Variety (Mar 1945)

Wednesday, March 11, 194d' PSfisneft WAR ACTIVITIES 11 GI16 nun. Films for Sevendi CampaiptoTop23M0M Washington, March 20. 4 •Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Ouard are preparing a series of 16 mm . aims to be used for non-theatri- eel screenings during the 7th War Loan, which will provide exclusive subjects for the substandard Outlets from May to July, acoording to Ned : Shugrue, head of Pix and Special Events for Treasury; War Finance. It is estimated that audiences to- taling 23,000,000 saw the Treasury's 16 mm. Alms during the «th drive, and the present; program calls for enough pictures to show to a far ' greater number. Navy is doing the biggest job with two shorts, "Midnight" and "Remem- ber These, Faces"; and five "impact" trailers of three to flve-ihinUte dura- tion. They are being prepared most- ly from footage never before re- : leased. . Loaned to Tree*. Tom W. Baily, coordinator of the Hollywood Division of the War Ac-: ' tivities Committee, will serve as film industry consultant to the Treasury Dept. during the 7th War Loan cam- paign. Baily is on loan to the WAC from the California Theatre Coun- cil, of which he is. executive direc- tor. ' : '- v --'' Jerry Zigmond appointed coordi- nator of advertising, exploitation . -'■ and publicity for the 7thvdrive. Zig- .. mond, managing .director of the Newman, Kansas City, Is oh loan from Paramount. .' Paul. Levi appointed state public- , ity chairman for Massachusetts. He's ad-pub director' for the Metiopoli- , tan theatre, Boston. Robert M. Weitman, managing di- rector of the Paramount', theatre,' N. Y., appointed national chairman of special events for' the 7th War Loan' drive for the . film 'industry. Weitman ; has produced special charity shows at Madison Square Garden for many causes. ' Alfred Finestone, of Paramount's publicity, loaned to the 7th War ■ Loan assistant director ot publicity oh a full-time basis, Flhestone also •was loaned by Par to the 5th War Loan, of which R. J. ODonnell was national, chairman. ENDK01T CHAIN DENIES GYPPING 4 MAJORS ON % Decision was reserved on the" mo ; tion last week In N. Y. supreme court by the Endicott Circuit and other defendants for dismissal of the fraud and conspiracy suit brought by four major Aim com panies, Loew's, 20th-Fox, Warner Bros, and Paramount. Suit charges that the defendants, operators of 11 theatres'in N. Y. City, made false reports on grosses on film percentage . Alms for 1940-1044. The. defendants, in the alternative, also ask the court that the plaintiffs separately stale and number the causes of action. Emil K. Ellis,, attorney for the de- defendants, in arguing for dismissal of the suit stated that there was nothing Involved in the action but a simple breach of contract claim, and not fraud and conspiracy. He added that if the exhibitors did not pay the -correct percentage under the contracts, the. plaintiffs were entitled to recover/ irrespective of the man- ner in which the breach occurred. ; Other defendants in the suit are Irving Renner and Louis Nelson, owners of the circuit, arid William ,Jftmro'yjiy '.aftyimta'ift f ac thp ijjdie chain which operates 11 houses in" Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. - A total of $185,000 damages are sought by the film companies. Loew's asks $100,000; 20tb-Fox. 125,000, and Paramount and War- ners, $30,000 each. Jack Cohn's Son Now AAP Capt., Gets DFC Robert .Cohn, son of Jack Cohn, Columbia Pictures v.p., has bean pro- moted to captain ihVthe Army Air Force and awarded the D.F.C. He now holds two air medals. Cohn Is a photographer-gunner with the Sixth Combat Camera. Unit of 13th Bomber Command Jn the Philippines. He enlisted iirthe Army Air Force about two years ago and has been overseas since February last year. WAC HOSTS ADMIRAL AFTER PIC PREVIEW : Vice Admiral TV: S: Wilkinson, U. S. N., commander of the Third Amphibious. Force in the Pacific, was hosted in.N. Y. last Monday (19) by the War Activities Committee following a press preview of ''Fury in the Pacific" (reviewed in-this issue). The Admiral; ■discussed the war in tha Pacific following ah in- troduction by Capt. Gene Markey, U. S, N.' R„ special assistant to the Secretary of the' Navy and Director of Navy Photographic Services. ■■ - ; Admiral. Wilkinson commanded the engagement leading to the capture of the Peliliu and ' Anguar Islands, depicted in "Fury." Montgomery to Rank . .Al Margolles has been appointed •astern publicist dot Lester Cowan "eductions, headquartering in New *ork. He replaces Robert Montgom- ery, who has joined tha J. Arthur Hank publicity department. Montgomery has been assigned to Mr up publicity department in Eng- land with view to slanting exploita- «w» toward American market. ' He's ™e in London shortly to head the Lawrence publicity office there. Screen Extras Guild May Get 4-A Charten Nix SPU Granting of 4-A's charter to Screen. Extras Guild, as spokesmen for bit and. stunt part players, seems likely with acceptance this'week by SEG. of terms 'laid down by 4-A's prexy with acceptance this week by SEG Paul Dullzell. Both SEG and Screen Players Union wired New. York 4-A's headquarters last week requesting charters, with Dullzell presenting conditions under which charters.could be granted. SPU has ignored 4-A's terms; SEG is known to have ac- cepted conditions vesting all jurisdic- tion over acting with Screen Actors Guild. Four-A's meet March 27 to discuss charter grant. ■ Situation is outgrowth of conflict between SAG and the two other, smaller unions for jurisdiction over bit players. SPU recently won an NLRB decision- over SAG in the matter, with SAG contesting the cer- tification. Charter grant to SEG would mean pushing SPU out into the cold, however, as it isn't strong, enough to combat other, unions with- out affiliation with some large group like 4-A's. SPU might amalgamate with SEG;. which seems most sensible course. - Or it might tie up with another large AFL union, thereby arousing 4-A's ire. Or it might try the CIO, raising ruckus In whole AFL. U.S. Cracks Down on D.C House After Accident Washington, March 20. The Mid-City theatre, which col- lapsed on March 3, injuring 19 per- sons, will be prosecuted in court for making repairs to the ceiling without having a permit. Assistant corporation counsel Rob- ert D. Wise said separate criminal charges will: be filed against Frank J. Storty, president and treasurer or the corporation; James H. Weisel, man- ager, and Opha Mays, contractor. i The law req ui r es tha i permit s for < such*construclfoh 'in,bun^'iigs^Pfty the ,public may be endangered must be Obtained in advance, so the build- ing inspector can specify what, ma- terials are to be used, how they are to be used, also conduct regular in- spections during and after the con- struction. This procedure was: not followed, and no permit* was issued. Fancbon's Bond Short Hollywood, March 20. Fanchon completed production at 20th-Fox on "AH Star Bond Rally." a two-reeler to stimulate the Seventh War Loan drive in this country and the Canadian Victory Loan cam- paign. In the cast are Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Betty Grable, Harry James. Frank Sinatra, Fibber McGee and Molly, Linda Darnell; June Haver, Vivian Blaine and Carmen Miranda. Not Benny Rubin Rumor made the rounds last "week that Benny Rubin, the comic, was among those killed in the European plane crash carry- ing USO talent However, the re- port was quickly dissipated at the Loew booking office and later reports identified the vic- tim as Ben Reuben, the wrestler. So. CaL Houses Los Angeles, March 20. . Theatre • section of • the film ind usr try's annual Red Cross drive operied Friday. (16), to run through-March 25, with a total of 605. Southern Cali- fornia houses pledged to participate. Last year's total was 574. - Every house will run trailers. at every per- formance and collections will:' be taken by local Red Cross . volunteer workers, to be turned over to George Topper, treasurer of Theatre Collections for 1945, ' Weekly meeting of the .committee on studio collections in Hollywood was cancelled because most of the committeemen were busy with strike. meeUng?. 6an Antone'i Drive San Antonio, March 20. Local motion picture theatres have set out this week to equal or exceed the mark set recently in the annual March> of Dimes 1 drive, when patrons at each of the local Interstate houses will be asked to contribute to the Red Cross War Fund drive. Al Rey- nolds, city. manager for. Interstate, announced that patrons of the 13 Interstate'' housescontributed in ex- cess of $14,000 to the March of Dimes drive. ' '• . .. The, local Red Cross drive, within, the theatres is geared to a state- wide campaign which is expected to draw better than $300,000, according to R. J. O'DonneU of Dallas,, chair-: man of the war activities committee of the theatre industry, who Is v.p. and general, manager of Interstate Theatres. . ^ - O'Donnell stated that 900 /houses have agreed to carry on the cam- paign. . . , , ."' V.