Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

28 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW December 30, 1944 She's a Sweetheart {Continued from Page 9) feature that will attract attention because of its subject matter. Cast: Jane Darwell, Jane Frazee, Larry Parks, Nina Foch, Ross Hunter, Jimmy Lloyd, Loren Tindall, Carole Mathews, Eddie Bruce, Pat Lane, Danny Desmond, Ruth Warren, Dave Willock. Credits: Directed by Del Lord. Original screenplay by Muriel Roy Bolton. Photography, Benjamin Kline. Produced by Ted Richmond. Plot: Mom, a "mother away from home" for servicemen visiting her canteen, takes a personal interest in the lives and problems of her boys. She has a special spot in her heart for a young orphan boy, and when he falls in love with a young singer at the canteen, she makes sure she's the girl for him before she gets them together and blesses their marriage. Comment: This neat second feature holds a lot of interest for the families of our servicemen, for it portrays one of the many places throughout the U. S. A. where boys away from home are welcomed. It will leave a warm, pleasant feeling with the theatregoer, for it inspires a general atmosphere of good feeling and takes away some of the tenseness and anxiety folks feel about their boys in the services. Jane Darwell is a natural in the role of "Mom," with Jane Frazee doing creditably with her singing and general entertaining, and Larry Parks swell in the role of a sailor who falls in love witn her. Credit goes to Del Lord for his fine direction, for he makes the characters and the story true and believable. Good production values were given the picture by Ted Richmond. REGIONAL — Continued in the lock one afternoon and hung up a sign 'Out for Christmas Party." Everyone was celebrating in one way or another, and business was secondary. S 1/C Gilbert Lefton of the Coast Guard, was home on leave from his Long Island base, to spend Christmas with his wife. National Screen Service has two auditor guests, Mike Lesnick, and Elmer Smith; Sam Lichter, 20th-Fox Toledo salesman is doubling as city salesman for Eddie Bergman for a week or so while the Bergmans are vacationing in New York. Ed Fisher, Loew publicity director, has planted an interesting 5-way campaign in behalf of "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo." It involves the theatre, the Press, the Board of Education, and Jack and Heintz. Jack and Heintz have set up a lobby display of airplane parts and also of a completely equipped hospital plane. They are also putting up $700 in prizes for the best airplane models. The Board of Education is aiding by encouraging the making of the plane models in the school work shops. The public library is featuring books on model airplane construction, and the Press is giving the contest free publicity space, starting out with front page contest announcements. Rigaud Gets Leading Role George Rigaud, South American ^ctor, has been signed by Paramount to a term contract and given a leading role in "Masquerade in Mexico," which will co-star Dorothy Lamour and Arturo de Cordova. Gala Turnout Marks ^Kingdom' Premiere (Continued from Page 8) Smith, Jr., and L. J. Schlaifer, as well as Wilfred J. Eadie, Dan Michalove, Hal Horne, Martin Moskowitz, Larry Kent, Sam Shain, Charles Schlaifer, Jack Sichelman, Roger Ferri and others. Over a hundred exhibitors attended, among whom were Gus Eyssell, Si Fabian, Walter Reade, Norman Elson, Harry and William Brandt, Sam and Harold Rinzler, Fred Schwartz, Leo Brecher. Gregory Peck, who plays the principal role in the film, was present with Mrs. Peck, in company with^the book's author, Dr. A. J. Cronin. Others in the Peck-Cronin party were 20th-Fox stars Jane Ball and Frank Latimore, and Producer-Director Otto Preminger. Other prominent people in attendance included Mayor and Mrs. F. H. LaGuardia, Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop Aldrich, Andrew Apostolides, M. H. Aylesworth, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Berlin, Judge and Mrs. William F. Bleakley, Mr. and Mrs. I. J. Calvocoressi, Mr. and Mrs. Jules CatsifT, S. Sloan Colt, Vladimir Constantinides, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Eliasco, Mr. and Mrs. George Fowler, Mrs. Gladys Fowler, Max Gordon, E. T. Hardaloupas, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Harmon, Jed Harris, Moss Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Will Hays, John Hertz Jr., John Hertz Sr., Major and Mrs. Ortin Hicks, Major and Mrs. John W. Hubbell, Lieut, and Mrs. Jack Jungmeyer, John Kalergis, Airs. Sidney R. Kent, His Excellency Nicholas H. Lely, Elsa