Scanned from the collections of The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation www.loc.gov/avconservation Motion Picture and Television Reading Room www.loc.gov/rr/mopic Recorded Sound Reference Center www.loc.gov/rr/record I file copy not Mover - ICTLiRS MOTION PiCTUHE HERALD R£V/£WS (In Product Digest) The Paradine Case Double Life (In News Section) Secret Beyond the Door The TOP TEN Money ma king Stars . . . designated by the nation's exhibitors reporting in the six- teenth annual selection by Motion Picture Herald and Fame VOL. 170, No. 1; January 3, 19i8 Entered as second-class matter, January 12, 1931, at the Post Office, at Mew York City, U.S.A., under the act of March 3 1879. Pu lish i weekly by Out 'Icy Publishing Co.. Inc., at 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y Subscr,ptw,i prices: $j.< a yearln Z Americ'J, %10.00 a year Foreign. Single copy, 25 cents. All contents copyright 1948 by Qutgley Publishing Company. THEY'LL BREAK OPEN THE PIGGY BANKS- to buy tickets for M-G-M's high-tension romance . . . HIGH n 11 — 'HIGH WALL' punches all the way. . . sturdy melo- dramatic film . . . strong cast and production." — VARIETY (Weekly) Dramatic entertainment bet delivers suspense, ex- citement. ■FILM DAILY Strong meat . . . suspenseful scenes . . . chilling enter- tainment . . . recommended." -motion picture herald Gripping, suspenseful." —BOXOFFICE Solid entertainment for all types and classes." —SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Fast moving action ... profitable boxoffice reception . . . romance, suspense ... a smashing conclusion." —HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 'Exciting and interesting show . . . highly effective." —MOTION PICTURE DAILY 'Snaps like a whip . . . plenty of entertainment . . . . . another click." -coAsr variety ROBERT TAYLOR AUDREY HERBERT TOTTER MARSHALL WALL Screen Play by Sydney Boehm and Lester Cole • Suggested A Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Picture Lhe most acclaimed picture in the history of the screen! THE NEW YORK FILM CRITICS' AWARD . . . with CELESTE ANNE JUNE ALBERT JANE DEAN SAM HOLM • REVERE • HAVOC • DEKKER • WYATT • STOCKWELL • JAFFE Produced by DARRYL F. ZANUCK Screen Play by MOSS HART Directed by ELIA KAZAN MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARTIN QV1GLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher TERRY RAMSAYE, Editor Vol. 170, No. I MWaWM January 3 1948 OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS EXAMINATION of the national and world scene for the checkered year last past discloses the fact that never before in recorded history have so many persons been engaged in tending to other people's business, seeking to ordain other lives and everybody's economy. This becomes especially conspicuous to an observer and practitioner in the arena of the all- pervading medium of the motion picture. Pointed observations have been made by Mr. Irving Maas, general manager of the Motion Picture Export Association, just back from eight weeks around the globe from Europe to Asia. He seems, in sum, to have decided that the British imposition of a 75 per cent tax set off a chain reaction. He is, to be sure, a commercial agent and must think in terms of the dollar. That is only a part of the story, a part of the tangled pattern woven of finance and politics. It is now pain- fully manifest that finance is largely in the hands of politicians, that economic decisions are being made with eyes on elections and the controls of authority of cliques, clans and regimes. Under assorted guises this means address at controls of press, screen and radio by the instrumentations of bureaucracy. Prior to World War II, for some years the developments of the world scene of the motion picture indicated in film form the rising wall: of acute nationalism. In sequel to that war and its economic consequences, the fires of nationalism and the hatreds inherent in isolationisms of all kinds are even more conspicuous, even amid conditions of devastation and hunger. The want of peoples is made servant to movements of strife for control. The powers of the cunning are aimed at doing things to the Common Man under the guise of doing for him. What is so separately and coincidentally being endeavoured about his entertainment, the motion picture, is but a part of the design. Everywhere, save in the United States, there are programs, separate and political, designed to control the screen and its theatre. Here alone does the basic control continue in the hands of the people who buy the seats at the box office. THERE are many articulate persons who would lend influence to a leading of the motion picture off to exercises of influence which are not at all concerned with the function of entertainment upon which it has been built. For an instance there comes that curious manifestation from the Exceptional Photoplays Committee of the National Board of Review, which would decide that the psychopathic mani- festation entitled "Monsieur Verdoux" should be accepted as the year's greatest motion picture. Of a pattern there comes from over in London an inter- nationally quoted opinion from Mr. Reginald Whitely of the London Daily Mirror, announcing a choice of the year's best dozen, including "The Outlaw" as the foremost of the three American pictures ending his list. It is a small mani- festation, obviously enough, but significant in view of the social, artistic and cultural defiances of that piece of material. It can scarcely be anything but a method of oblique damnation of the American film. Also to be noted among the year's end attentions is a piece by Mr. Budd Schulberg, condensed from the Atlantic Monthly for real national and worldwide distribution in The Reader's Digest, under the title of "Fifty Years of Movies — For What?" It consists of a taking apart of the output of the American screen, and a Schulberg formula for making it great and significant. The author in a fashion does admit the people have had an influence when he says: "... American film makers have taken an instrument as capable of indescribable beauty and subtle emotion as a Stein- way; have set themselves before the largest audience in history — and have proceeded to play chopsticks." There is no examination of how it has come to be that "largest audience in history", and there is no concession that the millions who like chopsticks on the piano and popcorn in their laps are the People. The inter-relation between the screen and a decent people will continue in fundamental control so long as the people are free. They have an effective automatic control of which the industry has much experience to which it adds from time to time when it transgresses mores or ventures into politics and causes. Experience, in the end, rules. ■ ■ ■ MUSIC HALL POLICY OUR esteemed contemporary down the hall, Motion Picture Daily, under the editorship of Mr. Sher- win Kane, brings forth this week a special number signalizing the fifteenth anniversary of the Radio City Music Hall. It is, in sum, an appreciation of that especially Rockefeller institution and the all -American showmanship of its administration, Mr. Gustav S. Eyssell. From its beginning the Music Hall has been the world's biggest theatre and, by devotion to the service of its patrons, it has become the greatest, too. The Music Hall and its policy are products of an evolution controlled by the customers and, unlike most of its con- temporaries, it is controlled by no one else, and for no other purpose. Peculiarly enough, this has resulted in a theatre which is the neighborhood house of the nation and stands, thereby, almost alone among great theatres as having a policy of its own, while elsewhere policies and prices change with every change of program. The Music Hall and its financial sponsors learned policy the hard way, but quickly. The house opened with a Roxy idea of super-vaudeville, while vaudeville was dying. It was an attempt at something bigger than the motion picture. The pictures moved in as the initial policy moved out. Only the pictures could expand to fill that super-proscenium. No theatre has yet outgrown the motion picture. Currently, with the world's greatest theatre on a family trade and fixed price policy, there is a questioning sort of contrast in the many advanced admission priced pictures of roadshow pretentious- ness, calculated to be bigger than the theatre and to dictate its policies. The Music Hall with its service of the millions is a constant polling and cross-sectioning of American taste. The attendance there is not to be rated a mere sampling, either. — Terry Ramsaye THIS WEEK IN THE HEWS Prediction FRED WEHRENBERG'S look into 1948 is a rosy one, with only an occasional grey streak. Chairman of the board of Theatre Owners of America, Mr. Wehrenberg took a good long look at 1948 the other day and he believes that the year will "be a happy and prosperous one." No man to be con- tent with generalities, Mr. Wehrenberg pre- dicted in a bulletin released by TOA that "the British tax situation will be solved on an equitable basis early in 1948 and . . . due to the Marshall Plan and other post-war factors, the over-all market for American motion pictures will actually increase in the next 12 months. He doesn't however, expect net profit or gross income to equal 1946 records, or even, perhaps, to equal 1947. He sees competition for the dollar getting tougher and he sees incompetents "who have been slipping by in the lush war and post- war years" falling by the wayside. But in general, Mr. Wehrenberg was pleased with his glimpse into the future, cautioning only that the picture was rosy IF "we all work hard and efficiently to make it so." The Old Ones MGM is currently chortling over the returns on some of the old ones it is reissuing. Not unexpectedly leading the field is that old bot- tomless gold mine, "Gone With the Wind," which reportedly has already grossed $2,- 500,000 on its fourth time around and which stands to gross between $4,000,000 and $5,- 000,000 before it goes back to the cans to await another reissue. Other popular reis- sues are "Rage in Heaven" and "The Great Waltz," both of which will very probably gross $1,000,000. MGM says its success with reissues is accounted for by its prac- tice of pre-testing the limited number of pictures to be re-released. Ho Hum COUPLE OF SHOOTINGS in Bronx, N. Y., theatres Monday. Nobody seemed to care much one way or the other. Man sit- ting in Loew's Burland theatre and he got into an argument with two youths sitting be- side him and he shot them. Shot a sixteen- year-old in the back and a fourteen-year-old in the neck. Then he ran from the theatre. According to the police there were 1,500 persons in the theatre when the shots rang out at 3 :25 P.M., but none showed any un- usual curiosity. The show went right on, the patrons tensely engrossed with the real life dramas contained in "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "Gentleman After Dark." Later that day, at 7:15 P.M., two youths got into an argument, wrestled their wav MOTION PICTURE HERALD for January 3, 1948 THE Money-Making Stars of 1947 — by vote of exhibitors Page 13 JAMES MASON again voted first by British exhibitors Page 16 NEW YORK theatres shelter stormbound in blizzard Page 17 INDUSTRY in England gloomy over British tax impasse Page 17 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann in comment on industry affairs Page 18 SIX British films among nine high grossers in England Page 19 MPEA may pull out of Japan and Germany over funds Page 22 FOREIGN remittances totaled $ 1 38,000,000 during 1946 Page 23 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on indus- try personnel across country Page 27 WARNER-PATHE newsreel to film Rose Bowl game in color Page 36 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Late Review Page 17 Hollywood Scene Page 35 In the Newsreels Page 36 Ma nagers' Round Table Page 39 Picture Grosses Page 45 Short Product at First Runs Page 38 What the Picture Did for Me Page 37 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 400 i Short Subjects Page 4001 Advance Synopses Page 4001 Short Subjects Chart Page 4002 Release Chart by Companies Page 4003 The Release Chart Page 4004 down the balcony stairs of the Boulevard and when they reached the bottom one of the guys grabbed a gun from a third boy and shot his wrestling match partner twice in the stomach. Police said things were quiet a few minutes after the shooting. New York Bests "GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT," Twen- tieth Century-Fox's feature about anti- Semitism, is the best English-speaking pic- ture of 1947, according to a vote Monday of the New York Film Critics. Elia Kazan was voted best director of the year for his work on "Gentleman's Agreement" and "Boomerang." Deborah Kerr was named the best actress for her work in "The Ad- venturess" and "Black Narcissus," both Eng- lish pictures, and William Powell was judged the best actor of the year for his "Life With Father" and "The Senator was Indiscreet." "To Live in Peace," the Italian feature, was named the best foreign-language feature of the year. Sixteen of the group's 17 members were present at the voting, with a two-thirds majority necessary, up to the sixth and last ballot, for an award. Runners up for the best picture of the year were "Great Expectations" (English), "Cross- fire," "Miracle on 34th Street," "Odd Man Out" (English), "The Fugitive" and "Boomerang." Endurable THE LONELY projectionists, sitting in the booths of the nation's theatres, doomed to see a picture over and over again, sometimes for months on end, what do they think is the "best" picture of the year? Well, they think that "Body and Soul" is the year's picture "most endurable again and again," and that John Garfield is "the male star who never palls," and that Lana Turner is the actress who can be "watched over and over again without boredom setting in." We don't know who did the polling, but it must be authentic. United Artists sent in the returns to us. "Body and Soul" is their picture and John Garfield appeared in it. Quitting EVER SINCE the British Government re- fused the MGM international newsreel an additional allocation of film stock for mak- ing copies to cover the British home market, Metro has had a chip on its shoulder. Last week it decided to call it quits. MGM closed down its British newsreel department, dis- missed a technical crew of 50 and moved across the channel to Paris. There the reel, which now operates in 30 countries in 12 languages with two weekly issues, this week resumed business with W. P. Montague, MGM's European representative, in charge. The international organization began its work in London with one issue a week in April, 1946. The French Government has given the newsreel a stock allocation for its foreign and home distribution. 6 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 Dramatic Memo PRODUCER HARRY SHERMAN got off a detailed memo to top YMCA officials in New York the other day and he said he was willing to supervise the establishment of a vast amateur dramatic project if the YWCA and the YMCA were willing to go along with the idea. The undertaking, to be known as Harry Sherman Enterprises, would offer adequate adaptations of current and forthcoming Sherman product — and of any other producer wanting to get in on the plan — and would make teachers and students of stagecraft available for coaching, makeup, directing and producing. Finances would come from the motion picture producers. Benefits of the plan, as Mr. Sherman sees it, would be the building up of a reservoir of acting talent and the stimulation of interest in things theatrical, including the motion picture. More Television Washington Bureau AMERICAN TELEPHONE and Tele- graph Company has a plan for expanding inter-city television relay facilities for 1948 and has relayed their plans to the Federal Communications Commission. AT&T is thinking about spending $76,000,000 on their expansion program which includes two additional coaxial cables between Washington and New York, two cables be- tween Washington and Charlotte, two between New York and Albany, two be- tween Philadelphia and Chicago, and two between Chicago and St. Louis. The com- pany thought that Boston also might be tied into the system. Happy Land HIS OWN, his native land, the Pacific Northwest, will be more prosperous in 1948 than in any other era, Eric Johnston, presi- dent of the Motion Picture Association, has predicted in Spokane. There for the holi- days, Mr. Johnston was of the opinion that the Federal Government is putting more money into the area for development than it is collecting in taxes from there. Back Patting THE AMERICAN LEGION has decided that it's about time the friendly witnesses in the recent Un-American Activities Com- mittee hearings in Washington got some recognition. So far most of the attention has been directed against the unfriendly wit- nesses. Now the Legion is going to do something for the friendly ones. It's going to give citations to Louis B. Mayer, Jack L. Warner and 21 others in appreciation of their stand on the stand. Others to be hon- ored January 6 at the Hollywood Legion Stadium are : Leo McCarey, Sam Wood, Walt Disney, Dore Schary, Gary Cooper, Adolphe Menjou, Jack Moffitt, Ayn Rand, Rupert Hughes, James K. McGuiness, Rob- ert Taylor, Morrie Ryskind, Emmet Lavery, Ronald Reagan, George Murphy, Robert Montgomery, Roy Brewer, Berthold Brecht, Lela Rogers, Fred Niblo, Jr., and Richard Macaulay. In Washington last week the Motion Pic- ture Association was in receipt of a letter from Dr. Howard M. LeSourd, dean of the School of Public Relations of Boston Uni- versity, who wanted to congratulate the in- dustry on its democratic procedure in deal- ing with the problems of Communism and subversive elements. The doctor wrote : "If anyone is unwilling to accept institutional responsibility, he should free the institution from any obligation to him or expect it to write him off as a liability." Prices Up Hollywood Bureau RAW STOCK costs have gone up. Film companies on Monday received letters from J. E. Brulatour, Inc., announcing increases averaging $2.50 per thousand feet, the cost being retroactive December 29. Reason for the increase was increased labor costs, Bru- latour annnounced. Consolidated Film In- dustries, a division of Republic, will an- nounce a similar increase and other labora- tories are expected to follow right along. Rubens Record Brussels Bureau THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT has ordered that a film record be made of all ex- tant Rubens' paintings. The paintings will be photographed by both still and motion picture cameras so as to reveal certain technical details invisible to the naked eye and to "animate" the pictures. Useful IN SUTTON, England, there's a woman with a super-sensitive television set that acts as a trap for burglars. According to the United Press, Miss Violet Tabor said her set was "sensitive to metal," so when her set's screen blurred Monday she went to the window to see if an automobile were passing. When she got to the window she found three men using an iron bar trying to force it open. PEOPLE N. Peter Rathvon, president of RKO Ra- dio, has accepted the chairmanship for Southern California of American Brother- hood Week, to be held February 22 to 29. Irving Helfont, MGM home office repre- sentative for the western and Canadian sales divisions, Tuesday also assumed duties as representative for the mid- West- ern sales division, succeeding Joel Be- zahler, appointed assistant to William F. Rodgers, vice-president and general sales manager. John Nolan, Comerford Theatres execu- tive, was host to the hospitalized children of St. Vincent's Hospital in New York Sunday at a holiday party and special per- formance of Suzari's Marionettes. Mrs. J. J. Parker, president of J. J. Parker Theatres, Portland, Ore., last week was voted one of the 10 best-dressed women in the city in a poll of members of 50 Port- land civic and business organizations. Ralph McCoy, southeastern district man- ager for Eagle Lion, announced his resig- nation last Friday. Manny Reiner, in charge of Latin and South American sales for the Selznick Releasing Organization, was to leave New York this week for Sydney, Australia, to establish a sales organization in that coun- try and in New Zealand for the Selznick organization. Bob Hope received the Good Neighbor Award for International Affairs Tuesday evening during his regular weekly broad- cast. The award was presented by Gov- ernor Clarence W. Meadows of West Virginia. George Langbart, division manager for the Randforce Amusement Corporation, New York, has announced his resignation, ef- fective this week, to organize Ross-Bart Theatres. Morton Van Praag, sales manager for All American News, Chicago, has resigned and will announce a new affiliation shortly. William McClure, for the past year handling publicity for Pathe News in New York, will join Warner Pathe News as its staff correspondent in Europe, effective January 4, 1948. He will leave for Paris in a few weeks. Loyal Haight of the candy sales depart- ment of Paramount Theatres Service Cor- poration Wednesday was appointed direc- tor succeeding Max Schosberg, who will become a consultant and advisor to the de- partment, which he founded some twenty years ago. Michael Balcon, British producer, was given knighthood in the King's New Year's Honours List published January 1 in London. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Ouigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Ouigpubco, New York". Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martir Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Martin Ouigley, Jr., Associate Editor; Jomes D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building; Chicago, 624 South Michigan Avenue; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Ouigley Publications: Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 9 THIS WEEK the Camera reports: AS THE DIRECTORS of the Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners met at Louisville last week. From left: J. Raymond Mattingly, Louisville; Mrs. O. J. Minnix, London; Guthrie Crowe, president; Willard Sabhart, J. E. Isaacs, and Fred J. Dolle. MEETING, in Atlanta, right, of the Dixie Drive-In Theatres circuit executives. Standing are Clyde B. Stockton, Greens- boro manager; W. G. Meier, Atlanta manager; Horace Denning, Florida district manager; Eugene Skinner, Jackson- ville manager; L. L. Theimer, North Caro- lina district manager; C. B. Washam, Jr., Savannah manager; C. M. Elliott, Augusta manager. Seated are O. C. O'Farrell, Stewart Avenue/ Atlanta, Drive-In; H. T. Posey and J. H. Elwell, home office; Harris Robinson, president; R. A. Edmondson, Jr., secretary; R. J. Reynolds, Jr., attorney, and Joe Lipson, Orlando manager. J. H. SEIDELMAN, at the right, vice-president of foreign distribution for Universal- International, last week in New York received the order of the French Legion of Honor from Consul General Ludovic Chancel, left. DEDICATION, left, of 15 rooms in the Washing- ton, D. O, Children's Hospital, in memory of deceased barkers of Variety Tent I I . At the presentation recently were, left to right, George A. Crouch, vice-chairman of the club welfare committee; A. E. Lichtman, chairman of the committee; Nathan D. Golden, chief barker; Dr. Mont- gomery Blair, hospital superin- tendent, and Mrs. A. Cham- bers Oliphant, president of the board of lady visitors, of the hospital. 10 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 INTERVIEW BY TELEPHONE. Merle Oberon, RKO Radio, star, is shown in Hollywood at the telephone, through which writers of Mexico City's "El Universal" newspaper interviewed her, inaugurating a new Hollywood section. With her is Henri Sris, U. P. writer. By the Herald IRVING MAAS, Motion Picture Export Association general manager, who this week re- ported to the trade on a visit abroad. See page 22. HERMAN BEIERS- DORF Tuesday was appointed Eagle Lion western sales manager. MEETING at New York's airport: Paulette Goddard arriving from Hollywood, and Burgess Meredith, her husband, from London. Incidentally, they both will be seen in Benedict Bogeaus' "A Miracle Can Happen". HOSTS at the Christmastime party given the employees of the Martin & Thompson theatre chain for employees. Left to right, E. D. Martin, Roy Martin, Jr., J. H. Thompson, R. E. Martin, Sr. A PHOTO- GRAPHIC PROB- LEM is the topic at the left as Edgar Bergen, at the left, assistant to Charles McCarthy of radio fame, chats with William Balch, New York district manager of Ansco. Mr. Bergen is an enthusiastic cine photographer CORNERED. A scene from Eagle Lion's "T-Men", starring Dennis O'Keefe, with Mary Reade, Alfred Ryder, Wally Ford, June Lockhart, Charles McGran. