Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

Harley 20th-Fox European Chief Francis L. Harley, managing director of 20th Century-Fox International in Great Britain, has been appointed managing direc^^^^^^^^^^^l^^^il^^^^i^iij^^^ tor of the entire con ^^^^^^^^H^^^ tor, it W 3 . , L, I America Corpora Francis L. Harley tion. In making the announcement, Mr. Silverstone also disclosed that Mr. Harley had been invited to become a vice-president of 20th-International and his present unexpired contra .t has been extended to total a period of seven years. Mr. Harley w^ill make his headquarters in Paris. Paris was selected, Mr. Silverstone said, because this capital must now be regarded as the pivotal center for the extensive activities which will eventuate as a result of the arrangement recently concluded between the Governments of the United States and France for the reopening of the French film market to the American industry. Mr. Silverstone also said this post was one of the most significant in relations to the company's post-war operations abroad and was in keeping with company plans to reopen many film frontiers. Mr. Harley has been in New York for the past several weeks for conferences with Mr. Silverstone, Spyros Skouras and William C. Michel. RKO New York Houses To Run Cartoon Shows Forty RKO theatres in Greater New York, Westchester and Newark, will present all-star, all-color cartoon festivals Saturday, June 15 at 9 A.M. Tickets for these cartoon parties, which are expected to reach an audience of 100,000 children and adults, went on sale May 31, with prices scaled at 25 cents for children and 35 cents for adults. The cartoon show at each theatre will offer 17 different comedies, with arrangements made so there will be no standing room. The popularity of cartoon festivals in RKO out-oftown theatres prompted the presentation of this special morning show at all RKO Metropolitan houses. Forms Theatre Service Unit Jack Kraker Associates has been formed in Philadelphia by Jack Kraker, former Philadelphia district manager for Ross Federal Service. The new unit will study conditions in theatres for better operation. LATE REVIEW The Runaround Universal — Comedy-Drama A rousing action drama, studded with some scattered bits of well-knit melodrama and romantic moods tliat waver between whimsy and ardor, proves a blend of cinema that makes for good reliable entertainment. With Rod Cameron and Ella Raines sharing the lead, the film opens on a note of brisk excitement and continues in pace and interest throughout. The plot pivots about a prominent financier's impetuous daughter, who runs off to the west coast to marry a sailor. Cameron and his colleague, Frank McHugh, private detectives, are hired to locate the headstrong girl and bring iier back unmarried. Reward is $15,000, c.o.d. for the attractive package. Most of the film's incendiary quality is kindled when a rival detective agency with bust-up methods vies with, Cameron for the privilege of returning the girl. Locating Miss Raines in San Francisco, Cameron starts the long trek back, involved in which are such assorted conveyances as an airplane, broken-down 1915 car and finally an ambulance. En route, with love slowly developing, the wealthy charge becomes a shifting pawn in serio-comic game of possession between the rival sleuths. Fitted into the plot are touches of fisticuffs, as muscular, realistic and comic as any brought to the screen in many a month. Charles Lamont has directed with skill, making some situations sharply realistic, many another glowingly humorous. The screenplay by Arthur T. Horman and Sam Hellman is memorable for several of its witty bits of dialogue. Frorn beginning to end, Joe Gershenson's unpretentious production is an enjoyable and carefree film. Seen in the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — Mandel Herbstman. Release date, June 14, 1946. Running time, 86 min. PCA No. 11692. General audience classification KiWane Rod Cameron Penelope Ella Raines Brodenck Crawford, Frank McHugh, Samuel S. Hinds, Joan Fulton, George Cleveland, Joe Sawyer, Nana Bryant, Dave Willock, Charles Coleman, Jack Overman. Deutsch and Kramer West in Story Productions Deal Armand S. Deutsch, president of Story Productions, Inc., left New York for Hollywood by plane last weekend to join Hal Home, chairman of the board, who has been negotiating for studio space and the establishment of Hollywood offices and facilities. Story Productions' coast setup will be headed by Stanley Kramer, vice-president in charge of production, who also left for Hollywood to join discussions for production and release through International and United World of the company's first film, "This Side of Innocence." Mr. Kramer, who will produce the film, simultaneously with conferences between Story Story Productions' executives and Leo Spitz and William Goetz of International, will set up a production staff and necessary facilities for immediate filming. Mr. Kramer has supervised the screen treatment of Taylor Caldwell's novel. The deal with International and United World, it is understood, is a distribution and studio space arrangement. Story retaining control of actual production. Tentative budget will be $1,000,000 or better, it is understood. By the end of 1946 the company expects to have four story properties in finished screenplay form. Rank to Produce 32-34 in Year The Rank Organization will produce between 32 and 34 pictures between July 1, 1946, and June 30, 1947, and there is a strong possibility that two of the Rank outlets in the U. S., United World and Eagle Lion, will distribute more Rank pictures than they originally intended — eight and 10, respectively. This was made known this week by John Woolf, joint managing director of General Film Distributors, major Rank British distributor, when he visited New York. He and Filippo Del Giudice, head of Two Cities Films, one of the Rank production companies, were to have left New York for Hollywood late this week. While in New York, Mr. Woolf conferred with Matthew Fox, United World president. Branches for United World are now in work. Universal has begun to remodel its exchanges, beginning in Indianapolis, St. Louis and Boston, so as to provide United World with separate physical distribution facilities. In some cities new buildings will be constructed, but these must await approval from the Civilian Production Administration. William J. Heineman, UW vice-president, has selected branch managers for the company, but announcements of the appointments will be held up for some time, it is understood. Films of the Nations, Inc., Elect Five New Officers At the annual meeting of members of Films of the Nations, Inc., last week in New York, the following officers were elected : Maurice T. Groen, president, formerly head of the film distribution department of the Netherlands Information Bureau; H. M. Moolman, vice-president, director of the Union of South Africa Government Information Office; B. Nordholm, vice-president, director of the Swedish Travel Information bureau; H. Van Weeren-Griek, treasurer, head of the visual education department of the Netherlands Information Bureau, and William Rosenfeld, secretary, New York attorney. At the same time the following directors were elected to constitute the executive committee : F. B. Grunzweig, director of the Czechoslovak Information Service; Knut Olsen, director of the Norwegian Travel Information Bureau, and Henry Pillichody, general representative of the Swiss Federal Railroads. Form Cinemart in New York A new company, Cinemart, Inc., has been formed in New York to make 16mm films and recordings for educational, industrial and television clients. Harold Kovner is president and Varian Fry vice-president and treasurer. 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE 8, 1946