" starlets who were introduced to the press here this week.
5?
Reviews
"Francis Goes to the Races"
( U niversal-1 nter national)
jV/T ORE often than not, film sequels lose rather than gain from comparisons with their progenitors. Universal, therefore, can be fully justified in giving itself a good pat on the back for having achieved the unusual in the case of "Francis Goes to the Races," the second in what may prove to be a long series of screen adventures featuring that laugh-provoking four-legged purveyor of caustic common sense, Francis, the talking mule. That No. 2 is funnier than the original "Francis" was amply testified to the other evening at RKO's 86th Street Theatre here by the loud and frequent dialogue-drowning guffaws that marked the picture's sneak preview.
The record shows that the original "Francis" was an outstanding moneymaker. All things being equal, there is no reason whatever to suppose that "Francis Goes to the Races" won't at least parallel the box-office experience of its forebear. And, of course, all the exploitables that were manifest in the original are available here as well. When the results are in for this year's box-office sweepstakes, this modestly-budgeted number will be right up there among the winners.
The title is a perfect description of what happens to the garrulous Army mule and his fuzzy-minded pal, Donald O'Connor, when they leave the wars behind. Once scriptwriters Oscar Brodney and David Stern situate them in jobs at a racetrack all that is left to happen is just about every imaginable comic occurrence that could grow out of a mule's being in a position to advise his two-legged friend as to which horses will win the next day's races. Do you think the police believe O'Connor when he tells them the mule gave him the tips that turned into a seven-horse parlay?
The other ingredients poured into this delightfully absurd mixture and mix-up of situations include a large array of dialogue gags, a touch of romance between pretty Piper Laurie and O'Connor, Francis getting tipsy on beer Francis psycho-analyzing a horse to rid her of an inferiority complex that handicaps her in races, and the open-mouthed amazement with which police track racketeers and everybody else accept proof of Francis' ability to talk.
Credit producer Leonard Goldstein, director Arthur Lubin, writers Brodney and Stern and the whole neat cast with having turned out a' delightful lau°hprovoker. Supporting roles are filled by Cecil Kellaway, Jesse White Barry Kelley Hayden Rorke, Vaughn Taylor, Larry Keating and others The original story was by Robert Arthur.
Running time, 88 minutes. General audience classification. For June release.
Charles L. Franke
The Wicked City
(United Artists)
A TRIO of names well-known to American audiences grace this FrenchJ -» made film of a sailor on the beach in Marseilles, but the presence of Maria Montez, Lilli Palmer and Jean-Pierre Aumont is not enough to relieve the tedium engendered as this inept story unfolds. Based on a novel by Edouard Peisson, the plot concerns the misadventures of Aumont, a Canadian seaman from an American ship, who falls in love with Miss Montez a girl from a waterfront cabaret. He is stranded, stabbed and robbed Miss Montez, fearful of being involved in the robbery, leaves the city while Aumont, befriended by a street urchin played by Jean-Marie Simon, works at odd jobs and awaits her return. Aumont is with Miss Palmer' one night when he encounters the two thugs who robbed him and in the ensuing brawl one is killed.
Now Aumont is hunted by the police and takes refuge in a aypsy camp with Miss Palmer, a fortune-teller. He is about to rejoin his ship on its return to port, when he again glimpses Miss Montez. Risking arrest he goes to see her and learns that he is just another "client" to her Disillusioned, he chokes her and is arrested.
Largely filmed on location, the picture has scenic authenticity which does not compensate for the banal story. Aumont adapted the novel for the screen and m his English dialogue attempts to use American slang— often with amusing results. The jiet result is a picture that fails to jell.
Running time, 76 minutes. Adult audience classification.
Vaughan O'Brien
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1327 S. Wabash Ave. p NEW YORK ,N.Y. 61 9 W. 54th Street
QUICK | SERVICE | QUALITY WORK
N. Y. Variety Starts Blood Bank Project
As a part of its "Heart Work," which helps to support the Will Rogers Memorial Home at Saranac Lake and provides hospital beds and medical attention for its members at French Hospital, the Variety Club of New York has opened a blood bank in the French Hospital here.
The blood bank will also be available for civil needs due to the increased request for blood now beingshipped overseas and because of the critical shortages of blood now existing in the city's hospitals. Funds for the operation of the blood bank amounting to $5,000 were raised and donated to French Hospital by the local Variety Club, International.
Companion Poll
(Continued from page 1)
results are, in the order of voting: June Allyson, Irene Dunne, Greer Garson, Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, Esther Williams and Jane Wyman. Male stars, also in order of preference, are: Bing Crosby, James Stewart, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, Alan Ladd, Walter Pidgeon and Gary Grant.
Pictures voted best for the year, in addition to "Eve," are: "King Solomon's Mines," "Cheaper by the Dozen," "Mr. Music," "Father of the Bride," "Harvey," "Sunset Boulevard," "Broken Arrow," "Born Yesterday" and "Battleground."
'Brotherhood' Award To Eric Johnston
Boston, May 17.— The Massachusetts Committee of Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at its 14th annual dinner tonight at the Statler Hotel, cited Eric Johnston for having "sought to carry the principles of the democratic concept and structure to all the nations of the earth."
Italian Market
(Continued from page 1 )
indicated yesterday following another meetmg here of the Motion Picture Export Association.
John G. McCarthy, chief of the Motion Picture Association of America's foreign department, who now is in Pans, is expected to confer by trans-Atlantic telephone today with MPEA executives here on the pending Italo-American agreement. He is scheduled to go to Rome shortly for further conferences with representatives _ of the Italian government and film industry.
The agreement, as it appears to be shaping up, would require the American distributors to give ground on the question of remittances, it was indicated. Heretofore, through the exercise of so called "compensation" deals, it was possible to unfreeze from time to time decidedly substantial amounts of U.S. film earnings that had been blocked by Rome.
There has been a clamp down, meanwhile, on compensation deals, and under what is expected to be' the Italo-US agreement there will be a slower rate of unfreezing. This rate might be put at 50 per cent, it was said, but supplemental means of releasing funds also may be provided.
Preferred Stock
( C ontinued from page 1 )
be obtained from the $12,500,000' cash dividend paid to 20th-Fox by its subsidiary, National Theatres.
A company statement issued yesterday said that the steps are being taken to simplify the capital structure of the corporation and to facilitate the divorcement of production-distribution from exhibition under terms of a consent decree to be signed shortly with the government.
TOA Meeting
(Continued from page 1 )
ment manufacturers and suppliers who would be interested in securing exposition booth space.
Sullivan, TOA executive director, has this message for manufacturers and suppliers : "In planning the events for the 1951 TOA convention, we found that virtually all exhibitors want to know just how the shortages of raw materials will affect their plans for improving, maintaining and modernizing their theatres."
WANTED FEMALE INVESTOR
Active or inactive for sound motion picture and television company.
Small Investment Required Unlimited Opportunities For appointment CALL CHickering 4-6724