Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS SUPREME Court stays bidding and continues arbitration Page 13 EIGHT bills defeated in six state legislatures Page 14 MR. TRUMAN says "maybe"; Johnston and company heads visit President Page 15 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann in comment on industry affairs Page 16 NEGRO theatres an expanding market; see 16mm reaching new audiences Page 18 R. B. WILBY comments on the changing position of the exhibitor Page 2 1 BRITISH exhibitors and labor unit join to fight quota plan Page 22 BRITISH 16mm mobile film units take shows to the home Page 27 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on industry people across country Page 34 J. ARTHUR RANK solidifies motion pic ture position in Eire Page 42 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS From Reader Page 24 Short Product at First Runs Page 43 Late Review Page 28 Picture Grosses Page 44 Hollywood Scene Page 30 In the Newsreels Page 45 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION What the Picture Did for Me Page 46 Showmen's Reviews Page 3573 Release Chart by Companies Page 3576 Advance Synopses Page 3574 Service Data Page 3577 Short Subjects Page 3575 The Release Chart Page 3578 Taking these encouraging figures as a starting point, the Academy's board of governors last week met in formal session on Ruin and Riot Mexico City Bureau Pity the Critic "NOBODY pays any attention to motion picture critics." That was the blunt assertion heard in Boston at a recent convention of the Massachusetts' Women's Clubs. The speaker was Rudolph Elie, Jr., formerly one of the best known motion picture critics in New England and now a feature writer on the Boston Herald-Traveler. Mr. Elie made it plain that it was his opinion that motion picture critics had little power to shape the course of the Hollywod industry. Time and time again, he pointed out, pictures that have been universally panned by the critics have grossed millions. Finger-Shaking HUNDREDS of film fan club members throughout the country were shaking their collective finger at Hollywood this week. It all began when the clubs, represented by the International Fan Club League and affiliated organizations, notified the studios and stars that they were expecting to be royally entertained by the industry when they met in convention in Hollywood June 23 to 29. At the same time, through the Hollywood chapter, the 300-odd clubs said 500 or more delegates were expected to converge on the film capital ; that they plan an informal tea at the swank Ambassador Hotel, and a dinner-dance for chapter presidents at Ciro's. "Stop !" shrieked the studios and stars when they received the news. "There are insufficient facilities to accommodate or entertain so many." The fan clubs' ultimatum : no Hollywood cooperation with the convention — no fan club cooperation in the future with the studios or the stars. Art by the Inch IT'S ALWAYS been a sort of trade secret that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences measures the success or unsuccess of its operations by no such intangibles as the artistic standards which govern its bestowal of honors but by the quite tangible and meticulously checked linear dimensions of the publicity given its activities in the world's press. This week, however, the veil is dropped to reveal, in a formal press release, that during the three months ending March 31, a period embracing the Annual Awards ceremonies opened this year for the first time to the public, a total of 31,847 column inches of newsmention was recorded, and that this statistic exceeds by 8,720 the total displacement chalked up during the 11 month? preceding the period, which included last year's Awards event. the matter of public relations and came up with the idea of appointing a committee of three to take charge of them, naming Walter Wanger, William Dozier and Mary McCall, Jr., to the task of passing on all publicity releases, promotional undertakings and related matters in advance of their execution. A detail of the operation will be the dispatch of all news releases to each of these three by special messenger for approval prior to their issuance to the press. It is calculated that by this means the Academy's publicity score may be raised even higher. Dissenting from that calculation, Academy publicity director Donald Black resigned. Same Bar IF ANYONE on seeing David O. Selznick's "Portrait of Jenny" should detect a faint resemblance between Joseph Cotten's favorite bar and Ray Milland's hangout in "The Lost Weekend'' it isn't just a coincidence. It's authenticity the boys are looking for, and Clark's on 55th Street and 3rd Avenue must have it, because the bar in both pictures is modeled after that establishment. The "Lost Weekend" crew shot on location. For "Portrait of Jenny," parts of the bar were taken to the RKO Pathe studios in New York, while the rest of the equipment was collected from a number of antique shops. THE CINE PRINCIPAL in Mexico City, said to be the oldest theatre in North America, was literally ripped apart when lawyers and their helpers moved into the theatre, tore up all the seats that could be moved, smashed those that couldn't, destroyed the box office, the manager's office, the lobby advertisements, the screen and even the ceiling. Damage was estimated at $50,000. The Principal was built in 1776 and was for years Mexico's most brilliant playhouse. It has been a subsequent fun since 1930. The trouble started when the owner of the theatre, an insurance company, got court orders to oust films from the theatre, wanting to tear it down and erect an office and stores. The exhibitor got an injunction against this order and the lawyers on both sides started arguing. The climax came when the lawyers moved their argument into the theatre. A riot call was issued, the police moved in and arrested 19. Gratitude UNITED STATES PICTURES' "Pursued" used New Mexico as background. The state's House of Representatives is grateful. It now asks the company to make another feature-length film to be called, "New Mexico." MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 12, 1947