Maxwell, Countess M. Mercati, John F. Royal, Lee Shubert, Mrs. Sime Silverman, Mr. and Mrs. George P. Skouras, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Stephanides, Gerard Swope, Major Herbert Bayard Swope, Kyriakos Tsolainos, Mrs. Frank Vanderlip, Mrs. E. Venizelos, Top executives present from other companies included Adolph Zukor, Barney Balaban. Ned Depinet, George Schaefer, Robert Mochrie. Neil Agnew, Edward C. Raftery, Gradwell Sears. William A. Scully, Jack Cohn, E. K. O'Shea, J. J. O'Connor, Joseph Bernhard, Sam Dembow, Jr., J. R. Grainger, Leonard Goldenson, Charles Moskowitz, Malcolm Kingsberg, Ben Kalmenson, Abe Montague. Signed for 'Kiss and Tell' Pat Kirkland, 17-year-old daughter of former screen star Nancy Carroll and playwright-producer Jack Kirkland, has been signed for the lead role in Columbia's "Kiss and Tell," the screen adaptation of the F. Hugh HerbertGeorge Abbott stage success. Sol Siegel, Herbert and Abbott are producing the film for Columbia. Richard Wallace directs. Added to 'Whistler' Cast Cy Kendall and Murray Alper have been added to the cast of Columbia's "The Power of the Whistler," starring Richard Dix. They Also Serve Who... On behalf of the Sixth War Lran Committee, National Chairman Harry Brandt wired flowers and a message of sincere condolence to the family of the late Alfred Weatherly, 50, for 28 years projectionist of the Orpheum Theatre, Ortonville, Minn., who passed away recently. During a War Bond Premiere at that theatre the film caught fire. Weatherly's quick action in changing machines and putting cn a short while fighting the flames prevented a panic. Early the next morning, while home, Weatherly took ill. When the doctor arrived, he was dead — death due to smoke congestion of the lungs acquired while fighting the fire alone in the projection room. Editor, Showmen's Trade Review: I just finished reading your editorial in your issue of December 9, "YOU Are the Industry." It certainly is full of truth and speaks a mouthfull, and everyone in this Industry who has given his problems any thought at all cannot help but agree with your logic in this editorial. With every good wish of the season, I am Sincerely, Ed Kuykendall Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America Columbus, Mississippi Editor, Showmen's Trade Review: I have read your article in the December 9th issue, "YOU Are the Industry." You are very right in everything you have put down, and I feel as you wrote, that a good, efficient public relations job is done by the theatre manager. I enjoy reading all of your editorials. Kind regards, LiGE Brien Enright Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa. Brig. Gen. E. P. Curtis, Kodak Official, Gets DS One of the highest merits of national distinction was conferred early this week on a member of the industry when the War Department disclosed that the Distinguished Service Medal had been awarded to Brig. Gen. Edward P. Curtis, sales manager of Eastman Kodak's motion picture film department, on leave to the United States Army. Brig. Gen. Curtis is the tenth in the ranks of U. S. Generals to receive the decoration, awarded specifically for his service as Chief of Stafi^ of the U. S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe from January to October 1944. But it is not the first decoration the U. S. has bestowed upon him. As a major in the AEF's Air Force from 1917-19, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, while France conferred on him the Croix de Guerre and the Order of St. Anne. The Eastman Kodak Co., gave Curtis leave of absence in January, 1942, to work with the War Department. At the time Curtis had the rank of colonel, and subsequently he rejoined the Air Forces and went overseas. He was promoted to brigadier general in June, 1943. On one of his flights he had a miraculous escape when a bomber in which he was a passenger was shot down in Italy. Following the mishap he was appointed chief of staff for Maj. Carl Spaatz. Brilant to Head Special Features Division of RKO Ad-Publicity Dept. Promotion of Arthur M. Brilant to manager of the special features service division of RKO Radio's advertising and publicity department was announced this week. Brilant will succeed Charles Levy, who moves over to the Walt Disney organization as publicity director at the New York office. The change becomes effective Jan. 2. Wallis Signs Don De Fore Don De Fore, young stage actor, has been given a long term contract by the Hal Wallis Productions. De Fore also has been cast by Wallis for one of the three male leads in his next Paramount production, "Don't Ever Grieve Me," which John Farrow will direct