Variety (Jul 1944)

WAR ACTIVITIES U&RiETY Wednesday, July 12, 1911 Pix Industry's Bond Drive to Go On Through July at Treasury's Request Despite reports that the Fifth War 4- Loan Drive goal ot 516,000.000,000' was' reached by end of the campaign last week (8), the Treasury Dept. has requested the film industry to continue war bond selling efforts throughout the entire month of July, R. J. O'Donnell, national committee chairman, announced.;.. • , . : That the industry would be asked to continue selling bonds after Of- ficial conclusion of the drive was re- ported in "Variety'' last week. All bonds sold during the ensuing weeks will be credited to the. in- dustry's Fifth Loan total. Reason for the request for continuance, accord- ing to the committee, is the upped Government-fund requirements due to the invasion of Europe and battles to come in the Pacific area. "Instead of closing our records on July 8 as originally planned," O'Donnell's statement declared, "the final report font) will be sent to all participating exhibitors on or about July 20 to cover bond sales from June 1-to July 27. Exhibitors are requested to keep records until* the closing date and to mail them to tile national committee July 27, so that the entire drive cr.n be cleaned up, and a proper and complete report can be made to the industry and the Secretary of the Treasury." .' "My Way" Preem $5,QO«,0«0 Omaha, July 11. Capacity crowd paid $5,000,000 in war bonds to see "Going Mj Way" alone at the Paramount theatre, bringing theatre and retailers bond drive total to $32,775,000: Tristates District Manager Bill Miskell fig- ured that the picture with some shorts would be enough entertain ment. Result was double line crowd a block long before the doors opened. Htgh-Priced Junk Hollywood, July 11. Patriotic struggle for a hunk of junk in the Hollywood Legion Stadium wound up with Al Jol- son bidding $205,000 in War Bonds for a door blown off a Japanese officer's car, Runner- up was Harry Popkin, theatre operator, who bid $200,000 and then , decided to buy . the hands anyway if Jolson would lend him the door for display at the Million Dollar theatre. ••'> Unidentified p a tr i o t who started the bidding with $2,500 also decided to let his bid stand. Treasury Department collected'a $407,500 total for a door. Mpls. Tops V. S. in Bond Preems Minneapolis, July 11. Minneapolis . territory is jubilant because it leads the nation's ex- change areas in percentage of bond " J pTEe1rTS~aTio^tree^howsT-aecording-to- word from N Y. Territory includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and northern Wisconsin. W. A. Steffes, industry> Minnesota chairman, set 539 bond preems and 100% of regularly operated theatres holding free bond shows. Phyllis Colt Lauded After Playing Before Wounded From France Phyllis Colt, singing comedienne currently touring warfronls in USO- Camp Shows unit, "'It's A Pleasure," was given a letter of appreciation from the brigadier, general in charge of inv^'on troops in Cher- bourg. Her unit was the first to play to U. S. troops wounded in France. Letter reads in part: - ' . : "I wish to commend you -for your part in 'It's A Pleasure' at hospital two days after the invasion. 'The fortitude you displayed in giving six consecutive performances within space of a few hours in order that every soldier might see the Show is not only a credit to you but also to the profession you represent.'' Morgenthau's Posy ". / Washington. July 11. The motion picture industry "has t\irned in its best performance in the Fifth War Loan drive," Secre- tary of the Treasury Morgenthau de- clared in a statement issued here yesterday (10). Ted R. Gamble, na- tional director of the treasury's war finance: division, also paid tribute to the nation's, showmen for their accomplishment during the cam- paign. 1 ../'■'-'-' Morgenthau's statement said, "From reports; it is evident that the motion picture industry has made another good record. All branches of the industry pitched in to do a (Continued on page 35) 'Blackouts' Gets Over $2,000,000 in Bonds Hollywood. 