Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

Box Office Champions for Month of January HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN (Warner Bros.) Produced by Alex Gottlieb. Directed by Delmer Daves. Original screenplay by Delmer Daves. Musical numbers created and directed by LeRoy Prinz. Photographed by Bert Glennon. Cast: Jack Benny, Joe E. Brown, Eddie Cantor, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, John Garfield, Barbara Stanwyck, Jimmy Dorsey and Band. Release date, December 30, 1944. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ) Produced by Arthur Freed. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. Screenplay by Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe, 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. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (Warner Bros.) Executive producer. Jack L. Warner. A Howard Hawks production. Directed by Howard Hawks. Screenplay by Jules Furthman and William Faulkner, from the novel by Ernest Hemingway. Photographed by Sid Hickox. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan, Lauren Bacali, Dolores Moran, Hoagy Carmichaei. Release date, January 20, 1945. CANT HELP SINCINC (Universal) Produced by Felix Jackson. Associate producer, Frank Shaw. Directed by Frank Ryan. Music by Jerome Kern; lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. Screenplay by Lewis R. Foster and Frank Ryan. Story by John Klorer and Leo Townsend, based on "Girl of the Overland Trail" by Samuel J. and Curtis B. Warshawsky. Cast: Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, Akim Tamiroff, David Bruce. Release date, December 29, 1944. THE KEYS OF KINGDOM (Twentieth Century-Fox) Produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Directed by John M. Stahl. Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Nunnally Johnson, from the novel by A, J. Cronin. Director of photography, Arthur Miller. Music, Alfred Newman. Cast: Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Rosa Stradner, Roddy McDowall. Release date, January, 1945. THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ) Produced by Sam Zimbalist. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo. Based on the book and Collier's story by Captain Ted W. Lawson and Robert Considine. Directors of photography, Harold Rosson, Robert Surtees. Musical score, Herbert Stothart. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Robert Walker, Phyllis Thaxter. Release date, January, 1945. Western Pennsylvania Unit Supports Allied Board Endorsement of the position assumed by the board of Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors in regard to the Consent Decree and the activity of the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry featured a recent general membership meeting in Pittsburgh of the Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania. The board, in session at Columbus, Ohio, January 24 called upon distributors to give favorable consideration to the Government's Decree modification proposals, and urged that the War Activities Committee confine its endeavors exclusively to movements calculated to further the industry's war' effort. Morris M. Finkel, president, presided. will be presented with the Cinema "Honor Scroll" by S. H. Fabian, WAC theatres division chairman. The two previous recipients of the scroll were Barney Balaban and Samuel Rinzler. The Cinema Auxiliary will be formally accepted into Cinema Lodge at the meeting and the officers, Mrs. Ann G. Blackman, president ; Mrs. Bessie Lefkowitz, vice-president ; Bess Rosenthal, treasurer, and Mrs. Ethel R. Greenfield, recording secretary, will be installed. Membership in the Auxiliary is open to all women in the film and allied entertainment industries as well as wives and other feminine members of the families of Cinema members. Cinema Lodge Will Honor Brandt February 27 Cinema Lodge, B'nai B'rith will honor Harry Brandt, New York exhibitor, at a joint open, meeting with the recently-formed Cinema Ladies' Auxiliary of B'nai B'rith in the Cosmopolitan Room of the Pythian Temple in New York Tuesday evening, February 27. Mr. Brandt will be cited for his leadership in the undertakings of the industry's War Activities Committee in furtherance of the war effort. He Chicago Censor Approves All Films in January The police censor board in Chicago gave the industry in January a clean bill of health for the sixth consecutive month. During January, the board reviewed 70 films, and made no rejections or adult classifications. Film Producers Engage Ernst Morris Ernst has been engaged as eastern counsel for the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. He met with members of the society at a meeting in Hollywood February IS, then entrained for New York. Of Dubbed 'Gaslight Is A Hit in MexictJ^ •MGM's version of "Gaslight," dubbed in Span ish, now in its eighth week at the Metropolita| theatre, Mexico City, is playing to a greater nunj' ber of people than ever had witnessed an MG^ feature in tnat country, Sam Burger, special trave uig representative for the company, reported il New York last week. Mr. Burger just returne from a four-month trip to South America. ! He attributed the success of "Gaslight" to th fact that it had much greater entertainment, valu for Mexicans in the dubbed version than with tn use of subtitles. "Dragon Seed," dubbed in Spar* ish, also had opened in Mexico City with the sanrjte results, he said. ^ jdi MGM now has 18 pictures dubbed in Spanish fcj jt release throughout Latin America. The comparj^ plans to dub shorts, newsreels and trailers in ao dition to its features. United Artists will dub from five to seven (J' its current program in Spanish and already hi started on David O. Selznick's production, "Sinii You Went Away." MGM's New York dubbin|: facilities at the Lopert studios would be used icAi. some of the UA pictures, a company official ai nounced this week. Others scheduled are: "Hold Autumn in Yot Hand," David Loew production; "Guest in tr House," Hunt Stromberg; "I'll Be Seeing You; Selznick, and "Brewster's Millions," Edwarj Small. In addition, Charles Chaplin's "The Gre; Dictator" will be dubbed in French, UA haviriifP' been assured by the overseas film division of thi Office of War Information that raw stock will lj( ins made available. ii p Four Industry Members Serve On Clothes Gathering Unit Four members of the industry have accept^v invitations to serve on the United National Clotl ing Collection Committee, it has been announceby Henry J. Kaiser, national chairman. They are Edward Arnold, executive vice-president, perms nent charities committee, motion picture industry Jean Hersholt, president, American Denmark Ri lief; Louis B. Mayer and Spyros Skouras, pres[ dent, Greek War Relief Association. Serving on the national committee are mo( than 60 outstanding Americans who will guide th April drive for 150,000,000 pounds of serviceab used clothing for destitute millions in war-ravagd' countries. Mr. Kaiser said the committee had bee invited to attend the initial meeting at the Whit House February 27, when plans for the natior wide campaign will be discussed. The United National Clothing Collection is spor sored by more than SO voluntary war relief ager^ cies which have joined the United Nations Re lief and Rehabilitation Administration to help a estimated 125,000,000 needy in war-devastatd countries. If lOl Selznick Seeks to Halt Miss Leigh Stage Role |i David O. Selznick is seeking, through counse}' 'Il an injunction in British High Court, London, re' straining Vivian Leigh from appearing in the stag play, "Skin of Your Teeth," alleging that hei, reputation will be damaged by playing in a rol^ described as unsuitable to her and thereby, M( Selznick's worldwide property in Miss Leigh "personal capabilities." Mr. Selznick has Miss Leigh under a seveii| year contract, founded on her work in "Gone Wit' the Wind." Miss Leigh has been in England fo* the past two years, chiefly working in Gabrie Pascal's "Caesar and Cleopatra." Her husbanc' Laurence Olivier, who is financing the play, op posed her appearance in Mr. Selznick's films an' is now insisting that she appear in the stage plajl Furst Monogrann Manager \ Monogram has named Nate Furst, formerly spe' cial representative, to manage the New York ex' change. Jack Safer, former salesman, has becj appointed acting manager of the Washington exj change. i 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24, 194