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 I I DAN CHANCE LAW- LER, newly appointed chief of the documentary film unit, civil affairs divi- sion, Department of the Army. Mr. Lawler will supervise production of original documentaries for release in Germany and Austria, as well as in Japan and Korea. GERRY WOLLASTON, who has been appointed Harrisburg, Pa., city man- ager for the Wilmer & Vincent division of Fabian theatres. He had been manager of the State theatre in the Pennsylvania city. He began his career as a doorman. AN AMERICAN STAR arrives in London and the crowds turn out as always. The scene is at Waterloo station, London, as George Raft arrived from the Queen Mary, pencil in hand. IN ATLANTA, right, as the Variety Tent 2 I gathered at the Biltmore Hotel for the annual officers' installation. In left to right order are M. E. Thompson, Governor of the state; C. D. Durmeyer, retiring chief barker; William McCraw, Variety international coordinator; Eddie Melnicker, master of ceremonies; E. E. Whitaker, new chief barker; William K. Jenkins, newly elected canvass- man, and Alpha Fowler, Jr., Georgia Adjutant General. IN ALBANY, at the testimonial dinner to Guy J. Selmser, retired Schine cir- cuit director of maintenance, purchasing and construction: left to right: Louis W. Schine, general manager; Mr. Selmser and J. Myer Schine, president. The affair, very well attended, was at the Hotel Ten Eyck. IN HOLLYWOOD, Richard Pritchard, ieft, Los Angeles Ambassador theatre manager, congratulates Richard Wallace on his 20 years as a director. Laraine Day, co-star RKO Radio's "Tycoon", is in the center. of 12 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 The Money -Making Stars of 1947 *.\ WESTERN WINNERS ROY ROGERS GENE AUTRY WILLIAM BOYD BILL ELLIOTT GEO. "GABBY" HAYES CHARLES STARRETT SMILEY BURNETTE JOHNNY MACK BROWN DALE EVANS EDDIE DEAN tory of the poll. He was in thirteenth posi- tion last year, is seventh this year, with 'The Hucksters" his only new film. Gregory Peck, in eighth position, is a newcomer to the list of leaders. He finished twenty-third last year. His new films were "The Yearling," "Duel in the Sun" and "The Macomber Affair." Claudette Colbert returned to Top Ten rank in 1947 in ninth position as a result of her drawing power demonstrated in "The Egg, and I," "The Secret Heart," and two reissues. Alan Ladd is another newcomer to the list, up from fourteenth last year to tenth this year by virtue of "Two Years Before the Mast," "Calcutta," "Variety Girl" and "Wild Harvest." Rogers Western Leader, Autry Close Behind In the Western Stars division of the poll, Roy Rogers was voted Number One for the fifth consecutive year, and Gene Autry rose from last year's third place to second. William Boyd, back as Hopalong Cassidy, finished third, with Bill Elliott moving from third to fourth in consequence of switching {Continued on follotving page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 13 THE MONEY-MAKING STARS (Continued from preceding page) from regular Westerns to bigger and fewer pictures annually. George "Gabby" Hayes, a marvel of con- sistency in poll performances, earned fifth placement in the 1947 totals, and Charles Starrett duplicated his 1946 record, finishing sixth. Smiley Burnette took seventh place in his seventh year among the Top Ten and Johnny Mack Brown finished eighth in his. To Dale Evans goes this year the distinc- tion of being the first personality of her sex to crash the heretofore 100 per cent mascu- line company of Money-Making Western Stars. She is the first feminine player to be mar- queed in connection with Westerns since — way back when — the late Texas Guinan starred in a series of two-reelers before de- serting pictures for night clubs. Eddie Dean, a relatively recent recruit to the ranks of cowboy heroes, duplicated his 1946 standing, tenth, on his second appear- ance in the poll. In Canada, exhibitors are practically of the same mind as the U. S. exhibitors, agree- ing with below-the-border exhibitors on seven out of 10 choices, although giving their winners slightly different ratings. Bing Crosby was first on the Canadian list, as he was on the American list. With the long-completed "Emperor Waltz" and the aborning "Connecticut Yankee" sched- uled for release in 1948, possibly together with one or two more, it's going to take a powerful personality to keep Mr. Crosby from setting an all-time poll record. The Canadians also picked, for second to seventh place, respectively, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Betty Grable, Gary Cooper, Bob Hope and Gregory Peck, all of whom appeared on the American list, and then added Cornel Wilde, Larry Parks and Roy Rogers, in eighth, ninth and tenth places, respectively. Cornel Wilde Came Along In "Song to Remember" Cornel Wilde, who rose to prominence in "A Song to Remember," was seen this year in a modern dress feature, "The Home- stretch," and again in "Forever Amber." Larry Parks appeared in the widely popu- lar "The Jolson Story," which though re- leased in 1946, played several engagements in 1947. He was also seen opposite Rita Hayworth in "Down to Earth." Roy Rogers, in addition to being tenth in the Top Ten category, was first in the West- ern category, as he was in the American listing. In the American balloting for Top Ten honors, he placed twelfth. The next 15 in the Canadian voting for the Top Ten were, in order of appearance : Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Abbott and BING CROSBY Costello, Margaret O'Brien, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Maureen O'Hara, Alan Ladd, Tyrone Power, Barbara Stanwyck, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Betty Hutton, Esther Williams and Joan Crawford. The Canadian vote for the Top Ten West- ern Stars added up to this listing, from one to 10: Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, George "Gabby" Hayes, William Boyd, Bill Elliott. Smiley Burnette, Charles Starrett, Andy Devine, Sons of the Pioneers, Ken Maynard. THE WESTERN WINNER ROY ROGERS The Next Fifteen COMBINED CIRCUIT INDEPENDENT Cary Grant Cary Grant Roy Rogers Roy Rogers Larry Parks Gregory Peck Van Johnson Roy Rogers Alan Ladd Spencer Tracy Fred MacMurray Abbott & Costello Larry Parks Joan Crawford Wallace Beery Abbott & Costello Rita Hayworth Margaret O'Brien Fred MacMurray Van Johnson Cary Grant Rita Hayworth Barbara Stanwyck Fred MacMurray Margaret O'Brien Tyrone Power Larry Parks Tyrone Power James Stewart Betty Hutton Joan Crawford Spencer Tracy Rita Hayworth Barbara Stanwyck Abbott & Costello Dana Andrews Dana Andrews Dana Andrews Tyrone Power Esther Williams Esther Williams Esther Williams Cornel Wilde Maureen O'Hara John Wayne 14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 HUMPHREY BOGART BOB HOPE CLARK GABLE GREGORY PECK CLAUDETTE COLBERT ALAN LADD MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 l5 Mason Again Wins Top Ten Honors in British Poll by PETER BURNUP in London Although temporarily absent from his na- tive adulating shores, expatriate James Ma- son, the moody, the cane thrashing, the al- ways romantic, this year, for the fourth con- secutive time, has been voted to the top of the British Top Ten in the Motion Picture HERALD-Fame poll of British exhibitors to determine which star makes the cash regis- ter tinkle the merriest. This year, however, Britain's favorite was somewhat shaken from his position last year. Then he led the International classification. This year he places second to Bing Crosby, America's top favorite. But his recent to-do's in New York City, where he has lately appeared in only a fair- ish Broadway play, has written engaging articles for the New York Times and ap- peared on several programs of a popular ra- dio comedian, has not dimned his consider- able lustre appreciably, for this side his fol- lowers have found him as menacing as ever in such of his recent releases as "The Up- turned Glass." This year's Top Ten is at considerable di- vergence from last year's — only five, includ- ing the popular Mr. Mason, having success- fully held the public's esteem for the 12- month. Of the survivors, Anna Neagle is up from fifth to second place; Margaret Lockwood is down from second to third; John Mills is up from eighth position to fourth, and Stewart JAMES MASON THE MONEY-MAKERS British exhibitors participating in the Motion Picture Herald - Fame poll vote for three groups: the top 10 British players, the top 10 international players, including both American and British performers, and the top 10 Western stars. The British exhibitor tabulation follows: BRITISH JAMES MASON ANNA NEAGLE MARGARET LOCKWOOD JOHN MILLS STEWART GRANGER PATRICIA ROC MICHAEL WILDING DEBORAH KERR ROBERT NEWTON TREVOR HOWARD INTERNATIONAL BING CROSBY JAMES MASON ANNA NEAGLE MARGARET LOCKWOOD BETTE DAVIS JOHN MILLS ALAN LADD HUMPHREY BOGART INGRID BERGMAN BOB HOPE WESTERN ROY ROGERS GENE AUTRY WILLIAM BOYD RANDOLPH SCOTT GARY COOPER RAY MILL AND JOHNNY MACK BROWN JOHN WAYNE HENRY FONDA FRED MacMURRAY Granger is down from third to fifth position. Miss Neagle had to her credit appearances in the successful "Courtneys of Curzon Street" and "Piccadilly Incident." Miss Lockwood was in three successes : "Jassy," "The White Unicorn'' and "Hungry Hill." "So Well Remembered" and "Great Expec- tations," both known to American audiences, used the services of Mr. Mills. Mr. Gran- ger appeared in "Caravan" and the recently released "Captain Boycott." Newcomers to the list were Patricia Roc, in sixth place, having appeared in "Jassy," "The Brother's" and "So Well Remem- bered" ; Michael Wilding, in seventh, by vir- tue of his leading man activities opposite Miss Neagle in "Courtneys" and "Piccadil- ly" ; Deborah Kerr, in eighth, for her per- formances in "The Adventuress" and "Black Narcissus"; Robert Newton, in ninth, in recognition of "Odd Man Out," and "This Happy Breed," and Trevor How- ard, Miss Kerr's leading man in "Adven- turess," in tenth place. By now the Mason antics and biography are as well known in America as here — not only by virtue of his American activities, but by the numerous atmosphere pieces in American magazines written about him and articles written by himself on actors, actresses and cats. He is an accomplished writer, no mean caricaturist, and, as this poll shows, indis- putably an actor. He is also quite a hand as a producer, having done a first-rate job with "The Upturned Glass." Not so well known to American audiences is Anna Neagle, but here she is famed for a variety of roles — appearing successfully either in novelettish Victorian period pieces or in modern day, war dress dramas. Her "Piccadilly Incident," released the latter part of 1946, was a modern drama and brought to the fore her rose-fresh personality, cun- ningly underlined and adroitly exploited by producer-director Herbert Wilcox, her hus- band. Miss Neagle has a glowing liveliness and tenderness betokening near-greatness. When British exhibitors transferred their attention to voting places in the International poll, they found only four on their British list — Mason, Miss Neagle, Miss Lockwood and Mills — able to compete with the Ameri- cans. Bing Crosby, tops on the American list, tops the International list here. He was sec- ond on that list last year to Mr. Mason, who then made a clear clean sweep of honors. Alan Ladd, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Bob Hope, all safely ensconced on the American list, are as safely home on the British International list, although not quite in the same order. British exhibitors put Bette Davis on the Top Ten list; the Americans did not. J. Arthur .Rank's new documentary, "This Modern Age," placed first in the British selection of the 10 best short subjects of the year. Others, running from second to tenth, were: Walt Disney Cartoons, March of Time, Crime Does Not Pay, Three Stooges Comedies, Pathe Pictorials, Guess What?, Technicolor Cartoons, FitzPatrick Travel- talks, and Speaking of Animals. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 NEW YORK HOUSES SHELTER STORMBOUND IN BLIZZARD HOUSE OF REFUGE, in the great storm of 1947, New York's record breaking snowstorm of 25 and 8/10 inches which on Friday night, December 26, crippled the metropolis and stranded thousands. The scene is at Loew's Valencia, in Jamaica, with Rod Rodmaster, assistant manager, serving early morning coffee to a storm refugee. Hundreds flocked to the house when word spread it had remained open. Secret Beyond the Door U -I - Diana — Psychological Drama The expert hand of Fritz Lang, responsible for direction and production, is clearly visible in this tense and exciting Diana production pre- sented by Walter Wanger. The psychological theme here is put to excellent use as the basis for a compact, well-paced package, graced by sparkling performances. Joan Bennett exercises a restraint that fits in well with the pattern of subdued tension that prevails. Michael Redgrave, popular British actor known here, does his best without being entirely convincing in the part. His accent is not pronounced, but it can hardly be denied. Silvia Richards did the screenplay from a story by Rufus King. Dialogue is used spar- ingly and is subordinated to dramatic situations. There are several spots where, while nothing visibly dramatic happens on the screen, pho- tography and dialogue are such that the audience will be roused to a high pitch of tension. When heiress Miss Bennett meets magazine editor Redgrave in Mexico she marries the comparative stranger. Their happiness is marred when, after she playfully locks her bedroom door, Redgrave departs. She finds out that he has lied to her when claiming that he received a telegram that called him away. She goes to live at his house near New York, where she meets his sister, Anne Revere, his jealous sec- retary, Barbara O'Neil and, to her surprise, his son, Mark Dennis, of an earlier marriage which he had kept secret. Redgrave's actions are strange. At a party he shows his friends his collection of rooms. They all turn out to be places where murder has been committed in the past. One room re- mains locked. One night she opens it and dis- covers it to be a replica of her own room. Then she knows Redgrave plans to kill her. She realizes there is a psychological reason for Michael's motivation, yet she flees. Later, urged by her love for him, she returns and set- tles in the room he prepared. Redgrave ad- vances to kill her, but, by unlocking his mental "door" and by showing him the reason for his urge to kill in terms of an explanation of some- thing that happened back in his childhood, she brings him back to sanity. Seen at the Universal-International home of- fice in New York. Reviewer's Rating : Very good.— Fred Hift. Release date, not set. Running time, 99 min. PCA No. 12621. General audience classification. Celia Lamphere Joan Bennett Mark Lamphere Michael Redgrave Caroline Lamphere Anne Revere Barbara O'Neil, Natalie Schafer, Anabel Shaw, Rosa Rey, James Seay, Mark Dennis British Gloomy On Tax Impasse London Bureau Motion picture men here tend to de- spondence at the inclusive ending of the second official tax talks between Sir Wil- frid Eady, joint second secretary to the British Treasury, and Fayette W. Allport, representing the Motion Picture Associa- Despair was intensified by the iron- curtained secrecy with which the conference was enshrouded. Mr. Allport clearly could say nothing. The British Treasury never does talk in the midst of negotiations. Added gloom was occasioned by the latest woe- charged warning of Sir Stafford Cripps in the House of Commons of the perilous state of the country's dollar balance. The facts are simple. Mr. Allport, in New York's December 26 blizzard, which prevented thousands from reaching home or haven, found theatre managers alert to the opportunity for sjiowmanship plus service. In Quens, five Loew theatres gave shelter and coffee and sandwiches to 2,000 persons who slept in seats and on lounge couches. The circuit informed the public the theatres would remain open all night, by announce- ments over loudspeakers at railroad termi- nals and on the radio. In Brooklyn, the Century Circuit's Patio theatre was a haven for 400. These, too, received coffee and cake, courtesy of the management. In this instance, the announce- ment that the theatre was open was made at the nearest subway station, the Prospect Park, of the BMT lines. accordance with his brief from Eric John- ston, MPA president, proposed a variation of the now well-ventilated suggestion that an alternative to the ad valorem duty lies in the indefinite freezing here (as approved investment) of a proportion of the film hire remittances normally due the U. S. Sir Wilfrid was not satisfied with the proposed treatment of the retained balance. Without his brief, Mr. Allport could go no further without instruction. Although Treasury officials have nothing to say about what happened at the talk, they point out that the position remains the same : 1. The Government is prepared to allow up to £4,000^000 ($16,000,000) or £5,000,000 to proceed to the U. S. annually on account of film hire. 2. Government Ministers have declared Also on Long Island, where transport had been badly hit, the Interboro circuit kept its 11 Jamaica area theatres open. It announced the fact on radio stations, and added: "Hot coffee and doughnuts will be served, and everyone will be made as comfortable as possible." On Broadway, the Rivoli stayed open to accommodate 150 persons. In that area, too, receipts dropped. However, the Radio City Music Hall reported only a 10 per cent re- duction. The Roxy reported taking in $20,- 000 on Saturday and Sunday, following the storm. The Paramount reported very little business the night of the storm ; the Strand estimated the drop at 70 per cent. However, both, like the Roxy, reported a weekend comeback. frequently that they will welcome any pro- posal which will afford a reasonable influx of American pictures which, at the same time, does not cost the country more than the postulated millions of pounds. In well-informed political circles it is freely said, "Cripps is playing the Cold War game." The present discussions are openly compared with a mammoth poker game. Back of the whole situation is the fact that the Government does not want, except in the ultimate resort, to deprive the popu- lace of yet another of its little luxuries. The Government and Labour Party managers evince considerable touchiness at their pos- sible fate at the next elections. Sir Stafford is the last man to put expedience before principle, but his Cabinet colleagues badly want that settlement of the tax business. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 17 OA THE MARCH by RED KANN NOW that you have hopped Pages 13- 16 with their facts about the Money- Making Stars of 1947 and have ar- rived at this terminus, travel with us through the years for an interesting analysis of star values reflected by that court of last resort — the public — through its middleman — the exhibitor. In the pursuit of these polls, a Motion Picture Herald-Fcmht institution of nation- wide acceptance long since established, the critical does not enter. Art and its hand- maidens are left calmly and unurotestingly in the hands of such other voting bodies as the Academy of M. P. Arts anu Sciences, the National Board of Review, the New York Film. Critics and that myriad of critics and groups who seek to draw the however reluctant Muse from her lair. Crass, maybe, and inconclusive, possibly where the Art is concerned, the Herald- Famc poll nevertheless has been faithful to its conception since its inception 16 years ago. It's simple, too. The exhibitor each year is asked by ballot to name those top ten personalities who have attracted the greatest volume ©f $$$$ to his box office. We turned somewhat curious about these past 16 years and began to conjecture what an analysis or two might point up. It was fact, and remembered, that Bing Crosby had captured No. 1 position these last four years. Lurking in ready memory was the recol- lection Shirley Temple had been uncontested leader for four years, also hand-running. Then Mickey Rooney uncrowned Miss Tem- ple, who held undisputed sway from 1935 through 1938, for the succeeding three years. But how many stars had come through this overall period? Was the female more popu- lar than the male? Who had displayed the greatest stance, anyway? It's like this: More male stars had been No. 1 than fe- male. Nine times the males had it and sev- en the females, but it is noteworthy that a breakdown of the sexes compresses top hon- ors to seven personalities spread over the 16 ballots to date. Crosby with his four firsts and Rooney with his three had in their company Abbott and Costello for 1942 and Will Rogers for 1934. Miss Temple with her four firsts, Marie Dressier with her two [1932-33] and Betty Grable for 1943 com- prised the females. Thus, it was four males and three females unless A. and C. are to be broken up as a team for a total of five men. Bud and Lou, in all probability, wouldn't like that. OF the 161 members of the Famous Ten family — 10 each year plus a tie be- tween Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper for sixth place in 1945 — there were 26 male stars, if A. and C. are not to be dissolved, and 21 female. It appears obvious, there- fore, that many of these 47 name players were returned year after year. They were. Clark Gable has been among the Top Ten 13 times in these 16 years, yet curiously enough has never made No. 1 throughout his remarkable run. Cooper has been enrolled nine times, but never bettered his No. 2 spot in 1944. Crosby has made the grade eight times, four of them firsts. Bob Hope shows seven times, his best No. 2 in 1943. Spencer Tracy, too, has been in the poll seven different years ; his highest No. 2 in 1940. James Cagney, Rooney and Miss Temple were voted six times each. Cagney never succeeded in improving No. 6 in 1940 and again in 1942. Rooney regis- tered No. 1 three years and Shirley four years. Miss Grable, six times one of the Famous Ten, was their leader once — in 1943. Five times apiece, but never in first posi- tion, were Wallace Beery, Bogart, Joan Crawford, and Greer Garson. Four times apiece were Abbott and Costello, with one first, Bette Davis with no first, and Will Rogers with one first. Three times apiece were 11 players, only one of whom emerged as No. 1. She was Miss Dressier, who earned the top rank in two of her three citations ; the years, 1932- 33. The remaining ten were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as a team ; Gene Autry, Joe E. Brown, Claudette Colbert, Judy Gar- land, Janet Gaynor, Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Norma Shearer and Robert Taylor. Of the nine stars who rated Famous Ten membership twice each, not one managed No. 1. They were Ingrid Bergman, Alice Faye, Van Johnson, Myrna Loy, Margaret O'Brien, Dick Powell, Roy Rogers, Mae West and Jane Withers. In this sometimes fleeting aggregation were 10 others who appeared once each, but never in the leadoff. They were Eddie Can- tor, Charles Farrell, Errol Flynn, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Alan Ladd, Jeanette MacDonald, Gregory Peck and William Powell. One of the arresting manifestations of the Money-Making Stars Poll was the persist- ence with which some players remained on top and others fell off it. Bogart has been in for the last five years, unbroken ; Cooper, the last seven ; Crosby, the last five ; Gable, 12 from 1932 through 1943, when he entered the Air Corps, and now back for '47; Miss Garson, five from '42 through '46; Miss Grable, the last six; Hope, the last seven; Rooney, six uninterrupted from '38 through '43 ; Miss Temple, six without a break from '34 through '39 ; Tracy, five from '38 through '42, out in '43, back in '44 and '45. Fame may be illusive, but it is never so illusive that it cannot ever be recaptured. Miss Colbert, one of the Famous Ten in '35 and '36, disappeared from the roster there- after. But in '47, largely on the intensive screen circulation of "The Egg and I" and "The Secret Heart," she has returned. . . . The power and the glory. . . . MPTOA Seeks Intervention in Anti-Trust Case Urging retention of the industry's arbi- tration system and attacking the competitive bidding order of the New York District Court, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America last Saturday filed motion with the Clerk of the Supreme Court seeking per- mission to intervene in the Paramount, et al, anti-trust suit as amicus curiae. Defendants Refuse Comment While the Government has consented to such a brief, the defendants have not, so that the Supreme Court must make the yes or no decision. Under similar circumstance the high court last week accepted the amici Curiae briefs of the Conference of Inde- pendent Exhibitor Associations and the SIMPP. The MPTOA brief, signed by Herman M. Levy, counsel, protests that the competitive bidding order has "led the industry into a more restricted area of competition than it had ever been in before." The organization sees increased licensing fees under the systm, with resultant higher admissions and the independent theatre operator, "the for- gotten middle-man, will spend a good deal of his time and energy attempting to keep his profit at its former level." Although now merged with Theatre Owners of America, MPTOA kept its identity for the express purpose of entering the anti-trust suit. Where the MPTOA holds no brief for divorcement, the CIEA is definitely urging divorcement in its amicus curiae brief. "The Conference," the brief reads, "supports the purpose of the Attorney General to secure the principal relief prayed for, namely, the complete, permanent and effectual separation of the production and exhibition branches." Report to District Court Meanwhile, the five theatre-owning de- fendants in the suit were due, according to court order, to report to the New York District Court before January 1 on the de- gree of their compliance with the decree's provision that no company should own more than five per cent nor less than 95 per cent of any theatre. The defendants were again to tell the court that they were awaiting the Supreme Court's decision before ridding themselves of any of their interests. Arguments on the appeal are now sched- uled for the week of February 9, having been postponed from the week of January 12. New QP Chicago Office The Chicago editorial office of Quigley Publications has been moved from 624 South Michigan Avenue to the office of the adver- tising representative, Urben Farley, at 120 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, 3. The tele- phone number is Andover 6449. 