Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

! ! Box Office Champions for The Month of March I'LL BE SEEING YOU ( Selznick-International-UA ) Produced by Dore Senary. Directed by William Dieterle. Screenplay by Marion Parsonnet. Story by Charles Martin. Photographer, Tony Gaudio. Musical score, Daniele Amfitheatrof. Cast: Singer Rogers, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Tom Tully. Release date, January 5, 1945. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS C Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Produced by Arthur Freed. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. Screenplay by Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finlclehoffe, based on the book by Sally Benson. Musical program by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Director of photography, George Folsey. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer. Release date, January-March, 1945. MUSIC FOR MILLIONS ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ) Produced by Joe Pasternak. Directed by Henry Koster. Original screenplay by Myles Connolly. Musical adaptation and direction, Georgie Stroll. Director of photography, Robert Surtees. Cast: Margaret O'Brien, Jose Iturbi, Jimmy Durante, June Allyson, Marsha Hunt, Hugh Herbert, Harry Davenport. Release date, February, 1945. OBJECTIVE, BURMA (Warner Bros.) Produced by Jerry Wald. Directed by Raoul Walsh. Screenplay by Ranald MacDougall and Lester Cole from an original story by Alvah Bessie. Music by Franz Waxman. Photographed by James Wong Howe. Cast: Errol Flynn, William Prince, James Brown, George Tobias, Henry Hull, Warner Anderson. Release date, February 17, 1945. TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT C Columbia ) Produced and directed by Victor Saville. Assistant directors, Rex Bailey and Louis Germonprez. Screenplay by Lesser Samuels, Abem Finkel. Director of photography, Rudolph Mate. Musical director, M. W. Stoloff. Technicolor color director, Natalie Kalmus. Cast: Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman, Janet Blair, Marc Piatt. Release date, February 22, 1945. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (Twentieth Century-Fox) Produced by Louis D. Lighton. Directed by Elia Kazan. Screenplay by Tess Slesinger and Frank Davis, adapted from the novel by Betty Smith. Music, Alfred Newman. Director of photography, Leon Shamroy. Cast: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, Peggy Ann Garner. Release date, February, 1945. March of Dimes Medals Presented by Schenck Nicholas M. Schenck, industry chairman of the 1945 March of Dimes campaign, Monday sent medals commemorating the drive to state chairmen, publicity chairmen, members of the executive committee, and trade press representatives, to serve as symbols of "the sentiment and effort that go to make these campaigns so successful." The heart-shaped medal, surmounted by a dime, frames a likeness of the small girl polio victim in an attitude of prayer, which was used widely throughout the 1945 drive. The face of the medal is inscribed "1945 March of Dimes — Motion Picture Drive," and on the reverse the recipient's name with the words : "Well Done !" and "Nicholas M. Schenck, Chairman." motion pictures and in theatre television, motion picture sound recording and reproduction, and motion picture photography and projection will be presented at nine technical sessions at the five-day conference. The use of film in programing and the relationship of television and motion picture practices are among the scheduled topics. The use of the invisible infra-red light to photograph audience reaction to motion pictures, and the use of motion picture techniques in biological research are among the highlights in the partially completed program. SMPE Spring Meeting In Hollywood May 14 The 57th semiannual technical conference of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers will be held May 14-18 at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, it was announced last week by William C. Kunzmann, SMPE convention vice-president. Advances in wartime military and naval use of 28 Magnograph To Expand After nine years of research in devoloping its multiple line recording on steel tape, the Magnograph Corporation, Los Angeles, currently is launching a program of expansion to meet postwar needs. M. P. Price, president of the company, said that while present activity had been concentrated on war work, the engineering staff was engaged in developing and improving new equipment suitable for industrial, entertainment and home use after the war. Manager Shifted Sam Giangrave, former owner of the Music Box, New Britain, Conn., is new manager of the Colonial theatre, Southington, Conn. Thomas Is Named Vice-President of PRC Pictures Harry H. Thomas this week was appointed via president in charge of distribution and genen sales manager, for PRC Pictures For five years past, he has been eastern sales manager for Monogram Pictures. For many years previously, he held a variety of posts in distribution and exhibition. He is a pioneer exhibitor. Mr. Thomas' appointment was announced Tuesday by Leon Fromkess, PRC Pictures president. The new PRC official met the press that afternoon, in Mr. Fromkess' office at PRC Pictures headquarters, New York. He is to assume active duty next Monday. Harry H. Thomas Monogram executives this week extended the felicitations to Mr. Thomas. Mr. Thomas succeeds Bert Kulick at PRC Pi tures. Mr. Kulick has sold his New York frai chise to the company, and temporarily held Hi m post of sales manager left vacant when Leo M Carthy resigned. Mr. Kulick resigned Monday. Frances Kulick, his sister, and manager of tli New York exchange, also resigned Monday. PRC Pictures' 26 features and 16 westerns sche uled for the 1944-45 season will cost $4,000,00 $1,500,000 more than scheduled, Mr. Fromkess sa Tuesday afternoon, in New York, at a recepti< for Mr. Thomas. He added that during 1945the company hopes to have a budget of $8,000,00 The most expensive picture the company has man; cost $355,000, he said. Before August, this recoi will be broken, he added. The company's board was to meet later this wei to consider buying of two exchanges, announc ment of which was expected later. All company plans are subject to raw restri tions, Mr. Fromkess cautioned. Edward Morey Monogram Assistant Sales Manager Edward Morey, who had been supervisor of e; change operations, on Tuesday was named assista sales manager of Monogram Pictures. LI03 Lind, who had been in charge of contract and st tistical departments, was given supervision of tl Boston,' New Haven, Albany, Buffalo, Philadelphi and New York territories. The shifts occurr^ after resignation of Harry Thomas to become PR Pictures general sales manager. Mr. Thomas h:< been Monogram's eastern sales manager. Stein Leaving Warner Circuit To Form Advertising Unit Larry Stein, advertising and publicity head Warner Theatres in Chicago, will leave April to open his own advertising agency. A success< was to be announced shortly, James Costen, zoi manager, said last week. Mr. Stein, who held tl post for 14 years, will be given a farewell rece; tion by circuit officials April 26. In addition advertising, Mr. Stein also will be associated wi Irving Mack, Herb Elisburg and the Shepai brothers in Horror, Inc., in the production of mi night horror shows when the curfew is lifted. To Open Chicago Drive-In N. S. Barger will reopen his Drive-In theat in Chicago May 1 for the fifth season. Despi the midnight curfew, it is planned to offer tw -creen programs nightly, but the usual third sho Saturdays will be eliminated. The theatre has rapacity of 1,500 cars. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 21, 19'.