Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

Universal Forms Studio Production Advisory Board The formation of an advisory board to supervise production at Universal's studio, headed by Cliff Work, vice-president and general manager of the studio, has been announced bv the company. Besides Mr. Work, the board's personnel will include executives representing all phases of company operation and will include Martin Murphy, studio and production manager; George Bole, production executive ; Edward Muhl, associate executive ; John Joseph, national director of publicity and advertising; Harold Brewster, comptroller; Dan Kelley and Robert Speers. In this connection, several promotions have been announced. Mr. Kelley, who has been in charge of talent, writers and directors, assumes a new executive post in which he will act as liaison between the advisory board and all the producers of Universal's important productions, such as Walter Wanger and Felix Jackson, as well as Walter Benedict, Milton Feld, Joseph Gershenson and Frank Ryan, production executives. Mr. Speers, casting director, succeeds Mr. Kelley as executive in charge of talent and directors. A successor to Mr. Speers will be announced later. Mr. Bole will coordinate the activities of production executives Edward Dodds, Robert Faber, Ben Pivar, Milton Schwarzwald and Howard Welsch. In announcing the creation of the advisory board, N. J. Blumberg, Universal president, said : "We are constantly increasing the number of top productions, adding each year to our over-all budget, extending in every detail the scope of our activities. This new arrangement has been made to simplify and strengthen our studio's executive operation." Butler, Crosby and DeSylva Invest in McCarey Unit David Butler, Bing Crosby and B. G. DeSylva are investors in Rainbow Productions, formed by Leo McCarey in Hollywood to produce "The Bells of St. Mary's" and probably other films under the same corporate name. Mr. McCarey is president, and Mr. Butler, vice-president. RKO will release the first film, in which Mr. Crosby will star. IN NEWSREELS Each of the five newsreels devoted, all of its footage in the second issue of the current week to the capture of Manila by American troops. The issues were: Movietone News, No. 52; News of the Day, No. 2 5 0; Paramount News, No. 53; RKO Pathe News, No. 55; Universal News, No. 1>76. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 27, No. 51— Roosevelt is host to potentates in Egypt. . . . Daring rescue of 513 from Jap prison on Luzon. . . . Allied armies in action on the Western Front. . . . Nurses for war. . . . G.I.s on leave from war see sights of Paris. NEWS OF THE DAY — Vol. 15, No. 249— U. S. Rangers rescue men of Bataan. . . . Three kings meet F.D.R . . . Paris leaves for G. I. Joe. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 52— Chow for G.I.'s. . . . Luzon prisoners rescued from the Japs. . . . Suez conference. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 16, No. 54—511 Yanks rescued on Luzon. . . . F. D. R. in Egypt. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 18, No. 375 — F.D.R. confers with east chiefs. . . . Umberto honors Allies. . . . Seven injured in train wreck. . . . G.I.'s tour gay Paree. ALL AMERICAN NEWS— Vol. 3, No. 123— Ten outstanding women of the year. . . . Boy Scouts of Kentucky honored. . . . Teen-agers at community center aid good conduct drive. . . . New FHA subdivision opens in Louisville. . . . New York girl. 14, is honor student. . . . Advisor to Secretary of Commerce speaks. . . . How the G.I.'s are mustered out. Williams Is President of Mississippi Exhibitors R. X. Williams, operator of Oxford, Miss., has been elected president of the newly formed Mississippi Exhibitors' Association in Jackson. The association replaces the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Mississippi. Vice-presidents elected are : Grady Cook, Pontotoc, former State Senator, and editor of Pontotoc Progress; Lloyd Royal, Meridian, and E. W. Clinton, Monticello, former member of the Mississippi House. Max Connett, Newton, was named secretary-treasurer. Loew's New York Houses Book "Moscow Skies" Loew's theatres in Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn, New York, have