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 SIX BRITISH FILMS AMONG 9 HIGH GROSSERS IN ENGLAND Compares with Four in '46; Wilcox - N eagle "Court- neys" Rated Best Picture by PETER BURNUP in London Meticulous nationwide check on the year's box office traffickings reveals that the Bri- tons' predilection for the home product stif- fens. Critical observers professed to discern svmptoms of running-down in the first fine rapture of wartime resurgence of British pic- tures. The paying customers don't think so. Motion Picture Herald's 1946 survey disclosed that four British exhibits figured in the nine top-grossers. In the year just concluded, Britain rates six among the nine leaders. There is the Roster of the Nine Elect, listed in strict order of box office take : THE COURTNEYS OF CURZON STREET (British) THE JOLSON STORY GREAT EXPECTATIONS (British) BLUE SKIES DUEL IN THE SUN HOLIDAY CAMP (British) JASSY (British) ODD MAN OUT (British) FRIEDA (British) British entries were up against tough American competition as the following list of the 20 runners-up, listed in their grossing order, discloses : "Black Narcissus" (British), "Till the Clouds Roll By," "The Outlaw," "The Two Mrs. Carrolls," "The Upturned Glass" (British), "Calcutta," "Wild Harvest," "Man About the House" (British), "Bach- elor Knight," "Razor's Edge," "Master of Bankdam" (British), "Night and Day," "Captain Boycott" (British), "Green Years," '"So Well Remembered" (Joint British- American), "Nora Prentiss," "Song of the South," "Margie," "Notorious," "Kid from Brooklyn." British Films Earned Strong Grosses in 1947 American offerings, already in Britain but not do date in general release, of the calibre of "Best Years," "Variety Girl,'' "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now," would undoubtedly have figured high. But it doesn't need the bland assurance of J. Arthur Rank that British films earned "over £100 more than foreign films per average operating week." The box office has its own ruthless logic. There's varying quality and content in the British harvest. "Great Expectations" and "Odd Man Out" — so earnest evangels of English art-form claim — might rate any country's Oscar. "Frieda" — cool, detached depiction of the Anglo-German problem — scared the orthodox. Yet it scored hand- somely. "Holiday Camp" and "Jassy," colts from the prolific Sydney Box stud, were ex- amples of well-timed craftsmanship. But the palm goes to Herbert Wilcox with his "Courtneys." Mr. Wilcox is the epitome of showmanship. When other per- sons roam around intemperately preoccupied with "prestige" or this or that, he follows his trade of filling the booths. In 1946, the Wilcox-Anna Neagle "Piccadilly Incident" came precious near the top. Following the same pattern of showmanship, "Courtneys" has romped home this year. Hollywood Leaders Were Well-Paced Musicals American students of the British scene may well find significance also in the cir- cumstance that Hollywood's leaders were well-turned, nicely-tuned musicals in "Jolson" and "Blue Skies." That's primarily due, maybe, to the chilly pall of drabness which currently enclouds the local scene. It certainly accounts for that spate of psycho-frenzies being completely on the box office outs ; also for the disdain the customers evince towards busked, brocaded, amber- lighted essays. The British have had their fill, it seems, of pseudo-historical flauntings of inferred, albeit yawn-making, naughti- nesses. According to all the omens, threatre-men will need all Britain's current preference for home-made product unless the American embargo quickly lifts. Registrations for 1947 in the books of the Board of Trade, in accordance with the now expiring Cinematograph Films Act, num- bered 109 British, 355 "foreign"; the com- parable figures in the previous year being 93 and 330, respectively. Once again . the melancholy fact emerges that the flattering facade of British output was a great deal larger than truth. True, there was an increase in the number of ac- ceptable first features. The various Rank factories, for example, turned in 28 pic- tures against 19 in the previous 12 months. But a considerable proportion of the British total was composed of those much-deprecated "featurettes" which only just qualify for the Quota ticket but have little appeal at the marquee. Also, there was a flood of reissues — Amer- ican and British — with which the exhibitor had to eke out his programme. Estimates of Product Supply Too Optimistic During the year, unduly optimistic, pro- ducers vouchsafed the view that, left to their own devices, they could contribute 120 features. That pipe-dreamed promise was also made in the House of Commons. But no exhibitor believed it. Even the Board of Trade's new president, Harold Wilson, taking an admittedly roseate glance at the position, now opines that Bri- tain "should" be able to make 75 worthwhile pictures in "a good year." Mr. Rank cau- tiously predicts his studios will make 44 major films in 1948. By all possible counts, Britain's theatres, without a supply of new Hollywood films, will have to make do with less than 100 films in 1948. American companies are loath to divulge what pictures they have in store and when they will be launched into exhibition. Columbia, 20th-Fox, RKO Radio, Re- public politely decline any information. Other ascertainable American new product is as follows: MGM, two; Paramount, four; United Artists, six; Warners, two. G. F. D. has one Universal picture to screen and Monogram, it is understood, has 12 films in its backlog. Outlook Is Bleak for British Exhibitors It's a bleak outlook for the exhibitor and his thinning queues of patrons. Vendors of reissues «are rushing to market. Major American companies have on current offer 24 "i e-presentations." British renters say they are reviving 28 of past proven winners. But from the smaller independent renting houses — their number rapidly grows — no less than 117 American reissues are an- nounced. The reissue traffic has been remarkably lucrative under wartime stringencies. Ex- hibitors, generally, are devoutly grateful to the reissue houses which, the showmen say, have helped them round many a dangerous corner. But they discern a danger in the make-do practice. Obliged though they be to the reissue specialist, threatre -men — thev have already noted the first symptoms of box office recession — have a fear that the remedy may ultimately prove to be noticeably worse than the malady. It's just another reason for the appre- hensive exhibitor wishing that those Eadv- Allport talks might get a move on. Allied Back to Justice Department on Ascap Allied States Association will return to the Department of Justice for help in its fight against Ascap, according to Abram F. Myers, Allied counsel, in Washington. When Allied last went to the Department for aid it was advised that the Government could not prosecute Ascap until exhibitors had exhausted all remedies under the con- sent decree, including the per-piece basis of licensing. Allied has, according to Mr. Myers, been gathering considerable data and will be ready shortly to present its findings to the Department. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 19 DRAMA WITH fm i i ■ - mmr i ■ niiiwn |- in ■■ i wmrr r mf iTii r n m-mmi ■ m mi r limn mil iiimiMiiii m mi— liniiiMiiiiMMWMiiiiiMiMMMiM—i mm AUDIENCE MPEA MAY LEAVE REICH AND JAPAN Maas Warns of Withdrawal Unless Some of Frozen Funds Are Cleared Having spent in excess of $900,000 in preparing prints for the German and Jap- anese markets, the Motion Picture Export Association is taking the stand that it can- not afford to invest further amounts without getting a penny in American money in re- turn and it may withdraw its product from these occupied areas unless arrangements are made to convert a portion of the ac- cumulated frozen funds in those countries into dollars to meet expenses. A prediction to this effect was made in New York this week by Irving Mass, vice- president and general manager of the MPEA, who returned last week from an eight-week trip through Japan, Java, Hol- land, Czechoslovakia as well as some of the non-MPEA territories such as China, Siam and the Philippines. Picture Was Bright in 1947 The year 1947 has been a bright one for the Export Association, and in addition to meeting expenses MPEA will distribute profit earnings among its nine member com- panies. But the picture painted by Mr. Maas for 1948 was dark with mounting restrictions patterned in many cases after the 75 per cent British tax. "The British move in imposing their tax was the wrong thing at the wrong time," Mr. Maas declared. "It has poisoned the at- mosphere of foreign trading everywhere. Somehow this problem has to be worked out, and fast." His trip had been under- taken, he said, at the suggestion of Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, who felt that the foreign trade problem should be dealt with "right on the ground." Following, country by country, are Mr. Maas' reports and observations on prevailing conditions. Business Good in Japan Japan: Business is very strong. The MPEA distributed American newsreel plays to 1,600 of the country's 2,000 houses. Occu- pation authorities are cooperating fully. Some 600 theatres are playing U. S. features and, as everywhere else in the world, the demand for U. S. films is exceeding the supply, which is being kept down artificially. MPEA has spent $375,000 for prints since it started operating in the country. It plans to release from six to seven films a month in Japan, providing some settlement of the remittance question, now being negotiated in Washing- ton, is arrived at. It costs MPEA $5,000 to prepare a print for release in Japan. So far the Americans have not been able to use or to convert any of their earnings. In Germany, both the occupation author- ities and local officials are primarily out to protect the native industry. This is not the case in Japan, which also produces pic- tures. All future release plans in Germany and Japan "are contingent on future fiscal arrangements," Mr. Maas said, adding that the matter was largely up to the U. S. Treasury. Java: The country has 120 theatres (ex- cluding the Republican territory.) There is hope for getting some dollars out in 1948. Czech Outlook Bleak Holland : The 32-week screening restric- tion will be lifted February 1, but will be replaced by currency restrictions. The Amer- icans will be allowed to take out the same amount as for the year which ended in September, 1947. For all American import- ers that total was $1,800,000. A percentage of that money will^be remittable each month. Czechoslovakia: MPEA took out a sub- stantial sum of money during 1947. During two conferences in Prague the Czechs in- sisted on a barter arrangement whereby the Americans would be able to take out as much as Czech pictures were able to earn in the U. S. This was turned down by Mr. Maas and there was no renewal of the pact which called for the delivery of 80 pictures a year. Of these, 20 are still unreleased and will be played off. The whole country was interested in the outcome of the negotia- tions, Mr. Maas said. Under the present pact the Czechs get 35 per cent from the theatres as distribution fee. Of that money, MPEA gets 65 per cent, or only about 10 per cent of each admission ticket. Limit Imports to Hungary Hungary: The 1948 importation of U.S. films will be limited to eight and the dollar exchange problem is aggravating the situa- tion. In Roumania, where 100 pictures were in circulation, retaliatory political censor- ship based on the recent Washington hear- ings has cut this total down to five. There are definite indications. Mr. Maas reported, that other countries behind the Iron Curtain also may increasingly tend to censor pictures on a political basis. "Captain," "Tender Years" 20th-Fox's First in 1948 Twentieth Century-Fox will release "Cap- tain from Castile" and "The Tender Years" this month as the first of its 1948 product, A. W. Smith, Jr., general sales manager, announced Monday. "Captain," a Techni- color film, stars Tyrone Power. "The Ten- der Years," an Alson production, stars Joe E. Brown. Theatres Band To Demand End Of Canadian Tax by W. M. SLADISH in Toronto The National Committee of Motion Pic- ture Exhibitors' Associations of Canada is completing a brief in which it will demand that the Dominion Government remove the 20 per cent excise tax on theatre grosses. The committee, headed by J. J. Fitzgib- bons, president of Famous Players Canadian, and which was formed early in December by representatives of all regional theatre associations, will hold a second meeting be- fore the middle of January to complete the brief before it is presented to D. C. Abbott, Minister of Finance. The tentative committee selected to pre- sent the brief includes P. W. Mahon, presi- dent of the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Exhibitors Association ; Charles Bourassa, secretary of the Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries ; A. J. Mason, president of the Maritime Allied Exhibitors Association, and Floyd Rumford, MPTA of Ontario. The 20 per cent Federal excise tax made a difference of $12,000,000 to the theatre field in 1946, the last year for which the total figure is available, and this was in addition to other amusement taxes imposed in many of the provinces. The aggregate in admission taxation for the year 1946 was $15,052,994, while the net receipts to the theatres was $59,888,972. Praise Regular Admission Prices for "Castile" Twentieth Century-Fox's sales policy of releasing "Captain from Castile" at regular admission prices has been commended by the Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey in a letter from its president, Edward Lach- man, to Spyros Skouras, president of Twen- tieth Century-Fox. In his letter Mr. Lachman said in part: "No theatre can exist for long if its prices are to fluctuate at the will of the producers. Therefore, your de- cision to release this picture recognizes the fundamental importance not only of provid- ing good, wholesome entertainment at fair and normal prices, but also establishes the priciple that a theatre's scale is not to be trifled with because it is a contributory factor to the habit of going to the movies." Film Dividends Increased, Commerce Report Shows Dividend payments by motion picture companies rose to $13,403,000 for the quar- ter from September through November, from the $12,459,000 of the same period in 1946, the U. S. Department of Commerce reported in Washington last Friday. Pay- ments in November, 1947, however, were only $228,000, compared with $320,000 for the same month last year. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 Loew's Report Year Net Profit Of $11,626,427 Loew's, Inc., in its annual report mailed to stockholders Tuesday shows net income for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1947, of $11,626,427, after provision for deprecia- tion, taxes and all other deductions, equiva- lent to $2.26 per share on 5,142,615 snares. The corresponding net income for the pre- vious fiscal year was $18,691,533, equivalent to $3.66 on 5,100,327 shares outstanding. The profit and loss statement : Operating Revenues : Theatre Receipts, Rentals and Sales of Films, Accessories and M-G-M Records $176,342,036.79 Rent Income 4,003,677.57 Miscellaneous 3,603,185.88 (Includes $22,599,085 from Operations of Partly Owned Corporations) $183,948,900.24 Operating and General Expenses: Theatre and Office Build- ings, including Film Rental Expense $54,343,133.96 Film Division Expenses and M-G-M Records Division Costs and Ex- penses 21,645,175.51 Amortization and Write- off of Film Costs 64,274,210.42 Film Advertising Acces- sories 743,574.89 Outside Producers' Share of Film Rentals 2,412,290.99 General and Administra- tive 2,637,494.11 Contributions to Em- ployees' Retire- ment Plan 3,448,739.12 149,504,619.00 $34,444,281.24 Depreciation of Buildings and Equipment: Properties of W h o 1 1 y Owned Corporations (Excluding Studio De- preciation Charged to Film Costs) 2,417.424.62 Properties of Partly Owned Corporations 868,668.79 Real Estate and Other Taxes 6,367,000.75 Rent on Leased Proper- ties 3,765,082.12 13,418,176.28 $21,026,104.96 Other Income : Dividends Received ...... $338,163.85 Interest and Discount Earned 250,795.09 Refund of Foreign Ex- cess Profits Taxes . . 809.462.63 Miscellaneous 277,035.65 1,675,457.22 $22,701,562.18 Other Deductions: Interest on Debentures and Notes Payable — Loew's Incorporated $1,198,851.91 Interest on Bonds, Mort- gages and Notes Pay- able ($382,403 on Indebt- edness of Partly Owned Corporations) 593,868.10 Preferred Dividends — Subsidiary and Affiliat- ed Corporations 45,115.87 Premium on Securities Retired (Net) 51,333.15 Loss on Sale of Fixed Assets (Net) 607,318.07 Miscellaneous 250,795.25 2,747,282.35 Income Before Taxes $19,954,279.83 Federal Incomes Taxes (Net after credit for $127,208 claim for Excess Profits Tax Carryback) 7,277,478.28 Net Income after Taxes $12,676,801.55 Minority Interests' Share 1,050,374.25 Loew's Incorporated Share of Net Income — All Corporations ... $11,626,427.30 Less — Net Undistributed Income —Partly Owned Corporations.. 1,093,736.51 Net Income of Loew's Incorporated and Wholly Owned Subsidiaries. $10,532,690.79 For the 12 weeks ended November 20, FOREIGN REMITTANCE IN 46 AT RECORD $138,000,000 Washington Bureau U. S. film companies received record re- mittances of $138,000,000 from abroad dur- ing 1946 and preliminary data indicates that total receipts in 1947 will be at approx- imately the same level, according to a Department of Commerce report Tuesday. The figures, the department says, repre- sent the American producers' share of in- come received from films rented to foreign distributors after the payment of their ex- penses in foreign countries. They do not include returns on investments abroad, which might add another $7,000,000 to $10,- 000,000. The effects of the ad valorem tax in Eng- land, imposed last August, probably will not be shown in the tabulation of figures until at least the second quarter of 1948, according to the report which points out that official British figures put 1946 payments to U. S. companies at a record total of $70,000,000. The importance of the overseas profits is shown by the fact that earlier Commerce Department reports showed the entire film industry's 1946 profits at $316,000,000 before taxes. The previous high was in 1942, when re- mittances hit an estimated $125,000,000. But this figure included dollar accumulations from earlier years released by the British. The estimate for 1943 was $114,000,000; for 1944, $110,000,000, and for 1945, $111,- 000,000. The pre-war high was an esti- mated $100,000,000 in 1937. Free importation of films into Italy for 1948 was confirmed Tuesday by the Italian Government. Proceeds from imports may be used for modernizing Italian studios, co- production of Italian films, foreign produc- tion in Italy and purchase of Italian pictures. 1947, net income after depreciation, taxes and other deductions, subject to year-end audit, totaled $1,354,761 equivalent to 26 cents a share, compared with $3,650,967 or 72 cents a share for the corresponding 12 weeks the previous year. Gross sales and operating revenues for the 12 weeks were estimated at $37,960,000, compared with $41,460,000 for the same period last year. The company also announced that substan- tial economies had been effected throughout the organization, the benefits of which should be reflected in future operations. Federation Releasing Film To Aid European Children An 18-minute black and white sound film, ''Restoration Begins," has been released by the Save the Children Federation, of New York. Utilizing many scenes from an earlier picture — "Children of Tragedy" — the new picture is introduced and concluded with a talk by Charles Boyer and shows scenes of destruction, suffering and privation in western Europe. * Many new scenes show American children collecting food and cloth- ing for the destitute of other countries. New Zealand Orders Inquiry Into Industry by R. A. USMAR In Wellington Under the chairmanship of the Minister of Industries and Commerce, a Parliamen- tary Select Committee has been set up to en- quire into the motion picture industry here. It comprises 10 members of the New Zea- land Parliament, in addition to the Minister, and powers have been given to the commit- tee to sit during the Parliamentary recess. The enquiry will be open to the press and matters to come before the committee will include film hire tax, film rentals, the licens- ing system, working conditions generally, the tendency toward monopolies and related matters. The enquiry, which was set during the session just closed, was sought neither by exhibitors nor distributors. Technicolor Deliveries Increase 20 Per Cent Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president of Technicolor, announced in Hollywood last week that the number of Technicolor prints sold and delivered monthly during 1947 had increased about 20 per cent over 1946. He reported that approximately 182,000,000 feet were delivered during the first 10 months of this year, compared with 153,000,000 feet for the same period of 1946. When Tech- nicolor's expansion plans are completed, he said, the company's capacity will be doubled. Four Film Classics Releases January 15 The first four of a new group of pictures which Film Classics will release will be given national distribution January 15, ac- cording to Joseph Bernhard, president. The Italian-made "Furia"; "Women in the Night," produced by Louis K. Ansell, prom- inent St. Louis exhibitor; "For You I Die," an ARPI production, and "Discovery," the story of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd's South Pole expedition. Theatre Ads Cut A printers' strike on three Allentown, Pa., daily newspapers has curtailed theatre ad- vertising but otherwise has not effected film business. The three newspapers are being put out through the typewritten photo- engraving process since the strike was called. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 23 The story , toe life and « double love'. tory of a double Ufe /TRAVERS* Blanche Hattie _ VllRTC \* Constance DU W Li111" Sector -JOHN H. A™ • Blanche IVJH^ _mN . Relate Producer-Director ^BLE-BasedonaStonby ROBERT T.SHANNON Cincinnati and Cleveland Area Theatres Total 796 and 506 Statistical summaries of the Cincinnati and Cleveland directories, others in the series of 31 theatre directories compiled by the Motion Picture Association in its census of U. S. theatres by exchange territories, were released this week. CLEVELAND EXCHANGE TERRITORY Statistical Summary Seating Seating Number Capacity Number Capacity Theatres in operation* 479 371,013 Circuit-operated theatresjf. . 