Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

Albert Law Dies Suddenly at 40 While in New York Albert J. Law, of Los Angeles, executive secretary and general counsel of the Southern California Theatre Owners Association, died of a heart attack January 1 in New York at St. Luke's Hospital. He was 40 years old. Mr. Law had been in New York since last Thursday. He came east to confer with major company sales executives on a plan for conciliating trade practice complaints prior to their submission to arbitration. He had planned to remain east this week in order to complete his talks with the distributors, from whom he had hoped to obtain approval for making the plan efifective nationally, as well as in the southern California territory. Two weeks ago, Mr. Law had been in Washington conferring with officials of the Department of Justice on the conciliation plan. He remained in the capital to attend the meeting of industry chairmen of the March of Dimes drive with President Roosevelt at the White House December 19. Mr. Law was born in Logan, Utah, April 1, 1904. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D. C. His experience in the industry dated from 1927 when, as special assistant to the U. S. Attorney General, he began preparation of the case brought against the major companies under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1930. A member of the Attorney General's staff for IS years, Mr. Law came to Hollywood in that capacity in 1937 and had conducted a law practice in Los Angeles. He appeared intermittently in the news of local exhibition as counsel for various independent exhibitors bringing action against Fox West Coast and other circuits for alleged violation of the Consent Decree and other regulations. On July 11, 1944, he announced the formation of the Southern California Theatre Owners Association, as an organization representing independents and circuit operators in an endeavor "to deal with problems common to all exhibitors and to provide a medium through which the views of all, large and small, can be properly expressed." He is survived by his widow, the former Marion Templeton of Los Angeles, whom he married last July ; his mether, Sara James, of Los Angeles ; a sister, Elizabeth James Law of Washington, D. C, and a brother, Melvin J. James, who is in the armed forces. Warren L. Stafford Funeral services for Warren L. Stafford, 52, head of supplies and stock for Balaban and Katz, were held at Pardeeville, Wis., December 23. Indianapolis Variety Club Announces Officers The Indianapolis Variety Club has elected the following officers for 1945 : Lawrence J. McGinley, Universal manager, chief barker ; Al Blocher, Y & W theatres, dough guy ; Herman Morgan, Jr., Affiliated Theatres, property master ; Earl Penrod, Penrod Enterprises, first assistant barker. Directors are : Laddie Hancock, Ken Collins, Abe Gelman, Al Taylor, Claude McKean, A. C. Zaring, Russell Brentlinger, George Landis, Marc Wolf and Carl Niesse. Delegates to the national meeting in New York in June are: Mr. McGinley, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Blocher, and Mr. Niesse. Mr. Wolf is Variety national dough guy and Mr. Niesse is national canvassman. Johnson Heads Exchange Union Lou Johnson has been elected president of the New York Film Exchange Employes Union, Local B-51, lATSE. Others elected are: Leonard Brooks, vice-president ; Gerald Lee, 'secretary ; Harold Marenstein, financial secretary. Monogram Shifts McCoy Helen McCoy, former booker at the Monogram exchange in Kansas City, has joined the Los Angeles staff as assistant booker. IN NEWSREELS MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 27, No. 35— Coast Guard foils Nazi attempt to set up Arctic bases. . . . War flashes of action. . . . Religion. . . . Weapons for war. . . . Sports. . . . Eisenhower talks to fighting men at the front. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 27, No. 36— Bombing Borneo. . . . Strafing Nazis. . . . Members of Congress at front. . . . Embattled Ninth Army troops. . . . Russian girls thank the Yanks. . . . Late German photos of Hitler show him stooped and feebl.e . . . Fashions. . . . Flying zoot suit eliminates pilot blackout danger. NEWS OF THE DAY— VoL 15, No. 233— Coast Guard routs Nazis in Greenland. . . . First underground pictures smuggled out of Warsaw. . . . Yanks help clear away London "V" bomb ruin. . . . Message to Allied troops from General Eisenhower. . . . President Roosevelt in prayer for victory. . . . German cities in the Rhine shelled by American guns. . . . Children in war zones give New Year thanks. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. IS, No. 234^Western front film reports. . . . Latest film of Nazi offensive. . . . Allied air offensive. . . . Congress envoys see the war. . . . New flyings zoot suit. . . . Memorial for happy warrior. . . . Freed Russian girls give Yanks real welcome. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 36— Tragedy in Warsaw. . . . Yanks clear blitz ruins. . . . Arctic drama — Coast Guard traps Nazis. . . . Report to America. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 37— Secret weapon — war science beats air blackout. . . . Hitler holds on. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 16, No. 38— First pictures from Polish underground. . . . Coast Guard seizes Nazi Greenland radio parties. . . . British home guard's last parade. . . . Navy flies whole blood to Leyte. . . . First ambassador from Free France. . . . Yanks clear London's ruins. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 16, No. 38L-Inside Germany. . . . Bombers blast Borneo oil for Jap navy. . . . Gunsight camera film air "kills." . . . New non-blackout suit for pilots. . . . Bombs carry newspapers to enemy. . . . Military affairs group at front. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 18, No. 3S9^Greenland freed of the Nazis. . . . The war in Poland. . . . Yanks shell Kehl. . . . Ambassador Bonnet. . . . Guard demobilized. . . . Texas amazons. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 18, 369— The Nazi counteroffensive. . . . German home front. . . . The push begins. . . . The attack stalls. . . . Congressmen tour war fronts. . . . Delman's latest. . . . The blackout suit. ALL AMERICAN NEWS— Vol. 3, No. 115— Riverdale orphans get $5,000 as gifts. . . . First Negro Congressman from New York honored. . . . Mock wedding highlights Heartstone Club party. . . . Personalities in the news: E. Simms Campbell. . . . Salvation Army opens service center. . . . Brooklyn nursery looks after war workers' children. . . . General Clark honors decorated men and new officers. . . . Quartermaster Corps has mammoth job in Italy. Rites for a Hero In Ortonville The memory of the man who gave his life to save his audience in the finest tradition of show business is honored by the motion picture industry in plans for a proper tribute to the late Alfred Weatherby, 50, projectionist for 28 years at the Orpheum theatre in Ortonville, Minn. He was buried in^the presence of many who undoubtedly owed their lives to his heroic actions in fighting film flames alone in his booth. He quietly finished the show for a capacity audience, retired to his hotel room and died of lung congestion caused by the smoke he had inhaled. Floral wreaths were sent from New York by the War Activities Committee, which announced plans for a more permanent tribute. John Diedenhofer, manager of the Monty theatre at Montevideo, and R. G. Risch of the Scenic at Appleton, Minn., attended the funeral as representatives of the film business. John J. Friedl, exhibitor chairman of the War Activities Committee in the Minneapolis area, is heading a move to honor Mr. Weatherby's memory. Claude Frederick Claude E. Frederick, for more than 10 years manager of the Garden theatre, Greenfield, Mass., died of a heart attack December 28. Born in St. John, N. B., he began his career as a vaudeville performer. He was former manager of the Olympic in New Haven, and also managed the Capitol in Pittsfield. A widow and two children survive. Republic to Hold Sales Meetings In Three Cities A series of three regional sales meetings will be held by Republic during January in New York, Chicago and at the company's North Hollywood studios, James R. Grainger, president, announced this week on his return to New York following a month's sales trip. H^erbert J. Yates, Sr., chairman of the board, will address all sessions. The agenda will include discussions of such top-budget productions as "Lake Placid Serenade," and the future releases, "Flame of the Barbary Coast," "Earl Carroll Vanities," and "The Amazing Mr. M." The conferences will consider a proposed lineup of forthcoming productions to go into work during the next three months, in accordance with Mr. Yates' policy of adapting schedules to conform with anticipated public tastes. It is expected that musicals will receive increased attention. The first sessions are set for January 8, 9 and 10 at New York, in the New York Athletic Club. The New England, Eastern and Central Divisions headed by sales managers and represented by branch managers will participate. The Chicago meetings will take place January 11, 12 and 13, at the Blackstone Hotel. Southern and Central managers will be present. The coast sessions will be held January 22 and 23, and will be attended by Mr. Yates, Mr. Grainger and E. L. Walton, assistant general sales manager, all of whom will be present at Chicago, and Western District sales manager Francis Bateman. Monogram Exchange Contest Standings Are Announced Standings in the Monogram Victory Parade, exchange contest in sales and collections among the comypany's 37 branches, have been announced by Samuel Broidy, vice-president and general sales manager, as of a December 21 tabulation. The drive, which closes March 30, involves the distribuation of $14,350 in prizes. Standings are: Division 1, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Division 2, Charlotte, Cleveland, Cincinnati ; Division 3, Memphis, Omaha, Denver. Standings in collections are: Division 1, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta; Division 2, Detroit, New Orleans, Charlotte ; Division 3, Memphis, Omaha, Denver. Famous Players Buys Share In Spencer Circuit Famous-Players-Canadian Corporation has announced that a substantial interest has been acquired in the circuit of F. G. Spencer Company, Ltd., St. John, N. B., comprising 20 theatres operating in 14 cities and towns of the Maritime Provinces, No-\^ Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Mr. Spencer, who started the circuit 30 years ago, will continue to direct the theatres, according to the announcement, and the two companies will jointly engage in a program of theatre construction on the Atlantic coast in the post-war period. Decency Legion Approves Five New Pictures The National Legion of Decency this week reviewed and approved five new features. In Class A-1, unobjectionable for general patronage, are: "Saddle Leather Law," "Sing Me a Song of Texas." In Class A-2, unobjectionable for adults, are "Can't Help Singing," "Dangerous Passage," "Great Bonanza." Paramount Nannes Ravenscroft Ralph Ravenscroft, Paramount west coast advertising representative, has been named west coast publicity representative for Paramount short subjects and Paramount News, it was announced last week by Oscar A. Morgan, general sales manager for Paramount shorts and news. 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 6, 1945