'July 11. , _-Setting a priwrirnt for Coast legit productions, Ken Murray's "Black- outs of 1944" gave a War Bond mat- inee which pulled in $2,126,500 for Uncle Sam. Performance was sec- ond of its kind for the Murray show, first having topped $1,000,000 in last Bond drive. Cracking of $2,000,000 record is top scorer for a legit'(production! for show of this kind. ■ Japs' Pix Propaganda Channels Nipponese Ideas in Curious Way Washington, July 11. Government survey made here on the psychology 6t Nip films shows they are sharply angled to propagan- dize a special way of life for the Japs—something entirely foreign to U. S. ideas. Report made from a study of available Jap pix and recent reports of new films made in that country says in part: "The films strikingly bring home the fact that in the Japanese cul- tural pattern the degree of personal frustration is tremendous. The les- son taught is not individual success in love, wealth, or pleasant living, biit patience and resignation: "The films set up as models of be- havior those individuals who never waver in the pursuit of prescribed obligations and thus arouse pity, love and admiration in the beholder. , ■ • "Love desires are pictured as sub- jugated to the dictates of the social pattern and usually doomed to frus- tration. Love is Sacrificed to duty to one's country, one's father, or one's family obligations. Thus there is rarely a happy culmination to a ro- mance. On the contrary the films clearly bring out the fact that there is an irreconcilable conflict between the desires of one's heart on the one hand and the pattern of living laid down for one on the other. In this conflict of wishes the hero or heroine invariably chooses the path of duty, while the weaklings give in to their own desires. .. .'. '. "The war, from the viewpoint of an individual or a family in the films, is treated much like a natural calam- ity such as a storm or an earthquake. The purpose of war is never "ex- plained and the enemy is riot" per- sonalized. The war just goes on and on and on. "There is no personalization of the enemy and therefore no hatred of him. In fact,,in the films in which actual fighting occurs on the screen, the enemy is scarcely shown—only his guns, his fire, his bombs. There are no closeups of enemy faces. One neither hates nor pities the enemy." Army Blueprint Show In Rehearsal Next Wk. "Hi, Yank," second of Army Spe- cial Service blueprint shows, goes into production next week, with first performance skedded for a camp in N Y. area. Revue will poke fun at this Army weekly in -Songs,- skits arid patter:' "Boolr lend 'tpusuijs com- pletely -at-wri-tt&r.;-: wiU> Zl'riK'.te.. Frank Loesser ("Praise the Lord") supplying most of songs. Show, like its predecessor, "About Face" (re- viewed in "Variety." May 3D, is in- tended to be sent, in script form, to all camps, for GIs themselves to stage and perform. Overseas Pix Situation Improved; GIs See Three Films Each Week Aug. Bond Drive '.-.'. Ben Amsterdam, president of the Atlantic; Theatre circuit in Southern New Jersey, has ad- vised Fifth Loan national head- quarters he will hold Free Movie Day in all circuit houses during August. ' _...'. Free admission by purchase yOt a bond will continue during that month in connection with the 13th anniversary of the At- lantic group of film houses. South Pacific Scribe Grabs Tips on Latest Road to Somewhere Hollywood, July 11. Bob Hope, after a short vacation on the golf links, checked out for an unannounced destination, somewhere on a war front, Accompanying the star on the overseas hop are Frances Langford, Barney Dean, Tony Romano and Patti Thomas, BOB BURNS TOURS MIDWEST Bob Burns leaves Los Angeles, Friday (14) for a nine-day tour of eervice hospitals in the midwest and southwest. ■-. , Actor will start at Tokepa, Kans., general hospital, July 16-17, ending at Chickasha, Okla., July 25. Earl Wilson's Entourage Had Heavy D.C. Sked Washington. July 11. Those Broadway entertainers who came here under the sponsorship of Earl Wilson, N. Y. Post "saloon col- umnist," had a busy day on Satur- day (8). -—7-—- Delegation included Jack Whit- ing, Jack Pearl, Zero Moste). Jack Pepper, Sam Jaffe. June Knight,' Diana Courtney, Johnny Johnson, Harry Green, Yvette, Johnny Skyler, Joseph Cotten, Harry Savoy, and Joy Hodges. Col. Charles Kerwopd. the Army Air Forces' most decorated officer, emceed the Washington mon- ument bond rally. Entertainers arrived at 7:30 a.m. Their schedule included: 1. Bond rally for 1,500 U. S. State Dept. em- ployees at noon. Undersecretary of State Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.. and Undersecretary of the Treasury Dan- iel W. Bell addressed the gathering. £.'. Luncheon at. the. Mayflower with the. War.. Activities, Committee of the TJist'ri'ct ras_ host. 3. Entertainment for wouriSed'soldiers" at' Waiter' ReedT hospital. 4. Reception for the Army Air Forces generals at Bolting Field. 5. Entertained at the Washington monument.lot! 6. Visited the Stage Door Canteen at the Belasco theatre. They left on a special train at 1:30 a.m. (9). ; : ." : '"•'■--.''