Variety (Nov 1945)

PICTURES Wc«TiM'K<lxy, November 7, 1915 So. Africa and Chi Schools Are Best Foreign and Local Customers of 16mm. Following the recent meeting in* New York of the board of Encyclo- pedia Britannica Films, Inc., postwar plans were announced for increased production starting with 12 class- room shorts to be released this year slid IS subjects for 1946 and accel- erated pace for the next five years including more translations for the foreign market. Dr. V. C. Arnspiger was named exec. v.-p. by president E. H. Powell. Oilier new vice-presidents: H. R. Lissa:ek. sales: Dr. Melvin Brodshaug. research; J. A. Brill, production; Dr. Theodore M. Switz. overseas sales. All are former executives of the film company with exception of Dr; Switz. who was director export divi- sion ■Hercules Powder Co:, Wilming- ton. Del. Dr. Switz is now attending ■. visual education conferences in Eu- ropean countries, including England, Switzerland and Sweden. All of these one and two-reel sub- ject* are-'filmed- on 35mm. and then reduced to Himm.. and are shown in elementary schools and extension deptsi -of intermediate schools'with the exception of an experimental program Used once a month by CBS ' ^tctrisa^tcn^"-- • 1 , ;Uijjon of SoiiTlT—Ajnerica remains the lar subjects on- agriculture; botany, ge •.ology- ;:hd hygiene. Best domestic customer is the Chicago school sys- tem.- Completed so far are 75 sub- jects in Spanish, 12 Portuguese and 12 Chinese Willi the extension of translation to Cover Norwegian, Dutch. French. Czechoslovakia!), Greels, Turkish and Arabic. • . A new series will invade the field of political science with the first short en democracy and a second ■on despotism filmed in a community where such trends are in evidence. Cagney Strays from 'Lamb' Hollywood, Nov. 6. Next picture by Cagney Produc- tions for United Artists release will be 'The Stray Lamb,'' with brother William producing, but -without brother James in the cast. Filming starts late next month on the Gold- wyn lot. James will star in "A Lion Is in the Streets" on completion of "The Lamb." Reagan's Hunt for'Fresh Viewpoint' Resulted In Mitchell's Par Post The desire for a fresh viewpoint actuated Charles .M. Reagan's ap- pointment last week of Col. Curtis Mitchell to the post of national ad- vertising-publicity director for Para- mount. On terminal leave from the Army after 4'i years of active serv- ice, and until recently chief for the U. S. Bureau of Public Relations' ■Army- Pictorial Service, he assumes the post .vacated two months ago by Reagan's attention du-ring Par^s-eoTr- est single—cusjohigr^with^ tacts with j jie^JIoAUu^rrnTrnr~oTr~war '92d StV Fancy NX Biz "A n'cw alltime high for the New York RKO circuit on the "first break" among its Greater N. Y. theatres was shattered last week when "House on 92d Street," 20th- Fox release, hit a gross of $41,120 in 25 "A" houses on opening day- Thursday (41. This is an average per house of nearly $1,650. Highest previous opening'day the RKO Greater N. Y. out-front houses have had is Warners' "Have and Have Not," which hit $39,000. Rank and Universal in Joint 16mm. Venture; Excludes U.S., Canada and UK DISNEY'S STOCK RECAP AS DIWY CORRECTIVE Hollywood, Nov. 6. Wiilt Disney Productions issued a letter to stockholders offering de- bentures and common stock in ex- change for preferred shares, as part of the company's- plan for recapitali- zation In return for each preferred share the stockholders are offered two shares of common stock and a $10 face value debenture. 1 Purpdse"~of the plan, according to the letter, is to correct conditions now existing .with respect to pre- fer) ed stock and accumulated div- idends. • ' •-' films, etc Before , filling., the post, Par's sales v.p; Reagan made a close study of the mechanics of the advertising- publicity department, holding many meetings with the three departmental heads who functioned under Gill- ham, namely Stanley Shuford, f.d- vertising .manager; Alec Moss, over exploitation, anci Al Wiikie, publicity manager. As many as 50 men are said to have made a pitch for the Gillham job. In his youth a .reporter and later a freelance writer, Col. Mitchell at one time was with Leslie-Judge Co., publishers of Film Fun. Judge, Puck and other mags. He later became an exec with Dell Publishing work- ing on its picture and radio publica- tions. He was v.p. and editorial supervisor of Triangle Publications, an Annenber,g subsidiary, before go- ing into the Army in 1941. Col. Mitchell stepped into his new duties at Par on Monday (5). . Theatre Mgr. a Hero With 200 Kids Caught In Sat. Matinee Fire Chicago, Nov. 6. Quick thinking on part of the manager of the Havana, Kerasotes Bros, filmery in Havana, III., was credited with saving the lives of 200 children attending the matinee Saturday i3) when a fire started that destroyed the house completely. Manager is Edward Walker. When the fire, which spread quick- ly to the theatre from a rubbish pile blaze burning in back of the next door Kroger-Consumer Grocery Store hit the theatre, Walker. ' in order to avert panic asked the kids to leave "just as you do when you hjrcje___^jm^_seh^^ drills." It worked. Nobocfir^wi^ ualties being coats and hats which a number of the kids left behind. Squad of soldiers from nearby. Camp Ellis, Illinois, were the emer- gency fire fighters who got the blaze under control finally. Fire com- pletely destroyed the 475 seater, which was built in 1936. There is only one other theatre in town, the* Lawford, which seats 450. War Shorts Whetting Taste for Solo Bills? Reduction in. war shorts has cre- ated all increased demand for one and t\vewecl subjects of a commer- cial ntture with both exhibitors and the public according to Oscar A. Morgan, 'shorts- sales manager for Paramount, who has just completed a tour of the south and midwest. In Kansas City a leading circuit operjiUui.-|:rediclcd there would be a definite trend toward single bills in • that territory within a year and that it would spread through the country. ''This movement,'' says. Morgan, "is FANNIE HURST'S STORY SWITCH ON PICBIOG .' ■■•- Hollywood, Nov. 6. Film biography, of noted song- writer Carrie Jacobs-Bond, by Wil- liam Keighley and Ralph Jester, will get new technique in literary treat- ment. Instead of usual synopsis treatment or scenario, script will take form cif novelette-sized story to be written in New York by Fannie Hurst. Equipped with background male- rial she'll turn out yarn which will then be directly converted into a shooting script. FILM OFFICE SPACE VERY SCARCE IN N.Y. Hollywood indie producers seek- ing New York headquarters are finding it just as hard, if not harder, to locate office space in Manhattan than it is to find a hotel room. Two indie producers seeking offices found nothing this week and will have to commute from the Coast or locate in Newark or Ydnkers. Situation, according to renting agents, was that there was not a vacant office suite to bo found from !f>9th St. to the Battery. There are I enough applications on file at RCA and RKO building renting offices, it is said, to fill a 30-story building. This is a far cry. from .10 years ago. when film companies were, being offered free rent and other inducements by the then new RKO Bldg.. and many companies, trading with film ''-corn- Dan its, ' moved' from. Br-oadway in a big drive by the Rockefeller agents to fill up the office buildings. Borzages Second Tinter Hollywood, Nov. 6. Frank Borzage will make his sec- ond Technicolor feature at-Republic next May' with his two young stars, Catherine MeLeod and William Car- ter, in top roles. Story is now in the writing mill, still untitled. Currently Borzage is editing "1 Have Always Loved You." It's !' •< producer-director chore for Re- public release. More Pix Conventions, Traveling, Parties On The Postwar Agenda Sales conventions on a national scale,, similar sessions by exhibitor associations such as Motion^,Picture Theatre Owners of America and Al- lied States Assn., annual banquets by film companies. Variety Clubs, etc., plus a rash of cocktail parties and various other affairs arc on the agenda-for the near or not distant postwar future. Additionally, much more.travel by executives between the east a^rid TvesTHcoain3~a!r''^^ 1 1 the country on sales and other mat- ters is in prospect with the war's end and the gradual easing of trans- portation and hotel reservation problems. Also, out of the various exchange keys, salesmen are doing more traveling by car, train and bus to contact their accounts instead of trying to do business by phone or mail, which in most cases has proved unsatisfactory. Already' Paramount has determined on a policy of having its four division sales managers spenei as much time as possible in the field. Exploitation men, like- wise, are