Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Invisible Asset THE film industry, long a beneficiary of the public desire to buy articles blessed with the appearance of its movie idols, looks with some amazement lately at the New York stage, which has at last produced a hit with commercial byproducts. The hit is "Harvey," the stars of which are Frank Fay, and the non-existent but nonetheless lovable six foot, one and onehalf inch rabbit, "Harvey." George Kamen, Harvey's business manager (might as well drop the quotes now), said this week in New York that the public had accepted the character, in the fashion it has accepted the reality of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, and others too lovable to deny. He produced "official" photographs of Harvey, used as a basis for manufacturers and publishers. Mr. Kamen, a nephew of Kay Kamen, represented the latter in Europe at one time. Kay Kamen is marketer of the Disney commercial assignments. Cut Price HOW much revenue theatres have lost by admitting service men and women without charge or at reduced prices has never been adequately calculated. But a statistic significant of the importance of the policy was released last week by the Loew circuit in New York. There, between September 1, 1943, and January 18 of this year the circuit issued 4,800,359 cut-price tickets. This is five per cent of the circuit's New York total attendance. In the Times Square hub, the percentage is 18*^ per cent. Victory ARGENTINES at long last will see American films which criticize or ridicule or expose the Nazis. Such pictures, of which a few have been "The Dictator," "The Hitler Gang," "Confessions of a Nazi Spy," "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Mission to Moscow," were held by Argentina on shipment; neither accepted nor rejected. The country is now at war with Germany ; and the release of the films was announced last week in Buenos Aires by Alfredo Bolognesi, director general of the Argentine Theatre and Film Board, according to the Associated Press. The first to be shown was "The Hitler Gang." Killed in Action ERNIE PYLE, 44, war correspondent for the Scripps Howard syndicate, this week met the end he expected. He was killed instantly by a Japanese machine gun bullet while talking to an officer in a command post on the island of Ie, off Okinawa. The Navy Department announced his death Wednesday. Mr. Pyle's unique and personalized reporting of Army life was the main topic of the Lester Cowan picture for UA release, "The Story of G.I. Joe." Burgess Meredith was released by the Army to play Mr. Pyle in this film. The columnist stopped in Hollywood last winter on his way to the Pacific, to advise in its making. The picture is a documentation of the war FRANKLIN D. Roosevelt and the Motion Picture— an analysis by Terry Ramsaye Page 10 HOME folks see Truman take oath in newsreel pictures Page 14 LONG pictures under fire by circuit executives; want 90 minutes maximum Page 16 RAW stock granted to Argentina; distributors and WPB confer on June 7 Page 17 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses threat to industry in state legislation Page 20 CANADA'S best Bond salesman, film indus try prepares new drive Page 2'. SHOWMEN map Seventh War Loan strateg' in two major conferences Page 2 THE Box Office Champions for the month o March Page 2 BRITAIN'S war board withholds Frank Capr film on Burma campaign Page 2 BRITISH short subject producers seek bette position in home market Page 3< SERVICE DEPARTMENT S Hollywood Scene Page 35 Picture Grosses Page 3 In the Newsreels Page 29 Shorts at First Runs Page 3 Managers' Round Table Page 49 What the Picture Did for Me Page 4 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Release Chart by Companies Page 241 ■ Showmen's Reviews Page 2413 Advance Synopses Page 241 Short Subjects Page 2415 The Release Chart Page 241 correspondent's role in reporting adequately the story of the little man in the war, the "G.I. Joe." Since 1942 that has been Mr. Pyle's story in Africa, Italy, Normandy, and, for the last several months, in the Pacific theatre. Indianapolis, this summer, was to be the premiere site of the picture ; chosen because Mr. Pyle was born in a small town nearby, and was educated, and worked as a reporter, in Indianapolis. "There will be no changes in the picture or in the distribution plans. Ernie Pyle's 'Story of G.I. Joe' will be a monument to a great soldier, and a great war correspondent," George J. Schaefer, chairman of the board of Lester Cowan Productions, said in New York Wednesday afternoon. Fra tern iza Hon THE unwed men and maidens of Clones, northern Ireland, for two years were separated; that is, in the town's only theatre. That was the rule. The men sat on one side, the maidens on the other. For two weeks recently, they were allowed to sit together ; but only for two weeks. The rule recently was reimposed suddenly. It's called a "no-fraternization" rule, and the citv fathers make it stick. Hollywood Policy A HOLLYWOOD producer declines the roi of public opinion leader. Dore Schary told th Advertising Club, at luncheon in New Yor last week, that "motion pictures do not initial — they only articulate the public consciousnes: "No motion picture ever started a trend c public thinking or opinion," he added. "In th future as in the past, what the public buys wi be those pictures that it will want to see. Wha it wants to see is entertainment." Mr. Schary also let out with an "inside" o Hollywood. He told the advertising men tha "honestly, nobody in Hollywood tries to mak a bad picture. "Honestly, I have never been in any con ference with writers, producers, or director and heard anyone say with great enthusiasn 'Fellows, let's make this one a stinker.' " Dead Pan JAPAN must also be having her film production delays. The country's news agency, Domei, last week announced that the Government there had awarded 5,000 yen to that film "masterpiece" of 1944, "Rip Down the Stars and Stripes." It being some long time now since the Nipponese have been ripping, it may be possible that in 1946 or so, the Government, from some cave, may award 5,000 yen to a masterpiece titled, "Banzai in House of U. S. President." First Pictures SOME of the films which delegates to thl United Nations conference in San Franciscc beginning next Wednesday, are expected to see were disclosed this week. They are "Goin;1) My Way," and "Gaslight," both American "The Silver Fleet," British; and "Harvest" aniJ "The Baker's Wife," French. The pictures will be at the United Nation J Theatre, in pre and post-conference life th' Alcazar. They are the best from the industry1 and are chosen by an industry committee, chair man of which is Howard Dietz, MGM directo of advertising and publicity, who left New Yorl this week for San Francisco. Other pictures expected to be shown at th house, whose 1,100 seats are reserved for th delegates, are "Song of Bernadette" in Spanish and "Wilson." Documentary films are to b1 shown in a Conference Theatre reserved espe cially for the delegates. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 21, 194