Variety (Dec 1942)

Wednesday, December 23, 1942 PICTURBS S OWI s 'Request' for 0.0. of Afl Film Scenarios Climaxes Long-Standing Tug o' War Between Hivood and U.S. silent tug-of-war which has been going on for several months between the sludios and the Motion Picture Bureau o( the Office of War Infor- mation over the censorship of all f\lm9, which hacl been sought by the latter, Hnally came into the open last week. It was announced that Lowell Mellett had decided to ask producers to submit screen treat- ments and scenarios of all product, war-themed or otherwise, prior to filming. While reaction from studio heads was not immediately forthcoming, it is known that producers have been standing off the Mellett request for censorship over all films for the past few months. Not generally known that studios, which had been submitting scripts on pictures dealing with the war, have alto been parrying pressure for some tim&4o allow the OWI to gan- der all other material. Though Mel- lett points out that the OWI has only advisory powers, producers have all along felt that if they are obliged to take into account the manifold prob- lems which would arise in weighing the morale and informative values of every picture it would further com- plicate wartime production. Limitations Producers claim they are already operating under inconceivable handi- caps as a result of current wartime story requirements and set limita- tions. OWI. on the other hand, has openly expressed dissatisfaction with the emphasis on saboteur and espionage formulas in too many pic- tures. Also viewed unfavorably is the frequent practices of sandwich- ing a war title between a couple of trite situations in the quickie mejlers which have been flooding the market. Government information execs have been trying to get writers and producers to adopt a broader for- mula In war pictures. Preference is for yarns pointed at the fallacious, dangerous forces responsible for the current catastrophe rather than themes highlighting merely individ- ual menaces. Projectionist Dies on Job, Opposish Operator Works With Body at His Feet Pittsburgh, Dec. 22. After Nalhan Bennett, 36, projec- tionist at ihe Times theatre. Brad- dock, had fallen dead in the booth last week while the late afternoon show was on, an opposition house operator took over and continued the showing for two hours with the body at his feel. Death occurred just after Bennett had flashed the afternoon's opening reel. When llie screen went blank an assistant went to the booth to find the projectionist dead. The bo(^y couldn't be removed until a deputy coroner arrived. Fleming Carpenter, owner of the Times, ran to the Capitol across the street, for help. Chauncey Thomas, projectionist there, responded to his call. The coroner didn't appear for two hours. Meanwhile, Thomas, kept the show running, the audience not aware of death in the booth. Bennett was a brother-in-law of M. A. Rosenberg, local exhib. and president of National Allied. Before, eomg with ihe Times he had been projectionist at Rosenberg's Rialto, He leaves a widow, two children, his father and five sisters. Off on the Wing Hollywood, Dec. 22. 'ir.?t job undei- Edward Dmviryk s new driecloi- contract at RKO will °e The Falcon Comes Back.' a con- iiniialro.i of the detective series on that lot. Production starts Jan. 14, with Maurice Geraghty as producer. KORDA TO COAST May Work tor British Govt.—Clari- fies His Pic Plans Sir Alexander Korda left New, York for Hollywood over the week-' end,, planning to return early in January, later leaving for England. Korda has been granted a release from United Artists which leaves him free to use other distribution channels for future pictures. He re- tains his 25% interest in UA for the present. Korda's production plans remain unsettled for the time being, pend- ing possibility he may go into a British government post. Before leaving for the Coast last Friday (IB) Korda issued a cate- gorical denial of reports that he was seeking control of Gaumont- British. CIO TO OPPOSE REPEAL 25G CEILING Washington. Dec. 22. Move of the new Congress to re- peal the $25,000 net salary ceiling will face strong opposition from the Congress of Industrial Organizations. CIO organization, which exerted strong pressure on President Roose- velt to put the limitation on salaries, is now laying its plans to fight any attempt by Congress to rescind the President's executive order. Strategy of CIO will be to declare that if Congress removes the ceiling it will consider that as indicating that the emergency is over and that therefore the unions cannot any longer be held to their voluntary pledge not to strike for the