Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

CURFEW FIGHTER LOSING, BUT HE'S STILL FIGHTING Columbia May Sell Spanish Films in jatin America ■[Columbia Pictures, which still does not dub its •ms in Spanish, might distribute from six to ;ght Spanish language productions below the Rio rande this year, Joseph McConville, Columbia ictures International Corporation president, said New York last week, on his return from a K-week visit to LatinAmerican countries. The company might release some of these picres indirectly in this country, he added. The »mpany for some years now had been distributing financing and then releasing on percentage, panish language films. Whether dubbing was practicable for the comany, Mr. McConville refused to say, indicating it practice was still in stages too early for judglent. Mr. McConville, who visited Argentina, said the ractice of programming three to five pictures in theatre, might be eliminated, now that American lms were allowed to be played _ on percentage, "ictures under the new dispensation would earn loney more in relation to their ability, he pointed ut. Many American films were held up by Argen.na censors, he noted. They were not rejected; lerely held for examination, and they remained in lat status, he added. /Var Documentaries Most 5opular Fare in Paris The most popular films Hollywood has sent 'aris since its liberation have been war documeniries, Jean Painleve, director of the film section f the Ministry of Information, told the United Vess recently. "For years," he said, "we were forced to see nly films of German victories. Now we can't get nough of the other kind. The Frank Capra series, iVhy We Fight,' was especially brilliant." Mr. Painleve said most of the other Hollywood ims shown have been B production, "but that is nderstandable, since our theatres are not yet aerating full scale and the really new and big ictures must wait the end of the war." American Film Center To Hold 1 6mm Documentary Previews A "preview club," for the showing of 16mm eduational and documentary films, was inauguratd by the American Film Center April 12. Acording to Ted Estabrook, who is setting up the creenings and will be in charge of their operaion, the need for organized previews is obvious for lose interested, since in the past they had to see he latest films on a "catch-as-catch-can" basis. ;creenings will be held at the Preview theatre, Cew York, twice a month, running approximately wo hours. Wamount Appoints Graham .atin-America Assistant Robert Graham, who returned to New York everal weeks ago from a special assignment in Spain for Paramount, has been named assistant n Latin-American operations to A. L. Pratchett, ^atin-American division manager. Mr. Graham, >efore his Spanish assignment of approximately a 'ear and a half, had been the company's manager n Mexico for three years. He is expected to be .tationed in Latin America, probably in Mexico 3ty. -ewis in PRC Post Bert Kulick, general sales manager for PRC Pictures, has appointed Harold Lewis as his adninistrative assistant. For the past eight years Mr. -ewis has been in the film booking department of itKO and at the time of his resignation was an issistant to Harold J. Mirisch, head buyer and Kioker for all RKO theatres. Jack O'Connell, that curfew-fightin' man of Toledo, Ohio, gave ground in his battle with the War Manpower Commission when he made peace with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees last Friday and started closing his Loop theatre at midnight. He withdrew his petition in Lucas County Common Pleas Court seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the union from withdrawing the projectionist after midnight. The pact followed the refusal of Judge Harvey Straub to issue a blanket injunction against the union. He still had some fight left, however. He announced that he had canceled his contract with Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., to furnish product to the Loop. Mr. O'Connell declared he had informed the film company he would not supply product for exhibition after midnight in defiance of the WMC curfew request. "Warners' action was part of an intrigue to get the Loop outside the law," he said, commenting on his cancellation of two Warners' films booked for April 10-12 and April 17-19, which the company had withdrawn. The capitulation came shortly after the projectionist left his post at midnight, April 5. He had been ordered by John B. Fitzgerald, of Cleveland, International representative of the IATSE, to stop work at that time. Mr. O'Connell continued to operate the theatre until the customary morning hour of 5:00 o'clock after his wife took over the projectionist's duties, having previously been trained for the work. Then came the announcement that the theatre thereafter would close at midnight. In deciding March 19 to defy the curfew request, Mr. O'Connell said he had little choice. He contended he was faced with the Lloyd Sues Universal for Copyright Infringement The Harold Lloyd Corporation filed three actions in the Federal Court in Los Angeles April 4, charging "wholesale copyright infringement" of three of its films and asking $1,700,000 damages against Universal Pictures Company, Inc., and $115,000 in counsel fees. It is alleged in the suits that sequences were "misappropriated" from Mr. Lloyd's pictures, "The Freshman," "Movie Crazy" and "Welcome Danger," and used in Universal productions of "Her Lucky Night," "So's Your Uncle" and "She Gets Her Man." The complaints asked injunctions and destruction of all prints of the three films. 750-Car Drive-ln Planned By Hellman Theatres A 750-car drive-in theatre with additional accommodations for 300 "walk-in" patrons, at a cost of $75,000, is planned by Hellman Theatres, Albany, on a 15-acre plot located between Albany and Schenectady, according to an announcement by Neil F. Hellman, general manager. The drive-in theatre which the circuit now operates at Lathams, N. Y., six miles north of Albany, will open its fifth season April 19. The circuit also operates three standard theatres, the Royal and Paramount, Albany, and the Palace, Troy. JACK O'CONNELL necessity of closing the house, due to a heavy cut in grosses caused by not staying open after midnight, or due to action by the WMC. He chose to defy the WMC, but not, he explained, until after "numerous letters and telegrams to James Byrnes who as War Mobilizer sired the curfew, had failed to get the theatre put in the same classification as an all-night restaurant". During the postmidnight operation, Mr. O'Connell cooperated with the Army military police and Navy shore patrol by keeping service men out of the theatre after the deadline. He said that did not cut into his receipts because all men and women in uniform have been admitted to the Loop without charge since the start of the war. Army Making Film Fans: Reisman The army is building a great reserve of enthusiastic fans and a pool of skilled distribution manpower for the American motion picture industry, according to Phil Reisman, vice-president and foreign sales manager of RKO Radio Pictures, who has just returned to the United States from an inspection tour in England and France. In a report to the War Activities Committee, he said everywhere he went he was told by soldiers that before they entered the Army they had gone to the films only occasionally, whereas they had now gotten into the habit and would never again be satisfied with only an occasional film. "I saw tired combat troops walk great distances just to spend their free time at the films," he declared. "I was told by high ranking officers that without the films disciplinary and morale problems would have been grave indeed." Mr. Reisman lauded the uniformed personnel for the way the industry's gift films are handled, declaring, "Some of the men working for the overseas exchanges of the Army Pictorial Service are former members of the industry." Many others, he said, were not in film business before, but were now on a large scale. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 14, 1945 21