Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

yroblem of Order HE police detail assigned to the premiere of vVilson" at the Roxy, New York City, this eek was markedly off form. New York City's ?lice force which normally deals with its reionsibilities with efficiency and dispatch met ith a real problem at this event. Some six lousand ticket holders were arriving at about ie same time and in addition an all-out ad;rtising campaign, which' has been blanketlg the city for weeks, drove additional thouinds to the scene. The melee was terrific. Only good fortune revented any unfortunate incidents. Film romoters ought not to forget that when they hip up a crowd of many thousands for ballyoo purposes they are at the same time shouldring a responsibility. The public which Dines, ticket-holders and others, have a right ) expect that they will escape being bruised ad maimed. The infinite care lavished on the making of ie picture, its exploitation and all else fell flat •hen it came to arrangements for the public's ifety and protection at the "Wilson" opening, here ought to be some way of learning beides the object lesson of disaster. Catalogue on the Air lUTUMN and winter styles of women's suits nd sports costumes were telecast Wednesday ver Dumont station WABD, New York, and rere to be retelecast next Wednesday, and the Vednesday following. The sponsor is the Aldens Chicago Mail )rder Company. The fashions were seen in ramatic settings, and worn by models. The :nal program is to feature the selection of Miss television of 1945. She will be selected by udges Anton Bruehl, photographer; Arthur Yilliam Brown, president of the Society of IIustrators, and Russell Patterson, artist. E. L. Schnadig, president of the mail order ompany, predicts his business will be greatly .ffected by television because ''television in ealitv is a mail order catalogue come to life." Theatres ?HE Balaban and Katz circuit, Chicago, is uffering theatre trouble. Its first-run United Artists Theatre was reopened. Wednesday, afer closing when part of the ceiling fell, inuring seven persons slightly. City inspectors .pproved repairs. The circuit's Apollo, also '. first run, will reopen August 18. It has '•een closed since July 12, after a fire. the lifting of restrictions before material could be supplied to theatres in normal quantities. "The War Production Board authorized a small stockpile last January. However, the amount of material we have been able to accumulate for stockpile purposes thus far is only about enough to meet requirements of unfilled orders already on hand," Mr. Snook said this week. "We are not at the present time able to ship as much equipment as we have been given permission to produce. Under present conditions, the production cycle for building sound equipment, from the time orders for material are placed until the equipment is ready for shipment, is figured at eight months." A significant example of this time lag became apparent this week when the WPB unofficially admitted that its own orders lifting restrictions on manufacture could be of little immediate benefit to the industry. See page 13. Lower Rates »ost-War A SUDDEN ending of the war or an immediate lifting of restrictions on war-essential maerials would not bring immediate relief to 1 quipment-starved exhibitors, according to fomer B. Snook, sales manager of RCA's heatre equipment section. In his opinion, and n that of other equipment manufacturers and .ealers, at least six months would pass after Child Problems THE Columbus, Ohio, police this week threatened to prosecute parents who leave children in motion picture theatres "for hours on end" while the adults shop or go on tours of the local drinking establishments. The authorities acted after numerous complaints by neighborhood and downtown managers that the children thus left in their houses became unruly and caused disturbances which resulted in patrons refusing to attend their theatres. In Cincinnati, children of the Hyde Park and Oakley suburban areas complained this week to theatre managers through a letter printed in the Cincinnati Times-Star because the age limit for children's admission is under 12 years. After expressing the children's annoyance with questioning about their age by doormen and cashiers, the letter concludes by asking : "When is a child an adult?" Story DAVID O. SELZNICK, producer of films, may produce a play. That is the story on Broadway. Inquiries, however, are shifted from the Selznick organization to the office of Louis Schurr, theatrical manager. There are not confirmations. But there are no denials. The report is that Mr. Selznick's "play" will be about Broadway. THAT booming Latin-American business may shortly be governed more by telephone than ever, and the scene in many an office of continual