Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEW S The Bennett Touch MISS JOAN BENNETT, along with her associates in New World Properties, production project, Walter Wanger and Fritz Lang, was honored at a Hampshire House luncheon, with Maurice Bergman presiding for Universal Pictures Corporation, in New York Tuesday. She made a remarkable speech of about two minutes. She discussed no programs or policies for the instruction of the people of either the new or old world, no missions, no messages, no miracles of salvation for the screen to deliver or even seek. She did indicate that she was concerned with the making of pictures and hoped they would be good. Then she sat down. The effect was electrical. Warner Letter SELDOM in his long career has Harry M. Warner addressed himself personally to the showmen of the nation in behalf of a production made by his studio. This week, however, business journals carried this message from Mr. Warner in a spread of display advertising: "To the Exhibitors of the -Nation: Please Read a Letter I Have Sent You Today." The letter dealt with a two-reel special, "It Happened in Springfield," which is an exposition of the Springfield Plan for teaching democracy, racial understanding, tolerance and better citizenship. Mr. Warner had watched the plan used in the schools of Springfield, Mass., and was so impressed that the studio made it into a short. Mr. Warner observed that the cost made it impossible for the company to realize any profit. "But we regard it," he wrote, "as the performance of a civic responsibility. It is part of this firm's investment in America. We made this short as part of our effort to combine good citizenship with good picture-making." In Service DESPITE some offsetting discharges, the number of Warner Brothers employees now in the armed services of their country continues to increase and now stands at 4,058, the latest tabulation of the company's personnel department shows. Casualties to date total 58. Of the members in service, 745 are from the studio, with nine casualties. Others are from the theatre and sales department. Inductions are still taking place at a higher rate than the number of discharges, the records show. The department most affected is the theatre branch, where a heavy turnover in ushers is particularly noticeable. PATTERN of good news takes shape on raw stock, Freon, other factors Page 12 CONFIDENTIAL Reports, new checking service, open for business Page 14 INDUSTRY in 1944 contributed $15,000,000 to the war effort °age 19 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses recent court ruling in Pittsburgh Page 22 LOEWS stockholders approve split of common stock at meeting Page 25 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CONSENT Decree companies ask denial c appeal in Arthur action Page 2 NAME committees to assume leadership i Seventh War Loan campaign Page 2 BRITISH exhibitor organization report cite year of many problems Page 2 HOLLYWOOD strike is stymied as union talk fail in New York Page 2 REMEMBERING Joe O'Brien, builder of newpictures, by Terry Ramsaye Page 3 Hollywood Scene In the Newsreels Managers' Round Table Picture Grosses Shorts at First Runs Page 37 Page 40 Page 47 Page 57 Page 44 What the Picture Did for Me Page 4 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Short Subjects The Release Chart Page 239! Page 239' Page 239! and other places of public accommodation, labor organizations, utilities, civil service, public schools, work relief, admission to the bar and public works contracts. Limitations on working hours of school children 14 through 17, fixed by the BrooksCoudert bill, effective January 1, 1946, also interests New York state houses. Currently, the only limitations on the work of 16 and 17year-old children in theatres are that it not be more than 48 hours or more than six days per week. The bill requires that this age group not work more than four hours per school day, and not more than eight per ordinary day, and not more than a total 28 hours per school week. Of the 14 and 15-year-old group, the bill re• quires that it be limited to three hours work per school day, 23 hours per school week, and eight hours per ordinary day, six days per ordinary week. The bill awaits the Governor's signature. Not Deductible THE EXTRA cost of black market buying not tax deductible. Joseph D. Nunan, Jr., Commissioner of In-, ternal Revenue, played the announcemen1 straight in Washington last week. He saicthat retailers and wholesalers who had pak, higher than ceiling prices for goods must alsc; pay higher income taxes. The ruling held tha' all dealers in commodities subject to price controls who pay illegally high prices cannot have' the excess payments considered as deductions in determining their taxable income. Casualties Navy Cooperation SOME OF the best shots yet filmed of Japanese planes being shot down by naval planes are included in the several hundred feet of Navy him shot during the recent raids on the R>ukyu islands. The footage was turned over to the newsreels and released to theatres this week. THE WAR is rough on theatres, too. Emergency pressure, plus air raids, cut the number of picture theatres in Berlin to 31 during the month of February, according to an estimate by the United States Department of Commerce, In June, 1944, there were 96 theatres operating, and there were 200 running in January, 1944. More than 400 theatres were open in Berlin before the war. In Tokyo, 82 of the 224 theatres have been closed, "in order to" save electricity and coal and release employees for the war effort." Sweet News The Law ANOTHER anti-discrimination law, signed this week by New York's Governor Thomas E. Dewey, will make doubly certain that theatres, as well as other enterprises, show no bias in hiring employees or admission or seating of patrons. Following the recent Ives-Quinn bill, the Hammond-Brannigan measure prohibits discrimination in the state because of "national origins." The measure specifically mentions theatres THE supply of candy bars, an important item in the income of most theatres, may be increased by the relaxation of the Army lien on output. The regional office of the War Food Administration announced in Chicago Tuesday that manufacturers of five-cent candy bars and packages need no longer set aside half of their production for the armed forces. Revised estimates by the services made possible the cancellation order, the WFA said. The order setting aside 50 per cent of the candy output for military personnel went into effect October 7, 1944. To the Community ON THE theory that it will be many yean before the space will be needed again for the Big Top, Mayor William Mortensen of Hartford, Conn., and the Publip Buildings Commission this week approved the plan to turn the city-owned Barbour Street circus grounds over to the Hartford War Garden Committee. The site of the fire in the main tent of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus last July 6, the tract will be used as a community garden under the supervision of Edgar M. Brown as program. The disaster resulted in tighter fire regulations in many states and more vigorous enforcement of existing laws. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 7, 1945