booked "Moscow Skies," Russian film about Red Army fighter pilots, for engagements beginning March 13. The film, distributed in the U. S. by Artkino Pictures, Inc., had a five-week run at the Stanley theatre. THE EXTENDED RUN SPECIAL Ok Voa Lucky CMMots! •HERES A Sax-C^ce BONANZA THE SURPRIZE MONEY SHOW OF 4$ DANNY SAVE The Screen's Newest Sensation — A Riot "The " BIRTH of ■F ' A STAR" A Streamlined Feature RELEASED THRU ASTOR PICTURES CORP. 130 WEST 46 STREET, NEW YORK PL A YING 4 WEEKS FOX -Oakland PLAYING 4 WEEKS VOGUE-Los Angeles Dimes Collection Show Sharp Rise Over 1944 Total^ Figures for the first four states to turn in com plete reports on March of Dimes collections wei make known Tuesday at national headquarters Nicholas M. Schenck, drive chairman, showing sharp rise over the previous year. North Carolina totaled $90,852 as against $5 476 in 1944, F. H. Leddingfield reported for R Rowe, chairman, a 67 per cent increase. In Flc ' ida, M. C. Talley, chairman, reported $111,996, 42 per cent increase over the previous year. Son Carolina's chairman, Warren Irwin, reported $3. 055, a 47 per cent jump over the year before. Arizona, $20,859 was reported by Harry Nace, per cent over 1944. The four states turned in $9l 000 more than in last year's drive. "At this rate, the national total will run f above $5,000,000," C. C. Moskowitz of the exec tive committee predicted. Heavy gains are shown by small circuits ai individual theatres. The five Trans-Lux theatr in New York more than doubled last year's cc lections, reporting $9,959, against $4,197. Bran Theatres in New York turned in $53,245. A total of $72,080 has been contributed to t Dimes collection by actors, writers, directors, e ecutives, technicians, and general office workt of the 18 west coast studios, it was announc last week by Fred S. Meyer, studio chairman.1 In the amount of money collected, the leade were: Twentieth Century-Fox, $15,605; MGI $10,483; Paramount, $7,543; and Warner Bro^ $6,548. In first place among theatres was Loew's Ca] tol, Washington, D. C, with total collections $26,006, or $7.57 per seat. Fabian Theatres r ported $25,054 this year as against $23,008 in 194 The Rugoff and Becker circuit of New Yov neighborhood houses rose to $11,200, compared the previous year's $7,000. A total of $427,951 w; collected by Warner Bros, theatres, an increase < 22^2 per cent over 1944. Loew's Theatres' tot; without home office donations, amounted to $572 155, an increase of 29 per cent. Interboro Circu New York, collected approximately $14,000, e increase of 30 per cent over last year. Theatres in Cincinnati and Hamilton Coun collected a total of $34,212, Arthur Frudenfel RKO divisional manager, chairman of the driv announced. Of that amount, $22,594 was collecte by RKO theatres, and the rest by independei houses. Many promotional methods were used througl out the drive. In Boston, John O'Halloran, mai ager, arranged with the promoters of a wrestlin bout held in Waltham for collection to be taken v during the matches. John L. Ugoline, manager < the Harvard, Boston, installed 17 coin collectors i various establishments in the community and r< ceived assistance from the local Boy Scouts. Tv Tub Thumpers of America backed the drive wit an extensive publicity campaign. Jail Six in Circus Fire, Stay Sentences of Five Six representatives of Ringling Brother; Barnum and Bailey Circus were sentenced i Hartford February 21 to prison terms on charge of involuntary manslaughter for the fire whic cost the lives of 168 persons last July. The cour however, stayed execution of sentence for all bi one to permit them to start the 1945 show. Sentenced were: George W. Smith, general mar ager, and Leonard S. Aylesworth, chief test mai two to seven years in state prison; James / Haley, vice-president and director, one to frv years in state prison; Edward R. Versteeg, chi< electrician, and William Caley, chief seatman, or year in the county jail; David W. Blanchfieli chief truckman, six months. At the same time, Judge Shea fined the circi company $10,000. Claims pending against tl circus total $3,000,000. The defendants and tl corporation had pleaded no contest to involuntar manslaughter. 52 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 3, 194