Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

Hollywood Speaks I^'THE Hollywood Writers Mobilization, which j recently announced it would sponsor premieres Jof pictures considered outstanding in one or anil other of a number of ways, this week added the ^■i disclosure that the first of these — to be given I early next month, with Lester Cowan's "Toi-'l morrow, the World" as the picture selected for feithe occasion — will be followed by a town meetling type of discussion in which the audience, iT;| expected to include plain citizens as well as (I'j professionals, are to discuss the problem posed jby the story of the film. The story, it will be ''"Si recalled, is about one Emil, a Nazism-indoc^'trinated juvenile, and the discussion is to concern proposals as to what the world is to do with and about the millions of boys like him ^ when the war is ended and Nazism is done away with. Says Emmet Lavery, chairman of the Mobilization, "We feel that this issue is of direct ^1 concern to all of us. The way in which we meet it may easily mean the difference between IT. peace and war in the next 20 years. . . . We will meet together, in the theatre where the ^ picture is first shown, to talk it over. . . . Against all the glamour of a Hollywood preimiere, the question will not be, 'What is that I you're wearing?' or 'Wouldn't you like to say Ij; a few words to your fans ?'. This time the questions will be : 'What do you think about Ger IT many?' and 'What would you do if a boy like Emil were dropped on your doorstep tomorrow S'l morning?' " _ The Writers' Mobilization of some 3,500 film and radio writers was formed to create a writing talent pool at the disposal of the Govern;ment for war purposes. That Neely Affair 's'MATTHEW NEELY is back in Congress. And his theatre divorcement bill is still there. The former Senator from West Virginia, then Governor of the state, and on November 7 elec( .ted a Representative, may push his bill before j-tthe next Congress, if not this one. The bill p was reintroduced last year by West Virginia . Senator Harley Kilgore, political friend. Weather Report '"'LOCATION plans for two important features •'•were abandoned this week because of some ?'j"unusual" California weather. The seventh '^vettest November in the history of the weath'■'er bureau changed the shooting schedules on "MGM's "Without Love," starring Katharine ^Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, and Gary Coop■''•er's first independent picture, "Along Came 'Jones." The latter was set to start shooting ''•' Tuesday on location in the San Fernando Val^'ley, but moved into the studio instead, safe |i'^from the rain, for which the Los Angeles ^'^Chamber of Commerce has no explanation. ^ Another unit was forced to return to the ifi'ffitudio this week, Columbia's "One Against Sevlen," starring Paul Muni. The company had jidecided to take advantage of the mountain snow to film the Russian exteriors for this picture. FORMBY JOINS HERALD William G. Formby has been appointed to the editorial staff of Motion Picture Herald as Field Editor. Mr. Formby joined the staff of Boxoffice as managing editor in 1928. For the past 12 years he has been editor of that publication. Prior to entering motion picture trade journalism he was a member successively of the editorial staff of the Amarillo NewsGlobe of Amarillo, Texas, and the Daily Oklahoman of Oklahoma City. Against a background of daily newspaper experience, Mr. Formby has acquired Intimate and extensive knowledge of the motion picture Industry in all of its branches, together with a comprehensive understanding of the news, editorial and service requirements of theatre showmen. but found the drifts too deep. They had to pack up and return to the studio. A large tent city erected by Columbia at El Segundo for "A Thousand and One Nights" was completely rained out this week. Two Hollywood camera crews which have been trying to shoot exteriors in New York, a city that has been modest, if not silent, about its weather, have run into a little difficulty. A Universal crew has been marking time up at the New York Central's 125th Street Station, waiting for the murky morning clouds to disappear' so they can get on with shots for the new Deanna Durbin vehicle, "Lady on a Train." Recently, a Paramount crew, sent to get some Third Avenue shots ior "The Lost Week-End," ran into rainy weather. Sports at the Front AMERICAN service men at battle stations all over the world will soon be viewing the 1944 ■World Series. Films of the all-St. Louis classic are ready for shipment this week to the armed forces. Approximately 