Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

industry Faces Loss of Many in 26-30 Bracket Washington Bureau All branches of the industry were faced this veek with the prospect of losing many male emjloyees between 26 and 30 in the near future — ^not only men who have been given occupational deerments but also 4-F's previously rejected by the krmy. Faced with the need for up to 1,500,000 men or the armed forces and war plants, War Moblilation Director James F. Byrnes has ordered Selective Service to fine-comb the list of occupaional deferments kin the 26-29 age group, while at ihe same time ordering all men physically unfit Eor military service to get jobs in critical or esiential industry. _ Meanwhile, Congress is working on legislation to channel workers into the war industries ind is expected to enact a measure within the lext few weeks which will provide fines or imprisonment, or both, as the penalty for refusal to :ake a job directed by the War Manpower Comnission. As the first step toward an all-out raid of occutational deferments, the WMC last week revised ts year-old list of critical and essential occupations, retaining in the former categ;ory only about pne-third of the number of jobs originally listed. Essential hut Not Critical In the ne\y list, all the occupations in motion pictures, radio and television, except the actual production of radio communications equipment for the militarv services, are classified as essential but iCnot critical. These occupations include: Production of motion pictures (including technical land vocational training films for the Army, Navy, Ipnd war production industries) ; motion picture ^ilm processing, news reel s ; development of sensifized film; radio broadcasting and television. Retained on the critical list, however, is the production of photographic equipment, which in:mdes both apparatus. Selective Service officials said this week that the lupply of men in the 18-25 age group was practi:ally exhausted and a large part of future calls for I induction would have to be filled with men be:ween 26 and 30. There are only 828,000 men in :his age group now remaining in civilian life under )ccupational deferments, and the way in which ,:hey will be called has been scheduled as follows : , 1. Registrants not employed in any activity isted as essential. 2. Registrants whom local boards find to be (mployed in relatively unimportant jobs in essen lal but not critical activities. I 3. Registrants employed in relatively unim r^tant jobs in critical activities. j' 4 Registrants engaged in relatively more im [portant jobs m essential industries. . 5. Registrants whom local boards find to be ^^gaged in more important jobs in critical indus f Last to be called will be technical, scientific and research personnel engaged in work where they cannot be replaced. hoans" of Personnel Likely With regional WMC officials ordering employ frevin,,"?'"^*; ^""T ■?• ^""^ employment even under Jreviously fixed ceilings and threatening that if 2r nllnf" -f^'-^J '^^'^'^ sufficient labor for the rar plants it will be necessary to resort to forced TLa P^''^°""el. and with the new program m ?,Sh °" threatening to deplete their staffs e.d.H ' representatives last week 'leaded unsuccessfully with WMC officials in Jashington for the word which at least would en" gers. operators and house man Harry Brandt and S. H. Fabian of New York Sic?chi?f r^P°'-t^ -d'andysis ervice chief and representatives of the Armv ^a^X War Production Board, Office of wfr Tn^ 10TI0N PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 27, 1945 Films Second Only to Mail as Morale Weapon, Says Hubbell Second only to mail, motion pictures are comparable to guns, ammunition and other vital supplies in winning the war, Major John Hubbell, executive of the Army Overseas Motion Picture Service, said Friday, at an interview in the press room of the Army's Second Corps Area, New York. Major Hubbell returned recently from inspection of the film facilities in the western and southern European theatres of war. Films are shown nightly to some 700,000 of 2,400 shows. Major are in some instances taken from the front lines in a rotation system to see films, then returned to the front. Shows in some instances were so close to the lines, he added, that the Germans could hear their sound tracks. "Our psychiatrists have prescribed films as a necessary battle measure," he testified. Of the thousands who see films, many in their peacetime lives never were fans; now they are, and after the war they will form a new screen audience of many millions. Major Hubbell said, confirming the testimony of many others who have seen the effect of films on troops. The average soldier sees three different Major John Hubbell men, in an average Hubbell said. Men pictures weekly, 156 yearly, he said, remarking that the average civilian sees only 62 a year. Among the most popular pictures, he said, have been "Going My Way", "Song of Bernadette" and "Home in Indiana". He added that quality cannot be a criterion. "You can't be right if you send only the top pictuVes," he said, and cited an instance in which, after 31 days in the lines, a battalion was shown a "B" picture. The effect on the morale, in his opinion, was miraculous. No other type of picture would have cheered them, he said. So important were films deemed that a projector was sneaked into Fort Driant, besieged by the Americans, who had entered only a few of its subterranean sections. In those sections, for months, until the fort was captured, the attackers in short respites saw almost 30 films. Another instance of films shown in a difficult situation was cited by the Major. At the Anzio beachhead, in Italy, he said, a dugout for 300 soldiers, covered only by a canvas tent, and continually in danger of enemy action, was the sector's theatre. It became known as the "Turkish Bath Roxy", he said. A factor which will be most important in the motion picture habit, new to so many soldiers, is that, when civilian life comes, they will be able to "pick their pictures, and they certainly will enjoy that", Major Hubbell believes. formation and other agencies, urged that some assurance be given that key employees would not be taken under the new plan. The theatre men are understood to have been strongly supported by war agency officials who cited the invaluable service rendered the war program by the theatres, but the WMC, while admitting recognition of that service, refused to take immediate action, although officials indicated that, as in the past, the local representatives of the commission would have authority to ease the plight of the theatre men in their areas. Fox Intermoun+ain Shifts Managers In Colorado Harold E. Rice, manager of the P-aramount theatre, Denver, has been promoted to manager of the southern district for Fox Intermountain Theatres and will have charge of more than a score of houses in New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Mr. Rice succeeds Chet L. Miller, who returns to his home to become city manager at Sterling, Col., where he succeeds Loanna Backes, resigned. Ralph J. Batschelet has been promoted from the Mayan theatre to the Paramount as manager. John Lindheardt, recently honorably discharged from the Army Air Force, has been named manager of the Mayan. Robert L. Ritter is the new manager at the Webber, succeeding A. C. Knowles, resigned. Blue Network in Television With B. &K., G. E., DuMont Hubbell Robinson, Jr., vice-president of the Blue Network in charge of programs and production, announced in New York last week network plans for active participation in television in conjunction with General Electric and DuMont. Negotiations with Balaban & Katz are under way, he indicated, for the presentation of suitable Blue programs by television from the B. & K. television station WBKB in Chicago. The television debut of the Blue will take place February 25 with a halfhour program, "Ladies Be Seated," over WRGB, G. E. station in Schenectady. This will be followed by a variety program featuring the network's stars over WARD, DuMont station in New York, on February 27. Regular weekly half-hour programs on both stations will continue thereafter. Reopen Boston Theatre Many civic and social dignitaries attended the formal reopening of the Fine Arts theatre in Boston January 19. Previous to the opening, a special screening was held and a luncheon was given at the Hotel Statler for members of the press and notables. The SOO-seat theatre has been leased to John Markle and Leonard Tuttle, is under the management of George Kraska, and will have a film policy. Monogram Retains Weshner David E. Weshner and Associates have been retained as consultants by Monogram in connection with special advertising, exploitation and publicity on two productions, "They Shall Have Faith" and "John Dillinger." They will work in cooperation with Louis S. Lifton, Monogram's advertising and publicity chief, in Hollywood, and with Madeleine White, Monogram's eastern publicity representative in New York. Cleveland Exhibitors Set Date February IS has been announced by the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors as the date of its annual meeting for the election of officers. A buffet luncheon will precede the business meeting. It is expected that Ernest Schwartz will be reelected to serve his twelfth term. ■ 29