Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Your Best Years WHEN SAMUEL GOLDWYN produced the Academy Award winner, "The Best Years of Our Lives," he turned into a good copy writer. The title of his film is fast becoming a national advertising slogan. Within three days Gimbel's in Milwaukee used eight full pages of newspaper advertising proclaiming that "Gimbel's accessories underscore the best years of our lives,'' "Gimbels say dress the part for the best years of 'your' lives," "Gimbels' famous liquors for the best years of "your' lives" and et cetera. A children's dress house recently brought out a new line and, "but natch, these definitely are the best years of our lives." Sanger Brothers in Texas took newspaper space to proclaim that "the best years of our lives are those we spend outdoors in Texas" dressed in Sanger sun suits. In Cincinnati, Jenny's dress shop was advertising "the best sheers of our lives." In England, the Goldwyn title inspired the publication of a song of the same name and a few nights ago a radio gagster came out with "the best beers of our lives." Challenge IT'S GETTING to be fashionable to go under water these days. With this thought in mind, and with the challenge of the pen that writes under water undoubtedly ringing in its ears, the National Broadcasting Company last week arranged for a television broadcast from a submerged submarine in New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard. The vessel involved was the Navy's new submarine Trumpet fish. Television cameras inside the submerged craft fed the signal to a mobile unit on shore. From there, in turn, it was sent for relay to viewers in New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Schenectady. Point made: Television works under water too. The Cure "THERE is nothing wrong with television that a million sets in American homes couldn't cure tomorrow morning." This statement, made by Joseph B. Elliott, vicepresident of RCA Victor, was the keynote of the Television Institute's two-day session at the Hotel Commodore this week. More than 250 radio, advertising, television and retail executives attended the meeting. A total of 51 speakers addressed the seven panels, four seminars and two luncheons. They included Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, consulting engineer ; J. R. Poppele, president of the Television Broadcasters Association; Paul Mowrev, national director of ABC U. S. figures show the screen is the nation's best value Page 13 M. CHAPLIN comes to town with a film — and meets the press Page 15 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann in comment on industry affairs Page 18 MPTOA "pleased" and Allied "baffled" by arbitration status Page 19 CARPENTERS' union halts theatre building throughout country Page 22 BOX OFFICE Champions for the month of March Page 23 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on industry personnel across country Page 30 SEE tough battle ahead before any gains are scored at Geneva Page 38 BRITISH vote for home product in Bernstein circuit poll Page 40 MPEA product getting big play in theatres in the Netherlands Page 42 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 26 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION In the Newsreels Page 41 Showmen's Reviews Page 3585 Managers' Round Table Obituaries Picture Grosses Page 47 Page 54 Page 53 Short Subjects Advance Synopses Page Page 3586 3587 Short Product at First Runs Page 39 Short Subjects Chart Page 3588 What the Picture Did for Me Page 44 The Release Chart Page 3590 television ; Judy Dupuy, editor of "Televiser," the magazine which sponsored the Institute ; C. E. Hooper, president of C. E. Hooper, Inc. ; Ralph Austrian, president, RKO television ; David P. Lewis, director of television, Caples Company ; Harvey Marlowe, executive producer, ABC television; Captain William C. Eddy of WBKB, Chicago, and others. Among the statistics quoted at the meeting were figures showing that today there are 11 television stations operating in the principal cities of the U. S., with 49 construction permits in 22 states already granted. The average viewing audience of today is approximately 3,000,000 and it is hoped that 500,000 homes will be wired for television by the time of the Presidential election in 1948. Sets manufactured by RCA, Du Mont, Telicon and United States Television Corporation were on display. Research Boom TO HANDLE what it describes as a greatly increased number of requests for motion picture research surveys, Market Research Service has formed a subsidiary, Film Research Surveys, to take care of that part of its activities. Both companies are headed by George Fine. The new company will undertake any kind of survey from title and story testing to measuring the extent of publicity penetration. Field representatives in all areas abroad, except those under Russian domination, will provide international coverage. Stage Struck How'd It End? WHAT HAPPENED to the girl at the end ? That's what's worrying a group of newsmen who were aboard a United Air Lines Mainliner when the plane recently set a new coast-to-coast record of six hours, 47 minutes, 13 seconds. One of the features of the flight was a special preview of United Artists' "The Other Love," starring Barbara Stanwyck and David Niven. But the plane flew so fast over the last leg of its journey that there was time to show only one reel of the feature. FIVE SCREEN STARS under contract to David O. Selznick have established a summer theatre company to give themselves a chance to do some in-the-flesh acting, some managing and producing. The players include Joseph Cotten, Mel Ferrer, Jennifer Jones, Dorothy McGuire and Gregory Peck. The company has engaged a playhouse at La Jolla, Calif., for a minimum of six weeks during July and August. Rage from Heaven THE TORNADO which blew through Woodward, Okla., recently ripped the marquee from the Terry theatre. The marquee was advertising "Rage in Heaven." 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 19, 1947