Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1943)

24 Music and Review Films Offset War Themes (Continued from page 21) tie Sisters," "Rosie the Riveter," "rioosier Holiday" (the Al Pearce show), "Sleepy Lagoon" (Judy Canova), "Brazil" (Latin music). Twentieth Century-Fox Completed: "Hello, Frisco, Hello" (John Payne, Alice Faye, Jack Oakie), "Coney Island" (Betty Grable, George Montgomery), "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" (Grable, Robert Young), "Stormy Weather" (Rochester, Lena Home, all-Negro cast). In Production: "The Girls He Left Behind" (Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Benny Goodman Band), "Winter Time" (Sonja Henie, Jack Oakie, Woody Herman Band). In Preparation: "Pin-Up Girl" (Grable, name band), "Greenwich Village," "New Orleans," "Mexico City," "By Jupiter" (Laurel and Hardy, Martha Raye), "Gone Are the Days," "Carnegie Hall," "Four Jills In a Jeep" (Martha Raye, Carole Landis, Kay Francis, Mitzi Mayfair), "Lady In Ermine" (Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer). United Artists Completed: "Stage Door Canteen" (48 stars and six name bands), "Lady of Burlesque" (Barbara Stanwyck, Michael O'Shea). In Production: "Hi Diddle Diddle" (Martha Scott, Adolph Menjou, Pola Negri, Billie Burke, Dennis O'Keefe, June Havoc). In Preparation: "Navy Hotel" (Charles R. Rogers production). U niversal Completed: "Cross Your Fingers" (Allan Jones, Kitty Carlisle), "Rhythm of the Islands" (Allan Jones, Jane Frazee), "Follow the Band" (Leon Errol, Grace McDonald), "School For Jive" (Donald O'Connor). In Production: "Hers To Hold" (Deanna Durbin with some music), "Phantom of the Opera" (Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, with operatic background for the mystery thriller). In Preparation: "His Butler's Sister" (Durbin), "Christmas Holiday" (Durbin), "Crazy House" (Olsen and Johnson), "Girls, Inc.," "So's Your Uncle," "Ride, Sailor, Ride," "Moonlight In Vermont," "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" "Meet the Coeds" (Abbott and Costello comedy with music), "The Naughty Nineties" (same), "100 Girls and a Man." Warner Brothers Completed: "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (Eddie Cantor, Dinah Shore and Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Dennis Morgan and all contract players), "The Desert Song" (Dennis Morgan, Irene Manning, Lynne Overman, Bruce Cabot). In Production: Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army." In Preparation: "Rhapsody In Blue" (life of George Gershwin), "Melancholy Baby" (life of Helen Morgan), "Story of Marilyn Miller," "Shine On, Harvest Moon" (life of Nora Bayes), "Mississippi Belle" (Irene Manning, with Cole Porter music), "The Gay Nineties" (life of Tony Pastor), "The Doughgirls." Samuel Goldwyn In Preparation: "Up In Arms" (Danny Kaye. Dinah Shore), "Treasure Chest" (Bob Hope). Pallos Opens London Offices Steven Pallos, formerly general manager for Alexander Korda, has opened his own offices in London with the trade name of Omnia Films, Ltd. MOTION PICTURE HERALD Rydge Reviews Progress Of Greater Union Circuit Although five years ago the Greater Union Theatres circuit of Australia was operating at a heavy loss, today "we have paid off all our bank loans, amounting to $2,000,000, and are putting surplus money into war loans," Norman B. Rydge, president, told the circuit's first wartime convention recently at the Usher's Hotel in Sydney. All managers attended the five-day meeting. Mr. Rydge promised that the circuit was not going to "stand still" and that it had "no debts, ample cash reserves, excellent films available, and an improved outlook." The convention was addressed also by Harry Hunter, managing director of Paramount Pictures in Australia ; Here Mclntyre, managing director of Universal Pictures ; Dan Casey, general sales manager of Universal Pictures ; Nick Casey, general sales manager of Universal Pictures ; Nick Pery, managing director of Columbia Pictures Corporation in Australia ; Gordon Ellis, general manager of British Empire Films (distributors of Republic and Monogram Films in Australia) ; Ken Hall, Cinesound Productions ; Jack Evans, Chairman of the Executive Committee ; Roy Barmby, Chief Film Buyer ; and Ted Lane, Director of Publicity. The company's policy was stressed and commented upon by every speaker : a policy that emphasizes cooperation between distributors and Greater Union. National Decency Legion Classifies Ten Films The National Legion of Decency reviewed ten films during the current week, classifying four as unobjectionable for general patronage, four as unobjectionable for adults and two as objectionable in part. The listing: Class A-l, Unobjectionable for General Patronage: "Desert Victory," "Riders