- ; , Par Topper* In R. C. Paramount * homeoffice employees have more than the .usual amount of interest in the current Red Cross campaign-because of the- active par- ticipation of Par executives in war- time Red Cross Work. Stanton Gnf- fis., chairman of the company's ex- ecutive committee, is now serving as American National Red Cross ■ com- missioner in the Pacific. ' Harvey D. Gibson, a member of Par's board of directors, is American Red Cross commissioner to England and western Europe, while Briga- dier-General A. Conger Goodyear,- another board .member, now is with Commissioner Griffis. Larry Cowen's UpsUle Chore . Lt. Commander Larry Coweh.USNR, how manager of Proctor's Troy and upstate publicity director of Fabian theatres, was appointed Red Cross chairman for Rensselaer County in the Motion Picture Industry drive. For the opening (16) of the houses' collection period, Commander Cowen had Mayor John J. Ahearn, of Troy, interview over the public address mike Sgt: Joseph-Dzimba. veteran of overseas action in the European the-, aires. SI Fabian, head of We Circuit and national chairman of the War Activ- ture Industry, visited his', upstate houses for the launching of the Red Cross drive. He took a quick swing through Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Cohoes and Catskill, accompanied by Saul J. Ullman, general manager for upstate units. . LUNG WAXES PLATTER FOR BENEFIT OF NAA . Hollywood, March 20. Two tunes by Johnny, Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen, "Why Do I Like You'.'" and "Early- American," were recorded by Bing Crosby for Decca. with all the proceeds donated to the Naval Aid Auxiliary.'. ; Auxiliary expects- to profit be- tween $85,000 and $75,000 through the donation, which includes sheet music royalties. :'. In Treatment of Minority Groups Greater Union Sets Deal for Columbia Pix Sydney, March 20. Greater Union Theatres, one of the two big picture theatre circuits in. Australia, has : re-signed Columbia product via a hew five-year contract, Pact was signatured by Norman B, Rydge, Greater Union director, and Nick Pery ; Columbia's managing di- rector here. . . Greater Union now is in a healthy product situation, what with Ameri- can screen fare assured from Para- mount, Universal and some of Metro pictures, besides Columbia and Brit- ish Empire Films. DUMBARTON PIC TO PRECEDE S.F. CONFAB "Watchtowe'r Over Tomorrow," Government short explaining the Dumbarton Oaks plan, produced by the. film industry for -the Depart- ment of State, is being released. March 29 via- War Activities Com- mittee channels. ' Subject, with Secretary of State Edward R, Stettihius, Jr., hits the screens' about a month before the United Nations Conference in San Francisco. Sequence featuring Stet- tinius was: made in Mexico City by a crew ' under - John Cromwell's, direction when- the: Secretary was returning from the Crimea Confer- ence. -'-'■'.:"' ' , "■ . WAC distributor chairmen in each of the 31 exchange areas will per- sonally handle the film. Cowdin Strikes Boffish Postwar Film B.O. Note Citing that both domestic and for- eign outlook for the film business continues good, J. Cheever Cbwdin, chairman, of Universale board, told the, stockholders meeting last week at Wilmington, Del,, that' more pa- trons: for American screen produc- tions can be expected at the wear's end. He said that U has turned over 4,122 prints in 16-millimeter' of- Uni- versal features and 2,655 prints of shorts to the Army without cost 'for free showing to U. S. troops abroad. Directors reelected at the meeting were-Nate Blumberg, Paul G. Brown, D. C. Collins! Cowdin, Preston Davie, William . J.- German, J. J. O'Connor, Ottavio Prochet, C. D. Prutzman, J. Arthur Rank, Budd Rogers, D. M. Sheaffer, W. H~ Taylor, jr. and. Clif- ford Work. At organization meeting of directorate, the same officers of corporation were reelected. U maintained its usual $2 annual dividend on the common stock last week by voting the regular quarter- ly -divvy of 50c per share. It is pay- able April 30 to stockholders of rec- ord April 16. Reid Gets Full Meg At Rep for GI Service Hollywood, March 20. Cliff Reid, Jr., wounded and dis- charged from the U. S. Infantry, is returning as a. full-fledged director to the Republic: lot where he once served as assistant director. Promo- tion is Herbert Yatt's* way of show- ing his appreciation of war service/ With Reid's return, Allan Wilson, Republic veepee, loses his