2,400 feet of the games' highlights were filmed. Lew Fonseca, American League film director, announced that 130 of the 240 prints to be made would be sent to war theatres around the globe. The remaining 110 prints will be distributed to hospitals and service bases in the U. S. Connie Mack, baseball's czar and veteran manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, introduces the film. About 5,000,000 service men viewed the motion picture made of the 1943 World Series. Golden Venture EDWARD A. GOLDEN, independent producer, is expanding. The maker of "Hitler's Children" and "The Master Race," is forming a new company. It will be Golden Productions, Inc., and will produce three pictures every two years, the three costing approximately $3,000,000. Sam Dembow, Jr., formerly of Pairamount, will be president, Mr. Golden, chairman of the board, and Robert Golden, his son, vice-president. Mr. Dembow will have headquarters in New York ; Mr. Golden in Hollywood. Three stories from which pictures will be made are "Breakfast at Sardi's," "Henry Kaiser Wakes the Doctor," and "FBI in Peace and War." Mr. Golden releases now through RKO. Future distribution is not established, he said this week. Financing is to be done solely by the company. Gable's Job CLARK GABLE, producer. The role was not for MGM, however — but for the United States of America, Mr. Gable's documentary, "Combat America," made while he was in the Air Force, in which he became a major before being retired, was given its world premiere Wednesday, before 10,000 employees of the Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Company, at Minneapolis. The film is in Technicolor, and tells of the 31st Bombing Group, from its formation in Colorado through 25 missions over Germany. Mr. Gable appears in several scenes. The picture was made originally for orientation of air gunners. It is to be shown nationally to war workers. DeMille to Sweden SWEDISH producers have invited Cecil B. DeMille to make a picture in Sweden after the war, it was learned in Hollywood this week. The invitation was extended through Carl P. York, Paramount's general manager in Sweden, who is now on the west coast conferring with Mr. DeMille. Signe Hasso, the Swedish actress now in the U. S., is to star in the film which will be released through Paramount. Darryl F. Zanuck, production chief of Twentieth Century-Fox, is planning to make a film along documentary lines, to be released in Germany shortly after the war. Production is dependent entirely, it is said, on approval from the U. S. Government. Honors to Paramount LIFE Magazine has designated six Paramount pictures as the "Movie-of-the-Week" since the first of the year, Robert M. Gillham, advertising and publicity director for Paramount, said Tuesday. The six features given Life treatment were : "Miracle of Morgan's Creek," "Going My Way," "The Hitler Gang," "Double Indemnity," "Hail the Conquering Hero" and "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay." "''motion picture herald, published every Saturday by Ouigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City, 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "<?uigpubcb, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown, Vice-President; Red Kann, Vice-President; T. J. Sullivan, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Jannes D. Ivers, 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, V/. M. Gladish, correspondent; Montreal Bureau, 265 Vitre St., West, Montreal, Canada, Pat Donovan, correspondent; London Bureau, si4 Golden Square, London W I, Hope Williams Burnup, manager; Peter Burnup, editor; cable Quigpubco London; Melbourne BureaupThe Regent Theatre, 191 Collins St., Melbourne, Australia, -ji Cliff Holt, correspondent; Sydney Bureau, 17 Archbold Rd., Roseville, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, Lin Endean, correspondent; Mexico City Bureau, Dr. Carmona y Valle 6, Mexico City, '.' l.uis Becerra Celis, correspondent; Buenos Aires Bureau, J. E. Uriburi 126, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Notalio Bruski, correspondent; Rio de Janeiro Bureau, R. Sao Jose, 61, C. Postal 834, Rio 1 de Janeiro, Brazil, Alfredo C. Mochado, correspondent; Montevideo Bureau, P. O. Box 664, Montevideo, Uruguay, Paul Bodo, correspondent; cable Argus Montevideo. Member Audit Bureau jJ«of Circulations. All contents copyright 1944 by Quigley Publishing Company. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, Motion Picture 'Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame. ^OTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 18, 1944 9