Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

July 10, I 943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 9 Praise for Capra BRITAIN likes the U. S. Army's screen version of the "Battle of Britain." The picture, third in the orientation series produced by Colonel Frank Capra for the Special. Services branch, is being distributed to British theatres under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, George Archibald, director of the films division of the British Information Services, disclosed at New York. Terms of release are the same as the nominal rental plan for the MOI's own productions, it was said. The picture was obtained through the reciprocal agreement with the overseas division of the Office of War Information. "Prelude to War," "The Nazis Strike" and others in the Capra series may also be released publicly in Britain. Only "Prelude to War" has been shown to theatre audiences in the U. S. Cabled messages of congratulation to Colonel Capra this week from Brendan Bracken, Minister of Information, and Jack Beddington, head of the MOI film division, described "Battle of Britain" as a "brilliant and magnificent . . . tribute" which "will contribute immensely to the unity of our two nations." All-Time Lover THE ladies of today appear to be re-discovering Rudolph Valentino with all the ardor which the women of two decades ago held for the screen lover. In Chicago "The Son of the Sheik" is in its third week at the Studio theatre in the Loop. Herb Elisburg, the owner of the theatre, reports that the picture is drawing the best business of the season. About 90 per cent of the audience is women, young and old. The theatre has opened an hour earlier to handle crowds and Sunday prices have been carried through the entire week. Once a state rights franchise holder, Mr. Elisburg has entered distribution again by buying outright distribution privileges on the Valentino picture for the midwest. In New York another Valentino hit, "The Eagle," is being dubbed with a sound track and prepared for reissue soon by Astor Pictures. Defender ONE Chicago exhibitor is ready to defend the good name of his industry. James Perlberg, operator of the Ridge theatre, took pen in hand last week to reply in the letters column of Chicago newspapers to an attack on industry morals which appeared earlier in the Chicago Tribune's "Voice of the People" section over the name of Philip Yarrow. "When a few Hollywood film stars make the headlines by getting married three or four times or create a bit of a scandal by their antics, newspapers get letters criticizing the movie industry and show business. . . . Let's not condemn the whole industry for the antics of a few of its members," Mr. Perlberg wrote in reply to Mr. Yarrow's charges that a few delinquents were setting an example of immorality for millions. "There are a lot of Hollywood stars and theatre people in the service, trying to win this war," Mr. Perlberg wrote, citing another kind of example. Theatres sell bonds, run defense films and are busy on a war activities program surpassed by no other group, he pointed out. Party, Party THAT party-giver extraordinary, Miss Elsa Maxwell, this week wired invitations to almost a thousand of her friends to join her Monday evening at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York for buffet supper and a screening of Walt Disney's forthcoming "Victory Through Air Power." Mr. Disney and Albert E). Lasker, former president of the Lord and Thomas advertising agency and an associate of Major Alexander de Seversky, were to be co-hosts. Miss Maxwell's aide said that she was "tremendously interested" in aviation and with Mr. Lasker had arranged to invite a few of their friends to tell them about the Disney-de Seversky film. Elsewhere it was indicated that the soiree was part of an exceptional exploitation campaign conducted by David "Skip" Weshner, special consultant, and Paul Lazarus, Jr., advertising and publicity chief of United Artists. Other facets were the appearance of Walt Disney on the March of Time radio program and a description of his book and film by Major de Seversky on Columbia Broadcasting System's "Report to the Nation." On the same program Wendell Willkie also had some words to say about global air power in a discussion of General Claire Chennault and American airmen in China. Mr. Willkie is chairman of the board of Twentieth Century-Fox. G. I. Entertainment SHOWMEN and theatre managers in the Army do not forget their tradition that "the show must go on." When the power circuits blew out at the Basic Flying School in Walnut Ridge, Ark., just as the evening motion picture was ready to start, Corporal Herbert Anderson stepped to the , stage and called for volunteer entertainers. Corporal Anderson, formerly manager of the Paramount Strand in Jonesboro, Ark., and Corporal Harold Shaver kept a lively amateur show running for two hours by the light of emergency lamps. Sergeant Charles J. Burns, former Wilby and Kincey manager in Kingsport, Tenn., reported that the impromptu show was topflight entertainment. "No Girls"; Will Read OSCAR H. BLOOM, of Columbia Pictures Corporation's Cleveland staff, has a letter from his son, Bernie, far overseas in the Army, with his mind much on the war, but still remembering our industry: "Absolutely no news from this outpost . . . and I do mean outpost . . . not a thing to do but swim and read around here. The nights are long and monotonous, with no bars, no girls, no nothing. "A few German planes came over last night, but they had altitti.de and were out of range . . . probably just looking over the place . . . more coming later, I guess. But the foxholes are dug and we just run like hell. That's all we can do . . . the antiaircraft boys do the rest. If you can subscribe to the Motion Picture Herald for me, Yd appreciate it. He will be getting the Herald. British Complaint London Bureau MEMBERS of the British Film Producers Association, meeting Wednesday in London, again voiced concern at the alleged difficulty of selling British films in the United States. It was charged that since the removal of quota restrictions last spring there had not been a single sale of a British film in the U. S. and that the American companies in England were availing themselves of the quality clause in the quota and passing on their reciprocity obligations to future periods. The Association decided to collect data to support the charges and to investigate the effect of raw stock restrictions on the interchange of British and U. S. films. "Unclean Hands" THE Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York lost a preliminary round in its anti-trust suit against the ■ American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in New York Federal Court Wednesday when Judge Henry W. Goddard refused to strike out ASCAP's defense of "unclean hands" on the part of the defendants. The court also denied a motion by Gene Buck, Irving Berlin, Inc., and Carl Fischer, Inc., for dismissal of the action against them individually. Trial will proceed. ASCAP's defense is that the defendants themselves are guilty of violation of the Sherman Act through their complete control of ITOA. The exhibitors' complaint against ASCAP charges that they are compelled to sign license agreements for music in pictures at exhorbitant rates or go out of business because the music association controls most of the popular songs. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City, 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Ouigpubco U'Wi k Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Chicago Bureau 624 South' Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 5, Oscar Lundy, correspondent; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, Hollywood, 28, William R. Weaver, editor; Toronto Bureau, 242 Millwood Road loronto. Ontario Cnnn^n W M (2.\r.A\eU *J~.,4.. k>l__x 1 0 ilc c+ \A/«..j. w__i. t /— i_ n_i r, I i__ n _ . ^ , , 1 correspondent; London Bureau, 4 Golden Square "lift ty, C. R ** tu Dureau ot circulations. All contents copyright 1943 by Quigley Publishing Better Theatres, Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame.