Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

August 7 , 1943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 9 For the OPA BLACK market operators will face a devastating barrage of publicity on August 19th when, with the exhibition of the War Activities Committee information film, "Black Marketing," the nation's theatres lead off in a nationwide campaign against illegal trading in rationed goods. It will be sponsored by the Office of Price Administration. Theatres will ask their audiences to sign pledges not to trade on the black market. Local OPA representatives will cooperate with regional War Activities Committees to publicize the film and collect the home front pledges. Prentiss M. Brown, price administrator, sent a message to all exhibitors through the WAC this week asking their aid. "I have observed," Mr. Brown said, "the manner in which exhibitors have aided the Treasury in the sale of Bonds, and the War Production Board in the collection of the all-important scrap metal — and I am certain that you will be able with your campaign to educate hundreds of thousands of people to the need for their cooperation. . . . "It is a fine thing to know that the exhibitors of America plan to take such an active part in this vital job on the home front." Dimes MOTION picture theatres raised $2,086,596 for the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation, Basil O'Connor, its president, announced last week. He reported the total collected for the Foundation in the 1943 campaign was $5,527,590, $1,500,000 higher than any year previously. The industry's "March of Dimes" drive also broke a record for collections. Pin Back Pin-Ups A POTENTIALLY torrential flood of pinup art for sale to service men was averted by Hollywood studios when the Industry Service Bureau rejected requests from three companies — the Noep Stationery Company, the Hellman-Shane-Byer Advertising Merchandisers and the Nelson-Spring Company, all of Los Angeles — for clearance on the use of photographs of the ladies of the screen in anything from polite profile to "standard swimsuit art." The rejection implied no criticism of the applicants, all reputable companies, of their motives, businesslike, nor of their proposals, which ranged from doing the job on a paid basis to sharing the proceeds via royalties. It reflected, instead, a group opinion of publicity directors, formulated after several discussions, to the effect that commercialization of service men's interest in Hollywood personalities is not in the interests of the art-industry. CHEERS FOR —The Army —The Navy -and Warners THE genius of Irving Berlin has won the distinction of two great wartime contributions— "Yip, Yip Yaphank" of the last war and the current, "This Is the Army." The brilliant success of the old show was even outshone in the new. Within the settled limitations of the theatre stage each of them made solid contributions to national morale and other great wartime causes. And then came the proposal of Warner Brothers to translate into motion pictures the current army show. While as an attraction in the stage theatres it well realized its splendid potentialities, thrilling great audiences, and, incidentally, bringing subtantial revenues to the cause of Army Emergency Relief. Yet, produced as it has been in the Warner Studio, it is clearly set for a career in the motion picture theatres that will surpass all that has gone before. Great as was the stage show, greater is the motion picture — in its sheer entertainment and inspiration and in its ability as a motion picture to go throughout the land and even into remote reaches abroad. It will stimulate and amuse vast millions and will establish a new high in morale-building prowess, amongst the armed forces and along the home front, from metropolis to hamlet and amongst the whole people, irrespective of age or place in the national life. Warner Brothers has made in the production of this motion picture a notable contribution in skill, experience and facilities— one that will endure as a highlight of industry cooperation in the purposes of the nation at war. The fact that all profits will go to the most worthy cause of Army Emergency Relief adds a roseate completeness to the whole undertaking. —M.Q. Realism MOTION PICTURE HERALD'S "What the Picture Did for Me" department, for these many years of international fame, has now come to be cast into the evanescent amber of detective fiction. A current "whodunit," entitled "The Hill of the Terrified Monk" (William Morrow and Company, New York), introduces the Herald, of all places, in a barroom scene in Tucson. A fictional quotation from the department says : "Four exhibitors reported on 'The Invisible Zombie.' I. E. Boomhower of Medicine Hat said: 'Played this one at a kid matinee to the finest invisible audience you ever saw.' Max O. Greenberg of Shreveport said: 'Even fumigating the house didn't help after two nights of this epic' Sol Spiegel of Dentox, Tex., said : 'The ushers shot elks in the balcony and the cops arrested the doorman for loitering the week we ran this one.' Harry Niemeyer of Kankakee said : 'We let service men in free for the Sunday night showing and you should have seen the uniforms going to the Baptist church around the corner.' " The author is, so the title pages say, Geoffrey Homes, who is not in "Who's Who in America," despite his long list of titles. There's a clue, however, in the dedication to Dannie Rosemary Mainwaring. There was a Mr. Mainwaring who used to pertain to Warner Brothers' publicity department. He departed, bound for literature, a while back. Peace Rationing PLANS are on Washington desks for a quick transfer when peace comes of the War Production Board to a "Peace" Production Board. Strict control of all production and the allocation of scarce materials will be retained through a lengthy demobilization period, the Wall Street Journal reports. Already a 40-page report on how to taper off war production and resume a civilian economy has been prepared by Ernest Kanzler, an adviser to Donald Nelson. Even though Army and Navy leaders warn that peace may be several years away, many Washington war agencies are making quiet plans to stay in business. Exhibitors who have dreams of getting that new projector, or seating, or sound equipment as soon as the shooting ends are warned by equipment makers and Washington advisers that they'll have to wait. This Is The Army LEONARD LAUER, manager of Warners' Hollywood theatre, New York, had glowed for several weeks in anticipation. Then came the big day — last Wednesday. "This Is the Army" opened at the house. Mr. Lauer will not stay to the end of the run. He received his Army induction notice that day. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Ouigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." 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, Oscar Lundy, correspondent; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, William R. Weaver, editor; Toronto Bureau, 242 Millwood Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, W. M. Gladish, correspondent; Montreal Bureau, 265 Vitre St., West, Montreal, Canada, Pat Donovan, correspondent; London Bureau, 4 Golden Square, London W I, Hope Williams Burnup, manager; Aubrey Flanagan, editor; cable Ouigpubco London; Melbourne Bureau, The Regent Theatre, 191 Collins St., Melbourne, Australia, Cliff Holt, correspondent; Sydney Bureau, 17 Archbold Rd., Roseville, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, Lin Endean, correspondent; Mexico City Bureau, Dr. Carmona y Valle 6, Mexico City, Luis Becerra Celis, correspondent; Buenos Aires Bureau, J. E. Uriburi 126, buenos Aires, Argentina, Natalio Bruski, correspondent; Rio de Janeiro Bureau, Caixa Postal 1090, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Alfredo C. Machado, correspondent; Montevideo Bureau, P. O. Box 664, Montevideo, Uruguay, Paul Bodo, correspondent; cable Argus Montevideo. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. All contents copyright 1943 by Quig ley Publishing Company. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Ouig'ey Publications: Better Theatres, Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame.