Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Screening PRESIDENT Harry S. Truman saw himself on the screen for the first time as President Monday when Paramount News projected its current issue, released on Tuesday, at a special White House screening arranged by Steve Early, press secretary for the President, and Robert Denton, Paramount News' capital representative. The issue is a special reel featuring the United Nations Conference on International Organization, which opened in San Francisco Wednesday. It pictures world events the editors consider as milestones to the current Conference. 30 for Madru GASTON MADRU, ace of French newsreel sharpshooters, staff member of News of the Day, and renowned for his recoiding of Paris street fighting days before Allied troops routed the Germans — was killed by a German bullet in the stomach April 19, in Leipzig. His end was dramatic as the scenes he photographed ; and his camera recorded events almost to the end. Mr. Madru, riding in a jeep, halted near the Napoleon Monument, in Leipzig, with American soldiers pinned by small arms fire from the monument. They hid behind wrecked German tanks. Mr. Madru photographed the action, dramatic because the monument was the refuge, well stocked, of the city's last desperate Germans. A few minutes later, raising his camera to make another shot, he was hit by a sniper 30 feet away. When more in the group fell wounded, the survivors decided to surrender, and all were dragged inside the monument, where they were given first aid. Mr. Madru, not losing consciousness, kept urging his companions to make certain his negatives were forwarded to London. He died 39 minutes after being shot. The monument, the Germans, and their prisoners, were taken two and one-half hours later. The negatives went to London. Mr. Madru at the time was newsreel pool correspondent. The Loop THE O'Connells are fighting the good fight all the way from Toledo to Washington. Jack O'Connell, owner of the Loop Theatre, Toledo, and his wife, helpmate and briefly a projectionist, this week saw the War Manpower Commission's lower officialdom in Washington, and at mid-week were still to see its director, Paul V. McNutt. The Loop had operated after curfew, defying Government, distributors, and the projectionists' union. The latter slowed the Loop down, however. When the local projectionists' union withdrew its operators, Mrs. O'Connell attempted to carry on one night, and from then on the Loop closed at midnight. The O'Connells, who charge the curfew is unnecessary in their house because they employ aged and cripples, and serve war workers and service men ; and who have defied local WMC officials threatening loss of utilities, and distributors threatening loss of product, charged into Washington this week. They have written and telegraphed the WMC lo HOW the industry plans to back the Seventh War Loan Pages 12-24 INDUSTRY moves to speed total victory with Bond drive Page 12 SHOWMEN of Round Table tell how they sell Bonds Page 14 PRACTICAL ideas for exhibitors in Bond drive promotion Page 23 MAJORS increase use of radio ads by 400 per cent in year Page 25 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS I ON THE MARCH— Red Kann tells the wh' of the Seventh War Loan Page 2S EXHIBITOR describes how to keep then happy while they wait Page 3( LIGHTS and shadows make raw stock pictun ' i spotty at this time Page 3 HONORED in war, screen goes to Sai Francisco on world peace job Page 3! BRITISH film industry ignores the field o television Page 3i . I Hollywood Scene In the Newsreels From Readers Managers' Round Table Picture Grosses Shorts at First Runs Page 43 Page 50 Page 30 Page 55 Page 54 Page 53 What the Picture Did for Me Page 5 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 242 Short Subjects Page 242* The Release Chart Page 242 BETTER THEATRES: Buyers' Listings of Manufacturers and Dealers cally and' in Washington, and said last week J£duCOtion they were suspecting a process known as the "runaround." Also awaiting a War Manpower Commission decision this week was James A. Pike, manager of the Nu-Rex theatre in Spokane, Wash., who is operating his house from midnight to 6 A.M. Justin Maloney, attorney for Mr. Pike, said the appeal to the WMC was based on the fact that the operation did not violate the spirit of the curfew order because after midnight the house was operated by Mr. Pike, his wife and a 67year-old employee. Urgent TO CARRY our men "through the first six months after victory," the Army urgently needs 20 to 36 plays and six to eight musical comedies, ready for delivery to Europe within 90 days. The message was given to 100 theatrical producers in New York last week by Lt. Col. Marvin Young, Army Special Services Division ; and he was rewarded with offers immediately by 13 producers who said they would produce one or more plays each. There are now 200 USO units overseas ; but service men are demanding more full length plays, and more musical comedy productions, Colonel Young declared. THE German film industry must be entireb rebuilt and American films will have a most im portant part in the rebuilding, Elmer Davis, director of the Office of War Information, sai in Washington Monday after returning fron a visit to Germany. The chief factor, in appraising German filn industry, is that German theatres were at most all destroyed, Mr. Davis said. He adde that the value of the films found in German had not been determined; but, from the tota direction the Nazi party exercised, it is proba ble few can be used. Mr. Davis pointed ou that French and Belgians are anxious to sei American films, and said that the job of edu cation was in Germany even more important, i What Government office will reeducate th Germans through films, Mr. Davis did no specify. The OWI will be dissolved after th Japanese war, it is expected. Mr. Davis mere* ly said : "The education process will go fa beyond OWI." 6 3 til : End Title THE FAMED UFA studios these flaming days saw more drama, stark and deadly, than ever any studio compressed into pictures. On Wednesday, bombing and shooting and burning their way into Berlin the Russians poured into nearby Vabelsberg, site of the activities of Germany's once crowded, talented and prolific film industry. New York Service NEW YORK morning newspapers, the Timel and the Herald-Tribune, will arrive in Sai] Francisco during the United Nations Confer I ence the evening of the day of issue, carrier[ from New York by the Railway Expres Agency's Air Express Division. The Uniteij Nations delegates thus are never too far fron ' civilization. No circulation promotion depart ment has yet announced plans to poll the dele gates on features they prefer. COVER PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS: Presb dent Truman and Admiral Nimitz by Internationa News Photo; General MacArthur by Acme; Gen eral Eisenhower by Press Association. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 28. 194