246 242,086 Closed theatres** 27 10,027 Non-circuit theatres 260 138,954 Totals 506 381,040 Totals 506 381,040 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings*: Ci/fliu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average Population## Towns lative Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Total Operating Total Seats Total Theatre ,000,000-500,001 1 (Cleveland) 102 1 24,229 1,218 500,000-250,001 1 (Toledo) 2 28 130 29,608 153,837 1,057 250,000-100,001 3 (Youngstown 5 55 185 49,490 203,327 900 (Canton) 50,000- 25,001 8 13 38 223 34,81 1 238,138 916 25,000- 10,001 24 37 59 282 46,273 284,41 1 784 10,000- 5,001 29 66 51 333 30,502 314,913 598 5,000- 2,501 43 109 55 388 27,438 342,351 499 2,500 and under 85 194 91 479 28,662 371,013 315 'Excluding twenty-three drive-in theatres, total capacity 7,480 automobiles. '"Excluding two drive-in theatres, total capacity 1,100 automobiles. #A circuit is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. ##There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 50,001-100,000. CINCINNATI EXCHANGE TERRITORY Statistical Summary Seating Seating Number Capacity Number Capacity Theatres in operation* 704 372,172 Circuit-operated theatresj.. 292 202,671 Closed theatres** 92 29,152 Non-circuit theatres 504 198,653 Totals 796 401,324 Totals 796 401,324 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, accor ding to popu lation groupings*: Cumu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average lative Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Population Towns Total Operating Total Seats Total Theatre 500,000-250,001 2 (Cincinnati) 127 97,31 1 766 (Columbus) 250,000-100,001 1 (Dayton) 3 28 155 22,389 1 19,700 800 100,000- 50,001 5 8 43 198 33,764 153,464 785 50,000- 25,001 8 16 40 238 35,686 189,150 892 25,000- 10,001 13 29 36 274 24,243 213,393 673 10,000- 5,001 38 67 74 348 40,396 253,789 546 5,000- 2,501 49 1 16 72 420 30,545 284,334 424 2,500 and under 264 380 284 704 87,838 372,172 309 'Excluding eight drive-in theatres, total capacity 3,641 automobiles. **Excluding three drive-in theatres, total capacity 1,400 automobiles. JA circuit is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. Shea House Reopens The Auditorium theatre in Newark, Ohio, a house in the Shea circuit of New York, has reopened after extensive renovation which cost $200,000, the circuit has an- nounced. The project included complete remodeling of the interior with the installa- tion of a modern balcony, new seats, draperies, carpeting and sound and projec- tion equipment. 3 Pennsylvania Towns Vote Tax Three eastern Pennsylvania communities have passed amusement tax levies and two more are perparing to impose similar meas- ures shortly. In Chester, the City Council passed an ordinance levying a 10 per cent tax on all amusements, with an additional 10 per cent penalty for failure to comply. A 10 per cent amusement tax was voted in Carbon - dale, while in Honesdale, a 10 per cent tax was imposed, plus a levy of $1 per seat, increasing the existing tax from $60 to $700 for the city's one theatre. In a talk before the Lancaster County Boroughs Association, meeting at Ephrata, Dr. Harold F. Alderfer, secretary of the Pennsylvania Boroughs Association, said the local taxes on theatre admissions will prove to be one of the most popular sources of revenue in the state, cities and boroughs. In Reading, the City Council is expected to act before January 5 on a proposed the- atre admissions tax. Theatre owners are fighting the proposal. Harrisburg theatre men are fighting the City Council in singling them out as a source of added revenue for 1948 in suggest- ing a 10 per cent tax. Spokesmen for the 13 theatres pointed out that theatre atten- dance in the 1946-47 season dropped as much as 25 per cent, and predicted a further decline if an amusement tax is imposed. Exhibitors Preparing Case on St. Louis Tax St. Louis theatre owners will file a suit attacking the constitutionality of the city's new five per cent tax on theatre admissions as soon as it can be prepared by attorneys, James H. Arthur, president of the Fanchon & Marco circuit, announced last week fol- lowing passage of the tax by the Board of Aldermen. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners' commit- tee, which convened to discuss the new tax, announced that if the levy is imposed it will not be absorbed by the theatres but will be added to the current admission prices. Eagle Lion Holds "T-Men" Meeting in Cleveland An Eagle Lion sales meeting to discuss selling and distribution plans on Edward Small's "T-Men" was held Monday and Tuesday in Cleveland. Plans were com- pleted for the launching of day and date en- gagements, and final instructions on sales policy as determined by the company execu- tives were outlined. Harold S. Dunn, as- sistant general sales manager, presided and discussions were led by Max E. Youngstein, director of advertising, publicity and ex- ploitation, and Frank Soule, in charge of branch operations. Attending the meeting were district, division and branch sales rep- resentatives and sales personnel from 10 eastern exchanges. Similar meetings are set for other regions. 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 ALBANY Holiday bills included : "Where There's Life" and "For You I Die" at the Strand; "Good News" and "Roses Are Red" at the Palace: "The Fabulous Texan" and "Drift- wood" at the Grand (which moved up its starting day to Thursday) ; "Lured" and "Hollywood Dance Band" at the Ritz ; "Dark Journey" and "Dinner at the Ritz," at the Colonial ; "Exposed," "Don Ricardo Returns" and the Joe Louis- Jersey Joe Wal- cott fight pictures^ at the Leland. Man- agers expected business to emerge from the doldrums by New Year's Eve. It fell away in early December and continued to drop until Christmas. The Colonial had no per- formances the day before the holiday. War- ner Albany theatres did business with a big pre-Christmas giveawa)\ An unexpected snowstorm reduced attendance. . . . Alex- ander Weiss reopened the Lincoln, Sche- nectady, after closing it for a three-week im- provement project. . . . William Kennedy has built a 400-seat modern theatre in Champlain. He will close the Lyceum there. ATLANTA The Annual Xmas Party of the Dixie- Drive Theatres, was held at the Capital City Club, on the night of December 22. . . . Xewman. Corker, Athens district manager, Georgia Theatres, Inc., has been named pres- ident of the Athens Y.M.C.A. . . . Robert Helms, formerly with Universal-Internation- al, has been appointed branch manager Kay Exchange;-. New Orleans. . . . Charles Riche- lieu has reopened the Vogue theatre in New Port Richy, Fla. . . . City commissions are planning a new license fee for theatres in Phoenix City, Ala., a boost of about 100 per cent. Chickasawr, Ala., will double the theatre license from $250 to $500 per year. . . . Cumberland Amusement Company is build- ing a new $150,000 house in McNinnville, Tenn., to seat 1,600. . . . Arnold Haynes has opened a new house in Naples, Fla. seating 500. BALTIMORE Ten new pictures offered at the first run theatres and patronage leaping back to the box offices following the holiday spree. "Killer McCoy," very good at the Century. "I Love Trouble," with vaudeville excellent at the Hippodrome. "Road to Rio," fine at Keith's. "Captain from Castile," sensational at New theatre with the regular price sched- ule instead of advanced prices. "Always Together," good at the Stanley. "I Know Where I'm Going," big at the Little built up with favorable reviews. Mayfair O.K. with "Hal Roach Comedy Carnival." Town doing well with "Out of the Past," Va- lencia put in first run "Cynthia," and doing nicely. Times and Roslyn good with "Gas House Kids Go West," plus "Roman Scandals." BOSTON The severe drop in box office receipts continued for a second week in the Hub, with the heavy storm reducing weekend busi- ness to a new low. The only bright spot in the picture locally was the deluge of reservations for New Year's Eve which flooded in at all houses featuring special midnight shows. Both the Boston and Me- morial theatres which offered stage shows plus heavily advertised films were sold out by the week's end. The 4,736-seat Metro- politan, featuring "Road to Rio" at the mid- night show, was also close to capacity on December 29. . . . Interstate Theatres an- nounced the opening of the completely re- decorated Coniston theatre in Newport, N. H. . . . M & P Theatres gave a big Christmas Eve cocktail-buffet party for all employees and district managers. It was topped off by the announcement of a four week's bonus for all employees. M & P heads, Martin Mullen and Sam Pinanski, were presented with gifts. CHARLOTTE The theatre at Nichols, S.C., was de- stroyed by fire Saturday night, December 20. Origin of the fire is still undetermined. The theatre was completed in July and was the first to be established in the small com- munity. Floyd Hayes owns the house. . . . Charles Myers, Sr., Levy Overton, James Earnhart, Pete Lassiter, Roy Champion and Charles Myers, Jr., was host to all the bookers, salesmen and branch managers at WHEN AND WHERE January 5: Meeting of the Theatre Owners of America members in the Albany, N. Y., exchange area to elect three additional directors. April 6-8: Annual convention of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent The- atre Owners at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. April 12-17: International Variety Clubs 1948 convention at the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. May 7-8: Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska convention at Des Moines, la. June 23-25: Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana annual convention at Lake Wawasee, Ind. an open house Monday evening December 22 at the Charlotte Hotel. . . . George Roscoe, manager of the Charlotte branch of the Columbia, has been appointed fire mar- shal of the Charlotte exchanges. He suc- ceeds Cy Dillon. As fire marshal Mr. Roscoe will make monthly inspections of the exchanges with members of the Charlotte Fire Department. . . . Seen along Film Row were : Carey Caudell, Wallace, N. C. ; W. G. Fussell, Bladenboro, N. C. ; R. D. McGowen, Spring Hope, N. C. ; Max Zager, Greens- boro, N. C. ; Jay Workman, Woodruff, S. C. ; Henry Nelson, Loris, S. C. CINCINNATI Although grosses in this situation expe- rienced the traditional Christmas slow- down, "Road to Rio" at the RKO Palace theatre proved an exception by giving this house the biggest gross in some months. It was held for a second week. . . . All persons presenting a birth certificate at the RKO Albee theatre, showing that they were born on December 24, were guests of the man- agement on that day, as part of the theatre.'s 20th anniversary celebration, the house having formally opened December 24, 1927. . . . Edwin M. Booth, M-G-M branch man- ager, recently elected first assistant chief barker of the Cincinnati Variety Club, Tent No. 3, has resigned. Harry Hartman, W CPO sportscaster, elected second chief barker, succeeds Mr. Booth. Mr. Hartman's post will be filled shortly. . . . W. G. Car- michael, Eagle Lion sales manager of the local branch is taking care of Ohio accounts, as a result of transfer of Sam Haber to the West Virginia territory. . . . Dayton and Georgetown, Ohio, interests operating under the name of Century Productions^ will build a 500-car drive-in theatre near Lancaster, Ohio, with opening scheduled for April 1. . . . Another drive-in will be built on a 36- acre tract near Newark, Ohio, by F. E. Price and associates, at an estimated cost of $150,000. . . . Jack Hazlett, operating the subsequent run Lyric theatre, in Hamilton, Ohio, has taken over the Lennox theatre, in Springfield, Ohio, previously owned by Charles Yocum. CLEVELAND Downtown theatres report the best Christ- mas Eve and holiday business in years, while neighborhood houses report a 25 per cent drop. . . . Gertrude Tracy, manager of the Knickerbocker theatre, promoted 10 bicycles for giveaways at a special Christ- mas kiddie party and ten turkeys for adult giveaways. . . . Community Circuit held open house for exchange personnel the day before Christmas. . . . Jerry Weschler, War- ner branch manager, is resting comfortably at Cleveland Clinic Hospital. . . . Earl Seitz, owner of the State, Plaza and Sandusky theatres, Sandusky, announces plans to start immediate construction of a 500-car drive-in theatre on Cleveland Road. COLUMBUS Christmas week meant a decided tonic to local box offices after several weeks of droop- ing receipts. All theatres brought in special attractions, including "Daisy Kenyon" at {Continued on page 30) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 27 1947 OH! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL RECORD! OH! WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR!! for And the Record's Tally SIX EVENTS— SIX FIRSTS Anna Neagle (1) MOTION PICTURE HERALD POLL OF FAME TOP BOX OFFICE ACTRESS IN ALL BRITAIN'S FILMS 1. ANNA NEAGLE 2. Margaret Lockwood 3. Patricia Roc 4. Deborah Kerr BUT MORE THAN THAT! Anna Neagle (2) TOP BOX OFFICE WOMAN STAR IN THE WHOLE INTERNATIONAL FIELD! 1. ANNA NEAGLE 2. Margaret Lockwood 3 . Bette Davis 4. Ingrid Bergman Herbert Wilcox (3) MOTION PICTURE HERALD OFFICIALLY LISTS THE COURTNEYS OF CURZON STREET the TOP at Britain's Box-Oflice 1947 ( 4 ) THE KINEMATOGRAPH WEEKLY LIKEWISE LISTS "THE COURTNEYS" BRITAIN'S TOP BOX OFFICE GROSSER FOR 1947 Anna Neagle ( 5 ) AWARDED PICTUREGOER GOLD MEDAL FOR TFLE BEST PERFORMANCE of any ACTRESS IN 1947 in PICCADILLY INCIDENT (6) AWARDED SILVER STAR NATIONAL FILM AWARD FOR Herbert Wilcox ior 1947 WITH THE BEST BRITISH FILM PICCADILLY INCIDENT. (Continued from page 27) the Ohio, "Fun and Fancy Free" at the Palace, "Christmas Eve" at the Broad and "Jezebel" and "A Slight Case of Murder" at the Grand. Forty-one neighborhood houses closed Christmas Eve so that their employees could spend that time with their families. . . . Eddie Edmiston is the new steward of the Variety Club. . . . Mrs. Lelia Stearn, operator of the Southern, pulled a surprise by a one-performance booking of "Forever Amber" at the midnight show New Year's Eve. . . . 1,400 Dispatch carriers were treated to a Christmas pre- view of Walt Disney's "Fun and Fancy Free" at the Palace through arrangements made by Harry Schrieber, RKO city man- ager. . . . The L. J. Gardiner Co., manu- facturer of moving picture projectors, has been acquired by the Columbus Production Manufacturing Co. which will continue the Gardiner business. Harry L. Mellman is general manager of the merged firm with other members of the partnership including Myer W. Mellman, office manager and Ralph G. Shroyer, production manager. Mr. Gardiner plans to retire. PES MOINES Iowa enjoyed a record year, from the standpoint of income, during 1947. Total received by farmers, manufacturers, mer- chants and workers reached an estimated $4,350,000,000. Figures show that people had more money to spend than ever before and that bank balances hit an all-time high in the state. Farm income was 50 per cent higher than 1946; industrial income 10 per cent higher. . . . Theatre business during the Christmas holidays fell off sharply while stores in downtown Des Moines were doing the biggest business of any holiday season on record. . . . Work has begun on the What Cheer theatre, recently destroyed by fire. . . . A showing of "Forever Amber" was can- celed by the management of the theatre at Algona following receipt of complaints from the public. . . . The new Arrow theatre has opened at Inwood. It is the first building ever erected in the town exclusively for the showing of pictures. HARTFORD The following new Connecticut corpora- tions have filed certificates of organization at state capitol in Hartford: Elmwood The- atre Corp., New Britain; Peter, Sperie, Peter, Jr., John, and Steve Perakos, in- corporators; Yale-Star Amusement, Inc., New Haven; Charles Costellen, Henry Cosenza, and L. Chiappo, incorporators. . . . The various film exchange and theatre cir- cuit groups held Christmas parties in the Connecticut territory during last week. . . . Hartford visitors : Harry F. Shaw and Mor- ris Mendelsohn, Loew's Poli Theatres ; Bob Kaufmann, 20th-Fox exploitation representa- tive ; I. J. Hoffman, New England zone manager for Warner circuit. . . . The War- ner Strand, Hartford first run house, has reopened, following extensive remodeling. INDIANAPOLIS First run business was off as usual the week before Christmas. "Golden Earrings" made the best mark, $10,000, at the Indiana, but "Lured" was down to $6,000 at Loew's and "They Won't Believe Me" fell to $5,000 in six days at the Circle. A nice rebound set in Christmas Day. . . . Five neighborhood theatres closed Christmas Eve, giving em- ployees the time off. Four others held free matinees for the kids. . . . George E. Jaegers has been named city manager for the Switow Theatres at Seymour, Ind. . . . Clarence Brown, 59, Republic shipper and one of first on Film Row, died of a heart attack December 23. . . . The UP state wire carried a story from Columbia City, Ind. stating exhibitor Jack Hancock "had with- drawn the showing of 'Nightmare Alley' because it was too 'gruesome and unwhole- some' for his theatre patrons." KANSAS CITY Mild, clear weather, with Christmas Day only a few degrees below freezing, the weekend having temperatures into the 50's, may have helped to keep attendance from a low record; both first runs and subsequents had just a fair holiday trade. . . . Herman Illmer, operator of the Tivoli Fiesta and Southtown theatres, Kansas City, Mo. (the last named acquired a few years ago from Stanley Schwartz) has bought the building occupied by the Tivoli, from Mr. Schwartz. . . . Senn Lawler, manager for the Infantile Paralysis collection in January, appearing before the school board, presented a check for $1,100 as December contribution of the Jackson County chapter to the public school work for this project. . . . Everett Buchanan opened the Star at Langton, Kan., re- modeled business building, December 19. . . . Paul Milberger reopened his Gauntier the- atre, Kansas City, Kan. . . . Recent visitors on Film Row included Roy Watson, Ace, Grenola, Kas. ; R. C. Davison, Binney, Pat- tonsburg, Mo.; H. B. Doering, People's, Garnett, Kas. ; Fred Wilcox, Cozy, Lock- wood, Mo. LOS ANGELES "Claude Ezell, of the Underwood and Ezell Drive-In Theatres of Dallas, was a visitor on the Row. . . . Dick Ettlinger, Eagle Lion office manager, has resigned. . . . Ruth East, secretary to Tommy Charack, Eagle Lion branch manager, has resigned on account of ill health. . . . Charles Feld- man, U-I western sales manager, has ar- rived in town and will spend several days at the exchange. . . . Beverly Beckley, U-I booker, has resigned, as has Joyce Lipkis, secretary to F. M. Blake, district manager. . . . Ben Hayward, Savoy theatre, San Diego, was visiting on the Row. . . . Colin Dexter, Pacific Coast manager for Alex- ander Preview films of Colorado Springs, has left to attend the sales convention start- ing December 29. . . . Leon Glasser, 59, was struck by an automobile and instantly killed. He operated the Princess theatre for Harvey Goldman. LOUISVILLE A state Fire Marshal regulation pro- hibiting parking in front of theatres, churches, hotels and other public meeting places was held valid by Attorney General Eldon S. Dummit. ... A city fireman was overcome by smoke while combating a blaze that caused several hundred dollars damage to the basement of the Ben Ali theatre on Main Street in Lexington, Ky. ... As a Christmas present to the populace of Ma- rengo, Ind., an the nearby communities, Eddie L. Ornstein turned his Rialto theatre over to "Free Shows" on Tuesday, Decem- ber 23. . . . Recent visitors included: Jesse Fine, Premier Theatres, Evansville, Ind. ; O. D. Hopper, Arista theatre, Lebanon, Ky. ; E. L. Ornstein, Ornstein Theatres, Marengo, Ind.; Edwin St. Clair, St. Clair theatre, Lebanon Junction, Ky. ; B. Robertson, Majestic, Springfield, Ky. ; Willard Gab- hart, Harrodsburg Amusement Co., Har- rodsburg, Ky. ; Mrs. O. J. Minnix, South- land theatre, London, Ky. . . . With the large number of holdovers and reissues being given the local patrons of recent date, it was somewhat of a Christmas treat to have all first runs open with new product on Christmas Day. At the Rialto was a double bill headed by "Fun and Fancy Free," coupled with "Wild Horse Mesa." The Strand had a double Western bill. The National brought in "The Exile," coupled with "Bush Christmas." Also going in for the double feature was Loew's with "Killer McCoy" and "Glamor Girl." Sticking to the single features were the Mary Anderson with "My Wild Irish Rose" and the Scoop with "Before Him all Rome Trembled." MEMPHIS The year of 1948 finds theatre attendance very good at first run Memphis houses. A steady increase which started about mid- December is continuing, managers reported without exception. Loew's State showed "Out of the Past." Loew's Palace had "Killer McCoy." Malco showed "It Had To Be You." Ritz had "Nicholas Nickleby," Strand showed "Robin Hood of Texas." Warner had "My Wild Irish Rose." . . . Loew's State reported $1,250 raised to buy Christmas baskets at its midnight show for the fund. . . . Two special Christmas fea- tures in the Memphis territory were added this year. Loew's State staged a boys' and girls' special show at 8:30 a.m., Decem- ber 27. Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Rhodes, owners of Crittenden theatre, West Memphis, staged a special show December 23 with all pro- ceeds going to needy families of the terri- tory. . . . Film Row visitors: Grady Cook, Pontotoc; Sam Kirby, North Little Rock; Neely Bradford, Savannah; C. D. McAl- lister, Grand Junction; R. E. Lee, Potts (Continued on page 32) 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 Eagle Lion Films presents IHN 5YLVIA ANN SIDNEY RICHARDS who found... THERE'S DANGER in ISOBEL ELSOM ERNEST COSSART • PHILIP TONGE • ANITA SHARP-BOLSTER • FREDERIC WORLOCK Screenplay by Philip MacOonald * From o ploy by Frank Vosper • Based on o Story by Agatha Christie DIRECTED BY PRODUCED BY "RICHARD WHORF JAMES J. GELLER - {Continued from page 30) Camp; Walter Gray, Rutherford; N. H. Miller, Bradford; Jiramie Smith, Middleton; Roy Dillard, Wardell; Lyle Richmond, Senath; and W. F. Sonneman, Fayetteville. MIAMI Eggnog was served to Variety Club mem- bers on the Alcazar roof headquarters last Friday. . . . When the Embassy theatre opens Monday for the first time, showing "Magic Town," the premiere will be a benefit for the South Florida Children's Hospital. It's Ed Claughton's new theatre. . . . All managers and assistants received hams for Christmas from their Wometco bosses, while other employees received boxes of fruits and jellies. . . . Bernard Shaft, manager of the Strand theatre, makes sketches of his patrons each evening from 7 to 9, gratis. . . . Wometco's main office's purchasing department held a Christmas party on Wednesday. . . . The half-hour short subject of the Royal Wedding is at- tracting many theatre-goers. . . . "The Bells of St. Marys" returned with the aid of Claughton theatres, which are showing it at the Royal and Variety. . . . "The Prince of Thieves" has come to the Capitol as a first showing in Miami. . . . "Gentleman's Agreement" was the New Year's Eve mid- night show at the Miami, Lincoln and Cameo. . . . Midnight shows last weekend were "Out of the Blue" at the Capitol and "My Wild Irish Rose" at the Paramount. . . . "Key Witness," another first, opened at the State. . . . "Road to Rio" is popular at the Paramount, Sheridan and Beach. . . . Eleven theaters held New Year's Eve shows. MONTREAL Business still spotty around the main stem. . . . "Unfinished Dance" at the Loew's, however, managed to hold on for a second week. . . . Rest of parlay in Consolidated Theatre houses included "Magic Town" at Palace, "Red Stallion" at Capitol, "Fun and Fancy Free" at Princess and "Hal Roach Comedy Carnival" at Imperial. . . . "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" getting first run at Snowdon theatre. . . . Kent theatre had special showing for children of Royal Wedding films. . . . Children under 16 are not admitted into theatres for regular pro- gram, therefore, the special showing. . . . Federal Government's reimposition of em- bargo on structural steel puts crimp in theatre building for the time being. . . . those that are started can be finished. . . . New National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Association of Canada to meet in Ottawa in January to make representa- tions to the government for the removal of amusement tax. . . . Arthur Hirsch (Con- solidated Theatres) and Basil Salamis are officials on the exhibitor organization. OMAHA The box office lull didn't break until Christmas Day. . . . One of the best holiday stories in town concerned the MGM Club. The club held its regular party, but instead of exchanging presents put out the money to buy food for a family of six during Christmas week. ... J. J. Shinback, RKO Theatres assistant divisional manager from Chicago, was in town. . . . George Cappers was to take over the State theatre, Hurley, S. D., from Darwin Evans January 1. . . . Carl Knudsen, Red Cloud (Neb.) exhibitor, will be confined to his home for some time as a result of a heart attack. . . . George Hall, Franklin (Neb.) exhibitor, is recover- ing from a major operation. . . . Glen McKenzie has opened a new 165-seat Star theatre at Lyons, Neb., giving the town two theatres. PHILADELPHIA Box offices at the center-city houses en- joying real holiday cheer with "My Wild Irish Rose" at the Mastbaum and "Captain from Castile" at the Fox, among the new openings leading the field. . . . Lewen Pizor, independent circuit head and MPTO presi- dent, chairs the entertainment committee for the second annual national conference of the Joint Defense Appeal to be held at the Belle- vue-Stratford Hotel here January 3-5 with a special showing of "Gentleman's Agree- ment" among the features planned. . . . Joe Linsky, of Eagle Lion ; Carl Munzer, of the independent Hollywood exchange; Nat Abe- love, Quality Premium distributors ; Jack Cohen and Harry Low, of National Screen Service, admitted to membership in Motion Picture Associates. . . . Abraham Cooper set up the new independent Franklin Film Ex- change in the Widener Building. . . . Mar- jorie Dawson, of the Motion Picture Asso- ciation, will speak at a motion picture forum at the Friends Select School on January 12. . . . Beatrice Duffy, Monogram, was elected president of Local F-7, Front Office Work- ers Union, at the local exchanges, with Car- rie Marano elected president of Local B-7, the back room employees. ... In Wilming- ton, Del., the stagehands' union, Local 284, reelected Herb Springbett to serve a second term as president. . . . 