Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEW Starring Stettinius EDWARD R. STETTINIUS, Jr., Secretary of State, this week confirmed reports that the State Department had had conversations with executives of the War Activities Committee regarding production of a film. It will deal generally with the United States efforts the past 25 years to promote world peace and specifically with the Dumbarton Oaks conference. Twentieth Century-Fox will produce. In Washington Tuesday, Mr. Stettinius explained the film would be purely documentary in character and designed to inform the American people of the Administration's diplomatic objectives and the machinery whereby they are to be achieved. It will be several months before the picture is ready for showing. Meanwhile, scenes of Mr. Stettinius delivering the foreword to the picture were taken recently at the Twentieth Century-Fox studios in New York. Burnt Goose MISS GLORIA SWANSON came in from the road and opened "A Goose for the Gander" at the Playhouse Tuesday. The piece had enjoyed some success in the provinces including Cambridge, Detroit, Chicago and Washington. But in New York the critics from most of the papers swung on it with a vigor that suggested they had been waiting the opportunity for months. They play concerns itself principally with marital infidelity, a subject on which there is a lot of data. Said the usually urbane Lewis Nichols, in the almost always reserved New York Times: "Miss Swanson is a victim of the circumstance that her role is silly, and last evening she seemed to be in a couple of moods about how to play it." Mr. Nichols seems to give the credits of the play to the actor-author, Harold J. Kennedy, and pays ofiF with: "Mr. Kennedy let it be known at the end the husband hadn't been unfaithful after all. That completes it; no one had any fun." Conrad Nagel, also of movieland fame, has the unfortunate husband role. Seventh Loan in May ANOTHER industry over-the-top performance probably will be launched in May. Ted R. Gamble, national director of the U. S. Treasury War Finance Division, predicted this week in Portland, Ore., that the Seventh War Loan drive would begin that month. Rank and the Bard London Bureau J. ARTHUR RANK is going to bat for Shakespeare, Laurence Olivier and Mr. Rank. Despite cable advices from New York that "Henry V," the Olivier production financed by Mr. Rank, would not be acceptable to American audiences, he will "roadshow 'Henry V and demonstrate that the industry's salescraft has not yet tapped one-tenth of the potential revenue." Mr. Rank contends there are limitless opportunities inherent in Mr. Olivier's WAR and policy take toll of critical film raw stock Page 13 NEW raw stock pinch is blow to production in Mexico Page 14 FCC television allocations apparently make everybody happy Page 15 GIVE us more escapist films, exhibitors advise producers Page i 6 TALKS continue for Eric Johnston to take post with MPPDA Page 17 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses conclusions of one Fidler Page ii FAMOUS Players honors charter employ^ at Toronto banquet Page SHEEHAN'S "Captain Eddie" in final sta^ of production Page ALLIED States warns on municipal taxes meeting of directors Page FILMS second only to mail as front line mor| weapon, says Hubbell Page SERVICE DEPARTMENT Hollywood Scene Page 37 In the Newsreels Page 32 Late Review Page 30 Managers' Round Table Page 49 Picture Grosses Page 48 Shorts at First Runs Page 40 What the Picture Did for Me Page IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 22L Short Subjects Page 22*' The Release Chart Page 22 revolutionary treatment of Shakespeare. He said the film had taken England unawares just as talking pictures did originally. Britairi now leads the way in developing the possibilities of motion pictures and will not be bound by the standards of Hollywood, he added. Jock Lawrence, Hollywood publicist, who recently was appointed to handle publicity in the U. S. for the British film executive, has been summoned to England to discuss an unprecedented American roadshow scheme for "Henry V" devised by Mr. Rank himself. Barrington Gain and Alexander Galperson will return to America with Mr. Lawrence to organize the campaign. OWI SaysNo Fortieth Year FORTY YEARS in show business have not cured Wallace Beery of acting. Beginning his second score of years in the business, Mr. Beery has signed a new contract with MGM and will start preparing for his next picture, "Bad Bascomb," story of an 1860 bandit leader, and a little girl. His latest picture, "This TTTk A Man's Navy," about the lighter-than-air serv JcfUSy 11 UJx ice, will have its world premiere February 9 at Akron, Ohio. APPROVAL for the 'export of Lester Co^ an's production, "Tomorrow the World," United Artists' release, was denied this week the Office of War Information on the groui that the film is "too sympathetic to the Nazii In commenting on the OWI action, Mr. CowC said in New York Wednesday that the agenj, had withheld approval for exhibition in liber^ ed countries, but did not recommend it 1 "withheld from England or other countrj; where the OWI has no jurisdiction." ^ Cowan announced he was asking "for a revi^ of the picture by the OWI and for a mul) deeper and more serious consideration of tL problem. I am doing this because I do li think that a picture like 'Tomorrow the Wor| which poses such an important problem, shot be treated in a routine way. I think if such review is held and a fuller discussion tal^l place that this can serve only to stimulate t thinking of Americans on the question." Double Dosage TWICE the amount of the same fare is a growing practice in behalf of dual bill fans iri Chicago. The use of two pictures with similar themes on the same program, recently started by B&K circuit in top neighborhood houses, has been adopted by the Jones, Linick & Schaefer circuit. Featured this week at the McVickers were "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "The Canterville Ghost." Warners used "The Conspirators" and "Woman in the Window" at the Avalon. The whole thing started because bookers argued that fans of a particular theme prefer two of the same on a program to one added feature alien to their tastes. THE INDEPENDENT Theatre Owners New York within the fortnight has announce A plan to enter production. It was stat that $1,000,000 was immediately available, was said that a major company might banc distribution for the first year. A resolution condemning the practice of d tributors in playing the same pictures simi taneously in two theatres as first runs, on t ground that it creates even heavier backlo and holds back releases. "The prices distrib tors are asking after Broadway first runs, e: tended playing time and moveovers are by : means justified," charged the committee de: ing with this subject. An invitation to J. Arthur Rank, British fi capitalist, who is scheduled to visit the Unit States in May for the first time, to sit in on > ITOA business session when he arrives. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JANUARY 27, 19