duration. CIO's powerful United Automobile Workers Union will take the lead in the fight to stop any Congressional action on the salary ceiling. Shoi^en Meet to Set United Nations Drive SETyP FOR DLFERINTS Industry Heads, Anticipat- ing 'Essential' Classifica- tion for Films, Pl^n Labor- Management Organization —Reps From the Confer- ence of Studio Unions, lATSE, SAG and Other Crafts and Unions to De- cide on Applications CLEAR THROUGH WMC Hollywood, Dec. 22 In anticipation of the picture business being classified as essential to the war effort by the War Man- power Commission, heads of the industry are starting machinery to set up a 10-man Labor Management board to handle draft deferments in vital occupations. Under preliminary plans one labor board member is to be appointed by the Cbnference of Studio Unions, the LATSE, and Screen Actors' Guild. The several crafts and various in- dependent Guilds are said to be in agreement on the plan. According to the present setup, all applications for deferment would clear through this board before sub- mission to the War Manpower Com- mission. These applications would then be relayed to Selective Service Boards. An official order stipulating rat- ings for film business employees is expected soon. Delay in film worker ratings thus far has been caused by a study, still under way, of proposals declaring various studio jobs essential occupations. Among these are said to be actors, (Continued on page IZ) RKO FILM END COMING OUT OF THE RED RKO Radio Pictures, film subsid of RKO. Inc.. is beginning to' show a profit on operations for the first time in several years. Understood that the production-distribution subsid has been out of the red since October. Studio, long the weak link In the RKO setup, came under Charles Koerner s direction last spring. Meeting attended by over 1,000 theatre operators, exchange men and publicists from the metropolitan New 'York area wa."; held at Loew's Ziegfcld, N. Y., yesterday (Tues.) to outline plans for the United Nations fund-raising campaign in U. S. the- atres Jan. 14-20. Among speakers at the confab called by Sam Rinzler. exhibitor co-chairman of the New York area, were William F. Rodgers, Leonard Goldenson, Harry Brandt, Fred Schwartz and Si Fabian. Coinciding A-ith the 'United Na- j tions Week' drive to be staged in I some 16,000 theatres, the U. S. Post | Office Department is issuing a new i 2c 'United Nation.^-' stamp which | goes on sale for the first time Jan. 14. | Kanes Head West The Robert T. Kanes head for Hollywood iji time for the Rose Bowl game Jan. 1. Mrs. Kane and tiie widow of Sid Kent are sisters. Kane, in charge of 20th-Fox film production in England, was there for 10 months at a stretch, only re- cently returned. He will probably become active in Coast studio pro- duction. Hathaway s Tree for All' | Hollywood. Dec, 22. ! Henry Hathaway draws the dirce- | lor chore on Free For AM.' RKO rc-, lease Id bo produced by Frank Rosi , Productions. | Starring in the pictuio will be j Frank Ross' wife. Jean Arthur, anil John Wayne. Filming starts Dec. 30.1 Jim Geller Warner Bros. Story Editor Waxes Literary and Whimsical in a Special Feature Article .\ililc(l KfHtlirc 111 '5/iotv Business At War' theme of the .'tTlh .■tnniversnry ISiinifr-r of Gas Shortage Grounds Pix Salesmen Who Foresee Dllore Exhib Negotiations Henceforth Via Mails and Phones NO IN-BETWEENERS Borderline A's Either Cut to Cheap B's or upped to Big Pix Sharp budget revision, with elimi- nation of borderline A pictures, is planned by several of the major stu- dios next year. Tentative plans do no call for the elimination of 'B' product, in most cases, but pictures in this category will be held down to around $150,000 in cost. Appropriation tor in-betweeners, which formerly ran from $250,000 to $350,000 will either be cut to the lower figure or budget will be boosted to $500,000, or more, if the p"operty seems strong enough to warrant the additional cost. Revamped cost sheet perspective is predicated on the new appraisal of raw stock availability. Produc- tion departments are now weighing all raw film appropriations care- fully. Under the 25% cut below 1941 consumption figures, studio heads are figuring on keeping foot- age, and therefore costs, on low- budgeters at a minimum. PRE-XMAS AND COLD NO HEP TOGEN'LB.O. Unseasonably cold weather in many parts of the country, accom- panied by snow in some sections, combined with the tailend of the Christmas shopping period and gas restrictions to 1 urt the boxoffice gen- erally. However, in the south and various other spots where extreme cold and snow did not get in severe licks, the week before Xmas is stack- ing up