20th Century-Fox is working on a plan for moving up subsequent run clearance in the local area, providing for subsequent runs moving up with the distribu- tor's share also being adjusted upwards. . . . Variety Club, Tent No. 13, staged a New Year's Eve party at club headquarters. PITTSBURGH For the first time in many years a first run house ran a reissue double bill over the Christmas holidays. The Senator featuring "The Spoilers" and "Diamond Jim Brady." . . . Holiday crowds jammed the Loew's Penn for "Killer McCoy," and the Stanley where "My Wild Irish Rose" held forth and the Warner did its best business in many weeks with "Tycoon." . . . Bert Steam's Co-operative organization has been named local representative for Jules Weil's Mas- terpiece Productions (40 United Artists re- issues) . . . Irene Rosen, formerly with Paramount, is branch manager Ike Sweeney's new private secretary at the Re- public exchange. SAN ANTONIO Booking along the Mexican Film Row were H. A. Daniels, Seguin ; Hiram Parks, Lubbock; Father Richard Ruiz of the San Marcos Catholic Church, who runs weekly shows in Uhland for his parish, and Alfred Pena, Natalia. . . . Christmas Day openings included "My Wild Rose," at the Aztec; "Good News," Majestic; "Green Dolphin Street," Texas. . . . Albert Coppel, manager of Azteca Films here, has been elected a trustee in the Lulacs, a Latin-American or- ganization. SAN FRANCISCO Grand opening of the New Rita theatre, at Vallejo, 1,000-seat neighborhood house, was held this week. The theatre is owned and operated by Ray Syufy, formerly asso- ciated with M. Naify of T & D Enterprises. . . . Articles of incorporation were filed this week in Sacramento for a new independent producing company, Eronel Productions, Inc. Officers listed in the papers were : Alan H. Posner, president; Walter D. Compton, vice-president, and Sam X. Abarbanel, sec- retary-treasurer. . . . Dave Petersen moves in as district manager for George Mann's Redwood and Trinity theatres in Humboldt County. . . . Earl Baughman, formerly in the Humboldt berth, has been appointed district manager in Modesto. Other managerial changes in the territory include the trans- fer of Harry Schlinker from the San Pedro Playhouse, to Warners' Fresno theatre, where he succeeds Harry Olmstead who has held that post for the past five years. Olm- stead goes to Huntington Park as Warner Brothers manager there. . . . Walter Preddy, local theatre supply man, will open another theatre soon in Gait, in partnership with Schauer and Spiess, real estate brokers. House will accommodate 500. . . . Purchase of the old Metropolitan hotel site in San Andreas has been made by Robert Patton, operator of several central valley theatres. Patton will erect a 500-seat theatre on the location at an estimated cost of $75,000. SEATTLE "Body and Soul" in its fifth week at the Roosevelt was the city's number one hold- over. The week's big openings included: "Captain from Castile," at the Fifth Ave.; "The Swordsman," at the Liberty; "Golden Earrings," at the Orpheum, and the British "Bush Christmas" at the Varsity. . . . Christmas Day featured three theatre open- ings. Arthur Fox opened his American theatre in Rainier Valley. Eldon Pollock and Lee Kirby introduced their new Bothell theatre, and Walter Coy opened the doors (Continued on page 34) 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 IT HE RETURNS ARE COMING IN. ..AND IT'S A LANDSLIDE! ABOUT rOIIR NEW STAR SENSATION! "Feminine fans are bound to receive him with the same fervor as a new Gable or Boyer." -DETROIT NEWS "He has personality and the ability to put over a role. Jimmie singing his own songs is delightful. -LOS ANGELES TIMES HUH WW" 6 Produced by" ^ ^Uon A CAVALCADE OF JIMMIE DAVIS HITS! You Are My Sunshine There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder" I * Nobody's Darling (Continued from page 32) of his Hi-Line theatre on Christmas Day. . . . The series of exchange parties ended with the Universal-International Christmas festivities at the Film Club on December 23. ST. LOUIS The pre-Christmas doldrums broke promptly Christmas Day with "Road to Rio" at the Fox and "Killer McCoy" at Loew's State leading the box office spurt. . . . Many neighborhood houses were dark Christmas Eve, in spite of their failure to get an all-industry agreement to this effect. But everybody was open for a special Christmas Day matinee. The usual extra feature and midnight shows were scheduled for New Year's Eve. . . . There is general agreement that the new city admissions tax will be added to admissions, and passed on to the public. Fred Wehrenberg said the increase will be as near the five per cent tax as possible. ... A regional meeting of the MPTO of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois is set for Hannibal, Mo., January 15. . . . Tommy James has been in- stalled as new chief barker of Tent No. 4, Variety Clubs. TORONTO Toronto's theatre business returned to normal after the Christmas diversion and the managers juggled their playdates to break with new shows for the New Year's Eve performances. Shea's theatre held "Fun and Fancy Free" for another five days until introducing "Road to Rio," while Loew's continued with "This Time for Keeps" for a second week. Manager Tom Daley drew crowds to the Imperial for "Thunder in the Valley" with his first public endorsement of a picture in his long career. The Odeon Fairlawn did very nicely with "London Town" plus the Royal Wedding film in color, after the latter had played Loew's and the Uptown. Extensive crowds saw a return engagement of "Midsummer Night's Dream" at the International Cinema, while the Kino theatre featured "Russian Bal- lerina" and the Royal Alexandra, the local legitimate theatre, brought back "Henry V." Ten theatres around town had the Louis- Walcott fight film. . . . The three an- niversary dinners of Famous Players' 25 Year Club for the induction of new mem- bers start at Toronto on January 13 with subsequent banquets at Winnipeg, January 21 and at Vancouver, January 26, President Fitzgibbons to officiate at all ceremonies. . . . Harry Kaufman, former general manager of Monogram Pictures of Canada, is in line for the post of eastern division manager of Cardinal Pictures, Ltd., which has been formed by H. J. Allen. The Famous Players' Nortown is due to open at Toronto around February 1. VANCOUVER The Municipal theatre at Bow Island, near Calgary, Alta., has been sold to Henry Guamm, former merchant at Orion, Alta. The local box offices lost out to the Christ- mas shopping spree; last week's grosses were mostly below average. Best of the crop was "Christmas Eve," at the Paradise which holds over. The third week of "Body and Soul," at Vogue, was around average. . . . The former Lyric, taken over by Fa- mous Players, reopened Christmas Day. House is now called Cinema International. Policy will be to present English and foreign language pictures and unusual attractions. Norman Duncan, formerly western Canada exploiteer for F. P., has been made house manager under the supervision of Maynard Joiner. . . . Both Famous Players and Odeon circuit held Christmas cocktail parties for their managers, film exchange personnel, and the press. . . . Sam Karby, of Regina, Saskatchewan, opened his new Rex theatre at Rivers, Manitoba. « WASHINGTON All new pictures opened up for Christ- mas showings, after a fair pre-Christmas week. New openings including : "Always Together," at the Warner ; "The Fabulous Texan," at the Metropolitan ; "Good News," at the Palace; "Killer McCoy," at the Cap- itol ; "Thunder in the Valley," at the Col- umbia; and "Tycoon" at RKO Keith's. . . . Disabled veterans from Walter Reed and Bethesda Hospitals were guests of the Little theatre at a double feature showing of "Mir- acle on 34th Street" and "Jeannie." . . . Newest members of Variety Club Tent No. 11 are Frank Grad, Hirsh de La Viez, and George C. Ritch. Pete Prince, of Loew's, Inc., has transferred to Tent 11 from the Charlotte, N. C, tent, and Michael Siegel, United Artists, has returned to Tent 11. having transferred from the Baltimore tent. . . . Henry Clark, manager of the Virginia theatre, Harrisonburg, Va., received excel- lent newspaper and radio cooperation on his "toy show." Admission was by toys, canned goods or clothing. . . . The annual induction of officers of the Variety Club for 1948 will take place Tanuary 5 at a luncheon in the Congressional Room of the Willard Hotel. Kulesza Program Chairman For Television Meeting Chester Kulesza, film supervisor of Bat- ten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn, New York advertising agency, has been named program chairman of the television in- dustry's first all-film conference to be held in New York January 26 at the Hotel Commodore. The conference is being sponsored by Televiser magazine. Topics to be discussed include : "Television's 25 uses for Film," "Filming One-Minute Video Commercials," "Reducing Film Costs," "Film Standards for Television" and "Film Package Shows." Four reports to be pre- sented are : "Film Rental and Booking Practices Among Television Stations," "Video Clearance Rights for 16mm," "Types of Films Wanted by Today's Video Stations" and "Getting Film Business To- day." Erecting Ohio Drive-ln The first drive-in theatre in Fayette County, Ohio, is being erected on the CCC Highway by Associated Theatres of Lynch- burg. The theatre is being constructed for J. Henry Davidson and K. R. Roberts, who operate drive-ins at Hillsboro, Peebles, Osborn, Greenfield and Georgetown. Sarnoff Predicts Big Television Year for 1948 So strong will be television's impact as a major economic and social force in 1948 that it will make the new year one of the greatest in the history of radio, as a science, an art and an industry, David Sarnoff, president and chairman of the board of the Radio Corporation of America, predicted in a year-end statement released in New York Monday. In his opinion, factors creating the prom- ising outlook for television in 1948 include : an increasing number of television stations throughout the country; a vastly enlarged radio audience ; the establishment of cable and radio relay facilities linking stations into inter-city networks ; the general im- provement of programs ; increased advertis- ing support, and vigorous competition. Mr. Sarnoff said that the Republic and Democratic national conventions and the presidential campaign in 1948 would be the outstanding events on the air both in sound and sight. Currently there are 18 television stations now on the air with regular programs, he said, estimating that in 1948 there will be approximately 50 or more television sta- tions in operation. "Between 150,000 and 175,000 television receivers are in use," Mr. Sarnoff continued. "By the end of 1948, a total of approximately 750,000 is foreseen, and it may reach 1,000,000." Mr. Sarnoff predicted that the oppor- tunities for television would extend into many fields aside from the home — for ex- example, theatre television, industrial tele- vision, department store television and educational television. In his year-end statement the RCA presi- dent discussed the advances that have been made and are to be made in radio broad- casting; the progress of international radio- telegraphy ; the peacetime advances of radar ; the progress of Ultrafax, a combination of television, radio relay and photography, and the future of frequency modulation. OHE Approves Theatre Plan for Connecticut The Elwood Theare Company has been authorized to build a new $200,000 theatre in Hartford, Conn., the Office of the Housing Expediter announced in Washington last Wednesday. During the week ending De- cember 19 the OHE approved 10 theatre projects valued at $370,156, and denied 11 valued at $691,200. "Turtle" Classified The National Legion of Decency this week classified Warners' "The Voice of The Turtle" as Class A-2, unobjectionable for adults. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Production Off With 22 In Work. But Future Plans Show Optimism oy WILLIAM R. WEAVER Hollywood Editor Old Father Time slowed down to a crawl at the weekend, departing unlamented and unsung a Hollywood where but 22 pictures were in production, a new low for the year- end in modern times. The figure was a drop from the 29 of the week before, a mark considerably below what might be called the subsistence level, and resulted from completion of nine features and start ji of camera work on but two. Optimists around town were anticipating 3 an upswing starting in January, and pessi- mists were citing six months of unremitting decline by way of contesting the issue, but nobody was disputing local newspaper sur- veys which estimated current unemploy- ment among the production community's 30,000 workers at about 20,000. Republic started "Recoil," with Stephen Auer producing and George Blair directing. William Wright, Janet Martin, Bill Henry and James Cardwell are the principal , players. Arko Productions, which releases through RKO Radio, started "Mr. Joseph Young of Africa," with Merrian C. Cooper producing, Ernest B. Schoedsack directing, and Ben Johnson, Terry Moore, Robert Armstrong I and Frank McHugh the principals. Some Production Plans Which Look Optimistic The kind of news on which the optimists hase their expectations are such as this : From Republic, "With the new year ex- ' pected to bring a big acceleration in pro- ; duction, Republic Studios currently has 12 I I producers preparing a record number of 25 1 1 properties for screening the early months of 1948, half of which are slated as high- j budgeters." From RKO Radio, "Preparing for a re- newed upswing in production right after the holidays, RKO Radio is now busily engaged in clearing the decks for new set construc- tion for five pictures to be turned out by the studito in the ensuing seven weeks." From Warner Brothers, "Twenty-four writers were at work this week on 21 properties, netting an all-time high for year- end scripting on the Burbank lot." And from Universal-International, "U-I opens the new year with 17 producing units, eight directors, four writer-producers, two producer-directors and a writer-direc- tor ending or beginning top-bracket pro- ductions on the Valley lot." Completion of Shooting on "Joan" Good Omen But perhaps the brightest omen, in the reasoning of the optimists, is not a report of future undertakings at all, but the follow- ing, from the quarter which came first into the news after the British blow had fallen and the budget ax became a center of news interest. " 'Joan,' Sierra Pictures' $4,600,- 000 Technicolor life of Joan of Arc, com- pleted principal photography, after being before the cameras since September 16. Added scenes are scheduled to start shoot- ing around February 1." It's to be recalled that the first major news story out of Hollywood concerning budget reductions cited "Joan," then nearing camera stage, as coming down from a loosely reported $6,000,000 figure to half that or less. Not so much space or atten- tion was given to follow-stories asserting that the original budget had been $5,000,000, and almost none at all to the official state- ment that this figure had been arrived at, and was still in effect, wthout contemplation of getting the investment back on fast turn- over, but in expectation of getting it back several times over the long period of years during which the picture was expected to be played and re-played. Last week's mention of the expenditure of $4,600,000 on a picture brought no less than a thrill to production people, who have been hearing that no such costly product is likely ever to be made in Hollywood again. The fact that "Joan" was made in the face of conditions which have slowed most budgeting departments to a creep does not disprove the prevalent contention that $2,- 000,000 is to be Hollywood's utter and infrequently touched ceiling for a long time to come, but it does furnish an exception to the rule. Academy Completes Plans For Awards Coverage The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced last weekend the com- pletion of plans for thorough and expedi- tious coverage of its annual Awards cere- monies at the Shrine Auditorium the night of March 20, inclusive of the placement of the newsreel cameramen in the center of the first row of the balcony. This and other details of arrangement were worked out in close collaboration with the gentlemen of the press, radio and screen by Margaret Herrick, executive secretary of the Academy; Arch Reeve, of the MPA and AMPP; Howard G. Mayer, Academy public relations counsel, and Delmer Daves, program chairman for the 20th Awards ceremonies. One way and another, the amount of news lineage (and air-age, to coin a term) de- voted to the Academy's annual exercises always has been regarded as the measure of the affair's success. And for more years than most Academedicians can lemember, the Awards event has been staged on Thurs- day night, so the wire services could get the news to all the newspapers everywhere in time for a flash break in Friday or Satur- day editions and a whopping pictorial splurge Sunday. But this year the Academy board of gov- ernors switched to a Saturday night, at a cost in ultimate lineage and airage appalling to estimate, so that Academy members, being off duty around noon that day, would have more time to dress for the ocacsion than if, as formerly, they had to sprint from studio to home to the scene of the ceremony. Ah, as someone has said, Hollywood. STARTED REPUBLIC Recoil RKO Mr. Joseph Young of Africa (Arko) COMPLETED COLUMBIA Best Man Wins The Eternal Melody MGM Master of Lassie MONOGRAM Rawhide Trail PARAMOUNT A Connecticut Yankee Hazard REPUBLIC The Bold Frontiers- man RKO RADIO Guns of Wrath 20TH CENTURY-FOX Sitting- Pretty SHOOTING COLUMBIA Gallant Blade Loves of Carmen EAGLE LION The Cobra Strikes Assigned to Danger Rampage (Crestview) MGM A Date With Judy Easter Parade MONOGRAM The Tenderfoot ( Allied Artists) PARAMOUNT Sealed Verdict A Foreign Affair RKO RADIO Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House The Window 20TH CENTURY -FOX The Street With No Name The Iron Curtain Walls of Jericho That Lady in Ermine (Formerly "This Is the Moment") UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL Are You With It? Another Part of the Forest Man-Eater of Kamaon (Monty Shaff) WARNERS Key Largo ule" in Bridlington, for exploitation purposes, with His Worship the Mayor interring the sealed casket, not to be dug up for 250 years. The Borough of Bridlington joined with the Regal C inema in the ceremonies, to the delight of the English press, marking the beginning of '"The Atomic Era" and rolling up pub- licity for the picture. Outstanding Showmansliip Meanwhile, the Ritz theatre, biggest ci- nema in Birkenhead, north-country ship- building town, staged a replica of the Com- mand Performance of "The Bishop's Wife," the day following the London premiere, and realized £2,200 for charity, which is good going for a provincial town. The theatre is one of 60 houses belonging to Southan Mor- ris, who felt London shouldn't have a mon- opoly on these Royal Command affairs. The Mayor and many notables attended. L. Stanley Hodnett, manager of the Gau- mont, Middlesbrough, and winner of third quarter Quigley Overseas Citation, submits his campaign book on "The Magnificent Doll," which won him first price of £100 in a competition sponsored by Gaumont- British. Highlight of his campaign was a special pre-view for ladies only, with cock- tails, sandwiches, and Stanley seeing them all home in chartered busses. "The Mag- nificent Doll" had an extraordinary amount of free publicity as a result of the campaign, with four successful contests, and window tie-ups in quantity and quality. Old Friends Represented Our old friends. Preston Swan, of the Elephant Cinema, and Miss Lily Watt, of the Florida Cinema, both in Glasgow, sub- mit new examples of their skills and R. M. Ainsworth, of the Regent Cinema, Brighton, had a successful mock trial for the exploi- tation of "Long Night." A. M. Burton, manager of St. George's theatre, Bradford, made a cut-out transparency to advertise "Down to Earth" from his office window, using light that was otherwise unavailable for that purpose, and W. E. Case, manager of the Picture House, Monmouth, billed "Great Expectations" with reviews from the Motion' Picture Herald, "direct from its succe>>ful run at the Radio City Music Hall, New York, U. S. A." Quigley Awards Contenders Final Fourth Quarter Listing The men and women listed below have submitted evidence of showmanship within the past fortnight, which justifies their names being placed on this list of showmen. ELMER ADAMS Bison, Shawnee, Okla. R. H. AINSWORTH Regent, Brighton, Sussex, England DENVER ALESHIRE Page, Luray, Va. GEORGE BERNARD Odeon Bury, Lanes., Eng. JOHN BODLEY RKO Rivoli, New Brunswick, N. J. HUGH S. BORLAND Louis. Chicago, III. DENNIS BOWDEN Regal, Bridlington, England JOSEPH BOYLE Poli-Broadway, Norwich, Conn. A. J. BROWN Empire, Cardiff, Wales BILL BROWN Poli-Bijou, New Haven, Conn. A. M. BURTON St. George's Hall Bradford, Eng. IRVING CANTOR Eckel, Syracuse, N. Y. A. M. CARPENTER Gaumont Palace Barnstaple, Eng. BERT CLASTER Town, Baltimore, Md. H. CLAYTON-NUTT Broadway, Eccles, Lancashire, England LOU COHEN Loew's Poli, Hartford, Conn. W. J. COY Ritz, Holmside, Sunderland, England HARRY CURL Melba, Birmingham, Ala. H. S. DUNBAR New Savoy Glasgow, Scotland KENNETH D. EDMONDSON Gaumont Palace, Chester, England RON FAILES Laurel, Long Beach, N.Y. NICK FALZONE Avon, Stamford, Conn. BIERNEY FELD Jersey, Morristown, N.J. RICHARD FELDMAN Paramount, Syracuse, N. Y. R. J. FRANCIS Regal, Chester, England ARNOLD GATES Loew's Stillman, Cleveland, Ohio ELAINE S. GEORGE Star, Heppner, Ore. STANLEY A. GERE Rialto, Racine, Wis. NATE GOLDBERG Plymouth, Worcester, Mass. FRED GREENWAY Poli-Palace, Hartford, Conn. MIKE GUTTMAN Century, Minneapolis, Minn. E. HANDFORD Rex, Bristol, England LEO HANEY Lido, Maywood, III. HANK HAROLD Palace, Cleveland, Ohio W. T. HASTINGS Orpheum, Denver, Colo. THOR HAUSCHILD Plaza, Milford, Del. ELMER HECHT Park, Tampa, Fla. E. HERBERT Broadway, Stratford, England THOMAS HOAR Ritz, Woking, England L. STANLEY HODNETT Gaumont, Middlesbrough, England EARL HUBBARD 20th Century, Buffalo, N.Y. E. F. JOHNSON Majestic, Leeds, England ELLIOTT JOHNSON Malco, Memphis, Tenn PHIL KATZ Kenyon, Pittsburgh, Pa. WALTER KESSLER Loew's Ohio, Columbus, Ohio SID KLEPER Poli-College, New Haven, Conn. JOHN KOHLER Paramount, Plainfield, N.J. GEO. E. LANDERS E. M. Loew's, Hartford, Conn. LEONARD LIGHTSTONE Hobart, Woodside, N.Y. WALTER B. LLOYD Allyn, Hartford, Conn. NORMAN W. LOFTHUS California, Santa Barbara, Calif. EARL LONG Paramount, San Francisco, Calif. ABE LUDACER Valentine, Toledo, Ohio P. E. McCOY Miller, Augusta, Ga. D. MACKRELL Playhouse, Dewsbury, England I. K. MAKOVER New Albert, Baltimore, Md. G. B. MARKELL Capitol, Co rn wall, Ont., Canada JIM MASON DeLuxe, Cherry Valley, Ohio JACK MATLACK Broadway, Portland, Ore. CURTIS H. MILLER State, Tampa, Fla. JOHN MISAV.ICE Forest, Forest Park, III. BILL MORTON RKO Albee, Providence, R. I. P. A. J. MURPHY Trocadero, Humberstone, England LOUIS NYE Hoosier, Whiting, Ind. TAKI J. PAPPAS Vogue, East Chicago, Ind. HARRY PEASE Odeon W. Hartlepool, Eng. DICK PEFFLEY Paramount, Fremont, Ohio RAY PEFFLEY Indiana, East Chicago, Ind. CHARLES PENLEY Empire, London, England MIKE PICCIRILLO Loew's Dyckman New York, N. Y. SAM PIERCE Capitol, Macon, Ga. LESTER POLLOCK Loew's, Rochester, N. Y. JIM PREDDY Telenews, Dalas, Texas G. E. RATHMAN New Marion, Marion, Iowa J. READ Gaumont State, London, England GEORGE B. REINERT Rialto, Allentown, Pa. H. W. REISINGER Loew's, Dayton, Ohio J. ROCK-GIBBARD Ritz, Nuneaton, England HARRY A. ROSE Majestic, Bridgeport, Conn. J. G. SAMARTANO State, Providence, R. I. DWIGHT SEYMOUR Arbor, Nebraska City, Neb. WILLIS SHAFFER Atchison, Atchison, Kansas LEO SIDOSKY Post Road, New York, N. Y. L. K. SLINGER St. George's Hall, Bradford, England SOL SORKIN Keith's, Flushing, N. Y. BOYD SPARROW Loew's, Indianapolis, Ind. FLOYD STAWLS National, Richmond, Va. REG STREETER . Mission, Santa Barbara, Calif. PRESTON SWAN Elephant, Glasgow, Scotland RUPERT TODD Doncaster, Yorkshire, England 3ERTRUDE L. TRACY Knickerbocker, Cleveland, Ohio HELEN WABBE Golden Gate San Francisco, Calif. MISS L. WATT Florida, Glasgow, Scotland E. WICKS Playhouse, Dewsbury, England SID WOLF Loew's Dyckman New York, N. Y. ELI ZULAS Ritz, Berwyn. III. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 3, 1948 41 Augusta Showman Makes Career of Award- Winning Pierce E. McCoy, city manager for Au- gusta Amusement Company's Miller, Im- perial, Rialto, Modjeska and Dreamland theatres, Augusta, Georgia, is one who keeps his end up in the business of compet- ing for the Quigley Awards. There isn't any lack of evidence of his showmanship, for hardly a week goes by that we don't re- ceive one or more of his blue campaign books, complete and conclusive proof that he operates as a showman, day by day. fierce has won more than forty show- manship awards since he assumed his pres- ent job as" city manager of five major thea- tres, in a city of 65,000. Nineteen of his 37 years have been spent in the theatre. Back- in 1935, when the Lucas & Jenkins circuit took over the operation of theatres in Athens, ( la., Pierce and other employees "went along w ith the deal.'' In 1936, he was given his first managerial opportunity, and he built up his promotional and exploitation activities by carrying the extra burden without extra pay, an investment on his part that has paid dividends in his career. Winner of Top Honors During his active participation in the Managers Round Table, in the last three years, Pierce has won the Silver Grand Award, top honor for 1945, and the Fourth Quarter Desk Plaque for the same year, to- gether with nine Scrolls of Honor and cita- tions for showmanship. He has acquired dozens of company awards and- honors won in local competitions, and is one of three honorary life members of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers. P>ut we believe these honors merely re- llect something that is more basic, and the reason we recite the list is to point out where this strength lies, literally back home in Georgia, where Pierce has added to his own stature by building the place of his theatres in community relations. He says that early in his theatre experience he made it a daily habit to visit the offices of news- PIERCE E. McCOY papers and radio stations, contacting almost every employee from the owner down the line. He visited stores and knew the mer- chants, and he followed through in every civic opportunity. Today he is president of the Augusta Ad- vertising Club, a director of Kiwanis, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, an honorary member of the Gridiron Club, a member of the "G" Club and the Hammer & Coffin Club of the University of Georgia. He has done his part notably in every local drive through the war years, even to re- cruiting a squad of WACs. His newest ac- tivity is to become Cubmaster for a pack of Scouts, and he recently served as chairman in a $250,000 drive for the Augusta "Aid- more" Hospital for crippled children. It is in such activities that he helps film industry. Here, at the Round Table desk, we wish there were many more like Pierce McCoy, who could fit in as capably in community af- fairs. We insist that the theatre man is too often left out and the theatre itself seldom comes up to the mark in civic responsibili- ties. Here is a compact example of how much you can do, how far you can go, in putting your theatre, and yourself, in the foreground ; leading, not trailing others, in community progress. The Miller theatre, flagship of Augusta, Go., theatre operations, is headquarters for co- operation in civic affairs. Mails Birthday List John Misavice, manager of the Forest theatre, Forest Park, 111., sent out 900 mimeograph letters to children on the birth- day list, to tell them about his special Satur- day morning programs. Kids appreciated getting a letter in the mail and parents were glad to know about it. Schine Circuit Puts Out Special Holiday Manual Seymour Morris,- of Schine's advertising and publicity department, at Gloversville, N . Y., has prepared a special manual cover- ing the holiday season, which will mean a Merry Christmas for managers who win $675 in cash prizes, offered by the circuit for the largest advance sale of New Year's Eve and midnight show tickets. Typical of Schine thoroughness, they offer a complete pressbook, with every detail well planned in advance. Managers are urged to encourage theatre rentals, which have become a tradition in Schine houses at this time of year. Lou Hensler reports that every Schine theatre in the Kentucky zone has sold 25c tickets equal to their respective capacities to local merchants. Fred Lentz, of the Athena the- atre, Athens, Ohio, promoted $1,000 in gifts from local merchants for a holiday give- away. Glenn Lazar, at the Capitol, Ilion N. Y., has six Bendix radios to give away with the sponsoring merchant paying for newspaper advertising, additionally. General slant of the Holiday promotion is that the best family treat is to go out for dinner and then to the movies. Thus putting restaurants, florists, candy and other shops directly in line to benefit by promotions which involve the family theme. Mostly, Schine managers are urged to have their theatres sold out, in advance, and to make holiday programs colorful and ex- citing. In the "snow country" the advance sale of tickets is real "snow insurance." Child ren Buy Admission With Food for Charity Every child with a can of vegetable soup, a jar of jelly, or other foodstuff, was admit- ted free to the Christmas Party given by the Walter Reade Community theatre, Sara- toga Springs, N. Y., in cooperation with the local Parents-Teachers Association. The party is an annual affair in which the food collected is turned over to Saratoga chari- ties. City manager Harry Burke arranged a special program, with the screen feature donated by RKO Pictures. Voti l: %I Swiss Tease (6) 9-11-47 3876 9502 Boston Beany (6) 12-4-47 3994 COLOR PHANTASIES 9701 Kitty Caddy (6) 11-6-47 3942 COLOR FAVORITES (Reissues) 9601 Dreams on Ice (6'/2) 10-30-47 9602 Novelty Shop (6'/z) 11-20-47 9603 Dr. Bluebird (8) 12-18-47 9604 In My Gondola (7'/2) 1-22-48 THRILLS OF MUSIC 9951 Bovd Raeburn & Orch. (IH 9-18-47 3876 9952 Claude Thornhill & Orch. (10) 10-30-47 3918 9953 Lecunna Cuban Boys (lO'/j) 11-13-47 3985 oosi svitrh Henderson & Orch. 12-11 -47 9955 Charlie Barnet & Orch 1-15-48 COMMUNITY SING 9651 No. I Heartache (10) 9-4-47 3818 (Lelbert) 9632 No. 2 April Showers (9). 10-2-47 3919 9653 No 3 Peg 0' My Heart (9) 11-6-47 4001 9654 No 4 When You Were Sweet Sixteen 12-4-47 9655 No. 5 Feudin' and Fightin . I -8-48 5657 No 7 Christmas Carols (Rl (10) 12-6-47 3985 SCREEN SNAPSHOTS QR5I No. I Hollywood Cowboys (Qt/,\ Q.4.47 3«fi9 9852 Laguna, U.S.A. (9'/,) .... 10-9-47 3994 9853 Out of This World Series (91 11-27-47 .... QR54 OA the Air (9'/j) I2-IR.47 9855 Hawaii in Hollywood (10). 1-22-48 WORLD OF SPORTS 9801 Cinderella Cagors (9'/2) .. .9-25-47 3876 9802 Ski Demons (9) 10-23-47 3943 9803 Bowling Kings (9) 11-13-47 3994 ORR4 Nivv Crow Champions 12-25-47 9805 Rodeo (Untitled) 1-29-48 TWO REEL SPECIAL 9451 A Voice U Born (20) .... 1-15-48 .... FILM NOVELTIES 9901 Aren't We All? (IO'/2) . . 1 1 -27-47 3994 M-G-M FITZPATRICK TRAVELTALKS (Color) T-9II Visiting Vlrolnla (9). .11-29-47 3985 T-912 Cradle of a Nation (9). 12-13-47 PETE SMITH SPECIALTIES S-951 Football Thrills No. 10 (10) 9-B-47 3931 S-952 Surfboard Rhythm (9) .. 10-18-47 3985 S-953 What D'Ya Know (9)... II -8-47 3985 S-954 Have You Ever Wondered? (9) 12-13-47 3985 S-955— Bowling Tricks (10) 1-10-48 M-G-M TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS W-931 Slap Happy Lion (7) .. .9-20.47 3918 W-932 The Invisible Mouse (7) 9-27-47 3918 W-933 Klngsi2e Canary 12-6-47 PASSING PARADE K-971 Miracle in a Cornfield (8) 12-20-47 .... K-972 It Can't Be Done (8) 12-47 For information on short subjects turn to the Product Digest Section pages indicated by the numbers which follow the titles and release dates in the listing. Product Digest pages are numbered consecutively and are sepa- rate from Motion Picture Herald page numbers. Numer- als in parentheses next to titles represent running time as supplied by the distributor. (For listing or" releases back to July 1, J947, see PD page 3984.) Prod. No. Title Rel. PJ). Date Page Prod. Mo. Title Rel. PJ). Date Page GOLD MEDAL REPRINT CARTOONS W-921 Goldilocks and the Three Bears (II) 11-22-47 3985 W-922 The Fishing Bear (8) .. 12-20-47 .... PARAMOUNT UNUSUAL OCCUPATIONS (Color) L7-I Hula Magic (10) 11-7-47 3931 L7-2 Bagpipe Lassies (II) 1-2-48 GEORGE PAL PUPPETOONS (Color) U6-3 Date with Duke (8) 10-31-47 3985 U6-4 Rhapsody in Wood (9) .. 12- 19-47 POPEYE (Color) E7-I All's Fair at the Fair. .. 12- 19-47 .... E7-2 Olive Oyl for President. . 1-30-48 E7-3 Wigwam Whoopee 2-13-48 E7-4 Pre- Hysterical Man 3-26-48 POPULAR SCIENCE (Color) J7-I Radar Fishermen ( 10) ... 10-17-47 3918 J7-2 Desert Destroyers 12-26-47 SPEAKING OF ANIMALS Y7-I Dog Crazy (II) 10-3-47 3966 Y7-2 Ain't Nature Grand (10) .11-14-47 3994 Y7-3 Monkeyshines (9) 12-12-47 SPORTLIGHTS R7-I Riding the Waves (10) .. 10-3-47 3918 R7-2 Running the Hounds (II) 10-31-47 3994 R7-3 Five Fathoms of Fun (10) 11-28-47 .... R-4 Stop. Look and Guess •Em (10) 12-5-47 .... MUSICAL PARADES (Color) FF6-5 Midnight Serenade (18). 11-21-47 .... FF6-6 Jingle. Jangle, Jingle (20) 1-2-48 FF7-I Samba-Mania (18) 2-27-48 FF7-2 Footlight Rhythm 4-9-48 LITTLE LULU (Color) Ofi-3 A Bout with a Trout (8). 10-10-47 3876 D6-4 Super Lulu (7) 11-21-47 3994 D6-5 The Baby Sitter (7) 11-28-47 ... D6-6 Dogshow-Off (7) 1-30-48 NOVELTOONS (Color) P7-I Santa's Surprise (9) 12-5-47 3994 P7-2 Cat 0' Nine Ails (8) 1-9-48 P7-3 Flip-Flap 2-27-48 P7-4 We're In the Honey (8).. 3- 19-48 P7-5 The Bored Cuckoo (8) 4-9-48 P7-6 There's Good Boo's Tonlte (9) 4-23-48 PACEMAKERS K7-I It Could Happen to You (11) 10-3-47 3966 K7-2 Babies. They're Wonder- ful (II) 11-14-47 3994 K7-3 Bundle from Brazil 1-2-48 REPUBLIC CARTOON (Color) It's a Grand Old Nag (8). 12-20-47 RKO WALT DISNEY CARTOONS (Color) 74.107 Mickey's Delayed Date (7) 10-3-47 3907 74.108 Foul Hunting (6) 10-31-47 3876 74.109 Mall Dog (7) 11-14-47 3943 74.110 Chip an' Dale (7) .... 1 1 -28-47 3985 74.111 Pluto's Blue Note (7) . . 12-26-47 3994 84.701 Hawaiian Holiday (R) (8) 10-17-47 3918 84.702 Clock Cleaners (R) (7) . 12-12-47 Prod. Rel. PJ). Mo. Title Date Page SPORTSCOPES 84.301 Ski Holiday (8) 9-19-47 3876 84.302 Golf Doctor (8) 10-17-47 3919 84.303 Quail Pointers (8) 10-17-47 .... EDGAR KENNEDY 83.401 Mind Over Mouse (18) 11-21-47 83.402 Brother Knows Best (18). 1-2-48 .... LEON ERROL 73.706 The Spook Speaks (18).. 12-5-47 3985 83,701 Bet Your Life (18) 1-16-48 FLICKER FLASHBACKS 84.201 No. I (10) 10-24-47 3943 84.202 No. 2 (10) 12-5-47 4001 THIS IS AMERICA 83.101 Border Without Bayonets 1 1-14-47 3956 83.102 Switzerland Today (18) 12-12-47 3994 MUSICAL FEATURETTES 73,204 Carle Comes Calling (16) 9-12-47 3862 RAY WHITLEY WESTERN MUSICALS 83.502 Musical Bandit ( 16) . . . 10- 10-47 3919 83.503 Corralling a Schoolmarm (20) 11-14-47 3985 83.504 Prairie Spooners ( 13) .. 12-19-47 .... JAMBOREE SERIES (Reissues) 84.401 Enric Madrlguera & Orch. (8) 9-5-47 3862 84.402 It's Tommy Tucker Time (R) (8) 10-3-47 3919 94.403 Johnny Long & Orch. (8) 10-31-47 3931 84.404 Duke Ellington 11-28-47 3966 84.405 Jerry Wald & Orch. (9) 12-26-47 .... TWO REEL DRAMAS 83.201 My Pal (22) 10-31-47 3908 20TH CENTURY-FOX MOVIETONE ADVENTURES (Color) 7203 Harvest of the Sea (9) 7-4-47 3563 8251 Holiday in South Africa (8) 8-22-47 3862 8252 Heme of the Danes (8) .. 10-17-47 3876 8201 Horizons of Tomorrow (8) 9-12-47 8202 The 3 R's Go Modern (9) 11-7-47 3876 8253 Jungle Closeups (8) 12-12-47 SPORTS REVIEW (Color) 8301 Gridiron Greatness (9) 8-1-47 3862 8351 Vacation Magic (8) 9-26-47 3862 TERRYTOONS (Color) 8502 Flying South (7) 8-15-47 3862 8503 A Date for Dinner (7) 8-29-47 3862 8504 Fishing by the Sea (7).. 9- 19-47 1505 The First Snow (7) 10-10-47 8506 Super Salesman (7) 10-24-47 .... 8507 A Fight to the Finish (7) 11-14-47 .... 8508 The Wolf's Pardon (7) ... 12-5-47 .... 8509 Swiss Cheese Family Robinson (7) 12-19-47 8510 Hitch Hikers (7) 12-12-47 .... 8511 Lazy Little Beaver (7) .. 12-26-47 MARCH OF TIME VI4-I Is Everybody Listening? (l8'/2) 9-5-47 3807 VI4-2 T-Men In Action ( 18) ... 10-3-47 3862 VI4-3 End of an Empire? (18) 10-31-47 3907 VI4-4 Public Relations— This Means You! 11-28-47 .... VI4-5 The Presidential Year. . 12-26-47 DRIBBLE PUSS PARADE 8901 Album of Animals (8) . . . 1 1 -21-47 3876 UNITED ARTISTS LOEW MUSICOLOR Moonlight (7) 9-47 3876 Enchanted Lake (7) 12-47 DAFFY DITTY The Fatal Kiss (8) 11-47 .. LANTZ CARTUNES The Band Master (7) 12-47 3994 UNIVERSAL VARIETY VIEWS 3341 Tropical Harmony (9) ... .9-29-47 3942 3342 Chimp Aviator (9) 11-17-47 3966 NAME-BAND MUSICALS 3301 Alvlno Rey & Orch. ( 15) . 10-22-47 3931 3302 Drummer Man (15) 12-3-47 3966 3303 Carlos Molina & Orch (15) 12-31-47 .... TWO-REEL SPECIALS 2201 Fight of the Wild Stallions (20) 12-24-47 .... 2202 Harnessed Lightning (17) 11-12-47 .... THE ANSWER MAN 3391 Wind, Curves and Trapdoor (10) 12-22-47 .... WARNER— VITAPHONE TECHNICOLOR ADVENTURES 4801 Land of Romance (10) 9-6-47 3942 4802 Beautiful Ball (10) 11-15-47 3966 4803 Dad Minds the Baby (10). 12-20-47 3966 TECHNICOLOR SPECIALS 3008 Sunset In the Pacific (20). 1 1 -8-47 3943 4001 Celebration Days (20) 1-31-48 4002 Soap Box Derby (20) .... 10-18-47 3943 FEATURETTES 4101 Power Behind the Nation (20) 10-11-47 3931 SPORTS PARADE (Cotgr) 4501 Las Vegas, Frontier Town (10) 1 1-1-47 3943 4502 Action in Sports ( 10) .... 12-13-47 3957 MELODY MASTER BANDS 4601 Freddy Martin & Orch. (10) 9-13-47 3943 4602 Swing Styles (10) 10-25-47 3931 4603 Borrah Mlnnevltch & Harmonica School (10). 1 2-6-47 4604 Rubinoff and His Violin (10) 1-3-48 .... BLUE RIBBON CARTOONS (Color) 4301 Dangerous Dan McFoo (7) 12-20-47 3966 4302 Hobo Gadget Band (Tech.) (7) 1-17-48 .... MERRIE MELODIES CARTOONS (Color) 3707 Doggone Cats (7) 10-25-47 3985 3708 Mexican Joy Ride (7) ... 1 1-29-47 3966 3709 Catch as Cats Can (7) ... 12-6-47 3966 3710 Horse Fly Fleas (7) 12-13-47 3966 3711 Two Gophers from Texas (7) 1-17-48 .... BUGS BUNNY" SPECIALS (Color) 3720 Slick Hare (7) 1 1 -1-47 3966 3721 Gorilla My Dreams (Tech.) (7) 1-3-48 .... VITAPHONE VARIETIES 4401 So You Want to Be a Salesman (10) 9-13-47 3931 4402 So You Want to Hold Your Wife (10) 11-22-47 3960 4403 So You Want an Apartment (10) 1-3-48 MEMORIES FROM MELODY LANE 4201 Let's Sing a Song of the West (10) 9-27-47 3943 4202 Let's Sing an Old Tim* Song (10) 12-27-47 3986 4203 Let's Sing a Song About the Moonlight (10) 1-24-48 SERIALS COLUMBIA 9120 The Sea Hound 9-4-47 38(3 (15 episodes) 9140 Brick Bradford 12-18 .... (15 episodes) REPUBLIC G-Men Never Forget .... (12 episodes) Dangers of the Canadian Mounted (12 episodes) .9-9-47 4002 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 RELEASE CHART By Companies This Chart lists feature product traaesnowa or released since August 1, 1947. For listing of 1946-47 Features by Company, see Product Digest pages 3808-3809, issue of August 30, 1947. For Stars, Running Time, Review and other Service Data references, turn to toe Alphabetical Chart in this issue. IT I before a date in the list below indicates a fradeshow date; re/ease dates are given as soon as available. Prod. No. Title Tradeshow or Release Date Prod. No. Title Tradeshow or Release Date COLUMBIA 837 Last of the Redman Aug. ,'47 1072 Arizona (R) Am. I, '47 M79 The Oaring Young Mao (R).Aug. I, '47 8076 Doctor Takes a Wife (R) Aug. 1/47 9073 Golden Boy (R) Aug. I. '47 9074 Good Girls Go to Paris (R)..Aug. I, '47 9075 More Than a Secretary (R)..Aug. I. '47 9080 Shut My Big Mouth (R)....Aug. 1/47 9071 Texas (R) Aug. 1/47 813 The Son of Rusty Aug. 7/47 9077 Let Us Live (R) Aug. 9/47 8072 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (R) Aug. 9/47 870 Riders of the Lone Star Aug. 14/47 8SI Smoky River Serenade Aug. 21/47 821 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Sept. 4/47 827 When a Girl's Beautiful Sept. 25/47 905 Key Witness Oet 9/47 961 Buekaroo from Powder River.. Oct. 14/47 911 Blondle In the Dough Oct 16/47 918 Sweet Genevieve Oct 23/47 930 Down to Earth Oct. 31/47 961 The Last Roundup Nov. 6/47 919 Two Blondes and a Redhead. . Nov. 6, '47 929 Her Husband's Affairs Nov. 12/47 917 The Lone Wolf In London Nov. 13/47 964 Last Days of Boot HIM Nov. 20/47 915 The Crime Doctor's Gamble.. Nov. 27/47 It Had to Be You Dec.. '47 923 Devil Ship Dec. 11/47 913 Blondle's Anniversary Dee. 18/47 951 Rose of Santa Rosa Dec. 25/47 Six- Gun Law Jan. 9/48 The Swordsman Jan. ,'48 Prince of Thieves Jan. ,'48 Glamour Girl Jan. 16/48 ... I Love Trouble Jan., '48 Mary Lou Jan. 23/48 EAGLE LION 107 Red Stallion Aug. 16/47 712 Gas House Kids in Hollywood Aug. 23/47 709 Phllo Vance's Secret Mission Aug. 30/47 710 Railroaded Sept. 25/47 106 Caravan (Brit.) Sept. 30/47 802 Green for Danger (Brit.) Oct. 4/47 801 Out of the Blue Oct, 11/47 755 Return of the Lash Oct. 11/47 803 Bury Me Dead Oct. 18/47 851 Black Hills Oct. 25/47 530 Cheyenne Takes Over Dec. 13/47 804 Return of Rin Tin Tin Nov. 1/47 735 Mao In the Iron Mask (R)..Nov. 8/47 740 Gentleman After Dark (R)...Nov. 8/47 527 The Fighting Vigilante* Nov. 15/47 805 Whispering City (BrIL) Nov. 15/47 808 Love from a Stranger Nov. 15/47 S07 Blonde Savage Nov. 22/47 852 Shadow Valley Nov. 29/47 The Man From Texas Dec. 27/47 The Corsican Brothers (R) Dec., '47 South of Pago Pago (R) Dec/47 808 Linda Be Good Jan 3 '48 809 T-Men Jan. l0\46 810 Heading for Heaven Jan. 17/48 853 Check Your Guns Jan. 24/48 811 The Smugglers Jan. 3|,'48 FILM CLASSICS ... 8plrit of West Point Oct 4/47 ... For You I Die Dee./47 Furia (Italian) Dec/47 ... Women In the Night Jan./48 ... Thief of Bagdad the Big House Dee. 27/47 HCI5 Pride of the West (R) Jan. 3/48 4705 The Prairie Jan. 10/48 X-3 Miracle in Harlem Jan. 24/48 HCI6 In Old Mexico (R) Feb. 7/48 4708 Trail of the Mounties Feb. 21/48 SELZNICK REL ORG. .... Intermezzo (R) Oct. ,'47 The Paradine Case Jan./48 Portrait of Jennie Not Set Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Not Set 20TH CENTURY-FOX Prod. No. Title Tradeshow or Release Date SPECIAL 733 Forever Amber .Oct 22/47 Gentleman'* Agreement Not Set 723 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now Aug. ,'47 724 Mother Wore Tights Sept/47 725 Kiss of Death Sept/47 726 Second Chance (Wurtzel) Sept/47 727 How Green Was My Valley (R). Sept/47 728 Swamp Water (R) Sept/47 729 The Foxes of Harrow Oet 1/47 740 The Mark of Zorro (R) Oet. 10/47 741 Drums Along the Mohawk (R).Oot. 10/47 732 The Invisible Wall (Wurtzel) .Oct. 15/47 730 Nightmare Alley Oct 18/47 720 Thunder in the Valley Nov./47 734 Roses Are Red (Wurtzel) Dec/47 731 Daisy Kenyon Dec/47 744 Tobacco Road (R) Dec/47 745 The Grapes of Wrath (R) Dee./47 801 Captain from Castile Jan. ,'48 803 The Tender Years Jan. ,'48 An Ideal Husband Not Set UNITED ARTISTS Carnegie Hall Aug. .'47 Hal Roach Comedy Carnival Aug.,'47 Lured Sept. .'47 Heaven Only Knows Sent. ,'47 Christmas Eve Oct/47 Monsieur Verdoux Oct.. '47 Body and Soul Nov./4f The Roosevelt Story Nov./47 Intrigue Dec/47 Sleep My Love Jan./48 Man of Evil Jan. ,'48 UNIVERSAL 620 Brute Forca Aug.,'47 623 Slave Girl Aug. .'47 624 Frieda (Brit) Sept/47 621 Something In the Wind Sept/47 622 Singapore Sept/47 625 Ride the Pink Horse Oct/47 628 Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap. ..Oct/47 630 The Exile Nov./47 631 The Upturned Glass (Brit) Nov./47 Nicholas Nickleby (Brit.) Dec/47 632 Pirates of Monterey Dec/47 Bush Christmas (Prestige) Dec/47 A Woman's Vengeance Not Set 633 The Senator Was Indiscreet Jan. ,'48 The Lost Moment Dec/47 Black Narcissus Dec/47 Black Bart Not Set Captain Boycott (Brit.) Jan. ,'48 .... A Double Life Not Set WARNER BROTHERS 626 Marked Woman (R) Aug. 9/47 627 Dust Be My Destiny (R) Aug. 9/47 625 Cry Wolf Aug. 16/47 701 Deep Valley ».Sept 1/47 702 Life With Father (Spel.) Sept. 13/47 703 Dark Passage Sept 27/47 704 Bad Men of Missouri (R) Oet 4/47 705 Each Dawn I Die (R) Oet 4/47 706 The Unsuspected Oct. 11/47 707 That Hagen Girl Nov. 1/47 708 Escape Me Never Nov. 22, '47 709 Anthony Adverse (R) Dee. 19/47 710 Jezebel (R7 Dec. 13/47 712 A Slight Case of Murder (R).Dec. 13/47 711 My Wild Irish Rose Do*. 27/47 714 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Jan. 24/48 713 Always Together Jan. 10/48 My Girl Tisa Feb. 7/48 I Became • Criminal Mar. IS/4* PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 3, 1948 4003 THE RELEASE CHART Index to Reviews, Advance Synopses and Service Data in PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Release dates and running time are furnished as soon as avail- Short Subjects Chart with Synopsis Index can be found on able. Advance dates are tentative and subject to change. Run- page 4002, issue of January 3, 1948. ning times are the official times supplied by the distributor. Feature product listed by Company on page 4003, issue of All page numbers on this chart refer to pages in the ^""^V 3' l948- pFor, c?mf.let« ^9 <* 1946-47 Features PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION of MOTION PICTURE HERALD. 7 C°mPa7o*ee Product D,gest' Pages 3808-3809- *™ °* August 30, 1947. For Legion of Decency Rating, Audience Classification and (T) before a date in the list below is the tradeshow date; Managers' Round Table Exploitation, see Service Data page release dates are given as soon as available, numbers in last column. (f) indicates a Box Office Champion. r- REVIEWED -> Af. P. Product Advance Servict Prod. Tradeshowor Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stars Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page ADVENTURE Island (color) Para. 4702 Rory Calhoun-Rhonda Flaming Oct. 10/47 67m Aug. 1 6.*47 3782 3759 3909 Adventures of Don Coyote (color) UA .... Richard Martin-Frances Rafferty May 9, '47 65m May 3,'47 3610 3599 Albuquerque (color) Para. .... Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton Feb. 20/48 .... .... 3966 .... Alias a Gentleman MGM Wallace Beery-Tom Drake Not Set 3717 Along th« Oregon Trail (color) Rep. 651 Monte Halo-Adrian Booth Aug. 30, '47 64m Sept. 13/47 3829 3818 Always Together WB 71-3 Joyce Reynolds-Robt. Hutton Jan. 10/48 78m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 Anthony Advene (Reissue) WB 709 Fredric March-Olivia de Havilland Dec. 1 3/47 1 16m Nov. 1/47 3907 An Ideal Husband (color) 20th-Fox Paulette Goddard-Michael Wilding Not Set 4000 Arch of Triumph UA .... Ingrid Bergman-Charles Boyer Net Set .... .... 3487 .... Arnelo Affair, The MGM 803 John Hodiak-George Murphy Sept./47 87m Feb. 15/47 3473 3459 3633 t BACHELOR and the Bobby Soxer, The (Block I) RKO Bad Men of Missouri (Reissue) WB Bambl (Reissue) (color) RKO Bandits of Dark Canyon Rep. Banjo (BtookS) RKO Bells of San Angelo (color) Rep. Betrayed (Reissue) Mono. Big Town Para. Big Town After Dark Para. Bill and Coo (color) Rep. Bishop's Wife, The RKO Black Bart (color) Univ. Black Gold (color) (Allied Artists) Mono. Black Hills EL Blackmail Rep. Black Narcissus (Brit.) (color) Univ. Bias* of Noon Para. Blonde Savage EL BloodJe's Anniversary Col. Blond!* in the Dough t Body and Soul UA Border Feud EL Born to Kill (Block 5) RKO Bowery Buc karoos Mono. Boy I What a Gtrll SG t Brut* Force Univ. Buefcaroo from Powder River Col. Buck Private! Come Home Univ. Bulldog Drummond at Bay Col. Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Col. Burning Cross, The Screen Guild Bury Me Dead EL Bush PtJot Screen Guild Bush Christmas Univ. t CALCUTTA CaU It Murder (Reissue) Para. SG Univ. 20th-Fox Univ. EL UA Captain Boycott (Brit.) Captain from Castile (color) Ctpftve Heart, The (British) Caravan (Brit.) Carnegie Had Case of the Baby Sitter, The Screen Guild Cass Timberlane MGM Check Your Guns EL f Cheyenne WB Cheyenne Takes Over EL 801 Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Tern 704 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman .... Disney Feature Carton 762 Allan Lane-Bob Steele 725 Sharyn Moffett- Jacqueline White 642 Roy Rogers-Dale Evans 4706 Kim Hunter-Dean Jagger 4622 Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke 4706 Phillip Reed-Hillary Brooke .... Bird Picture 852 Cary Grant-Loretta Young .... Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea 2 Anthony Quinn-Katherine DeMille 85) Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates 617 William Marshall-Adele Mara .... Deborah Kerr-Sabu-David Farrar 4611 Anne Baxter-Sterling Hayden 807 Leif Ertckson-Gale Sherwood 913 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake 911 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake John Garfield-Lffll Palmer 752 Al "Lash" LaRue^'Funy" St. John 722 Claire Trevor-Lawrence Tierney 625 Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall X-2 Tim Moore-Elwood Smith 620 Burt Lancaster-Hume Cronyn 961 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette 612 Bud Abbott-Lou Costello 820 Ron Randall-Anita Louise 821 Ron Randall-Pat O'Moore 4704 Hank Daniels-Virginia Patton 803 Mark Daniels-June Lockhart 4616 Rochelle Hudson-Jack LaRue .... Chips Rafferty-Helen Grieve 4612 Alan Ladd-Wllliam Bendix S-2 Humphrey Bogart-Rlahard Whorf .... Stewart Granger-Kathleen Ryan 801 Tyrone Power-Jean Peters .... Michael Redgrave-Rachel Kempson 106 Stewart Granger-Jean Kent .... Marsha Hunt-William Prince 4618 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake .... Spencer Tracy-Lana Turner 535 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates 622 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman 530 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Funv" St. Jol pie Sept. 1/47 95m June 7/47 3665 3363 3909 Oct. 4/47 71m Oct. 4/47 3861 Feb. 2/48 70m Dec. 6.'47 3966 Dec. 15/47 59m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 May 15/47 68m Apr. 19/47 3586 3539 May 15/47 78m May 31/47 3684 3488 3783 Dec. 27/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3956 May 23/47 60m Feb. 22/47 3486 2776 Dee. 12/47 69m Nov. 22/47 3941 3931 Not Set 61m Dec. 27/47 4000 Not Set 1 10m Nov. 22/47 3941 3702 Not Set 4000 Aug. 16/47 92m June 28/47 3701 3631 3983 Oct. 25/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3965 3818 July 24/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3771 3759 Dec.,'47 90m July 12/47 3725 May 2/47 91m Mar. 8/47 3513 350*3 3783 Nov. 22/47 62 m Oct. 11/47 3874 3933 Dec. 18/47 39i9 Oct. 1 6/47 69 m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 Nov./47 104m Aug. 16/47 3781 3983 May 10/47 55m May 24/47 3643 May 3/47 92m Apr. 19/47 3 5*6 3078 3633 Nev. 22/47 66m Oct. 25/47 3894 3782 Sept. 20/47 69m Feb. 8/47 3451 Aug./47 98 m June 28/47 3702 3611 3877 Oct. 14/47 55m Dec. 6/47 3966 3830 Apr./47 77m Mar. 15/47 3525 3819 May 15/47 70m Nov. 29/47 3955 3687 Sept. 4/47 65 m Nov. 1/47 3906 3782 Oct. 11/47 78m July 26/47 3746 Oct. 18/47 71m Sept. 27/47 3850 3818 June 7/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3539 Dec.,*47 76m Nov. 29/47 3953 May 30/47 83m Apr. 26/47 3598 2884 3851 Sept. 13/47 74m Nov. 29/47 3966 Jan. ,'48 92m Nov. 29/47 3963 Jan.,'48 140m Nov. 29/47 3963 3562 Not Set 86m Apr. 26/47 3597 Sept. 30/47 80m Sept. 13/47 3829 Aug. 8/47 134m Mar. 1/47 3601 3877 July 26/47 40m Sept. 20/47 3841 3689 Jan.,'48 120m Nov. 15/47 3930 3759 3983 Oct. 18/47 55m Nov. 15/47 3930 June 14/47 100m Apr. 26/47 3597 2939 3747 n Dec. 13/47 58m Dec. 6/47 3965 3876 4004 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 ProU. Title Company Number Chines* Ring, The Meno. 424 Christmas Sve UA Code of the Saddle Mono. 677 Copacabana UA Corpse Came C.O.D., The Col. 839 Corsican Brothers (R.) EL Crime Doctor's Gamble, The Col. 915 Crimson Key, The (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 722 Crossfire (Block 1) RKO 802 Cry Wolf WB 625 Cynthia MGM 726 Tradeshow or Stan Release Date Roland Winters-Louise Currie Dec. 4,'47 George Raft-George Brent Oct.,'47 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton June 21, '47 Groucho Marx-Carmen Miranda May 30,'47 George Brent-Joan Blondell June, '47 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Ruth Warrick Dec.,'47 Warner Baxter-Michellne Cheirel Nov. 27/47 Kent Taylor-Doris Dowling July/47 Robert Young-Robert Mitchum Aug. !5,'47 Errol Flynn-Barbara Stanwyck Aug. 16/47 Elizabeth Taylor-George Murphy July/47 r— REVIEWED M. P. Product Advance Servtci Running Herald Digest Synopsis Date Time hsue Page Page Page 68m Dec. 20/47 3982 3850 90m Nov. 8/47 3918 3983 53 m July 26/47 3749 3689 92m May 24/47 Aug.23,'47 3641 3795 87m 3794 3562 3795 1 10m Dec. 27/47 4000 66m Dec. 13/47 3973 3919 76m July 5/47 3714 3679 86m June 28/47 3701 3983 84m July 5/47 3713 3138 3933 98m May 17/47 3629 361 1 3933 DAISY Kenyon 20th-Fox 731 Joan Crawford-Dana Andrews Not Set 99m Nov. 29/47 3953 3876 3983 Dangerous Venture UA William Boyd-Andy Clyde May 23/47 59m Feb. 22/47 3487 Dangerous Years (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 804 William Halop-Ann E. Todd Not Set 61m Dec. 20/47 3981 Danger Street Para. 4623 Jane Withers-Robert Lowery June 20/47 66m Mar. 15/47 3526 2972 Dark Delusion MGM 724 Lucille Bremer-James Craig June/47 90m Apr. 12/47 3573 3459 f Dark Passage WB 703 Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall Sept. 27/47 106m Sept. 6/47 3817 3599 3933 f Dear Ruth Para. 4616 Joan Caulfield-William Holden July 18/47 95m May 31/47 Aug. 2/47 3653 390* Deep Valley WB 701 Ida Lupino-Dane Clark Sept. 1/47 104m 3757 3717 3909 Desert Fury (color) Para. 4617 John Hodiak-Lizabeth Scott Aug. 15/47 95m Aug. 2/47 3757 3611 3909 Desire Me MGM 807 Greer Garson-Robert Mitchum Oct.,'47 91m Sept. 27/47 3849 3287 3983 Desperate (Block 6) RKO 728 Steve Brodie-Audrey Long June/47 73m May 17/47 3629 3599 Devil Ship Dick Tracy's Dilemma (Bio Col. 923 Richard Lane-Louise Campbell Dec. 11/47 3943 A 6) RKO 729 Ralph Byrd-Lyle Latell July/47 Nov. 12/47 60m May 17/47 3630 3599 Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (BI.2) RKO 809 Boris Karloff-Ralph Byrd 65m Oct. 4/47 3861 Dishonored Lady UA Hedy LaMarr-Dennis O'Keefe May 16/47 85m Apr. 26/47 3597 3747 Double Life, A Univ. Ronald Colman-Signe Hasso Not Set 103m Jan. 3/48 4001 3956 Down to Earth (color) Col. 930 Rita Hayworth-Larry Parks Oct. 3 1/47 101m Aug. 2/47 3757 3126 3933 Dragnet, The Screen Guild 4703 Henry Wilcoxson-Mary Brian Oct. 25/47 71m July 12/47 3725 Driftwood Rep. 621 Ruth Warrick- Walter Brennan Sept. 15/47 88m Nov. 8/47 3917 3850 Drums Along the Mohawk (R.) 20th-Fox 741 Claudette Colbert-Henry Fonda Oct. 10/47 103m Oct. 25/47 3S95 f Duel in the Sun (color) Selznlck Jennifer Jones-Joseph Gotten Apr. 17/47 135m Jan. 11/47 3409 3363 3933 EACH Dawn I Die (Reissue) WB t Egg and I, The Univ. Emperor Waltz (color) Para. Escape Me Never WB Exile, The Univ. Exposed Rep. 705 708 630 629 James Cagney-George Raft Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray Bing Crosby-Joan Fontaine Errol Flynn-lda Lupino Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Maria Montez Adele Mara-Robert Scott Oct. 4/47 84m Sept. 13/47 3830 May/47 108m Mar. 29/47 3549 3312 3909 Not Set 3611 Nov. 22/47 104m Nov. 1/47 3905 3876 Nov./47 92m Oct. 25/47 3893 3865 3983 Sept. 8/47 59m Sept. 20/47 3841 3830 FABULOUS Texan Rep. 624 William Elliott-John Carroll Nov. 9/47 95m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 3983 Fiesta (color) MGM 727 Esther Williams-Ricardo Montalban July/47 104m June 14/47 3677 3611 3851 Fighting Vigilantes, The EL Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John Nov. 15/47 61m Nov. 22/47 3942 3919 Flame, The Rep. 628 John Carroll -Vera Ralston Nov. 24/47 3931 Flashing Guns Mono. 673 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Sept. 20/47 59 m Aug. 30/47 3806 3759 t Forever Amber (Spcl.) (col.) 20th-Fox 733 Linda Darnell-Cornel Wilde Oct. 22/47 140m Oct. 18/47 3885 3475 3933 For the Love of Rusty Col. 812 Ted Donaldson-Ann Doran May 1/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3830 For You 1 Die FC Cathy Downs-Paul Langton-Mischa Auer Dec.,'47 77m Dec. 20/47 3982 3972 t Foxes of Harrow, The 20th-Fox 729 Rex Harrison-Maureen O'Hara Oct. 1/47 1 19m Sept. 27/47 3849 3830 3983 Frieda (British! Univ. 624 David Farrar-Glynis Johns Sept./47 97m Aug. 23/47 3793 Fugitive, The (Special) RKO 863 Henry Fonda-Dolores Del Rio Nov. 3/47 104m Nov. 8/47 3917 3895 Fun and Fancy Free (color) (Spl.) RKO 891 Disney Feature Cartoon Sept. 27/47 73m Aug. 23/47 3793 3631 3983 Fun on a Weekend UA Eddie Bracken-Priscilla Lane May 15/47 93m Apr. 19/47 3586 3503 3703 GANGSTER. The Barry Sullivan-Belita (Allied Artists) Mono. 3 Nov. 22/47 83m Oct. 4/47 3861 3666 Gas House Kids Go West EL 711 Emory Parnell-Chili Williams July 12/47 62m July 19/47 3735 Gas House Kids in Hollywood EL 712 Carl Switzer-Rudy Wissler Aug. 23/47 63 m Sept. 6/47 3818 Gay Ranchero (color) Rep. 644 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee Jan. 1/48 3931 Gentleman After Dark (R.) EL 740 Brian Donlevy-Miriam Hopkins Nov. 8/47 76 m Nov. 29/47 3957 Gentleman's Agreement 20th-Fox Gregory Peck-Dorothy McGuire Not Set 1 18m Nov. 15/47 3929 3818 Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The 20th-Fox 715 Gene Tierney-Rex Harrison May/47 104m May 24/47 Aug. 2/47 3641 3563 3747 Ghost Town Renegades EL 754 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John July 26/47 Jan. 16/48 57m 3758 3702 Glamour Girl Col. Gene Krupa Orch.-J. Leonard 3992 Golden Earrings Para. 4703 Marlene Dietrich-Ray Milland Oct. 31/47 100m Aug. 30/47 3805 Good News (color) MGM 810 June Allyson-Peter Lawford Dec.,'47 85m Dec. 6/47 3965 3850 3983 Grapes of Wrath, The (R.) 20th-Fox 745 Henry Fonda-Charley Grapewin Dec/47 128m Dec. 6/47 3966 Great Expectations (Brit.) Univ. John Mills-Valerie Hobson July/47 Oct. 4/47 1 18m Mar. 29/47 3549 3783 Green for Danger (British) EL 802 Sally Gray-Trevor Howard 93 m July 26/47 Oct. 25/47 3746 3611 3851 Green Dolphin Street MGM 811 Lana Turner-Van Heflin (T Nov. 5/47 I4lm 3894 3587 3983 Gun-fighters (color) Col. 838 Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton July/47 Dec. 20/47 87m June 14/47 3677 3587 3983 Gun Talk Mono. 674 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton 58m 3919 HAL ROACH Comedy Carnival Frances Rafferty-Walter Abel (color) UA Aug. 29/47 1 12m Aug. 30/47 3805 3877 Hard Boiled Mahoney Mono. 616 Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall May 10/47 63 m Nov. 29/47 3958 3488 Hat Box Mystery, The Screen Guild 4617 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 12/47 44m Aug. 30/47 3806 3866 Heading for Heaven EL Stuart Erwin-Glenda Farrell Dec. 6/47 71m Dec. 20/47 3982 Heartaches EL 704 Sheila Ryan-Chill Wills June 28/47 71m July 5/47 3714 3702 Heaven Only Knows UA Robert Cummings-Brian Donlevy Sept./47 98m Aug. 2/47 3758 3933 Her Husband's Affairs Col. 929 Franchot Tone-Lucille Ball Nov. 12/47 86m July 26/47 Mar. 15/47 3745 3735 3933 High Barbaree MGM 721 Van Johnson-June Allyson May/47 91m 3525 3238 3851 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 3, 1948 REVIEWED Title High Conquest High Tide High Wall Hollywood Barn Dance Homestretch, The (color) Honeymoon (Block 5) Hoppy's Holiday f Hucksters, The Hungry Hill (British) Company Mono. Mono. MGM Screen Guild 20th-Fox RKO UA MGM Univ. Prod. Number 620 4701 4701 713 721 728 Start Anna Lee-Warren Douglas Lee Tracy-Don Castle Robert Taylor-Audrey Totter Ernest Tubb-Lori Talbott Cornel Wilde-Maureen O'Hara Shirley Temple-Guy Madison William Boyd-Andy Clyde Clark Gable-Deborah Kerr Margaret Lockwood-Dennis Prince M. P. Product Advance Servtt Iradesbow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page June 2I,'47 79m Mar. I5,'47 3525 3435 Oct. II, '47 72 m Aug. 9,'47 3769 Feb.,'48 99m Dec. 20,'47 3981 3972 June2l,"47 72m June 7, '47 3665 3655 3909 May.'47 96m Apr. 26,'47 3597 3488 3851 May I7,'47 74m Apr. 19/47 3585 3539 3877 July !8,'47 60m May 17/47 3630 Aug.,'47 1 15m June 28,'47 3701 3574 3877 Not Set 92 m Oct. I8,"47 3885 I COVER Big Town Para. I Love Trouble Col. If You Knew Susie RKO If Winter Comes MGM I Know Where I'm Going (Brit.) Univ. Indian Summer RKO Intermezzo (Reissue) Selznick Intrigue UA Invisible Wall, The (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox It Had to Be You Col. t It Happened in Brooklyn MGM Ivy Univ. I Walk Alone Para. \ I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? (color) 20th-Fox JEZEBEL (Reissue) WB Jewels of Brandenburg (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Jiggs and Maggie in Society Mono. Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad Mono. Joe Palooka in the Knockout Mono. Jungle Book The (color) (R) FC Jungle Flight Para. rriiup i\©ea-n niary orooKe lulu 95 M7 July 19, *t# ojm kirn. 1 *AH Mar. 1 , 4/ ibOi 3459 rr^nrnn+ Tnnu. Ijinat KlAir n QiicnuT i uiiu Jdiicr digit Jan. '48 SyoU Eddie Cantor-Joan Davis l^(OT JOT Walter Pidgeon-Deborah Kerr Jan., '48 99m Dec. 27/47 3993 3972 Wendy Hiller-Roger Livesey Not Set 91m Aug. 9/47 3769 Alexander Knox-Ann Sothern Not Set 3865 Leslie Howard-lngrid Bergman Oct.,'47 70m Sept. 20/47 3841 George Raft-June Havoc Dec.,'47 90m Dec. 27/47 3994 3907 732 Don Castle-Virginia Christine Oct. 1 5/47 73m Oct. 18/47 3885 Ginger Rogers-Cornel Wilde Dec.,'47 98m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 718 Frank Sinatra-Kathryn Grayson Apr./47 103m Mar. 8/47 3513 3238 3747 616 Joan Fontaine-Patric Knowles June/47 99m June 14/47 3677 3909 4708 Lizabeth Scott-Burt Lancaster Jan. 16/48 98m Dec. 20/47 3981 3919 723 June Haver-Mark Stevens Aug./47 104m June 14/47 3678 3563 3933 710 Bette Davis-Henry Fonda Dec. 13/47 93m Nov. 1/47 3907 716 Richard Travis-Micheline Cheirel May,'47 64m Apr. 12/47 3573 4704 Joe Yule-Renie Riano Jan. 10/48 66m 3895 4709 Joe Kirkwood, Jr.-EIyse Knox Jan. 31/48 4001 4702 Leon Errol-Elyse Knox Oct. 18/47 72 m Aug. 30/47 3805 Sabu Feb.,'48 1 15m Dec. 20/47 3992 4625 Robert Lowery-Ann Savage Aug. 22/47 67m Mar. 1/47 3502 3126 KEEPER of the Bees Col. 803 Harry Davenport-Michael Duane July 10/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3679 Key Witness Col. 905 John Beal-Trudy Marshall Oct. 9/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3769 Killer at Large EL 717 Robert Lowery-Anabel Shaw May 31/47 Aug. 2/47 63m June 7/47 3665 3655 Killer Dill Screen Guild 4702 Stuart Erwin-Anne Gwynne 71m June 14/47 3678 3666 Killer McCoy MGM 809 Mickey Rooney-Brian Donlevy Dec.,'47 104m Nov. 1/47 3907 Kilroy Was Here Mono. 621 Jackie Cooper-Jackie Coogan July 19/47 68m July 5/47 3713 3611 King of the Bandits Mono. 624 Gilbert Roland-Angela Green Nov. 8/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3954 3809 Kiss of Death 20th-Fox 725 Victor Mature-Brian Donlevy Sept.,'47 99m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 3909 3909 LAST Days of Boot Hill Col. Last of the Redmen, The (color) Col. Last Round-Up, The Col. Law Comes to Gunsight, The Mono. Letter from an Unknown Woman, A f Life With Father (color) Linda, Be Good Little Miss Broadway Living in a Big Way Lone Wolf in London Long Night, The (Special) Lost Moment, The Louisiana Love and Learn Love from a Stranger Lured 964 837 981 672 Univ. WB 702 EL Col. 815 MGM 725 Col. 917 RKO 861 Univ. Mono. 4703 WB 620 EL 806 UA Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Jon Hall-Evelyn Ankers Gene Autry-Jean Heather Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Joan Fontaine-Louis Jourdan Irene Dunne-William Powell (Spcl.] Elyse Knox-Marie Wilson Jean Porter-John Shelton Gene Kelly-Marie MacDonald Gerald Mohr-Nancy Saunders Henry Fonda-Barbara Bel Geddes Robert Cummings-Susan Hayward Jimmie Davis-Margaret Lindsay Jack Carson-Martha Vickers John Hodiak-Sylvia Sidney George Sanders-Lucille Ball Nov. 20/47 56m Dec. 13/47 3973 3895 Aug.,'47 77m Nov. 29/47 3955 3574 Nov. 5/47 77m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3850 May 24/47 56m June 7/47 3665 3587 Not Set 3943 Sept. 1 3/47 1 18m Aug. 16/47 3781 3475 3909 Dec. 20/47 67m Nov. 1/47 3906 3895 June 19/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3666 June/47 103m June 7/47 3666 3983 Nov. 13/47 68m Nov. 29/47 3954 3895 Aug. 6/47 97m May 31/47 3654 3909 Dec.,'47 89m Oct. 25/47 3894 3983 Nov. 1/47 85m Aug. 16/47 3781 3771 May 3/47 83m Mar. 29/47 3550 Nov. IS/47 81m Nov. 8/47 3917 3907 Sept..'47 102m July 19/47 3733 3575 3933 MAD Wednesday UA Harold Lloyd-Raymond Walburn Oct.,'47 89m Mar. 1/47 3503 2870 3633 (formerly Sin of Harold D' ddlebock) Magic Town (Special) RKO - 862 James Stewart-Jane Wyman Oct. 12/47 103m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 3933 Main Street Kid, The Rep. Al Pearce-Arlene Harris Jan. 1/48 3972 Man About Town (French) RKO 864 Maurice Chevalier-Francois Perier Special 89m Oct. 25/47 3893 Man from Texas EL James Craig-Johnnie Johnston Dec. 27/47 3895 Man in Iron Mask (R.) EL 735 Louis Hayward-Joan Bennett Nov. 8/47 1 10m Nov. 29/47 3956 Man of Evil UA James Mason-Phyllis Calvert Jan.,'48 3992 Marauders, The UA William Boyd-Andy Clyde July/47 Oct. 10/47 63m July 19/47 3734 Mark of Zorro, The (Reissue) 20th-Fox 740 Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell 93m Oct. 25/47 3895 Marshal of Cripple Creek Rep. 667 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake Aug. 15/47 58m Aug. 23/47 3794 3759 Mary Lou Col. Frankie Carle Orch.-R. Lowery Jan. 23/48 3992 Meet Me at Dawn (British) 20th-Fox 721 William Eythe-Stanley Holloway July/47 Oct./47 99m Jan. 25/47 3434 Merton of the Movies MGM 805 Red Skelton-Virginia O'Brien 82m July 19/47 3734 3655 3851 Miilerson Case, The Col. 817 Warner Baxter-Nancy Saunders May 29/47 Jan. 24/48 72 m Nov. 29/47 3954 3587 Miracle in Harlem SG X-3 Stepin Fetehit 71m 3919 f Miracle on 34th Street 20th-Fox 718 Maureen O'Hara-John Payne June/47 96m May 10/47 362 i 3933 Monsieur Verdoux UA Charles Chaplin-Martha Raye Oct.,'47 123m Apr. 19/47 3585 Moss Rose 20th-Fox Victor Mature-Peggy Cummins June/47 82m May 24/47 3641 3550 3783 t Mother Wore Tights (color) 20th-Fox 724 Betty Grable-Dan Dailey, Jr. Sept.,'47 107m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 3983 Mourning Becomes Electra RKO Rosalind Russell-Michael Redgrave Not Set 170m Nov. 22/47 3941 3919 t My Favorite Brunette Para. 4609 Bob Hope-Dorothy Lamour Apr. 4/47 87m Feb. 22/47 3485 3388 3703 My Wild Irish Rose (color) WB 711 Dennis Morgan-Andrea King Dec. 27/47 101m Dec. 13/47 3973 3599 4006 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 3, 1948 KHVttVED M. P. Product Advance Servici Proa. I radesbow wr Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Start Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page NEWS Hounds Mono. 622 Leo Gorcey-Christine Mclntyre Sept. 13/47 68m June 21/47 3689 Nicholas Nickleby (British) Univ. Derek Bond-Cedric Hardwicke Dec.,'47 94m Nov. 15/47 3930 Nightmare Alley 20th-Fox 730 Tyrone Power-Joan Blondell Oct. I8.'47 1 Mm Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3830 3983 Night Song (Block 2) RKO 806 Dana Andrews-Merle Oberon Nov. I0,'47 102m Nov. 15/47 3930 3717 Night Unto Night WB Viveca Lindfors-Ronald Reagan Not Set 3735 Ninotchlta (R.) MGM 812 Greta Garbo-Melvyn Douglas Dec.,'47 1 10m Nov. 22/47 3942 Northwest Outpost Rep. 615 Nelson Eddy-llona Massey June 25, '47 91m May 17/47 3629 3933 ODD Man Out (British) Univ. 617 James Mason-Robert Newton June/47 1 15m Feb. 15/47 3473 3783 On the Old Spanish Trail (col.) Rep. 648 Roy Rogers-Jane Fraiee Oct. I5,'47 75m Nov. 1/47 3906 Oregon Trail Scouts Rep. 5503 Allan Lake-Martha Wentworth May 15/47 58m May 24/47 3643 3599 Other Love, The UA Barbara Stanwyck-David Niven July 11/47 96m Apr. 5/47 3561 3550 3851 Out of the Blue EL 801 George Brent-Virginia Mayo Oct. 1 1 ,'47 87m Aug. 30/47 3806 3983 Out of the Past (Block 2) RKO 810 Robert Mitchum-Jane Greer Nov. 13/47 97m Nov. 22/47 3942 3875 Overland Trail Mono. 4751 Johnny Mack Brown-Virginia Belmont Feb. 7/48 4001 PACIFIC Adventure Col. 835 Ron Randell-Muriel Steinbeck July/47 95m Nov. 29/47 3958 3689 Panhandle (Allied Artists) Mono. 5 Rod Cameron-Cathy Downs Mar. 7/48 3943 Paradine Case, The Selznick Gregory Peck-Ann Todd Not Set 132m Jan. 3/48 4001 3666 Patient Vanishes, The (Br.) Film Classics James Mason-Mary Clare May 22/47 Jan. 24/48 78m May 31/47 3654 Perilous NA/aters Mono. 4707 Don Castle-Audrey Long 66m Nov. 1/47 3906 (formerly In Self Defense) Perils of Pauline (color) Para. 4615 Betty Hutton-John Lund July 4/47 96m May 31/47 3653 3631 3795 rniio vance rveiurns pi 708 William Wright-Terry Austin June 14/47 64m Apr. 26/47 3598 3422 Philo Vance's Secret Mission CI Cu 709 Alan Curtis-Sheila Ryan Aug. 30/47 58m Sept. 6/47 3817 3475 Pioneer Justice £|_ 753 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John June 28/47 56m July 5/47 3714 3631 Pirate, The (color) MGM Judy Garland-Gene Kelly Not Set 3865 Pirates of Monterey (color) Univ. 632 Maria Montez-Rod Cameron Not Set 77 m Nov. 22/47 3942 3127 Possessed WB 624 Joan Crawford-Van Heflin July 26/47 Jan. 10/48 108m May 31/47 3653 3078 Prairie, The SG 4705 Alan Baxter-Lenore Aubert 80m 3919 Prairie Express Mono. 678 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Oct. 25/47 55m Nov. 29/47 3955 3809 Prairie Raiders Col. 868 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette May 29/47 Aug. 1 o, 4/ 54m Nov. 29/47 3955 3587 Pretender, The Rep. (Oft oZU Albert Uekker-Uatherine Uraig LQ 07 m A,,_ 'Al Aug. IS, 4/ 77IJJ 3759 Prince of Thieves, The Col. Jon Hall-Patricia Morison Not Set 3943 RAILROADED EL 710 John Ireland-Sheila Ryan Sept. 25/47 71m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3809 Ramrod UA Joel McCrea-Veronica Lake May 2/47 94m Mar. 1/47 3503 3487 3909 Red River UA John Wayne-Montgomery Clift Not Set 3575 Red Stallion (color) EL 107 Rqbert Paige-Ted Donaldson Aug. 16/47 81m July 26/47 May 31/47 3746 3475 3983 Repeat Performance EL 105 Joan Leslie-Louis Hayward May 30/47 Oct. 11/47 93m 3655 3475 3819 Return of the Lash EL 755 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John 53 m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 Return of Rin Tin Tin, The ( col.) EL 804 Donald Woods-Bobby Blake Nov. 1/47 67m Nov. 8/47 3918 3527 Ride the Pink Horse Univ. 625 Robt. Montgomery-Wanda Hendrix Oct.,'47 101m Sept. 20/47 3841 3983 Riders of the Lone Star Col. 870 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Aug. 14/47 55m Nov. 29/47 3958 3735 Ridin' Down the Trail Mono. 685 Jimmy Wakely-Beverly John Oct. 4/47 53m Nov. 29/47 3955 3850 Riff Raff (Block 1) RKO 803 Pat O'Brien-Anne Jeffreys Sept. 15/47 80m June 14/47 3678 3666 3851 Road to the Big House, The SG 4706 John Shelton-Ann Doran Dec. 27/47 72m Nov. 1/47 3906 3876 Road to Rio Para. 4707 Bing Crosby-Bob Hope Dec. 25/47 100m Nov. 15/47 3929 3818 Robin Hood of Monterey Mono. 623 Gilbert Roland-Evelyn Brent Sept. 6/47 55m Sept. 13/47 3829 3759 Robin Hood of Texas Rep. 685 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts July 15/47 71m Sept. 13/47 3829 3735 Rocky Mono. 4705 Roddy McDowall-Edgar Barrier Jan. 17/48 3931 Romance of Rosy Ridge MGM 729 Van Johnson-Thomas Mitchell Aug.,'47 105m July 5/47 37i 3 361 1 3877 Roosevelt Story, The (Specia 1) UA Documentary Nov.,'47 80m July 12/47 3725 Rose of Santa Rosa Col. 951 Eduardo Noreiga-Patricia White Dec. 25/47 3931 Roses Are Red (Wurtzel) Rustlers of Devil's Canyon 20th-Fox 734 Don Castle-Peggy Knudsen Not set oom Nov. 8/47 391 8 Rep. 666 All 1 ... D.l ! .. Dl-L- Allan Lane-bobby make II | I17 July 1 , 4/ 58m July 19/47 3735 3479 SADDLE P«ls Rep. 684 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts June 15/47 72m June 21/47 3689 3631 Saigon Para. Alan Ladd-Veronica Lake Mar. 12/48 3666 Sarqe Goes to College Mono. 618 Alan Hale, Jr. -June Preisser May 17/47 63m May 17/47 3630 3575 Scared to Death (color) Screen Guild 4608 Bela Lugosi-Douglas Fowley May 3/47 65m June 21/47 3689 3127 Second Chance (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 726 Kent Taylor-Louise Currie Sept./47 62 m July 26/47 3745 3735 Secret Beyond the Door, The Univ. Joan Bennett-Michael Redgrave Dec/47 3956 Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The (color) (Special) RKO 851 Danny Kaye-Virginia Mayo Sept. 1/47 1 10m July 19/47 3733 361 1 3983 Senator Was Indiscreet, The Univ. William Powell-Ella Raines Jan.,'48 81m Dec. 13/47 3973 3956 Sepia Cinderella SG x-i Billy Daniels-Sheila Guyse Oct. 18/47 70m Aug. 2/47 3758 Seven Keys to Baldpate (Bl. 1) RKO 804 Phillip Terry-Jacqueline White Oct. 1/47 68m June 14/47 3679 3983 Shadow Vallev EL 852 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Nov. 29/47 58m Nov. 29/47 3954 Shoot to Kill Screen Guild 4615 Russell Wade-Susan Walters May 17/47 63m Apr. 12/47 3574 3488 Singapore Univ. 622 Fred MacMurray-Ava Gardner Sept.,'47 79m Aug. 16/47 3782 3851 Six-Gun Law Col. Chas. Starrett-Smiley Burnett Jan. 9/48 4000 Six Gun Serenade Mono. 684 Jimmy Wakely-Kay Morley Apr. 5/47 55m May 3/47 3610 3459 Slave Girl (color) Univ. 623 Yvonne DeCarlo-George Brent Aug .,'47 80m July 19/47 3734 3631 3933 Sleep, My Love UA Claudette Colbert-Rob't Cummings Jan.,'48 3992 Slight Case of Murder, A (R) WB 712 Edw. G. Robinson-Jane Bryan Dec. 13/47 85m Dec. 13/47 3980 Slippy McGee Rep. Mono. 701 Donald Barry-Dale Evans June Preisser-Freddie Stewart Jan. 15/48 Jan. 3/48 3943 3907 Smart Politics 627 (formerly The Old Gray Mayor) Paul Campbell-Ruth Terry Smoky River Serenade Col. 851 Aug. 2 1/47 67m Nov. 29/47 3958 3759 Something in the Wind Univ. 621 Deanna Durbin-John Dall Sept.,'47 89m July 26/47 3746 3735 3877 Song of the Drifter Mono. 686 Jimmy Wakely-"Cannonball" Taylor Jan. 10/48 3972 Song of Love MGM 804 Katharine Hepburn-Robert Walker Oct.,'47 1 18 m July 26/47 3745 3679 3983 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 3, 1948 4007 r— REVIEWED M.P. Product Advance Service Prod. Trudeihow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data TlWe Company Number Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page Song of My Heart f All* 1 A i* i | (Allied Artists) Mono. 4 Frank Sundstrom-Audrey Long Jan. I7,'48 85m Nov. 8/47 3917 3717 Song of the Thin Man 801 \A/ 1 1 1 1 a m Pft wftll-K^ vrn a 1 nu T I 1 1 1 lain 1 WrTOII IviYI llu Uvy Sept.,'47 86m Julv 26 '47 wui y &V| ■ # 3745 3877 Song of the Wasteland Mono. 682 Jimmy ^Vs kely-Lee "Lassos'1 ^Vhite May 31, '47 56m Julv 5 '47 3714 3655 Son of Rusty, The Col. 813 Ted Donaldson-Tom Powers Aug. 7/47 69 m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 c if rn n in 1 South of Pago Pago (K.) el EL Victor McLaglen-Jon Hell Dec.,'47 97m Dec. 27/47 4000 C ill II n L J to *i* L \ 5o Well Remembered (British) f Bl LOt (Block 2) RKO 807 John Mills-Martha Scott Nov. I2,'47 1 14m Nov. 1 ,'47 3905 3631 Spirit of West Point FC Felix Blanch a rd-€?!enn Davis Oct. 1/47 77m Oct. 1 1/47 3874 3983 Sport of Kings Col. 81 1 Paul Camptaell-Olona Henry June 26,'47 68m 3655 Springtime in the Sierras Rep. 646 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee July 1 5/47 75m July 26/47 3746 3639 Stepchild EL 703 Brenda Joyce-Donald ^^oods June 7, 47 70m June 14 '47 3678 3631 Stork Bites Man UA Jackie Cooper-Gene Roberts June 21/47 67m Aug. 16/47 3782 3679 Stranger from Ponca City Co!. RAP Charles Sta rrett-Sm i ley Burn ette lulu 3 '47 DOm INOV. Z7, tl 3A70 00/7 Summer Holiday (color) MGM Mickey Rooney-Gloria DeHaven Not Set 3599 Sweet Genevieve Col. O 1 0 TIB Jean Porter-Jimmy Lydon 68m Nov. 29, 47 3954 3830 Swing the Western Way Col. 853 Jack Leonard-Mary Dugan June lo, tl 66m Nov. 29/47 3958 3655 Swordsman, The (color) Col. Larry Parks-Ellen Drew 1.. 