of the Rio Grande,' "Swing Your Partner" and "Wild Horse Stampede." Class A-2, Unobjectionable for Adults: "Crash Dive," "Five Graves to Cairo," "I Escaped from the Gestapo" and "Leopard Man." Class B, Objectionable in Part: "All By Myself" and "DuBarry Was a Lady." Two Republic Inductees Honored at Dinner Harry Marcus, Republic Pictures' service department head, and Stephen Dorsey, special secretary to J. R. Grainger, president of the company, were given a farewell party by the home office staff last Thursday prior to their induction into the Army. Present at the party were Walter L. Titus, Jr., Charles Reed Jones, Steve Edwards, Albert Schiller, Harold Formen, Seymour Borus, Andrew Subbiondo, G. C. Schaefer, Edward Seifert, Frank Pratt, Dennis Caplin, Henry Zohbel and Milton Green ; also Joseph Pellon, Lou Rosso, and Isadore Cohen of Consolidated Film Industries, Inc. Commander Ford in Brazil To Make Film for CIAA Lieutenant Commander John Ford of the U. S. Navy arrived in Rio de Janeiro last week to produce a film on Brazil's economic and military contribution to the United Nations' war effort. The picture will be made under the sponsorship of the Office of the Coordinator of InterAmerican Affairs. Commander Ford's "Battle of Midway" won the Motion Picture Herald exhibitor poll for the Best War Short Subject of 1942. Theatre Wing Plans Dances The American Theatre Wing has completed plans for a series of tea dances to be held for all women auxiliary branches of the armed services. The first dance will be held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, from 3 to 6 P. M. May 15, 1943 WAC to Appeal Draft Rulings For Exhibitors Exhibitors whose managers and projectionists are threatened by local draft boards with reclassification into 1-A because they are not in a war factory, or whose personnel have been actually shifted to that status, should appeal to the War Activities Committee, which will intercede for them. This message to theatre owners was delivered by Si Fabian, WAC theatre division head, to the directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, at their meeting in New York last week. Mr. Fabian assured the exhibitors that local boards were exceeding their authority in such instances. He added he had the word of War Manpower Commissioner Paul McNutt. The exhibition section of the industry is not asking deferment of men suitable for military service. It is merely seeking to avoid discrimination in keeping men already deferred, Mr. Fabian emphasized. The WAC is now investigating several exhibitor complaints, and has already adjusted certain situations, he said. Meanwhile, from New Haven last week it was reported that George Miller, booker for several houses and manager of the Whalley theatre in that city, was in war work after a notice from the Connecticut Employment Security Division. In Hollywood, observers predicted the labormanagement committee representing all production factors, would shortly seek WMC permission for the free interchange of talent without special availability certificates. From Washington came a report last week that WMC executives were considering elimination of all "essential" listings in so-called essential industries. The planning committee of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, parent actors' union, met last week in New York and some of its discussions were over a program to increase the "war usefulness" of over-age members. This would perhaps earn an essentiality classification for some who might leave the stage for direct war work. Decision Appealed on "Stage Door" Plagiarism Appeal to the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals was made last week in N. Y. federal court by Madge Christie, author of the play "Thru the Looking Glass," who lost her plagiarism action to George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, authors of "Stage Door," whom she had charged with pirating the plot of her play. Other defendants named by Miss Christie were the Estate of Sam H. Harris, who staged the play, and Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., and Dramatists Play Service, Inc., who published the story of the play in book form. Federal Judge Edward A. Conger dismissed the action which Miss Christie is appealing and awarded defense attorneys fees and costs totaling $6,079. The court awarded final judgment on March 30, 1943. Warners Book Pathe Series The current season's Pathe series, "This Is America," has been booked by the Warner circuit in the Washington and Philadelphia territories, for distribution by RKO Radio. Sager Promoted by Loew's Jerry Sager, formerly on the Loew's home office publicity staff, has been promoted to publicity director of the circuit's Criterion theatre in New York.