Variety (March 1944)

Wednesday, Rlareli 1, 1911 PICTURES Jory Demands Fidler Retract Divorce Story Jimmv Fidler's recent (27) Blue iielwoik ailing of a report that Vic- toi Jo»y \\:>s beij.g divorced by his \Mle brought forth an indignant de- nial and demand for a full retraction fiom the actor. Fidler was directed to rettacl Ihe statement completely and apolofti/e on his March 5 broad- cast under threat of legal action. Jory's inlei-Gsts; in the matter are benig handled by attorney L. Am- old Weis.sberger, N. Y„ who, under date of Feb. 28, wrote Fidler that the divorce statement was , "absolutely ■ ;Withbut: foundation" and ■■that ,Mr^^^ Jory IS spending a, two-week vaca- tion wilh her hu.sband in New York. : "At a time/' Weissberger wrote, . "when the maving picture world is bfeing confronted by a major scjndal, it might be supposed that you, as one ot the oracles of the lilm col- —on^v-vr oi+kl^-ha ve-th e—geed-sense—t& Englanil's Chronic Complaint ^ Seek to s'aCeguard ; the reputatlpn .. of lis membeis in.'-lead ot your.seli in- .'dtilging in reckjess; 'and irrespQiisible scandai-moiiRci-iiifi."' ; Copies of the letter to Joiy also were forwarded lo the Blue network and the columnisfs sponsor, Carter's Academy All Set For Awards Tomorrow; 1st Public Attendance Hollywood, Feb 29. Over 90% ol 10,000 ballots mailed by the Academy of Motion Picture Alls dnd Sciences were returned by deadline Friday night (25) and ate being tabulated by auditors. Up- wards of 1,500 members of the in- dustry will attend the presentation taking place at the Chinese theatre Thiii'sday, March 2, and virtually' all . 2,084 seals are sold; with, reserva- tions still pouring in. ■ Maritirig the flrst' time the\ public has been allowed to attend, the af- fair IS not only'open to a limited number of outsiders but will, be ishortwaved to troops overseas. Grand.stand seating 1,500 fans is ex- pected to hold only a small part of the crowds which will turn out to uatch the film notables. Program begins at 8 p.m., and has been streamlined to flni.sh at 10:45. In adr dition to actual presentations, Marco Wolf with put on 30-minute stage show. McCreas (Frances Dee) Yen New England Farm Boston, Feb 29. The Joel McCreas (Frances . Dee) are shopping lor a summer home m WiUiamstown, Mass., to fulfill a long' fell ambition to own a New-England farm. They own a riinch ^n Califor- nia which will remain their perma- nent residence, but they are said to plan to spend .several months ot each ■year in the swank Berkshire town, home of tony Williams College. Mips Doe. a recent Hub visitor, is said to be returning in April to con- clude the deal, two farms being un- der consideration. McCr.ea intends to enlei Army soon, it was indicated. Lloyd Sisters Ailing • Alice Eloyd and two sisters, Dai.sy. Wood and Maude Whatley, are ill, principally sutt'ering with shock as the result .of the recent death of Ros,ie Lloyd, anothei sister, accord- ing to advices received.from Kngland efarly this week. Mi^s Wood is well' known there, but never came to ^;.America.' . Miss'l'Whatley is, in 'Cairo: Mis.s Lloyd is at her home, '■Little Trees," Ban.stead, Surrey. Hei book- ings with Miss Wood have been can- celled. CLARE LUCE STARTED IT Hollywood, Feb. 29. . Two Hollywood femmes are toss- higt their hats into the political ring in the 1944 campaign. Helen Gahagan, screen actress and wife ot Capt. Melvm Douglas^ will enter the race for Congress, and LuoiHe Gleason, wife of Jimmy Gleason, IS a candidate fpr the Slate Assembl}. England is at it afiain. Co^jiplaining about the domination ol' American pictures. This ha.s been a boie subject with Britain for years. She was wailmg about it in '20, hollering about it in '30, and still howling in '40—war and all. Today it has taken on the tone o£ a whine and it doesn't become her. It's easy to sympathize with a coun- try which has turned out pictures under the handicaps England has faced the last few years. But this is an old song she keeps warbling and it doesn't impress. For too long the British Government has deceived itself, or permitted its own pic- ture men to deceive it, as to the matter of British pictures. There has never been any secret why U. S. films consume 87% of Eng- land's screen time. There has never been any secret why "British films find it difli- cuit to reach American theatres. The Brit- ish public buys Atnerica n pictures because they're good. The American public won't consistently buy British pictures because they're not good enough. But why go 3,000 miles to say, "We can't get our pictures on your screens." Britain, by its own figures, has a tough time getting British pictures on British screens. The reason and the remedy have always been on the blackboard. Better British pictures. Last week the House of Lords pulled out the drawer again,- this time with J. Arthur Rank as the prospective hero of Britain's home film industry. Others used to be equally hailed, yet the road has always re- mained the same but no one has taken it, and stuck to it, to date. That House of Lords debate was a yawn to American picture men. Diplomacy caused those in charge of foreign distribu- tion lo stifle theirs, but the rest just re- laxed out loud. "Variety" has no patience with this British plaint, either. It's not on the level nor has it a basis in fact. Every British producer or distributor "Variety" has ever talked to has brought up the subject. Yet they've never been able to make it stick because the position they take is untenable! British production has spent years seeking alibis for itself. Too, England's film men have intermittently made the Government over there .believe; their case. That's pretty hard to swallow, however, for we think the British Govern- ment is a pretty smart "outfit, "it knows what it knows and it seems to go along with the home picture group when it wants to. When it doesn't, try to budge it. But after 25 years it's about time it got off that "Made in Britain" celluloid treadmill. "~ ■ '.'■■ .•:■.''■■ ':;''- British pictures can't get on American screens. "That's what they say over there. Did "Henry the Eighth" have much trouble finding its way around the States? What about "39 Steps," and more recently "In Which We Serve"? Any commentary on British production rolls up into the fact that "Cavalcade" had to be made over here. And if it had been made m Britain with the same excellence that Fox turned it out, what theatre, anywhere, would have re- jected it? British pictures ought to blush any time "Cavalcade" is mentioned. They ' couldn't make one of their own about their own. ■ For years befoie and bince '"Cavalcade" Britain has tiied to reach the same combi- nation of entertainment and propaganda as was achieved in that picture. It hasn't been able to do it. Generally it is too much propaganda. At least, that's the way it used to be. You don't believe it? "Then look up a picture called "The Flag Lieu- tenant." Don't onlv look it up but sit through its 101 minutes—if you can. That was a British made picture released over here by Paramount. "Variety" caught it in Montreal in "27. It was endorsed by the British Admiralty (note that) and was em- phasized in Canada during that Dominion's Diamond Anniversary Celebration. At the tiriie "Variety's'* review said, "If it weren't for the padding it could go into the U. S. daily change houses." Everything wasn't a double feature in those days, remember, and there tvere then very few 101-minute pictures. So what was that padding? Cer- tainly. Just propaganda, and awkwardly dragged in at that. British product is better now. Less propaganda, often none, but there's still not enough entertainment. And it will have to improve to gain real attention not only here but elsewhere. The American picture theatre chains are a business and anyone who deals with them knows they're hard shell business. They want one thing, boxoffice pictures. What do they care where they come from? Let Mexico send up a good one and see what happens. If Brazil could turn one out it would be the same thing. Theatre men shelve product they have bought to make room for a good picture. What John Bull needs to do is smash across a couple, and to make them for Des Moines as well as for Epsom. The British claim of discrimination is ex- asperating. For 20 years the best way to establish British pictures the world over has been right on Britain's door-step, and no one has stumbled over it or, if they have, no one has done anything about it. But an American picture man saw it and had plans to do something about it. One important requitite of the plan was that it was to be done in England. How- ever, the key to the scheme was the obtain- ing of permission of the British Admiralty, for without such official sanction the whole .thing was futile. The plan? Three pictures, each to cost $2,000,000, with British writers, talent, and technicians to be used and only depart- mental heads from the U. S. for supervision of production such as director, head