Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

! THIS WEEK IN THE HEWS Maybe Yes ENTERPRISE Productions may or may not distribute through United Artists. New York said definitely they would. Hollywood said maybe. Monday in New York the UA board of directors approved a distribution deal with Enterprise, headed by David Loew and Charles Einfeld, which would include "Arch of Triumph" and several others. But no sooner had the official announcement ticked off the Western Union wire than the wire from Hollywood carried the news that Enterprise officials were reporting the UA announcement premature — that, in fact, Enterprise had not approved the agreement even if UA had. Further, said these Enterprise officials, the company had three other distribution deals to consider. But Wednesday, in New York, Paul Lazarus, Jr., UA's director of advertising and publicity, said "as far as we're concerned it's a deal," and announced he would leave for the coast Friday to discuss promotional plans for the Enterprise product. Enterprise reported they would announce their distributor next week. The reported UA-Enterprise deal is believed to be for the domestic market only, with Loew's International handling the pictures abroad. Five-Foot Shelf SIXTEEN independent producers will film 30 novels within the next two years for United Artists — in case you're wondering where all the motion pictures come from. The list of books includes classics dating back 50 years or more, a number of best sellers of recent years, and two novels which still are to be published. Sol Lesser is working on five novels, including James Norman Hall's "Lost Island." David O. Selznick is working on a like number including "The Paradine Case," by Robert Hichens and "Tender Is the Night," by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Cagney Productions list four topped by Thorne Smith's "The Stray Lamb" and Adria Locke Langley's "A Lion Is in the Streets." Other novels-into-film include Somerset Maugham's "Then and Now," Mary Robert Rinehart's "The Bat" and Warwick Deeping's "Sorrell and Son." Vol. I Versus Cain THE AMERICAN Writers Association was formed October 5 under the national chairmanship of John Erskine to fight the recent proposal of James M. Cain for "An American Authors Authority" which would take over the copyrights of all authors in all fields and copyright the material in its own name. In Vol. I, No. 1, of that organi INDUSTRY SALUTES J. Arthur Rank Pages 15-78 Rank's the Name, by Peter Burnup Page 17 Product and the Program Page 37 Production Scenes Pages 40-42 Rank in Canada Page 67 Rank in America Page 68 COMMITTEE to coordinate Government film program Page 13 COAL strike dims the marquees of the nation's theatres Page 14 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 86 In the Newsreels Page 99 Managers' Round Table Page 104 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 3333 Advance Synopses Page 3335 JOHNSTON impressed by advances of British industry Page 79 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann in comment on industry affairs Page 80 20TH-FOX profit for 39 weeks reaches $16,219,815 Page 80 PICTURE Pioneers hold annual affair in New York Page 82 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on industry personnel across country Page 91 Picture Grosses Page 103 Short Product at First Runs Page 100 What the Picture Did for Me Page 101 Release Chart by Companies Page 3336 The Release Chart Page 3337 zation's publication, "The American Writer," distributed this month, the Association takes the stand that "in Hollywood, as in the general writing world, it was recognized at once that this proposal was a threat, not only against private property, but against freedom of expression." The organization believes that "Mr. Cain's pronunciamento of last July had nothing to say of artistic integrity or of literary ethics." The entire four-page issue is devoted to a discussion of the Cain plan which the Association definitely does not endorse. The executive committee includes John T. Flynn, Victor von Hagen, Zora Neale Hurston, Rene L. Kuhn, Eugene Lyons, Patsy Ruth Miller, Fred Niblo, Jr., John O'Connor, George S. Schuyler, Norman Thomas, Helen Worden and Helen Woodward. Retiring FOLLOWING the sale of his half interest in Odeon Theatres of Canada to J. Arthur Rank some months ago, Paul Nathanson is retiring soon, it was learned this week, from the board of directors of Canadian Odeon and is moving his residence from Toronto to Montreal. Mr. Nathanson succeeded his father, the late N. L. Nathanson, as president of the circuit but resigned that post last February. Mr. Rank now has full control of the circuit, which comprises more than 100 theatres and is, reported to have purchased Mr. Nathanson's interests in Eagle-Lion Films of Canada and Monogram Pictures of Canada. Television Contract NEW possibilities for the television medium were seen as a result of a demonstration last Monday night in which officials of the Chevrolet division of General Motors Corporation in Washington signed a contract with Du Mont Television officials in New York. It was accomplished via a closed circuit hookup, in which a two-way discussion took place, followed by the simultaneous signing of the agreement, with each party in full view of the other. Some were already seeing a time when, for example, a sales head in a home office could hold faceto face talks with a representative located in a distant city. Milland in Paris RAY MILLAND'S appearance in Paris was a sensation. The Herald's Paris correspondent reports the Paramount star was mobbed when he made his initial public appearance on Avenue Matigon. Mr. Milland journeyed to Paris from London — where he was presented to Their Majesties — to receive his award as the best actor to appear in a film shown at the Cannes Festival. The picture was "The Lost Weekend." His award, an oil painting, was presented at the Lumieres de la Ville by Georges Bidault, French Premier, in the presence of Jefferson Caffery, American Ambassador to Paris ; Georges Huisman, chief of the Fine Arts Department, and Fourre Cormeray, chief of the French Direction for Cinema. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. NOVEMBER 30, 1946