Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEW Front Page THOSE little "reader ads" which have been occupying gradually more space on the bottom of the august New York Times' Sunday edition presented last Sunday a small battle for consideration between MGM, calling attention to its "Dragon Seed" at the Radio City Music Hall and "Canterville Ghost" at the Globe— and Twentieth Century-Fox, boosting "Wilson" at the Roxy. The latter won the argument, placing ads in six columns, to MGM's four. The advertisements also represent a new development for a newspaper of the Times' attitude, giving valuable space on probably the world's most valuable front page to such a medium as the "movies." It also represents a new direction for amusement advertising, inasmuch as the messages were compressed into inches and half-inches. Professor Leo, Jr. OPENING a special forum of the motion picture study class on audience behavior at Hunter College, New York, Professor A. Broderick Cohen, director of the summer session, declared, "Motion pictures are an indispensable instrument for supplementing written and oral discussions" in the quest for that knowledge and cooperation with other peoples which will enable us to win the peace after winning the war. He observed that the use of films in the classroom was on the increase, and added, "Much remains to be done in their expanded employment both in schools and colleges and in the education of adults." Following his address to an estimated 400 students and members of the press there was shown a series of oldtime slides from the Library of Congress used in the silent film days to admonish audiences and a new MGM Pete Smith short, "Movie Pests," which lampoons the inconsiderate behavior of present day patrons. The picture, which had its premiere in Granite City, Okla., two weeks ago, was shown by courtesy of the MGM publicity department and was used as a starting point for a student discussion of the role motion pictures should play in promoting better habits among audiences. Who's Who SEVERAL Hollywood stars and writers have been added for the first time to the 1944-45 "Who's Who in America," which was distributed recently. This year's edition contains 38,893 sketches of those who have made their mark in the nation's business, professional and public life. First-time biographies include Ingrid Bergman, Greer Garson, Victor Moore and Walter Pidgeon. Among the new husband-wife combinations are Samuel and Bella Spewack. The youngest person added to "Who's Who" is Sgt. Marion L. Hargrove, 24, whose "See Here, Private Hargrove" was screened this season by MGM. Film star Teresa Wright, 25, and Richard Tregaskis, 27, war correspondent whose "Guadalcanal Diary" was WPB green light on projectors meets delay on parts Page 13 TWO new exhibitor units on coast in competition with ITO Page 14 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses further Audience Research work Page 16 TWENTIETH CenturyFox opens "Wilson" in top rank premiere Page 20 LATIN American nations building their own film industry Page 24 U. S. bans raw stock to Argentina in a "quarantine" move Page 24 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS HOPPER appointed general manager of tr MGM studio Page 2 FILM second only to food to men at tr front, says Col. Capra Page 2| SCHLESS attacks film restrictions of preseii Spanish regime Page i INQUIRY committee finds British tenden< toward monopoly Page 3j ALLOCATE studio space to productic planned in Rank-Skouras deal Page " FILM Classics is now ready with nation exchange organization Hollywood Scene In the Newsreels Letters from Readers Managers' Round Table Page 33 Page 43 Page 39 Page 51 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 2029 Short Subjects Page 2031 Obituaries Picture Grosses Shorts on Broadway What the Picture Did for Me Advance Synopses The Release Chart Page A Page c j Page E Page A Page 4 Page 203 Page 203 filmed by Twentieth Century-Fox, were other young persons whose biographies were listed for the first time. Past editions of "Who's Who" have contained a fair share of Hollywood personalities, including stars, writers, directors and producers, in addition to heads of film companies. Mary Pickford, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Claudette Colbert, Irene Dunne, Spencer Tracy, to name a few, are on the roster of the country's leading citizens. GI " World Premiere 99 17,362 Gift Prints SEVENTEEN thousand, three hundred sixtytwo prints of feature pictures, and 21,977 of short subjects have been given by the motion picture industry, without charge, to the United States Army Overseas Motion Picture Service, from February, 1942, to July 29, this year. The tally was made public this week by the War Activities Committee in New York. It added that the present order from the Army is 200 programs weekly. A program comprises a feature, a short subject, and a newsreel. Among new films given last week are "Casanova Brown," "Mr. Skeffington," "Mr. Winkle Goes to War," "Take It or Leave It," "Candlelight in Algeria," "The Falcon in Mexico," "The Port of 40 Thieves." The Service's British film exchange is now supplying programs for troops in Normandy. Screenings are at discretion of combat commanders, working with the Army's Special Services branch. The films follow the flag, and closely this time. THE fighting men in 16 different locations O; the rapidly expanding Normandy front wi) view the debut of "Casanova Brown" August i according to Colonel E. L. Munson, Chief c the Army Pictorial Service. The event wij mark the first world premiere in France o: territory wrested from the Germans. Colom Munson said that all 16 shows will be hell outdoors in make-shift theatres. Meanwhile, the first wave of the USO Camp Show entertainers has landed on th; Normandy beachhead. Forty-three men an women troupers, the "Soldiers in Grease paint," are now playing to our troops as the;, advance toward Paris. For months these entertainers had been oij the alert in England awaiting the D-Day sig nal beside the American fighting men. Whei D-Day came there were 154 performers in 3. separate units ready to cross the Channel. Th; 43 troupers who got the go-ahead signal ar< divided into eight separate entertainmen units, each equipped to put on a full-scale vari ety show at a moment's notice. People 9s Choice THE deluxe Twentieth Century, Cincinnat suburban theatre, a unit of the Willis Vano group, is celebrating its third anniversary b] playing a week of revivals, including "Week end in Havana," "One Foot in Heaven," "Th Great Dictator," "Love Affair," "Bachelo: Mother," "The Jungle Book" and "St. Loui. Blues." The pictures were selected by vote! of the patrons over several preceding weeks MOTION PICTURE HERALD, AUGUST 5, 194'