.:■/ During its four weeks' engagement the "Shot from the Sky" show at the Monument {.rounds was visited by 500,000, sold more than $4,000,000 in bonds, or double its quota. It now takes to the road with its first show- ing in Connecticut Valley and the New England states. Then it will be; taken across the continent. During its stay in Washington the show was supported by 250 entertainers, most of whom came from Broadway. GAIL PATRICK'S TREK Gail Patrick is in Florida for a personality tour of general hospitals for USO-Camp Shows, Actress visits hospital in Jacksonville July 13 to 15 and Miami Beach July 17 to 20. Grace McDonald and Lois Collier similarly will tour eight hospitals in California July 14-27. NEW LIBERTY SHIP, THE'JOHN P. HARRIS* A new Liberty ship, built in Savan- nah, Ga., and to be launched there on Aug. 15, wiil be called the John P. Harris after the late Senator, father of John H. Harris, Pittsburgh showman and founder of the Variety Clubs. Mrs. John P. Harris, widow, will christen the new cargo carrier. A pioneer in show business. Sena- tor Harris entered the field as a ticket seller and treasurer, finally becoming a manager and then a thea- tre owner. , From this beginning shortly after the turn o£ the century, Harris developed the Harris, Amuser ment Co., now operating more than 60 theatres in the Pittsburgh area. In 1922 he was elected to the Penn- sylvania Senate on the Republican ticket and was reelected in 1924. John H, Harris, eldest son, con- ceived the idea of the Variety Club in 1928, which has since become na- tional in character. In addition to the theatre circuit, Harris is presi- dent of the "Ice Capades." Somewhere in the Pacific; Writing a Broadway and Holly- wood column when : in one of these two areas may be ducky, but it re- quires a quick finger on the trigger to turn out such a column for read- ers of the South Pacific. That's what Robert Wenzel has learned in doing a ■ column six days weekly in the local Army publication, "The Six Shooter." Other tasks which . Wen- zel is called upon to do include the previewing of four motion pictures a week. And he refuses to be ham- pered' by the slight handicap of never having seen a majority of films.. "That's where the free distribution of 'Variety' comes in most handy," Wenzel writes. "By shuffling through daily and weekly issues, I frequently find your review or preview of the picture we are to Witness that eve- ning, and I base my review on the concensus. Sometimes I quote you verbatim, sometimes rewriting the trade lingo for better general un- derstanding." . , . ; ' * . There is a wide margin in the age of the pictures shown, Wenzel re- veals. Sometimes they are oiitstand- •mg^ld-ieSi-wWchJie^UemplsJa-pre view from memory. Sometimes they are so new thar~prints are on hand for showing before trade show or preview notices are available. "Buffalo Bill," "The Adventures of Mark Twain" arid "It Happened To- morrow" were three of the pictures Wenzel cited as reaching the battle areas 1 'pronto. With only advance re- leases to base his writing on, the resourceful corporal turned to the star angle and tracing the motion picture history of principals and di- rectors and prayerfully assuming therefore that the latest films were, good "Your papers also give me straight news items of interest,"" Wenzel said. "Marriages sometimes or some of the humor are lifted mercilessly." For flesh shows Wenzel speaks highly of the Ray Milland, Joe E. Brown, Ray Bolger and Little Jack Little personal appearance ^stints in his area. They were the only Hollywood tours to reach there, and were en- joyed although most were given un- i Continued on page 42) Washington. July 11. Motion picture situation for the GI's overseas is improving steadily according to a survey just completed by the Arrriy Pictorial Service. Sur- vey shows that during the second year of the Overseas Motion Picture Service Branch. '.''."■;-■:' Men average three new films a week. .';.' '.' ; ; .'-..-. .- .'•• On a typical night,, the Army shows the latest Hollywood pix- to almost 2.000 field units at stations around the world—and this does not include shows seen by soldiers in civilian, theatres, nor in Army the--, litres in the larger bases of Panama, Hawaii. Alaska, Newfoundland, Ber- muda or Trinidad; . : : Bottleneck of screenings has been broken during the past year by get- ting additional 16 mm. projectors into spots,where they were formerly lacking. In March, 1943, only 421 projectors were available for units overseas. Now there are more than 3,200, Audience strength has been lipped- proportionately. In the Mediter- ranean theatre alone, 14,757- shows , were screened in March. 1944, to audiences totaling -more than 6.2J5.