Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

LATE FEATURE REVIEW Movietone News Centennial Summer 20th Century-Fox — Fun in Philadelphia In capsule: "Centennial Summer" is a top-grade musical as good as the best and heading for the kind of money the best deserve, and get. In detail, it's like this : Albert E. Idell wrote a popular novel about people against a background of the Centennial Exposition of Philadelphia in 1876. Michael Kanin did a screenplay and Otto Preminger produced and directed for 20th Century-Fox. For the music, the late Jerome Kern was engaged. For the lyrics, Kern collaborated [)avis in Cdnddd for with Oscar Hammerstein II, Leo Robin and , _ . _ ,. E. Y. ("Yap") Harburg. Cast power was Udeon UirCUlt I alks assembled via jeanne Craine, William Eythe, ^ , Linda Darnell; Walter Brennan, Constance Toronta Bureau Bennett, Dorothy Gish and then super John Davis, key executive in the Rank charged with Cornel Wilde who started to organization, arrived in Toronto from Lon go places in "A Song to Remember" and jon last weekend to confer with J. Earl gathered momentum with "Leave Her to Lawson, president, and other executives of Heaven and "The Bandit of Sherwood For q^,^^^ Theatres of Canada. Although Mr. est. A period piece, there was considerable • u i i i r opportunity for considerable production dis ^avis would hold no press conferences upon play and an authentic application of Techni arrival, it was learned that no unusual color. Full advantage was taken thereof. developments were in prospect. In point of story content, "Centennial Sum Returning to Toronto for the Davis conmer" is like a stroll, and just as leisurely, ference, Mr. Lawson had concluded inspecBrennan, railroad man, is married to Miss Gish. tion of the Odeon units and sites through Their grown-up daughters are Miss Craine, ^vestern Canada, while C. T. Appel, eastern who waits for her romance and learns his name , u j ^ j .li, i, r^ is Cornel Wilde, and Miss Darnell, who finally general manager, had toured through Quediscovers hers is William Eythe. But not with bee. Mr. Lawson has reported that Canadiout complications. The love strain breaks an Odeon plans to build 64 first run and subbounds when Miss Darnell bypasses Eythe in a urban theatres play for Wilde Frenchman representing his Coincidental' with the Davis arrival was countrv at the Centennial. Miss Cram decides ^ , . , to fight back and, in the end, of course wins out. the announcement of the appointment of a This returns Miss Darnell to Eythe. Mean former Toronto newspaperman, R. W. Glenwhile, Brennan, who has invented a clock tell denning, as advertising and publicity maning simultaneous time by zones, runs into trou ^ Eagle-Lion of Canada, while Lou ble until Miss Bennett, visiting sister-in-law, ^ . ' interests the president of the railroad in the de Spector has been appointed publicity chief vice. Everyone turns out to be happy in a of Monogram of Canada, happy picture. . What makes '"Centennial Summer" a delight T I l_l J ful attraction, however, is the cohesion arrived MarTin T OOhey HonOrSu at bv expert interweaving of the Kern score ^ >lcxL A * with' the slight story and the pleasant blending ^n ^Dth Anniversary of performance, incident, directorial touches and ^^^^j^ Toohey, veteran Rhode Island ex mood. The mixture of these assets is soundly , ., . , ' , , • r rr ^ and intelligently contrived by Preminger. hibitor, was honored on his forty-fifth anni The score registers and thereafter lingers nos versary in show business May 27 at a testi talgically. Thematically, the chief number is monial dinner in the Narragansett Hotel, "Up With the Lark/' which deserves to register Providence. He has been manager of the as a hit and undoubtedlv will. Ihe whole en li-n^i.-r.T terprise on the music side, however, is reflective Leroy theatre in Pawtucket, R. I., since it of Kern and caught in the atmosphere of the was opened in 1923. Approximately 400 at period. In a word, it fits snugly and eminently tended. Speakers and dais guests included Dennis J. Roberts, Mayor of Providence ; Seen in the home office projection room. Re Lawrence A. McCarthy, Mayor of Paw inewers Rating: Excellent. — Red Kantt. , ^ i t tA , r Release date, not set. Running time. 102 tnin. PCA ^"^ket ; Judge JameS E. Dooley, former No. 11378. General audience classification. sjovernor William S. Flynn of Rhode Island I ^vp.-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^!cZ,^^ Edward m. Fay, Buddy shepard, master of Edith Linda Darnell ceremonies ; Thomas J. Meehan, toastBen William Eythe , ti.tt^ • a 4. c tx. Walter Brennan, Constance Bennett, Dorothy Gish, master; John J. Dervm, president Ot the Barbara Whiting, Charles Dingle, Larrv Stevens, Kath Variety Club of BostOn leen Howard * Sees Little Hope of CPA Approval for New Houses John Friedl, president of Minnesota Amusement Company, sees "little hope" in 1946 of obtaining approval of the Civilian Production Administration for the construction of new theatres not classified as "absolutely essential." Mr. Friedl said he arrived at this conclusion after his circuit failed to get approval to complete construction on a 1,000-seat theatre in St. Paul. Bell & Howell Importing English Educational Films Bell & Howell is importing a large number of educational films by special arrangement with British Instructional Films, Ltd., and these soon will be made available for rental and sale through the company's Filmosound Library. A committee of leading educators will select and adapt those subjects best suited for use in American schools. The first three series to be released will be in the field of physical education. Plans Program Of Expansion Meeting to establish a new policy of expansion to insure complete world coverage, 20th Century-Fox executives, newsreel edi tors, foreign producers and managers last week convened at the New York home office for the first peacetime Movietone News convention. The week-long meeting opened May 20. Pointing out that Movietone already was in possession of greater facilities, equipment and resources, including the most modern newsreel cameras, Edmund H. Reek, vicepresident and producer, and chairman of the convention, said that the company was in an extremely advantageous position for expansion that might well be described as revolutionary in scope. Detailed Program Drafted The program, he explained, was drafted, along precise lines so that it could benefit immediately from the fast air schedules now in operation. Furthermore, Mr. Reek continued, the program was also predicated on a closer coordination of the many centers of production which spearhead Movietone News coverage and would be linked in a vast network system. This means almost immediate service of up-to-the-minute news events is guaranteed for cities in Europe, Central and South America, the Far East and Australasia. It was also announced that Movietone News would be produced in many more languages than previously under the direction of Boris Vermont, and that a new world trademark would be used on the newsreel in the interests of global uniformity. Executives at Meetings Present at the conferences were Spyros Skouras,' president of 20th Century-Fox; Murray Silverstone, president of 20th-Fox International ; William C. Michel, president of Movietone News ; Irving Maas, vicepresident of 20th-International-Inter-America Corporations ; Francis L. Harley, British managing director ; Russell A. Muth, European editor ; Sir Gordon Craig, British general rnanager ; Harry Guinness, Australian producer; John H. Haney, news editor; Harry Lawrenson, in charge of Latin America; Leslie F. Whelan, International director of advertising, publicity and sales promotion; Mr. Vermont, head of foreign versions ; Albert Cornfield, in charge of International sales control, and Arthur Stromberg, head of International service department. GPE Declares Dividend The directors of General Precision Equipment Corporation in New York Tuesday authorized a dividend of 25 cents a share on capital stock, payable June 15 to holders of record June 7, 1946. 28 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE I, 1946