also starting to cover more ground. Distribs. incidentally, are keeping tabs on field contacting. , The coming summer, in prepara- tion for the 1946-47 season, is ex- pected to see the holding of several national sales conventions, though it may be that a couple of compa- nies, notably Metro and Paramount, will continue with regionals. There have been no annual din- ner-dances by any of the companies since Pearl Harbor excepting Para_ mount, and letter's such affairs have been virtually restricted to Par's own people. Cocktail parties are "not of ac- cepted importance in most trade circles—and many have been away out of line on cost in relation to publicity or goodwill value involved —but a rash of them are on the way. Heading the major studios' enlry into the expected lush market for Kimm. non-theatrical* films, British lllmagnate J, Arthur Rank and Uni- versal International's prex'y J h. Seidclman plan a new company to distribute and promote 16mm. films for educational, religious, scientific and Other non-theatrical purposes in all countries except the U. S., Can- ada and the United Kingdom. Due to prior commitments in the..16mm.' field by Rank, those territories will be excluded from the new com-, pany's proposed market. [ Organization will convert, to lfimm. .-lock suitable features and shorts of the Rank producing groups and all ft., features, shorts and documen- taries, as well as Gaumont-British instructional pix. Both Rank and Seidclman stressed, however, that even though both their firms' prod- ucts would be made available to the new company, their 16mm. pix would be aimed for the non-thratri- cal trade and would not compete with exhibs running regular Sfhriiii. pix. It was emphasized that such exhibs would be protected from such competition. Rank and Seidelman anticipated, however, that in countries where the present. commercial 35mm. outlets are insufficient to cover isolated areas, lUrtlrrr. installations, using the new company's product, would be boosted to fill the void. Product is to be adapted for' dis- tribution and exhibition in all lan- guages and will be made available to schools, churches, clubs-and for other noii-theatrical showings. Be- sides the features and shorts already available, new company may also ' produce special 16mm. films Tor schools, educational institutions and technical colleges, although it has not yet been decided whether such pix are to be produced here or in England. -•'....' EASTERN COIN IN NEW INDIE SETUP Holly wood, Nov: 6. Theodore Benedict and George Slout announced the formation of an indie production company, with a 1946 program of three features, one in Technicolor, and a total budget of $3,500,000. New outfit is financed by New York and Boston capital. Benedict was formerly a Para- mount exec and Stout a producer at Columbia. . AMUS. STOCKS AT PEAK Tinman's Wage-Price Policy, New Tax Structure Among Factors Exceptional activity in amusement issues on.the N. Y. Stock Exchange has characterized operations during 1)^"iVsult" 0 i:"public elaiTToi" which is I th / P ast wcek which hns l*K< most impressing theatre.owners with thc j«f them'to. new- highs lor 1945 and -fact .that simile bills supported-by a j othel ' s vvlt b'.n .less than a point -newsreel and short subjects arc more 10 the public's ■ taste than double, bills." A member of Vahje- 1 TV's staff recently, in the midwest found this to be substantially true, with folks in the main shying away from double-feature programs, one reason given being-that they were too l'.mg oriihiarily. ■; . . . ...' ■ of them to others within less than a point of what had previously-been scored. In I case of the majority of the .amuse-- I iheut issues on . the Big Board the j prices have been the . highest since ! long before Pearl HarboiV Activity in. picture stocks, as well as others, with sales heavy .every day Claude Binyon Back At Par After Army Hitch Hollywood. Nov. 6. C.:pt. Claude Binyon, currently on terminal^ leave -from _thc_Army, will resume his writer Contract at Paramount Nov. 12. Binyon was one of the- studio's top scripters prior to his enlistment early in 1942. Sleuthies Get Their Man Hollywood. Nov. 6. Sidney •Buchman Productions bought "Assigned to Treasury," a yarn by Jay Richard Kennedy, to be filmed for Columbia release. Story deals with hitherto undis- closed cases solved by agents of the U. S. Treasury Dept. ATC Ca avan Heading during the past week, is attributed in large part to President. Trum.m's wage-price policy. Assumption in trade circles is that the increase of wages without, inviting' inflation will , redound to the benefit of the- film £>aCK 10 tie States boxoffice in an important way. Re- '.