executive secretary, Leighton Carey, who will become Mre. Reid on March 27. L. A. to R Y. Waller Abel. Harry Ackerman.' - Neil F. Agnew. Katherine Alexander. Eve Arden. . Monty Banks. Phil.Cohan. Jimmy Durante.' v Gus Ey'sscll.. Sylvia Fine. Georgia; Gibbs. Bonita Granville. - Danny Kaye. Dick Mack. Don McElwaine. Garry Moore. Harry Revel. Lionel Standcr. f Although there Is an improvement in the handling^ of : racial minorities by the entertainment and literati worlds, American writers are still unconsciously fostering group prej- udice by perpetuating. stereotyped characters in their work. The stage is the most liberal of all the media in presenting minority char- 1 acters sympathetically and honestly. The' short story, using the most stereotypes, is the. worst offender. These, and other conclusions, are arrived at by the 'Writers' War Board, based on data prepared for it by the Bureau of Applied Social Research of Columbia University. A digest of the data has just been re- leased by the War Board under title of "How Writers Perpetuate Stereo- types.". Surveying, the: stage, films, radio, newsreels, press, short story, 'hovel,- comic cartoon and advertis- ing copy, the. War. Board praises- stage; radio, novel and cartoon for treatment afforded- minorities, con- demning films, press, the short story and ad copy on same grounds. Declaring that the constant repeti- tion of racial stereotypes perpetu- ated the "false'and mischievous no- tion, that ours is. a white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon country in which all other ' racial -stocks and religious faiths are of lesser dignity," the War Board cited the comic cartoon be- cause :it has., accorded the. jgreatest recognition and credit to the Negro fighter, and praised. the novel for being, like the stage, in the forefront , of liberalism. It mentioned Lillian' Smith's "Strange Fruit," Hodding Carter's "The Wings of Fear" arid Gwethalyn . Graham's "Earth and High Heaven" as examples. The press, it states, is generally fair in the north, with some nor torious exceptions, while 60% of the southern press is considered anti-Negro.; Ad copy, they say, is openly, admittedly perpetuating the Anglo-Saxon- myth by reliance on "snob appeal." Films have continued to disparage minorities, but have.' shown improvement. Radio, ranges from innocuous , to sympathetic, jn" spite of some bad types.' "Variety" Cited Discussing, newsreels,- the Wat Board calls attention to. a "Variety*^ story about film theatres in the south cutting out footage dealing, with; Negroes, as proof of the tan- . gible fact of newsreel editing. An- alyzing . 600 clips : in 1944 newsreel. -editions, says the War. Board, , they .found minorities treated in only 18 •instances.'' : - • - ' •. Films were criticized lor con- sistently disparaging .Negroes. An- .. alysis' of 100. pix involving Negroes - showed 75 disparaging, 13 unobjec- tionable,. 12 favorable. - Hollywood has become aware of the stereotype^' says the Board, citing treatment of Negro boy in Bette Davis film "In This Our Life;" Negro boy being in- cluded in choir of Catholics in "Go- ing My Way," and two , fave documentaries', "Americans AH" and "The Negro Soldier." Against these they set the "caricatures" in ''Life- boat,". "Life, of Mark Twain" and "Cabin in the Sky." . Although the stage was generally praised, the Board pointed, out some obnoxious,' persistent' stereotypes, a* the quarrelsome Jewish business man, "Uncle Tom" type -of Negro and "stage Irishman." Also praised the short-lived "Men to the Sea" be- cause one of four wives of seamen living together was- a Negro, "her presence and.color being taken for granted." Radio gives minorities the. fairest treatment of any mass medium, says the War Board, It mentions mixed ' opinion among Negroes In regards to " AiIioa >»' -Andi '«»y.?^<«!ihee^i:^° - notices Lena Horhe and Paul Robe- son addressed as "Miss", and "Mr.," and finds nothing particularly Irish about .the soap-opera "The O'Neills* and nothing much Jewish except vague dialect about "Rise of the Goldbergs." The one frank attempt to exploit comic Jewish stereotype, -'was'.-"Abie's Irish.Rose," now off the air. N. Y. to L. A. Lou Pollock. TrotHV^rriOa' Hollywood, March 20. Lamar • Trotti. was assigned' bw 20th-Fox to produce "American Guerrilla in the Philippines,!'- based On the recently purchased story of Ira Wolfert and Lieut. I. D. Richard* son. . Studio is rushing the tale into celluloid to cash^rr"oTi"lts-cnrrerit news value, '