cam- eraman, cutter, and editor. And the pictures? The sagas of Canada, Australia, and India. Three historical ro- mances. Each in turn and each about two years apart. In other words, Britain's "Birth of A Nation," "Covered Wagon," and "Big Parade." What theatre man, here or anywhere, could remain aloof from such ■ pictures? They would have been made right because the whole Empire would have been open to the production unit through the Admiralty. It was ~a dream. But a pip. An Irishman's dream. For British pictures no less. Who's scheme was it? A man named J. J. (Jeff) McCarthy. Did you know Jeff? Every time a $2 or roadshow picture opens it's a testimonial to him because in 1915 he brought in the first' one, the picture that legitimatized the picture business—"The Birth of A Nation." Know the story about "The Nation" and Jeff? Or "The Big Parade" and Jeff? "Pa- rade" was the one he picked right out of Marcus Loew's hat when Mr. Loew was so enthused about "Ben Hur" he couldn't think of any other picture. Not even his own "Big Parade," but later Jeff had 14 com- panies of "Parade" on the road. Marcus Loew and Jeff McCarthy. Both gone. Would that the picture business had more like them. But the subject is British pictures and Britain's chronic complaint that they can't get anywhere. Well, let 'em go to work on Jeff McCarthy's plan. Here it is. For nothing. How can it miss? And when it happens, as it eventually must, let them say that it took an Irishman to establish British pictures. For it will be the tiuth and Jeff' would have done it had he lived, The McCarthy plan is the path for Brit- ish films. With Government permission the battle is half won. Turn J, Arthur Pvank loose if he's the one who Can swing it. If not, then someone else. Berlin s Pic Deal Waits on the End Of 'Army Tour ■ .The Irviiig .Berlins .will seek,'• Siui ; dUiMng.' the.ir, foiHniglit on. the Cxl^l and, in between, the song-smiih will (1) visit his dentisfe.vfpi'. .soiii* necesi^aiy work, (a) huddle v.ah fri'i.ido like Joe Schenck, Sam Gold- wyn and Billy Goetz. and 13 i set 'ijj a possible picture deal. The latter can be one ot several, ranging fiont 'a .■Mclrp, filmfeicai^^ ca.?ti■^; to a,'..stil'l current.. clcsir« ■ by'■ Goeiz, and Loo Spitx. .1 'Iji.totn,EUional', Piciures) f-^i an Irving" Beil.n in- dependent iilm production.; ' Tlie ,ongwriter, who departed for Hollywood Monday (28), tlatet, that eveiythmg piotc.^Monally must wait on:, .his., commitmciits ■ .to the Army/, With -''This Ig The Army," .which re-., sumos its. tour for the Allied forces , m about three or lour weelcs... Berlin rej.oiiis; :the sQld'tci' .. alVow ; . i and, following its North AUican and Sicily toui, may go lo other global fronts. Berlin reiterates what many an- other patriotic star has foundi that ■ entei'taininneiH'-is; so , yilat to . morafei billthe: ,■ showman-corappser ,:. tai?es stiU' another.'tack. 'It; is'thi^ the Sol-: diers take pride in the knpwledge that civilians from back home will-- take the time out; Pf .their. lives to' come and visit them. Berlin say.s, :"I can wrap it up best .by saying tliat • if a Betty' Giable. who is the No. I pinup favorite of the GI's, were to come over, I'm sure they'd forget about the war for every minute she was amongst them entertaining." Berlin's situation with Berlin^ Incj as regards his partnership schiisin with Saul H. Bornstem, : longtime . liariiier,. is flatus . quo; that' is, nothing ean .be done , until .Berlin 'gets back . to. qi.viliaii- ■ showftianship, but so long as his "Army" show is touring, he-must leave that phase of it in suspense. H'wood Sends 311 Overseas to Cheer Our Fighting Yanks Hollywood, Feb 29. . Total of ,311 en.tertajiiers, ■ from., scieen and stage aie performing overseas on USQ-Carap «Show tours, according to new figures issued by the Hollywood Victory Ctftnrtiittee. Number is a huge increase over that ot 1943 I Latest. fil ra' ■ ;names.. a.d de.d - • to the ' touiing list are Paulclte Goddard, John .Garfield, William -Gargan, , Koenan Wynn and Eddie Foy, Jr., all somewhere in Africa. .'TiMOt! Mar.U .RiiptHterof]-: rorM>r;u n'y si.\rf! sSilvmijian' ■■iihlMipil WneUly by V\H1KTV, Iiir. .: ■,; ISIfyo.piiin.h.V Pi'swleht.'. 104 Wcsl ICth SI Now Tdllt 10. N 1? ■ ::K(niaciiif''i'.f€)N;.' A ii-nua). >,'.-.■.■ ,$,10;. :l''(n%i£rti„,; $.1) single Collies 1!T^ denl" Vol. 153 r^^lf No. 12 INDEX But stop complaining. Sid. . n\i(.y \ m;ii:tt (Fubiifilivd-.iri iUtUywnoif .py ^■■lio a yrar-iJia .ttircilKii .