Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

IKO TO OFFER 50 OR MORE WRING 1944-45 SEASON lies Convention Told New List Is "Most Ambitious"; 12 from Independents Fifty ''or more" features and 171 short subits will be released by RKO Radio Pictures ring 1944-45, the company's sales staff was ormed this week at the 13th annual sales eting, Monday through Wednesday, at the >tel Waldorf-Astoria, New York. Some 400 delegates were told the program uld be the "most ambitious" in the company's tory; that the majority of the pictures would from original stories, and that escapist and nedy themes would predominate. A mini.m of 12 films will be from independent procers. The product announcement was made by Ned Depinet, president, at the main session on esday. rhe 171 short subjects announced include the itinuing "This Is America" series, Walt sneys, RKO Pathe News, Sportscopes, Leon rol and Edgar Kennedy two reelers, Header Revivals, and Flicker Flashbacks. There .1 be 38 in one reel and 29 in two reels, in iition to 104 issues of the newsreel. Features Completed • Being Edited 3f the 50 features, 20 are completed or in ting. All will be made in California, except s from England. The independent producers on the RKO rosare Samuel Goldwyn, William Goetz and 0 Spitz (International Pictures), Walt Dis/, Frank Ross, Edward A. Golden, Sol Les and Jack William Votion. Peter Rathvon, president of RKO, told : convention Monday that it was not "hope wishftsl thinking" that compelled him to be,e the product would be the best ever. Df the leading stars, it was announced that y will be featured thus: Ginger Rogers in ituation Out of Hand" and "The Gibson T'; Cary Grant in "None But the Lonely art" and "The Greatest Gift"; Rosalind ssell in "Elizabeth Kenny" and "Portrait a Lady"; Gary Cooper and Theresa Wright j "Casanova Brown"; Bob Hope in "The incess and the Pirate"; Hedy Lamarr, lorge Brent and Paul Lukas in "Experiment .rilous"; John Garfield in "The Little Black tok." Werner Outlined Details New Productions Following Mr. Depinet's announcement, 'arles Koerner, vice-president in charge of eduction, discussed details of coming produces. Other speakers included representatives affiliated producers. ;7he opening session Monday was marked^ by louncement from Mr. Depinet of 22 promotions the sales staff, previously made public. Vinners of the 1944 Ned Depinet drive and the Gong drive also were announced Monday, and sented prizes by Mr. Depinet. Charles Boasg, captain of the Depinet campaign, spoke for winners, and Bob Mochrie, general sales man;r, for winners of the McGong drive, a The Dallas exchange won first prize in the De • et campaign ; San Francisco, second, and Los 1 geles third. In the Canadian campaign, Monal exchange was first, and Toronto second. n the district managers' contest, Ben Y. Cam LEADING executives of RKO Radio Pictures and RKO, at the J 3th annual convention, Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, New York, Monday through Wednesday: Robert Mochrie, general safest manager; Ned E. Depinet, president of RKO Radio Pictures; Charles Koerner, vice-president in charge of production, and N. Peter Rathvon, president of Radio-Keith-Orpheum. mack, southwest, won first prize in the Depinet drive, first for short subjects sales, and was a prize winner in the contest for sales of "Saludos Amigos" ; J. H. Maclntyre, western, won second Depinet prize, and a prize in the "Saludos Amigos" contest ; David Prince, southeastern, won third Depinet prize, and second place in the short subjects contest. McGong prize winners were Mr. Goldhammer, Mr. Prince, and Leo Devaney. New Salesmen and Field Exploiteers Introduced Twenty-three salesmen and 11 field exploiteers, all new, were introduced Monday by Mr. Depinet. Attending executives from the studio were Mr. Koerner and Perry Lieber, studio publicity director; from the home office, Mr. Rathvon, Mr. Depinet, Mr. Mochrie ; Phil Reisman, vice-president ; Malcolm Kingsberg, vice-president ; Walter Branson, western division manager ; Nat Levy, eastern division manager Also, Harry Michalson, short subjects sales manager ; S. Barrett McCormick, director of advertising and publicity ; Gordon Youngman, vicepresident and general counsel. Among guests were Merlin H. Aylesworth, Frank Buck, G. S. Eyssell, Dr. George Gallup, Edward A. Golden, John Hertz, Jr., James Young. Delegates were told Monday 1,550 from the company were now in the armed forces. Colonel Richard C. Patterson, Jr., vice-chairman of the RKO board, who made the announcement, said also that 18 had been killed, 13 wounded and two taken prisoner. Four features were screened during the three days, "Casanova Brown," "Music in Manhattan," "Bride by Mistake" and "Farewell, My Lovely." The product announced for the new season follows : ORIGINALS Albany Night Boat, starring Jack Haley and Joan Davis, showboat romance. Produced by Bert Granet. Directed by Edwin L. Marin. American Carnival, musical romance, with Frank Sinatra. Bamboo Blonde, romantic comedy. Produced by Maurice Geraghty. Bar of Music, musical, starring Bing Crosby. Produced and directed by Leo McCarey. Belle of the Yukon, International Pictures' Technicolor musica-1 With Gypsy Rose Lee and Randolph Scott. Produced and directed by William A. Seiter. Bride by Mistake, comedy by Norman Krasna, co-stars Alan Marshal and Laraine Day. Produced by Bert Granet. Directed by Richard Wallace. The Brighton Strangler, mystery, starring John Loder. Produced by Herman Schlom. Directed by Max Nosseck. Cantinflas Feature: a special story for Mexico's comery star. Casanova Brown, comedy, starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright, from International. Produced and written by Nunnally Johnson, directed by Sam Wood. Come Share My Love, with Leon Errol, produced by Herman Schlom. Elizabeth Kenny, starring Rosalind Russel. Produced by Dudley Nicohls, directed by Jean Renoir. The Falcon in Mexico, with Tom Conway. Produced by Maurice Geraghty ; directed by William Berke. The Falcon in Hollywood. The Falcon at the Circus. The Gibson Girl, romantic comedy with music starring Ginger Rogers. David Hempstead production in Technicolor. George White's Scandals of 1945, musical by the producer of stage revues. Brown and Carney to Appear In Three New Comedies Girl Rush, first of three, with Wally Brown and Alan Carney. Directed by Gordon Douglas. To follow : Radio Stars on Parade and Zombie on Broadway, both with Brown and Carney. Goin' to Town, first of two comedies starring Lum and Abner. A Jack William Votion production, produced by Frank Melford, directed by Leslie Goodwins. The Greatest Gift, starring Cary Grant. Produced by David Hempstead. Heavenly Days, starring Fibber McGee and Molly. Produced by Robert Fellows ; directed by Howard Estabrook. Island of the Dead, one of two "horror" melodramas, starring Boris Karloff. It's a Pleasure, International Pictures, skating spectacle in Technicolor starring Sonja Henie. Produced by David Lewis ; William A. Seiter will direct. Lady of the Lampoon, musical. Produced by Maurice Geraghty. The Little Black Book, romance with John Garfield. Produced by Robert Fellows. The Master Race, an Edward A. Golden Production, produced by Robert Golden and directed by Herbert J. Biberman. Music in Manhattan, with Anne Shirley, Den{Continued on following page, column 1) >TION PICTURE HERALD, JULY 29, 1944 33