Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

Expediter Sees No Need to Hold Building Curbs Washington Bureau Housing Expediter Tighe Woods testified at rent control hearings held Monday by the Senate Banking and Currency SubCommittee that theatre and other entertainment construction was, comparably, an "insignificant" part of the building picture and that he would not "feel too badly if the curbs were dropped." Officially, Mr. Woods said, he had to urge continuation of the current Federal controls on theatre and other amusement building so that his office could not be accused at a later date of wrecking the housing program. He is expected to repeat this stand when he submits to the sub-committee a written statement later this week. Asked how he felt about the controls personally, Mr. Woods admitted, however, that he did not feel very strongly one way or the other and that he could not prove the limitation had done any good at all. The chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee, Jesse P. Wolcott, who probably will have the final decision in extending the rent control law past its February 29 expiration date, has said he would favor dropping the limitation power over theatre building if it could be shown that such construction was minor. The committee was told that the housing expediter, from July 1 to January 16, had turned down 300 theatre projects worth $40,979,281, and approved 310 projects valued at $11,730,529. Jack Sichelman Dies Jack Sichelman, 63, assistant to Clarence Hill, manager of branch operations for Twentieth Century-Fox, died in New York January 23. He had been with the company for 30 years. Frank Kerr Frank Kerr. 67 veteran British Columbia theatre operator and owner of the Edison theatre at New Westminster, died of a heart attack January 20. He was a charter member of the Vancouver branch of Canadian Picture Pioneers and had been in the theatre business 45 years. Harry Keller Harry Keller, 52, former Universal Pictures publicist, died in Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, January 22. Services were held Monday in Floral Park, L. I., N. Y. Bill Cody Bill Cody, 57, star of numerous silent Westerns, died in Hollywood January 24. Services were held January 28 at Blessed Sacrament Church, Hollywood. He is survived by his widow and two sons'. IN NEWS REELS MOVIETONE NEWS' — Vol. 31, No. 7— Petrillo defends musicians' union. . . . Twenty men play 400 harmonicas. . . . Supersonic rocket car. . . . Navy fliers test immersion suits in icy waters. . . . Basketball. . . . Skiing. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 31, No. 8— Stassen-Pauley clash. . . . Jerusalem today. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . Chinese mass wedding. . . . Voice of America to tell the world about U. S. . . . Feller signs 1948 contract. . . . Ice-boat in Canada. . . . Bauers — a real golfing family. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 241— Petrillo testifies. . . . All-harmonica orchestra. . . . "New look" in beach mode. . . . Rehearsal for winter Olympics. . . . Jet-sled rides at 1,019 miles per hour. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 242— Stassen vs. Pauley. . . . Tense days in Holy Land. . . . Ghandi breaks fast. . . . Mass weddings in China. . . . Voice of America. . . . Ice-boat regatta. . . . Golden Gloves. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 44— Secret Nazi papers bared. . . . Japan makes toys out of beer cans. . . . Anti-freeze sailor suit. . . . New dress styles. . . . Petrillo before Congress. . . . Figure-skating champions. UNIVERSAL NEWS — Vol. 30, No. Ill— Petrillo before House committee. . . . Rocket -powered sled hits 1.019 miles per hour. . . . Play 400 harmonicas. . . . Display latest swim suits. . . . Ski school. . . . Sportsmen's show at Chicago. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 30, No. 112— Clay warns of German unrest. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . U. S. information program explained. . . . Milk ship sails. Pirate gold in Florida. ... Mass wedding in China. . . . Baseball school in Florida. . . . Ice boat regatta. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 46-Hitler Stalin plan revealed. . . . Car hits 1,019 miles per hour. . . . Swim styles. . . . Petrillo testifies. . . . Mouthorgan band. . . . Surf carnival in Australia. . . . Great American: Robert E. Lee. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 47— China economizes on weddings. . . . Elizabeth shares wedding gifts. . . . Convertible hat. . . . Europe to get facts on U. S. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . Pauli and Stassen clash. . . "Killer"-"Butch" 40 lb. thriller. TELENEWS DIGEST— Vol. 2, No. 4— Pauley answers Stassen. . . . Petrillo testifies. . . . "Nickle magnets" at convention. . . . Voodoo doctor trapped. . . . Waldorf entertains strange guests. . . . Pagan death rite. . . . Textile smugglers trapped. . . . Climbers scale peak in Chile. . . . Inside the Kremlin. .... Harness racing in France. . . . Chicago Bears sign Lujack. . Toreador gored in Mexico bullfight William S. Friedberger William S. Friedberger, 38, assistant manager of Walter Reade's St. James theatre in Asbury Park, N. J. died January 22 when the automobile in which he was driving to Florida, crashed and burned near New Brunswick, N. J. He had served four years with the Signal Corps during the war. Edward P. Strong Edward P. Strong, 64, who built up a Cleveland theatre circuit in association with Fred Desberg and Emanuel Mandelbaum, died January 21 in Hollywood, Fla., of a heart attack. His circuit is now operated by Loew's. In recent years, Mr. Strong held interests in drive-in theatres and an amusement park. Guy McRae Services for Guy McRae, Paramount employee for 28 years, were held at noon January 28 in New York City. He died January 24 at New York Hospital. He had been in charge of the maintenance unit for the Paramount Building. Maury Nunes Maury Nunes, 50, independent producer for the past two years, died in Hollywood January 21. Services were held in Brookline, Mass. Mark Reissues, Better Business Bureau Urges Kansas City Bureau A drive to persuade exhibitors here to> adhere to the Federal Trade Commission's requirement that reissues be identified as such in advertising and promotion has been reopened by the Kansas City Better Business Bureau. According to the Bureau, "complaints are again being received from patrons that some theatres showing old films fail to indicate that they are reissues or that the word 'reissued' was in such small type that it was not observed until later. "This matter was taken up with theatre managers in February, 1946, following similar complaints that patrons selected a show to attend from advertising and learned after the picture was on the screen that they had seen it several years before," the Bureau's statement, released this week, continued. The Bureau reminded exhibitors and copy writers that the FTC has ruled that advertising matter for reissues released under new titles should set forth the old title, "clearly, definitely and distinctly". NBC's Television Plans Advanced Four Months The National Broadcasting Company's television plans for Chicago have been advanced four months and the company expects to be on the air by September 1, E. I. Showerman, NBC vice-president in charge of the central division, has announced. The programs will be televised over WNBY, the network's midwestern television outlet. The new date supersedes an earlier plan to be on the air by the end of the year. Williams Named Acting President of AMPA Phil Williams of Fortune magazine, who had resigned as vice-president of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers in New York, withdrew his resignation last weekend at the request of the board of directors, and will be acting president during the absence of Arnold Stoltz, who was to leave New York this week for an extended visit to Hollywood. Max E. Youngstein was nominated for the presidency, but his term will not begin until May. Groen Sales Manager A picture caption in the Herald of Janury 24 inadvertently referred to Louis Groen as manager of the Motion Picture Export Association in Holland. This was in error as Arnold Childhouse is the managing director there. Mr. Groen is MPEA sales manager in the territory. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948