Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

Film Workers Hit By WMC Drive on Essential Jobs Further inroads into the film industry in the drive for war labor were made last week when the Regional War Manpower Commission in New York and Chicago ordered non-essential industries in those areas, including theatres, to reduce their staffs by five per cent at once, and another five per cent by March IS. The rulings affect employers with 10 or more employees and involve male workers only. In New York, spokesmen for the commission indicated that industry workers in a large city were far more likely to be ordered into essential work than those in smaller cities. It was pointed out that in small cities and towns an entire theatre might be affected by the war-job drafting of a single projectionist or other needed worker, possibly imperiling war workers' entertainment there. For that reason, it was said, draft boards, which have the ultimate discretion in the matter, are expected to go slow in reclassifying s"uch employees for war jobs. Retain Seniority Rights Employees "laid off" so that they might accept defense jobs will retain seniority rights and must be given their original positions when their services in war plants no longer are required, the commission's ruling states.. Indications in Washington, meanwhile, pointed to the Senate's voting a manpower bill which would expand the commission's authority to establish labor ceilings. If the Senate did vote such a measure, it was expected that the House would not hold out for the much more drastic work-orfight bill it has voted. The commission in New York said that theatre and other workers currently classified as 4F, and men who served in the armed forces and were discharged because of over-age, and who took essential jobs and left them, would be in the same category as 2A workers. Only those who served in the armed forces more than three months and were medically discharged were likely to remain untouched, it added. Meanwhile, the expansion contemplated by most of the film companies, their executives say, will absorb a sufficient number of service men substitutes to preclude any vrfiolesale discharges when the service men return to their jobs. Report 45,000 in Services The War Activities Committee, in a survey of film industry personnel in the services, reports that some 45,000 men and women, employed by the companies prior to December 7, 1941, are now in the armed forces. While doubling up on the jobs has been a partial solution of the problems created, some 25,000 workers are now in the industry as a result of the departure of the employees now in the services. Company executives sum up the post-war labor adjustments in the industry as follows : (1) Any and all service men. and women will receive their old jobs, similar or better ones, if they desire to return. (2) A policy of expansion and if necessary, stretching, will enable the companies to retain at least 90 per cent of the current replacements. (3) The problem will not be serious since the majority who entered service were between 18 and 30, and did not hold executive positions. Many of these, having received specialized training, will look for opportunities elsewhere, while many women, wives of service men, will retire on the return of their husbands to civilian life, thus leaving many vacancies. Lease Boston House for Foreign Pictures The 600-seat Fine Arts theatre, Boston, has been leased jointly by Jack Markle and Leonard Tuttle. The policy of the house will be foreign films, with Mr. Markle and Mr. Tuttle said to have assurances of sufficient foreign product. 3 IN NEWSREELS MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 27, No. 49--The Big Three conference. . . . Work of the Nazi beast. . . .Pope Pius receives Polish officers in private audience. . . . Champions of dogdom. . . . Saga of wandering Chinese boy who found a home. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 27, No. SO^Admiral Halsey's report. . . . Admiral Halsey's sweep in China Sea. . . . U. S. troops smash Japs in fierce Luzon battle. . . . OPA head honors ration board volunteers. . . . Aviation. , . . Women in sports. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 15, No. 247— First films of Big Three meeting. . . . No war criminals must escape. . . . Pope blesses fighting Poland. . . . Dog of the year. . , . True story of a little Chinese boy. . . . NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 15, No. 24S-U. S. carrier force sweeps China Sea. . . . MacArthur mop-up on Luzon. . . . Halsey back from Pacific warns of Jap peace bid. . . . Canadians open big push on snowbound west front. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 50— War in China. . . Horror in Poland. . . . Big Three conference. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 51— Future ski champions learn how. . . . President honors ration boards. . . . Army reveals new tailfirst plane. . . . Paramount News presents "Objective Tokyo." RKO-PATHE NEWS— Vol. 16, No. 52— Big Three conference: meeting at Yalta. . . . Crimea conference. RKO-PATHE NEWS— VoU 16, No. 59— U. S. carrier planes sweep China Sea. . . , Canadian First Array smashes into Reich. . . . Yanks drive into northern Luzon. . . . New Army plane is push-propelled. . . . Bowles honors U. S. ration boards. UNIVERSAL NEWS— VoL 18, No. 373— Big Three conference. . . . Poland will never forget. . . . Scores die in Tornado. . . . Dogdom's annual classic. . . . National Scout Week. . . . China's Tiger Joe joins up. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 18, No. 374— Pacific force closes in on Jap. . . . Soft peace not for Jap, says Halsey. . . . First women Marines overseas. . . . Backwards plane in flight. . . . OFA chief lauds local price boards. . . . U. S. tightens control over Philippines. ALL AMERICAN NEWS— Vol. 3, No. 122— Freedom day celebrated in Washington, D. C. . . . Founder of Negro history week tells achievements. . . . Jeri Smith plays in Carnegie Hall. . . . lS,O0O,0OOth service man received in Chicago center. . . . How to file income tax returns. . . . With African troops in Burma jungles. Television Association Ge^-s Marconi Plaque "The electronic wonders achieved during the past 20 years are merely a forerunner of the great things to come during the next quarter of a century," J. R. Poppele, president of Television Broadcasters Association, Inc., said February 17 at the 20th anniversary dinner of the Veteran Wireless Operators Association, at the Hotel Astor, New York. Mr. Poppele accepted the Marconi Memorial Plaque, presented to the Television Broadcasters Association by the Veteran Wireless Operators Association "for the initiative TBA has shown in banding together the television interests of the nation in order to insure American pre-eminence in television." Macy's, New York department store, after seven weeks of experimental programs on station WABD, has decided to c_pntinue for a further 19-week period, RKO Television Corporation, producer of the programs, has announced. Commissioner E. E. Jett of the Federal Communications Commission, in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee during hearings on the FCC budget, said that during the first year after manpower and materials are free, the FCC expects about 150 commercial television applications. Lt. B. M. Ldwry, Jr., Killed Second Lieut. Brents M. Lowry, Jr., former assistant manager of the State theatre, Chattanooga. Tenfi., a fighter pilot, was killed in action in the Burma area in December, according to a War Department announcement to his parents here. Overseas since August, 1944, Lt. Lowry had previously received the Purple Heart for wounds. Michael Martone Michael Martone, 56, manager of the Palmer theatre, Palmer, Mass., and associated with the Western Massachusetts -Amusement Company, died at Wesson Memorial Hospital last week after a brief illness. Award in Chicago \ Cuts Clearance of Moline Theatres \ A consent award has been entered in the Chicago tribunal on the clearance complaint of the | Geneseo theatre, Geneseo, 111., operated by the Marchesi Brothers Theatres, against Loew's, RKO | and Paramount, the American Arbitration Association reported this week in New Kork. The maximum clearance to be granted by the ' three defendants to the Le Claire or lUini theatres, j Moline, 111., over the Geneseo, was set at seven ! days, and no clearance by way of prior run or otherwise is to be imposed by them on the Geneseo in favor of the Majestic and Strand, ' East Moline, 111. The right of any distributor or exhibitor affected by the award to institute further arbitration [ proceedings if conditions change so as to warrant modification is reserved in the award. The Tri I States Theatre Corporation, operator of the Le i Clare and Illini, intervened. In the New York tribunal. Max Cohen, operator of the Ritz theatre, Lyndhurst, N. J., has : filed a clearance compjaint against the five con | senting companies and the Rivoli theatre, Ruther , ford, N. J. Other theatres named were : the Rex, East Rutherford ; Franklin, Nutley ; Capitol, Belleville ; Lincoln, North Arlington, and the ' Regent and Hudson, Kearney, all in New Jersey, j j The complaint charged that the defendants I , have "gerrymandered the pertinent zone" and have improperly permitted the Franklin to follow the Capitol by seven instead of 14 daySj thus indirectly , giving the Franklin a seven days clearance over i the Ritz which is required to follow the Rivoli by < 14 days. ! [ The complaint further stated that the Capitol I ( had waived clearance on the Franklin to reduce I it to one day. Also, the complaint charged that i in an indirect breach of the contract between the c Rivoli and the defendants they had permitted the i latter theatre to reduce its admission price to I destroy the complainant's theatre, which reduction ■ eliminated all justification for a 14-day clearance , in favor of the Rivoli over the Ritz. In any event, the complaint charged, a 14-day clearance in favor of the Rivoli was excessive and asked it be eliminated or reduced to one day. j Industry Committee To Aid [ Boy Scout Fund Drive j The Boy Scouts of America, in commemorating their 35th anniversary, will be aided by an industry committee which will help raise $750,000 for the i organization to carry on its war work. | Amusement co-chairmen include : Leonard Gold enson and Arthur Israel, Jr., Paramount ; Silas i Seadler and Harold Cleary, Loew's ; Stewart Mc , Donald, Warners ; A. W. Dawson, RKO ; Harry i Buckley, United Artists ; L. J. Barbono, Colum1 bia ; Walter Titus, Republic ; Fredric March, actors ' and actresses. , Others are : Deems Taylor, music publishers and ' composers ; Ralph Edwards, radio arti^ ; Emil j Friedlander and George Feinberg, theatre equipment; Nat Lefkowitz and Lee Kellman, artists''! representatives ; Charles Alicoate, publications ; ! Sammy Kaye, bandleaders; Allan Friedman, la-! boratories ; Marcus Heiman and James Reilly, j League of New York Theatres. | Scran+on Soldier Cited Posthumous awards of the Purple Heart and; Presidential Citation for Corporal Jerome J. McDonnell, formerly with the Comerford Circuit, have been received in Scranton by his mother. Cor-, poral McDonnell was killed in action in France last September. Gets Posthumous Award Mrs. Partricia Lampley Bess has received thei Purple Heart awarded posthumously to her hus-', band, Pvt. Charles N. Bess, former manager of' Crescent's Woodbine theatre, Nashville, Tenn., who was killed in action in France, July, 1944. 58 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24, 1945;