-■: ', .",;.jr -r.illes. O.t. .21. '••Army Tr<:::..p.v.l Command's Con- tact Carr.v;;.u.h;.s left here after three weeks in R'lcral's assembly area, and will do a week in Switzerland before hitting for .Rome and Naples. Inci- dentally, Caravan is. being joined here .by Janet Planner, New Yorker nag corrc-pDnc'ent, and. Dwigbt Deere- WiiTian, legit producer. The Caravan may reach the Azores snd Bermuda the middle of Novem- ber, Bermuda being.the last stop of « six-month tour.. The first *top in the State-.', will be Miami, ' peal of-the excess profits tax on Jan. ] and other tax relaxation is also're- garded as a highly favorable factor. New 1945 highs among Big Board picture stocks since the Truman speech on wages include Columb-'n, .18: Warner Bros.. 21 U; Paramount, 45!*: Universal. 34!i, and 20lh-Fox, 38. Others, all of them within onj; point, of previous highs, are Loew 31i' 2 , and RKO. Many of these stocks, including such as Par. RKO, WB and ZOth-Fox, were substantially less than $10 fol- lowing depression, ' • ', RCA's New 16mm. Project Developed Out of the War Cleared to provide wider 'use- of 16mm. pix for non-theatrical pur- poses, a new and improved 16mm. sound projector, combining. profes- sional performance with rugged con- struction and simple, foolproof op- eration, has been devised by RCA. Initial units are now, rolling off the production lines and limited deliv- ierics to dealers have already been made. -v.; Designed primarily to provide schools and colleges,; churches, civic gro.ups, et al.. with qualify projec- tion- and sound, reproduction., the new .machine incorporates many features developed during the war and Used by the Army Signal Corps. New model, equipped with a 20v watt audio amplifier, features the RCA Sound Stabilizer, a new fiic- i-drivp. eve n-tension , lakeup and s> coffliOetc-ly removTPBTe film gate tliSf permits easy cleaning. Scaled for amateur use. the new projector cs-'n be taken apart with only a screwdriver and a wrench and can be reassembled in a lew moments. L. A. to N. Y. Jean Pierre Aumont. Renee Carson. George Chasanas. Larry Finley. Joan Fontaine. Eugene Frenke. . Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Ken Hinks. Stan Joseloff. Charles Q. Julian. ! Ed Kordner. Sam Marx. Lillie Messinger;' . Boris Morros. Toni Owens. Maybelle Primdavillc. LcRoy Prinz. Sol C. Siege). Irving Sindler, Leo Spitz. Margaret Whiting. William Wilder. N.Y. to L.A. Julian T.- A boles. Harry Brand. Sam Bra.id.. Jim Denton. Lawrence Fertig. Rufus LeMaire, • -iee_jSaarctrsr-. •—•-— SAILINGS <N. Y. to LoihIvii) Leo Margolin. ' Billy Rose. Strike Blamed for Coin Lag in United Appeal Hollywood, Nov. H. Film industry's first Annual Uni- ted Appeal, lagging in some studios because of recent strike difficulties, goes into high gear this week, fol- lowing a meeting of 850 volunteer workers under leadership of David Loew. chairman of the campaign. "Results are really encouraging," Loew told the volunteers, "although solicitations have been falling be- hind because of the strike. Indi- vidual gifts to date exceed the amount given last year to the War Chest, Red Cross and Infantile Paralysis drives, all of which are now concentrated in one annual campaign. Owing to labor onditioiisj 17.000 industry employees have not yet been approached in the annual campaign'.!' Bogey and Baby Hit The Road for Warners Hollywood. Nov. 6. Next co-starrer for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at War- ners will be "Stallion Road," based on the Stephen Longstreet novel- Alex Gottlieb produces and Raoul Walsh directs, starting in two weeks. Pair was originally slated to p'«y in "The Devil Was a Lady" tins niemth, but that picture has been postponed until next spring. Exhib's Public Office Indianapolis, Nov. 3. F. Shirley Wilcox, New Albany theatre man, took his oath of office here Thursday (1) as collector of .internal revenue for the Indiana dis- triet. . • . Wilcox has been associated with * Switow Theatrical Enterprises of Louisville, Ky., for many years, managing their Grand, Elks and In- diana theatres at New Albany. "i'i-.' : ' : :••■'* - -.-.:■•'