Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

42 " Papers on Coast Are Not Limiting Film Ad Space Hollywood Bureau Theatre managers and exploitation chiefs of circuits, as well as home office exploitation executives here were prepared to pull in their horns on first run theatre compaigns, including the premieres of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "This Is the Army," until a misunderstanding on newspaper theatre advertising space limitation was cleared up. Reports circulated here had the metropolitan morning papers-, the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Examiner, limiting all theatre advertising to 40 column inches and prohibiting the use of color due to the papers' requirements that color ads run a minimum of 80 column inches. The Los Angeles Newspaper Publishers' Association, however, told Motion Picture Herald that no such decision had been reached by any of its members. "Conservation methods have been discussed and neighborhood theatre directory space in both the Times and Examiner has been reduced 30 per cent," C. C. Durr's office of the association said. "Actual limitation of first run theatre advertising has not been put into effect and, although it may have to come, the publishers hope to conserve enousrh otherwise to meet the WPB 15 per cent newsprint cut." William Randolph's Hearst's Herald-Express, afternoon paper, has not ordered limitations as yet but is expected to follow suit on directory space and undoubtedly will join in any further reductions found necessary. The Daily News, morning and evening paper, conserved newsprint by eliminating classified ad pages in spite of their rapid growth to topheavy ads run by war plants seeking labor. The Examiner also saved some newsprint by reducing body type size on all theatre page matter and on sports news. Plan Nine Shows Weekly For American Troops United States armed forces in Great Britain have been assured nine programs weekly of current product, following a series of conferences between U. S. Army officials and British Government officials at the Ministry of Supply in London. The arrangements will relieve a situation that was becoming more serious daily due to the shortage of film prints in England. The Entertainment Services Association reversed its previous stand of placing U. S. Army entertainment films in a secondary category and now puts the program on the same basis as British Government departments and other agencies. Pictorial Films Contract on 16mm. Stands, Says PRC PRC Pictures, which recently acquired majority stock control of Official Films, Inc., 16mm non-theatrical producers, has not changed the company's present agreement with Pictorial Films, it was announced by O. Henry Briggs, PRC president. In a statement, he said: "The deal whereby PRC secured control of the stock of Official Films, Inc., does not alter or abrogate our present arrangement with Pictorial Films, Inc., wherebv Pictorial Films acts as distributor of PRC product in the 16mm non-theatrical field." -MOTION -PICTU RE H ER AID IN NEWSREELS MOVIETONE NEWS— VoL 25, No. 95— Battle for Munda. . . . British action in Sicily. . . . Bombing of Rome. . . . Allies over Turin. . . . President Roosevelt promises Axis downfall. . . . Major Mahoney a hero. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 25, No. 96— Carrier training on Lake Michigan. . . . Negro cavalry unit. . . . Jewelry for service men. . . . Transport planes for war. . . . Evacuation of wounded. . . . Amphibious jeeps. . . . Archbishop Spellman home. . . . Water sports. . . . Drama in sky. . . . WAVES' first anniversary. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 25, T4o. 293— Bombing of Rome. . . . Roosevelt sees dictators' doom. . . . Rendova captured. . . . British invasion of Sicily. .... Wisconsin defense show. NEWS OF THE DAY — Vol. 25, No. 294— Axis prisoners taken. . . . U. S. airmen leap to safety. . . . Blast Japs on Kiska. . . . Honor Canadian fighters. .... Jeeps show tricks. . . . Sea lions get racing fever. . . . Floating college. . . WAVES' first birthday. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 98— Eighth Army's Sicily job. . . . Pacific action at Munda. . . . Bombing of Rome. . . . General Montgomery's surprise visit. . . . Report on Italy from Roosevelt. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 99— Harry Ford going strong at 80. . . . Archbishop Spellman home. . . . War's biggest fish story. . . . Production for peace. . . . WAVES' first anniversary. . . . Army mows 'em down. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 14, No. 98— Bombing of Rome. . . . President pledges total victory. . . . Rendova captured. . . . West coast Chinese build ships. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 14, No. 9»— Sicily invasion. . . . Archbishop Spellman returns. . . . Giant cargo planes. . . . Brazil troops to go overseas. . . . Marines rescue nuns from Japs. . . . Navy flat tops. . . . Bomb Japs on Kiska. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL— Vol. 16, No. 211— Roosevelt flays Axis. . . . Bombing of Rome. . . . Invasion scenes in Sicily. . . . "This Is the Army" has premiere. . . . Wisconsin defense show-. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL — Vol. 16, No. 212 — WAVES' first anniversary. . . . Navy hits Kiska. . . . Yanks in Sicily. . . . Archbishop Spellman speaks on Italy. . . . Fish stopped by airplane. . . . Army's "leapin' lena." . . . New lawn mower goes 30 miles per hour. . . . Airmen hit the silk. ALL AMERICAN NEWS— Vol. 2, No. 41— Negro social science leaders address teachers. . . . Bond purchases by insurance men. . . . Crowds beat the heat. . . . Launch first warship named for Negro. . . . Stars shine in music festival. . . . Jules Bledsoe dies. . . . C. C. Spaulding makes address. Vance Cites Exhibitors' Unsolved Problems Willis Vance, chairman of the Indignant Exhibitors' Forum in Cincinnati, points out in the association's current bulletin : "It is a pitiful state of affairs when part of an industry as profitable as ours has to fight day after day for its very existence. If this condition prevailed in any other industry, the government would be quick to take that industry over." Mr. Vance cited a statement by a prominent exhibitor that government control would be preferable to the control which confronts exhibitors. International Film Group To Honor Visitors The International Film Relations Committee at its meeting last week set August 17th as the date for a luncheon to be held at the Harvard Club in New York in honor of touring Latin American newspapermen from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. David Blum, chairman, recently was reelected to that post, and approval was voted David O'Malley's membership in the group. Mr. O'Malley is director of foreign advertising and publicity for Columbia Pictures. Service Chief Inducted Arthur Schrciber, chief of service at the RKO Palace in Chicago, has reported to Fort Custer, Mich., for Army service. August 7, I 943 Cuff Visions New j Sales Approach j For Television Sponsors of post-war television programs actually will be in the entertainment business, Samuel H. Cuff, director of commercial program research for DuMont Laboratories, told the American Television Society at a New York i meeting at the Hotel Capitol last week. Mr. Cuff said that sponsors and their advertising agencies already were conducting experimental programs over DuMont's New York outlet, Station W2XWV, which has given over its facilities in order to test the new approach. Leaders in the field had become aware of the potentialities of the new medium and were now laying the groundwork, he said. "Now, when the television audience necessarily is limited by wartime restrictions, is the time for advertisers to test the medium, 'play around' with television and experience the growing pains of program development — by trial and error — so that when television becomes fullblown they will be ready for it," Mr. Cuff said. The research director, who broadcasts every Sunday on the television program, "The Face of the War," belittled those who branded television as a complicated affair by pointing out that television was limited by the size of the viewing screen. He stressed the importance of keeping television intimate so that the public in their homes can feel completely relaxed. He warned against any elaborate productions and said that it would be a mistake to present programs which tried to compete with theatres or night clubs. Mr. Cuff completed his address with a review of future possibilities for the commercialization of television and added that television was the greatest medium yet developed for the advertiser of trade-marked goods and packages. Schedule Carroll Suit Against Paramount Earl Carroll's damage suit for $300,000 against Paramount Pictures, charging breach of contract and libel, is scheduled to start November 1st, according to a stipulation filed in New York Federal Court. A motion to vacate depositions to be taken of nine witnesses from Paramount, was withdrawn by Mr. Carroll. The depositions are to be taken in California. The plaintiff charges that Paramount's film "A Night at Earl Carroll's" used his name despite his protest, and that the picture reflected on his good name and reputation. Mr. Carroll also charges that contrary to the contract the defendants permitted him little or or no control over production of the picture, and that the film was of poor quality and inferior to musicals produced by him. Survey Shows Exhibitors Favor Equipment Plan A survey of exhibitor needs for theatre equipment in the post-war era has been completed by National Theatre Supply and the company's "Magic Bridge" plan has been received favorably, according to W. E. Green, president. The plan attempts to measure the exhibitors' requirements for the future in order that National Theatre Supply may be better able to foresee the demands in terms of volume, style and design. One benefit, it is pointed out, is the fact that no advance payments need be made. Heads General Aniline George W. Burpee, a partner in the engineering firm of Coverdale & Colpitts, last week was elected president of the General Aniline and Film Corporation. He succeeds Robert E. McConnell. I