- 000. This compares with 1,543 shows in March, 1943, before audiences of 1.226,000. The Army, according to the report by Col. EL. Munson, head of Army Pictorial Service, is also making films available in the field to other branches of the armed forces, to unU formed personnel of the Allied na« . tions, members of the merchant ma- rine and, in isolated spots, to the na- tives. "■'•:.;,!'?•'..,.'. Vi"'. : , : . - War Department emphasizes- that the whiskered oldies, about which soldiers did. considerable beefing, had nothing to do with.the 16 mm. films given gratis by the industry, and points out that the globe-circling 16 mm. circuit has world preemed sev- eral of the outstanding productions of 1944. Windup of the report em- phasizes that pix are '•excellent morale buncfers? Proj. Room Bond Preems Netted Over $4,500,000 Over $4,500,000 in bonds have been sold by film district and branch man. agers during the Fifth Loan drive by holding war "bond' premieres of new pictures in projection rooms—an innovation begun in the Fourth Loan campaign, arid continued. Latest projection room premiere was held in Chicago recently where Allen Usher, Paramount district: manager, exhibited "Dr. Wassell" for prominent business and professional leaders who bought $3,136,000 in bonds for the experience, qt viewing the film in Par's projectiprf room in the Windy City. In Seattle, three projection rooms were used simultaneously for the showing of Paramount's "Going My Way." More than 200 persons each bought a $1,000 bond to attend. In Philadelphia, Earl W. Swetgert, Par- amount district manager, garnered $825,000 for a similar screening of "Going My Way," the total being realized from only 33 persons. C. J. Bell, that company's district mgr. in Los Angeles, sold $112,000 worth to 44 persons who viewed "Wassell" in the projection room in that city. Still another $135,000 was realized from a screening of Sam Goldwyn's "Up in Arms" In Nfew -Haven, Show Biz People Run GI Open-Air Theatre ■''„ ' ' • ' : Washington, July 11.. Number of former show biz people are running the "Volcano Bowl," open-air theatre'.' on New Britain Island in Southwest Pacific, which GI's describe as.'.'hottest spot on the island." Divisionaires, an Army or- chestra, conducted by Pete J. De Santis, of Glendale, Calif., former band arranger, furnishes . music. Many former name players are in the band. Emceeing the recent dedi- cation program -was Corp, Tommy Sanders, ex-Hollywood set designer. Among former dance-band men in the Divisionaires are PFC Don Hoehenstreider, guitarist; Tech. Sgt. Richard Beeks, Corp. 'Jack Walker and Sgt. Milton Fuller; De Santis has written two new numbers, "Big Island Jump" arid -The Hood from Milwaukee." Cornell-Aherne Team Up For Stock Jaunt O'seas American Theatre Wing War Players which is the stock to be sent to the European fighting front by USO-Camp Shows, is in rehearsal, first bill to be "The Barretts of Wim- pole Street," with Katharine-Cornell and Brian Aherne topping as they ri the original presentation at the Empire, N. Y., in 1931. Wing which is financing the stock issued a brief press release early this week after a Hollywood gossip columnist tipped off the identities of the leads, from there, Aherrie having arranged a leave*from Columbia pictures. ; : : In the War Players group are Guthrie McClihtic who staged "Bar- retts"' originally and who is the husband of Miss Cornell, Margalo Gillmoie, who joined the original cast after it opened, her husband Robert Ross, also a stager, McKay Morris and Brenda Forbes who, too, were in the original cast. As previ- ously stated each player is to receive $100 weekly from the Wing, USO and the Army, to supply transporta- tion and living quarters. There are to be 14 in the company, opening date to be announced after the outfit reaches its destination. Not certain .vhelher Miss Cornell will appear in other plays planned for the overseas, stock!- . „':."-. "", ., .""..' Acad Kudosed by Army Hollywood, July 11. War Dept. awarded a certificate of appreciation to the Research Council of the Academy ■ of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its part in. aid- ing the Army Signal Corps. Col. S. W. Stanley, who made the presentation, declared the technique of military training has been revolu- tionized by films turned over to the Army by the council. '... ■ ■■ L.A. to N.Y. C-b Calloway, "Wick" Crider. Helen Gahagan Douglas. Ed Fishman. Dick Gibson, - . ' Edward A. Golden. Joan Harrison. Joe Hazen. Abe Lastfogel. H. C. Mclntyre. ' Thomas Mitchell. Luis Van Kooten. Morris Safier. Martha Scott. Herbert Silverberg. Murray Silverstone. '.J- Francis Harley. N.Y. to L.A. '-lax Chopnick. Tom Connors. Jed Harris. George Jessel. . ' Spyro" Skouras. An-'y Smith. Fredrick Wakeman.