long-distance business transaction between coasts, be duplicated. For the American Telephone and Telegraph Company last week announced that this week it was to lower its rates for overseas radiotelephone service to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Haiti. The rates for a three-minute weekday call between New York home offices and any point in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, will be $12, a decrease of $3 ; between New York, and Colombia and Haiti, $9, also a $3 drop. Building a Habit FIVE thousand per cent more soldiers paid their money for motion pictures at the post theatre box offices in Camp Croft, S. C, during July. The increase over normal is attributed by Lieutenant E. E. Anderson, theatre officer, to the sale of admission coupon books. These allow the soldier to see 10 shows for the price of eight. Technical Sergeant Charles Wolfe, manager of Camp Croft theatres, predicts the books will be used in other camps. He also adds, in a letter to the Herald: "The promotion of these books is making regular theatregoers out of training soldiers, building solid future customers for civilian theatre business." One Hour Limit THE announced regulation of the Provisional Government for the Republic 6f France that "no film more than one hour in length may be shown without the permission of the Ministry of Information" provokes speculation as to whether the statesmen in Algiers have not been influenced in their decision by reports of the growing tendency toward over-length films on the part of American producers. Many people already are saying here at home that "there ought to be a law." Once upon a time a producer was satisfied to think that he was making a "big" film if he was spending a million dollars on it. Now they seem to be under the impression that the way to make 'em look big is to allow them to run into a lot of needless footasre. Clear Films NOT one film has been barred from its soldiers by the Army, under provisions of the Soldier Vote Law — provisions prohibiting distribution in the services of "political" films, printed matter, or broadcasts. This is a fact confirmed this week in Washington, where legislators now seek to amend the law so that a number of magazines and other pieces of printed matter now barred may be circulated. Their moves may also extricate the War Department from applying the strict interpretation of the law to films. Senators Green of Rhode Island, and Lucas, of Illinois, have also introduced an amendment prohibiting distribution of Government films "which contain political propaganda obviously designed to affect the result" of any election. Films shown troops overseas are provided by the U. S. film industry without charge. Sweet Dreams UNDER an agreement between exhibitors and the New South Wales State Government, Australia, horror films are to be banned from children's matinees. The arrangement follows a public inquiry into the showings of unsuitable films at matinees by the State Films Commission. The agreement between the exhibitors and the State obviates the heed for the passage of special legislation. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rock 'ork." Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; T. Kdvertising Manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 5; Hollywood Bu ,42 Millwood Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, W. M. Gladish, correspondent; Montreal Bu Golden Square, London W I, Hope Williams Burnup, manager; Peter Burnup, editor; cable Q -Iiff Holt, correspondent; Sydney Bureau, 17 Archbold Rd., Roseville, Sydney, N.S.W., Austra uis Becerra Celis, correspondent; Buenos Aires Bureau, J. E. Uriburi 126, Buenos Aires, Argen <e Janeiro,^ Brazil, Alfredo C. Machado, correspondent; Montevideo Bureau, P. O. Box 664, M f Circulations. All contents copyright 1944 by Quigley Publishing Company. Address all cor 'oily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame. efeller Center, New York City, 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Quigpubco/ New J. Sullivan, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Ray Gallagher, reau, Postal Union Life Building, Hollywood, 28. William R. Weaver, editor; Toronto Bureau, reau, 265 Vitre St., West, Montreal, Canada, Pat Donovan, correspondent; London Bureau, uigpubco London; Melbourne Bureau, The Regent Theatre, 191 Collins St., Melbourne, Australia, lia, Lin Endean, correspondent; Mexico City Bureau, Dr. Carmona y Valle 6, Mexico City, tina, Natalio Bruski, correspondent; Rio de Janeiro Bureau, R. Sao Jose, 61, C. Postal 834, Rio ontevideo, Uruguay, Paul Bodo, correspondent; cable Argus Montevideo. Member Audit Bureau respondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, Motion Picture MOTION PICTURE HERALD, AUGUST 5, 1944 Q 1 I