better than usual. The south is particularly aided by a large number of soldier camps. The sub-zero weather, extending throughout the northern and west- ern states, brought intense suffering to many localities due to lack of fuel oil, while in 17 eastern com- monwealths the sale of gas was sus- pended for several days due to a shortage, this in turn affecting the- atres, notably in rural areas. In New York city the temperature on Sunday (20) dipped to three below zero, coldest in eight years. Due to the heating problem, many theatres wero caught without suf- ficient fuel to keep interiors prop- erly warmed against the sudden freezing onslaught. One house in N. Y.. Elton, an indie theatre at 8th ave. and 20th Ftreet. shut down on Sunday (20). while numerous others did not open until an hour or two after regular schedules. According to operators, nabes in the Greater N. Y. area were hard hit over the weekend, while in the downtown sector Saturday's bu.si- (Continucd on page 54) 'No Gas' Folds Theatre Minneapolis. Dec. 22. F.rst theatre casualty hereabouts in wake of ga.soline ra'.ioning is the closing of the Royal. B' hou.'-c at Hopkins, local subuib. Enalcr Bros., owners, also doclaic they'll shutter their 'A' de luxe theatre, the Hop- kins, bccau.e of porr bu>ines.'. The Hopkins was erer'.cd a year ago at a cost of $150,000. The Englcrs have a c.implaint with Arbitration. aw.nliiig hearing, invohmg the Hopkins. Naming the major distributors and the Para- mount circuit here, they alleecd un- fair clearance against the'Hopkins and in favor of Par houses in Min- neapolis. Shortage of gasoline and added restrictions in rationing in 17 east- ern states, which it is feared may become even more severe and ex- tend throughout the entire country, has grounded film salesmen, forcing exchanges in the hardest-hit zones to rely on mail or telephone to negotiate contracts. Not only have the film peddlers become stymied but exhibitors who have been in the habit of coming into exchange centers once a week or oftener are likewise tied up at home. They have less of an excuse to ask for extra gas than the sell- ers but latter, under the new re- strictions, are also unable to get supplemental rationing coupons. Film salesmen were formerly able to get 'C cards but now are lucky to have 'A' and 'B' cards. While the latter two enabled them to get eight gallons a week, the fig- ure was cut earlier this month to three gallons for tlie 'A' and now has been chopped to three also under the 'B' coupons." A similar 25% reduction for 'C cards, still obtainable outside of the 17 eastern seaboard states, has been decreed. It is believed in some quarters, in view of the emergency, that more can be handled by mail with appli- cations on sales made out and sent to the exhibitor account for lat- ter's signature or revision, as well as phone calls, it appears that a large part of the selling-buying load will have to be borne this way. While exhib.s, whose cars are beached, may not want to use trains and busses to come into their near- est exchange points as often as they have in the past, it will probably be necessary for them to meet the salesmen half way and continue to do so. So far there has been no inter- ference in deliveries of film by truck, which have the unrestricted 'T' cards, but should there be a curtailment in their rationing, rail- way express and parcel post wilt have to be relied upon more im- portantly than now, particularly in the east where most shipments are made by car. Seidefanan Perfecting U. S. Pix Distribntiott For Troops Overseas Jo.seph Seidclman, Universal v.p. and foreign sales chief, is perfecting his distribution selup currently whereby steady flow of American screen product will go to U. S. troops overseas. As special consult- ant to Sccictary o^f War Stimson, Seidclman i.s reported about to des- ignate four film executives or former picture people, now in the service, to handle details of the dis- tribution. Understood that Major Arthur Loew, now on leave of ab- sence from Loew's, where he is foreign siles chief, has been men- tioned as a possibility along with others. It's part ot Brigadier General Osborn's special services and supplies morale work. Most pressing problem at the present time is finding sufficient 16- mm. equipment at the various fronl.s. a big shortage being reported thus far. Biggest effort in the next few months will be to round up ad- ditional 16-mm. talking projector equipment and set up all details which will make possible the speedy delivery of latest U. S. pictures to the men at the many fronts. All the latest productions are reduced to Ifl-min. tor .shipment overseas in this alignment.