Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Normal Again TO "show that things are back to normal," the motion picture theatre in Cherbourg, the first big port in France captured by the Allies, was reopened last week, after American officers conferred with the theatre manager. The Allied military control officers said last week they would see that all German films were thrown away. So reported James McGlincy, United Press correspondent with the invasion, in a resume of Cherbourg's return to normal. " Wilson 99 on the Air THE increased use of radio for advertising local engagements, a trend of the past year among film companies, was this week shown by Twentieth Century-Fox's placement of 800 recorded "spot" announcements on 12 stations in New York, for the premiere, at the Roxy there, of "Wilson." The announcements will remind New Yorkers, from this week on, of the opening of the picture August 1. KIND WORDS INDUSTRY fights menace in building code trend Page 1 3 USE of ad films in theatres increases 25 per cent in year Page 14 EXTRA length features for this season increase forty per cent Page 19 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses the future of Paramount Page 22 ATTORNEY General Biddle expected to see decree draft this week Page 22 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS BOND drive plunges ahead in final week of theatre campaign Page 27 FILM stock values rise $78,512,888 in summer bull market Page 28 HOLLYWOOD guilds denounce Alliance and create new council Page 29 MEXICAN guild head denies Mexican acton oppose dubbing of films Page 30 BRITISH scientists foresee vast post-war entertainment changes Page 36 Hollywood Scene In the Newsreels Managers' Round Table Page 33 Picture Grosses Page 40 Shorts on Broadway Page 49 What the Picture Did for Me IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Advance Synopses Showmen's Reviews Page 1981 Release Chart by Companies Short Subjects Page 1982 The Release Chart Page 48 Page 46 Page 45 Page 1983 > Page 1984 Page 1986 [Continued from preceding page] Expressions in behalf of Hollywood production and its personalities have been many and frequent. Fresh among them, and typical in its voice of sincerity, is a news article from the Los Angeles Times of June 27 which reports: To American soldiers in the jungles of the Southwest Pacific, seeing a motion picture is equivalent to a two-hour furlough home, Lt. Col. Joseph MeMicking told film colony executives and other guests at a luncheon yesterday at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel. fl Citing as proof of the morale value of pictures the fact that servicemen overseas will stand in drenching rain for the showing of a film, Col. MeMicking said that the G.I. Joes would vote for motion pictures if a ballot were taken to single out an entire industry to recognize for outstanding work in production. j-» "They would choose the motion picture iraJustry," the Colonel said, "which during the dark nights when they were alone with their God brought home closer to them and made a reality the ideal for which they are fighting." To end on a high statistical note, it is to be set down that Colonel MeMicking said that in April the overseas distribution of films had reached a total audience of 32,706,193 attendances by service men and women at a total of 93,153 performances. Considering the probable number of fighters overseas, it would seem that they average about three shows a month on that great circuit which runs from Iceland around the world to the South Seas. — Terry Ramsaye The Johnston Story PUBLICATIONS East and West this week gave currency to a report that Will H. Hays, en route to Hollywood, was to confer there with Eric Johnston, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, to "tender him the post of associate head" of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America. Inc. Authoritatively placed executive members of the association in New York on Wednesday indicated that they had not been informed of any such projected meeting or negotiation to be conducted. It was held probable that the report was a reverberation growing out of conversations which were had with Mr. Johnston about a year ago and several months prior to his excursion to Russia. "Will Hays is going strong, and Mr. Johnston has just been reelected for another year with the Chamber of Commerce, so it would seem that the situation of today is well stabilized," was an official observation. Tax Yields $200,000,000 SECRETARY of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., announced in Washington Tuesday that a little over $200,000,000 was received in admission taxes for the fiscal year ended June 30. According to Internal Revenue Bureau figures, collections from the Federal tax on admissions increased tenfold in the past six years. Tax receipts for 1939 were $19,470,802, 'increasing to $21,887,916 in 1940; $70,963,094 in 1941; $115,032,269 in 1942 and $154,450,723 in 1943. Under the new rate in effect since April 1, the 1943 revenue is expected to be doubled in the fiscal year now beginning. The box office reflection of a war economy bids fair to make the estimate a reality. Gloria in Bloom GLORIA Swanson, so long of fame and glory on the screen, has a star hit again, this time on the summer stage, in the flippantly titled comedy, "A Goose for the Gander." It opened in Cambridge at Brattle Hall and made a house record, and it has been a marked success in" a run at the Strand in Stamford, Conn., whence it is to go to the Blackstone in Chicago, with a pause at the Bucks County theatre in Philadelphia. Ralph Forbes is co-starred in the show, written by Harold J. Kennedy, who coincidentally is a member of the cast with an especially fat part. Miss Swanson's last appearance before the camera was in "Father Takes A Wife," an RKO release of 1941. Back to School THE six-session course in How to Teach an Employee offered by the St. Louis Board of Education Distributive Education Department, has been completed by managers, assistant managers, head ushers and other members of the executive staffs of F & M's Fox, Missouri. Shubert and St. Louis theatres. The course, headed by Francis Wright, included 12 hours of instruction and was patterned aftei the college courses that are the product of war, developed by the U. S. Office' of Education to help executives in the teaching of new and inexperienced employees. Mr. Wright made it known that the course is available from state or local boards of education without cost. He recommended that theatres group together in other cities to take advantage of the distributive education program. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY 8, 1944