Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

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*I Circuit OPERATIONS of the Army Motion Picture (ervice, which furnishes film programs for lamps and posts in the United States, Bermuda, Uaska, Newfoundland and parts of Canada, re stabilized with an asdiatnce of approximately 7,000,000 every four weeks in 1,166 theatres. With the Army overseas expanding rapidly t the expense of the soldier population in this lountry, the Service has contracted somewhat H recent months, and now supplies 24 fewer heatres than it did at the height of the ,\rmy's training program. The seating caacity of the houses in operation is in the eighborhood of 765,000. All of the problems which beset the Service a the early days of the war, when Army camps vere springing up all over the United States i.nd the size of the Army was increasing by eaps and bounds, have been solved and operaions have been molded into a routine which irculates prints over a period of 30 days. The \rmy gets 101 prints of all pictures which make two-day stands in the military theatres .nd 90 prints of those which run only one day. Refined Whistling VHISTLING in theatres and other places of •ublic amusement, which is the Mexican •quivalent of booing, has been refined south of foe Rio Grande to the extent of using a netallic whistle instead of the lips when exjressing disapproval at the local film theatres, the whistles, some of them silver, are used nostly by women. Safety Precautions THE disastrous circus fire in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey big top at Hart'ord which took a toll of 165 lives has led the ocal and municipal authorities in Connecticut o close investigation of the observance of safety "egulations in theatres and other places of jublic assembly. Last week state police chief Edward J. Hickey, who is also state fire marshal, revoked the licenses of two motion picture houses. The theatres were the Strand n Norwich and the Mystic in nearby Mystic. Television in Mexico W ashington Bureau MEXICO may have one of the world's first Regular television broadcasts in color, it was predicted in Washington this week by the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. Color television is one of the developments Dromised Mexico by Dr. Lee De Forest, who returned to the United States this month after -pending several weeks in conferences with Mexican Government officials at which plans were discussed for a proposed television station and the manufacture of inexpensive radio .and television receivers. Dr. De Forest will \%o back to Mexico in September, to begin work. Foremost among the projects to be developed are a powerful television transmitter and a large plant for the production of receivers which reportedly would be sold for between $120 and $140. Almost $500,000 was pledged for the building of television installations by members of the National Cinematographic Chamber, to supplement funds to be provided by the Government. Also included in the plans is an educational center in Mexico for study and research in electronics, to cost in the neighborhood of $1,000,000. Report on War A PICTORIAL record of the activities of the industry in wartime is now in preparation. The War Activities Committee announced in New York Tuesday that it would cooperate with the editors of Look Magazine in obtaining pictures and information for the project. Combining photography and text, the book, as yet untitled, will be primarily a picture record of the film industry's activities in support of the war effort. Among the subjects to be covered in the volume are theatre projects, development of aerial photography, production of combat training films, and the accomplishments of the Hollywood Victory Committee. Present plans call for publication of the book early in 1945. Francis S. Harmon, WAC coordinator, left by plane Tuesday for Hollywood, where, among other matters, he will discuss plans for the project. No Advance Prices REFUSAL of Australia's Commonwealth Prices Commissioner to make any exception to the ruling pegging prices to prevent advanced admissions, may mean that Paramount's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" will not be seen by audiences there. Exhibitor organizations in Australia have taken a stand, maintaining that advance in prices would endanger public goodwill. Paramount had planned to open "For Whom the Bell Tolls" simultaneously at two de luxe theatres in Sydney, but these plans have been held in abeyance, pending further talks with the commissioner. Hot Sunday THERE'S not much to do in Knoxville, Tennessee, on a hot summer Sunday and the Knoxville Journal urges editorially that something be done about it: 'Another hot Sunday is ahead tomorrow with a city crowded with war workers, many of them far from home. They can't get out of town. Gas is not available to ride. There are few facilities for comfortable recreation here. It would be a great relief to these people if they could spend two hours or so in a cool, air-conditioned movie. But Knoxville, the largest city in the United States that has no Sunday movies, does not even offer the privilege. The City Council has power to let the movies open on Sunday by the simple passage of an ordinance. It would be a patriotic gesture, we believe, if they would do so without any further delay." Welcome support from the press ! Headliner THE long arm of Paramount luck reached into Greater Germany last week, tapping Adolf Hitler on one shoulder. It was probably coincidence that German Junkerdom should have chosen this time to try to assassinate Der Fuehrer; a time during which Paramount's "The Hitler Gang" is reaching the* climax of its American bookings. Coincidence or not, and Paramount's exploiteers look the other way when you question them, the company is taking advantage of the situation, in newspaper advertisements to the public, and to the trade, reminding all and sundry that the picture was "never more timely." Post-War Preparation Washington Bureau UNDER new orders issued Wednesday by the War Production Board the manufacture of experimental models of new products may be undertaken. The orders are designed to pave the way for rapid expansion of civilian production as the curtailment of military needs makes it possible. Manufacturers may now spend up to $5,000 a month producing experimental models but they may not advertise, sell or otherwise dispose of such models. They are designd for post-war production. It is known that several compaines have discussed post-war plans with Allen G. Smith, chief of the WPB theatre equipment section. In the projector field it is considered possible that complete units will be made available in place of the assembled equipment which is used today. Back to the Jungles TRAVELOGUES, which have been relegated to the short subjects roster for several seasons, make their reappearance on the feature list this week with the announcement by 20th CenturyFox that "Dangerous Journey" will be released in September. The film comprises footage shot on the Armand Denis-Leila Roosevelt expedition into Africa, India and "darkest Burma," all' places of current or recent war interest. Mr. and Mrs. Denis produced "Goona-Goona," the pictorial drama from Bali of more than a decade ago, and "Dark Rapture," a scenic account of life in the Belgian Congo, distributed by Universal in 1938. Amicus Curiae NATIONAL Allied will seek permission to intervene as "friend of the court" if the Department of Justice recommends Federal court approval of a new Consent Decree based on proposals so far made by the distributors, according to Martin Smith, Allied States president. "Exhibitors will get so little under what the distributors are offering as their final concessions for a new Consent Decree that they will cry for prosecution of the anti-trust suit," Mr. Smith told Motion Picture Daily in New York Wednesday. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City, 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Ouigpubco,' New York." Martin Ouigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; T. J. Sullivan, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; James D.lvers, News Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 5; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, Hollywood, 28. 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 GoldenSquare, London W I, Hope WHIiams Burnup, manager; Peter Burnup, editor; cable Ouigpubco London; Melbourne Bureau, The Regent Theatre, 191 Collins St., Melbourne, Australia, Cliff Holt, correspondent; Sydney Bureau, 17 Archbold Rd., Rosevilie, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, Lin Endean, correspondent; Mexico City Bureau, Dr. Carmona y VaWe 6, Mexico City! Luis Becerra Celis, correspondent; Buenos Aires Bureau, J. E. Uriburi 126, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Natalio Bruski, correspondent; Rio de Janeiro Bureau, R. Sao Jose, 61, C. Postal 834, Rio f J?neiro, 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 1944 by Ouigley Publishing Company, Address all correspondence to the New York Office, Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame. — ■ MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY 29, 1944 9