'io Jan., no 81m Oct. 25/47 3894 3771 TAWNY Pipif (British) Univ. Bernard Miles- Rosamund John Not Set 81m Sept. 13/47 3829 Tender Years, The 20th-Fox 803 Joe E. Brown-Noreen Nash , Jan. ,'48 81m Dec. 6/47 3965 Tenth Avenue Angel MGM Margaret O'Brien -George Murphy (T) Jan. 13/48 3031 That Hagen Girl WB 707 Ronald Reagan-Shirley Temple Nov. 1/47 83m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 That's My Gal (color) Rep. 609 Lynn Roberts-Donald Barry May 15/47 66m May 3 1 ,'47 3655 3434 That's My Man Rep. 613 Don Ameche-Catherine McLeod June 1/47 1 04m Apr. 12/47 3573 3563 They Won't Believe Me (Bl. 6) RKO 726 Robert Young-Susan Hayward July/47 95m May 17/47 3630 3599 38.19 Thief of Baghdad (color) (R.) FC Sabu Feb.,'48 106m Dec. 20/47 3992 This Happy Breed (British) (col.) Univ. Robert Newton-Celia Johnson Not Set 1 15m Apr. 19/47 3586 This Time for Keeps (color) MGM 808 Esther V/illiams-Jimmy Durante Nov./47 106m Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3865 3983 Three Daring Daughters (color) MGM (formerly The Birds and the E ees) Jeanette MacDonald-Jose Iturbi Feb.,'48 3599 Thunder in the Valley (color) 20th-Fox 720 Peggy Ann Garner-Lon McCallister Not Set 103m June 14/47 4677 3539 (formerly Bob, Son of Battle) Thunder Mountain (Bl. 6) RKO 730 Tim Holt-Richard Martin June/47 60m May 7/47 3630 3599 Time Out of Mind Univ. 614 Phyllis Culvert-Robert Hutton May/47 88m Mar 22 '47 ITIOI • A- Mm ) B 1 3537 3527 3577 T-Men EL Dennis O'Keefe-Mary Meade Dec. 15/47 91m Dec. 20/47 3981 Tobacco Road (Reissue) 20th-Fox 744 Gene Tiern ey-Charley Gra pewift Dec.,'47 84m Dec 6 '47 3966 Too Many Winners EL 716 Hugh Beaumont-Trudy Marshall May 24/47 60m liinA 7 47 3666 3587 Trail of the Mounties SG 4708 Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Dec. 20/47 42m 3931 Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The WB 714 Humphrey Bogart-Walter Huston Jan. 24/48 126m 4000 Trespasser, The Rep. O 1 T Dale Eva ns-NA/a rren Douglas lulu 3 '47 juiy o, tl 7 1 n* / 1 m (■■It* 1 O '47 juiy 1 v, if J 1 it 37 1 7 Trouble with Women, The Para. 4614 Ray Milland-Teresa Wright June 27/47 80m May 17/47 3629 361 1 3877 Two Blondes and a Redhead Col. O 1 a y i v Jean Porter-Jimmy Lloyd M.u L 'Al NOV. O, 11 -7 A /Om KI 10 IJ7 Nov. zv, 4/ "iOC A 3704 3895 Two Mrs. Carrolls, The WB bl 1 Barbara Stanwyck-Humphrey Bogart Vi *>A *AH May it, ti 99m Apr. 5/47 3561 3539 3851 Tycoon (color) RKO ooo John Wayne-Larairte Day Not Set 1 26m r\ ^ • ai Dec. 6, 47 3965 3956 UNCONOUERED (color) Para. 4705 Gary Cooper-Paulette Goddard (T) Nov. 7/47 146m Sept. 27/47 3849 3809 3933 Under Colorado Skies (color) Rep. 652 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Dec. 15/47 Dec 20 "47 3982 3949 Undercover Maisie MGM 722 Ann Sothern-Barry Nelson May/47 90m Mar. 8/47 3514 3459 3795 Under the Tonto Rim (Block 1) RKO 01/3 Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Ann 1 "47 A 1 m 0 1 m |,m. 1 A lAl June 1 1, *t/ 3A7ft JO/O J OOO Unfaithful, The WB 623 Ann Sheridan-Zaehary Scott July 5/47 I09m May 31/47 3654 3574 3819 Unfinished Dance (color) MGM qao oUz Margaret \J Dnen-v^yd Ohansse Sept., ti 1 00m Aug. Z, 47 3757 90ll A 3Z40 3983 Unsuspected, The WB 706 Joan CaulTield-OSaude Rains Oct. 1 1 ,'47 103m Sept. 20/47 3841 3818 3909 Upturned Glass, The (British) Univ. 631 James Mason-Rosamund John Nov./47 87m Nov. 1/47 3905 VARIETY Girl Para. AL 1 O 46 lo Mary natcner-Uerorest txeliey *A1 Aug. Vi, tl 70m I.. 1.. 1 O *A1 July 1 V, tl il ii IEQO oec i 300 1 Vigilantes Return, The (color) Univ. 618 Jon Mall-Margaret Lindsay July/47 67m May 3 1 ,'47 t L C A 3654 7ti i 361 1 Voice of the Turtle, The WB bleanor rarker-Konald Keagan ill r i Not set 1 03m Dec. 27/47 3993 383 1 WALLFLOWER WB Joyce Reynolds-Robert Hutton Not Set 3876 Web, The Univ. 615 Edmond O'Brl'en-Ella Raines Juno '47 87m Mav 3 1 '47 3655 361 1 3851 Web of Danger Rep. 616 Adele Mara-Bill Kennedy June 10/47 58m June 7 '47 poor business, as the trade papers state, where is the hold up coming from? Skeptical? Sure, we are. We have seen so many optimistic predictions come out of Washington that were from 30 to 40 per cent wrong. We are still from Missouri. We will have to be shown. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. YEARLING, THE: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman— An excellent picture for large or small towns. Gross excellent. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 24, 25. — Mrs. Ray Magee, Bass Theatre, Bassfield, Miss. Small town patronage. Monogram DIVORCE: Kay Francis, Bruce Cabot— Old picture but title drew a good crowd. Doubled with "Sunset Pass" to nice business. Played Saturday, Dec. 13. — Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. Paramount DANGER STREET: Jane Withers, Robert Lowery Another crime show with no box office appeal. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. IMPERFECT LADY: Teresa Wright, Ray Milland — Show no good for us as it had an English locale and the people here go against them. We had a true Paramount print. Had to patch it for a day to get it to hold enough to run. Played Sunday, Nov. 30. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour — Exceptionally good. But only average draw here, as with all Hope's pictures. Played Saturday, Dec. 6. — Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rock- glen, Sask., Can. PERILS OF PAULINE: Betty Hutton, John Lund — Betty Hutton always is a favorite here. Picture did nice business and was enjoyed by all. Played Thursday, Dec. 25.— Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Thea- tre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. VARIETY GIRL: Mary Hatcher, DeForrest Kelley — A good little show that will go if given an even break with the weather, etc. We had bad weather and the Christmas slump to hold it back. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 5, 6. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Thea- tre, Jerome, Ariz. WELCOME STRANGER: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitz- gerald— Another Crosby- Fitzgerald that should have box office draw, but we failed with it. Played Friday, Saturday.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. WILD HARVEST: Alan Ladd, Dorothy Lamour— The show was O.K. but business was off. Maybe the holiday buying season hurt. The show is well done and the setting good. Played Friday, Saturday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. RKO Radio A LIKELY STORY: Bill Williams, Barbara Hale— Miss Hale was the only part of this feature that justi- fied its production. Might be better for second spot on a double bill. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 24, 25. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. DICK TRACY VERSUS CUEBALL: Morgan Con way, Anne Jeffreys — A nice show for the comic strip followers, and I guess there are lots of them. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. FUN AND FANCY FREE,: Disney Feature Cartoon — Average Disney cartoon that had a few good se- quences. Good or fair, these Disney features pack them in. — A Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago. 111. HONEYMOON: Shirley Temple, Guy Madison- Business surprisingly good. Picture pleasing and should go over well in any small locality. Played Sunday, Monday, Dec. 21, 22. — A. C. Edwards, Winenia Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. VACATION IN RENO: Jack Haley, Anne Jeffreys— A good comedy for our double bill with a Tracy film. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Republic AFFAIRS OF GERALDINE, THE: Jane Withers, James Lydon — A good little show for a double bill. Tane Withers is dead here as far as draw is concerned. Played Sunday.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre. Jerome, Ariz. APACHE ROSE: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans— Used on second spot of double bill to fair business. These new Rogers productions are not quite as good as the orig- inal ones. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 26, 27. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. HIT PARADE OF 1947: Eddie Albert, Constance Moore — Good little musical that did O.K. on Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. NORTHWEST OUTPOST: Nelson Eddy, Fiona Mas- sey — Too much Eddy and not enough names to put it over. However, it is a good show. Played Monday, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 25.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. WYOMING: William Elliott, Vera Ralston— A good Western in a locality where thev draw. Here it was just another show. Played Monday, Tuesday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Twentieth Century- Fox ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM: Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison — Excellent. This is a production to be proud of. We had a good crowd who were well pleased. Settings were splendid and the acting of the entire cast was above the ordinary. A few more like this would do the box office a lot of good. Played Friday, Dec. 12. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. FOREVER AMBER: Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde— Too much money for nothing and the patrons sure tell you about it when they come out. I wish the film salesman who sold this had to take the grief along with the ballyhoo they give out. Keep away from this at advance prices. I think this would have been one of the best grossers of all time at regular prices. Played Monday, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Thea- tre, Jerome, Ariz. JEWELS OF BRANDENBURG: Richard Travis, Micheline Cheirel — Used on double bill with fair results. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 26, 27.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. JEWELS OF BRANDENBURG: Richard Travis, Micheline Cheirel — Everything good but the price. Didn't do enough to buy a bus ticket home, if I lived only a block from the theatre. Played Wednesday, Nov. 26.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: John Payne, Mau- reen O'Hara — Every once in a while you get a picture that renews your faith that Hollywood can turn out good pictures. This is one of them. It is so human and down-to-earth. It is a little fantasy of Kris Krin- gle. It came in as a sleeper and we really did not know just how good it was. So you exhibitors, if you haven't played it yet, give it all you have for it was the first picture for some time that received unanimous acclaim by all who saw it. And you will cheer the cast for their fine portrayals. Edmund Gwenn is my nomina- tion for the C^car for the best supporting role. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. NIGHTMARE ALLEY: Tyrone Power, Joan Blon- dell — The clamor against this picture on the first night showing was such that we had to pull it. There is strain enough in these days with just living without getting such a dose on the screen. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. LATE GEORGE APLEY, THE: Ronald Colman, Peggy Cummins — Played this late, but that was too soon. A slow and dull offering that interested a few. Played Sunday-Tuesday, Dec. 21-23.— A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. RAZOR'S EDGE, THE: Tyrone Power, Gene Tier- ney — A good crowd seemed well satisfied. Only the younger generation were disappointed. A little wordy and overlong, but otherwise excellent film fare. Miss Baxter gives a marvelous performance. Should do bet- ter in large situations. Played Saturday, Dec. 6. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM, THE: Betty Grable, Dick Haymes — Fair Grable picture that flopped. Too much Dick Haymes crooning which is always a signal for patrons to have a good chat among themselves. Played Saturday, Dec. 20.— Walter R. Pyle, Dream- land Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. United Artists NEW ORLEANS: Arturo de Cordova, Dorothy Pat- rick— Counterfeit. This is a phony that can be detected at a glance. Pass this off on your unsuspecting patrons at your own risk. — A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. Universal BRUTE FORCE: Burt Lancaster, -Hume Cronyn— For the male trade only. Business at its lowest ebb (Continued on following page) 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 Short Product in First Run Houses (.Continued from preceding page) i with this picture. Played Sunday, Monday. Dec. 21, 22. — A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. RIDE THE PINK HORSE: Robert Montgomery, Wanda Hendrix — Very' good. This will please the ma- | jority of patrons. Outstanding performances by Robert Montgomery and the newcomer, Wanda Hendrix. — A. Goldson. Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. . Warner Bros. CRY WOLF: Errol Flynn, Barbara Stanwyck — A well made suspense drama. A good cast helps things along. Flynn is no great shakes as an actor, but his name still draws. This pleased. What is more the price was right, so we made money. Played Monday. Dec. 15. — Fred J. Hutchings. Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. DARK PASSAGE: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall — Good picture of this type with Bogart good as always when he gets something to sink his teeth into. Bacall seems to have improved to some extent. — A. E. Han- cock. Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. DEEP VALLEY: Ida Lupino, Dane Clark— Good of its kind. Drew only an average crowd who seemed fairly satisfied. Miss Lupino as usual gives an out- standing performance. The story was not very logical at times and the characters seemed to change their personalities a little too rapidly. Worth playing. Played Friday. Dec. 5. — Fred J. Hutchings, Communit}- Theatre, Leader. Sask., Can. SAN ANTONIO: Errol Flynn. Alexis Smith— We re- played this feature instead of another we had bought but didn't play. It's still one of the best outdoor pic- tures ever made and it is in Technicolor. Had a fair Sunday, but didn't hold up on Monday. It's worth re- peating. Played Sunday, Monday. Dec. 14, 15. — Abe H. Kaufman. Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind. UNFAITHFUL, THE: Ann Sheridan, Zachary Scott — Didn't do as well as I figured on. but it got by O.K. Played Friday. Saturday. Nov. 28, 29.— D. W. Trisko. Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Short Features Columbia SCOOPER DOOPER: All Star Comedies — Pretty good two-reel comedy. Holloway has gained in popu- NEW YORK— Week of January 5 CAPITOL: Miracle in the Cornfield MGM Fishing Bear MGM Feature: High Wall MGM CRITERION: Brooklyn Makes Capital.Universal Pickle Puss Columbia Feature: The Senator Was Indiscreet. ... Universal MUSIC HALL: Border Without Bayonets RKO Radio Chip an' Dale RKO Radio Feature: Good News MGM PALACE: Bootie Beetle RKO Radio Feature: Tycoon RKO Radio PARAMOUNT: Midnight Serenade . Paramount Safari So Good Paramount larity here on account of the Autry's. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Twentieth Century- Fox HEP CAT: Terrytoons — One of the best cartoons with Mighty Mouse. — Abe H. Kaufman, Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind. Warner-Vitaphone JOHNNY SMITH AND POKER HUNTAS: Blue Ribbon Cartoons — A very funny color cartoon. — Abe H. Kaufman, Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind. Operators Elect Miller D. G. Miller has been elected president of Operators, Local 482, Champaign, 111. Popular Science, No. 2 Paramount Feature: Where There's Life Paramount ROXV: Swiss Cheese Robinson . 20th Cent.-Fox Aqua Capers 20th Cent.-Fox Feature: Daisy Kenyon 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND: Fishing the Florida Keys Warner Bros. Stars in the Night Warner Bros. Horse Fly Fleas Warner Bros. Feature: My Wild Irish Rose Warner Bros. WARNER: Action in Sports Warner Bros. Two Gophers from Texas Warner Bros. Feature: The Voice of the Turtle Warner Bros. WINTER GARDEN: Jack the Giant Killer Universal Feature: The Exile Universal Police Close "Furia" At San Francisco Police December 31 closed the Larkin the- atre, San Francisco, and confiscated a print of the Italian film, "Furia," on the ground it was ''indecent and salacious." The man- ager of the theatre was arrested and re- leased on $200 bail after being cited to ap- pear before Juvenile -Court on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of minors and of showing a salacious picture. The theatre was raided because of a charge by a local pastor. COLUMBIA PICTURES f ANNOUNCES THAT PRINTS OF THE FOLLOWING PICTURES % ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR EXCHANGES FOR SCREENING '4P the momnn FROm TM1GIER with ADELE JERGENS • STEPHEN DUNNE MICHAEL DUANE • DENIS GREEN Original screenplay by Irwin Franklyn Directed by HAROLD DANIELS • Produced by MARTIN M00NEY CLAMOUR GIRL featuring GENE KRUPA AND HIS ORCHESTRA Virginia Grey* Michael Duane 'Jimmy Lloyd • Jack Leonard SUSAN REED AND HER ZITHER Screenplay by M. Coates Webster and Lee Gold Directed by ARTHUR DREIFUSS • Produced by SAM KATZMAN MARY LOU with Robert Lowery • Joan Barton • Glenda Farrell Abigail Adams • Frank Jenks and featuring FRANKIE CARLE AND HIS PIANO Original screenplay by M. Coates Webster Directed by ARTHUR DREIFUSS • Produced by SAM KATZMAN Charles STARRETT • Smiley BURNETTE PHANTOM VALLEY with VIRGINIA HUNTER OZIE WATERS AND HIS COLORADO RANGERS Original screenplay by J. Benton Cheney Directed by RAY NA2ARR0 • Produced by COLBERT CLARK MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 39 PICTURE CROSSES THE EXILE (Univ.) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated $422,700 Comparative Average Gross 429,300 Over-all Performance 98.4% ATLANTA— Fox 84.7% BALTIMORE — Keith's, 1st week ..... 108.1% BALTIMORE — Keith's, 2nd week 108.1% BOSTON— Memorial, 1st week 104.0% (DB) Sweet Genevieve (Col.) BOSTON— Memorial. 2nd week 74.3% (DB) Sweet Genevieve (Col.) BUFFALO— Lafayette 102.7% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) CHICAGO— Palace, 1st week 112.5% CHICAGO— Palace. 2nd week 83.3% CINCINNATI— RKO Palace 88.4% CLEVELAND— Palace 81.9% DENVER— Esquire 88.2% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th -Fax) DENVER— Paramount 122.4% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th -Fax) DENVER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 50.0% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th -Fox) INDIANAPOLIS— Circle 76.9% KANSAS CITY — Tower 73.0% KANSAS CITY— Uptown 83.6% LOS ANGELES— Guild, 1st week 133.3% (DB) The Crime Doctor's Gamble (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Guild. 2nd week 80.0% (DB) The Crime Doctor's Gamble (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Iris, 1st week 133.3% LOS ANGELES-— Iris, 2nd week 73.3% LOS ANGELES^Ritz, 1st week 130.0% LOS ANGELES— Ritz, 2nd week 75.0% LOS ANGELES Studio, 1st week .... 140.8% LOS ANGELES— Studio, 2nd week 84.5% LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 1st week . . 129.5% (DB) The Crime Doctor's Gamble (Col.) LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 2nd week . . 68.3% (DB) The Crime Doctor's Gamble (Col.) MINNEAPOLIS— RKO Orpheum 89.9% NEW YORK— Winter Garden 149.5% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton 122.9% PITTSBURGH— T. P. Harris 118.1% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 1st week . . . 103.1% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum. 2nd week . . . 70.0% WHERE THERE'S LIFE (Para.) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated $672,300 Comparative Average Gross 668,300 Over-all Performance 100.5% ATLANTA— Fox 129.9% ATLANTA— Roxy, MO 1st week 83.8% BALTIMORE— Keith's, 1st week 126.1% BALTIMORE— Keith's, 2nd week 94.6% BOSTON— Metropolitan. 1st week 135.0% (DB) Adventure Island (Para.) BOSTON— Metropolitan, 2nd week 113.1% (DB) Adventure Island (Para.) BUFFALO — Buffalo 118.2% (DB) Adventure Island (Para.) BUFFALO— Hippodrome, MO' 1st week . . . 95.5% (DB) Adventure Island (Para.) CHICAGO— Chicago. 1st week 97.9% (SA) Vaudeville CHICAGO, 2nd week 84.4% (SA) Vaudeville CINCINNATI— RKO Albee 103.2% CINCINNATI— RKO Shubert. MO 1st week . 71.4% CLEVELAND— Loew's State 98.5% CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman, MO 1st week 99.1% CLEVELAND— Loew's Ohio, MO1 2nd week . . 94.2% DENVER— Denham, 1st week 112.0% DENVER— Denham, 2nd week 88.0% DENVER— Denham, 3rd week 72.0% A statistical compilation and comparison of Box Office Per- formance in first run theatres INDIANAPOLIS— Indiana 103.7% INDIANAPOLIS— Keith's, MO' 1st week . . . 78.1% KANSAS CITY— Paramount. 1st week . . . 149.6% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 2nd week . . . 78.7% LOS ANGELES— Paramount Downtown, 1st week 105.4% LOS ANGELES — Paramount Downtown, 2nd week 64.8% LOS ANGELES— Paramount Hollywood, 1st week 111.1% LOS ANGELES— Paramount Hollvwood, 2nd week 74.0% MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 95.8% MINNEAPOLIS— Lyric. MO1 1st week . . . 101.8% MINNEAPOLIS— Lyric. MO 2nd week . . . 94.5% OMAHA— Orpheum 115.6% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton, 1st week .... 122.9% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton, 2nd week . . . 114.7% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton, 3rd week .... 81.9% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton, 4th week .... 65.5% PHILADELPHIA— Karlton, 5th week .... 57.3% PITTSBURGH— Stanley 89.6% PITTSBURGH— Warner, MO' 1st week . . . 68.3% SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 1st week . . 120.2% (DB) That's My Gal (Rep.) SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 2nd week . . 101.4% (DB) That's My Gal (Rep.) SAN FRANCISCO1 — State, MO 1st week . . . 118.2% (DB) That's My Gal (Rep.) ST. LOUIS— Fox 131.8% (DB) Big Town After Dark (Para.) ST. LOUIS— Shubert. MO 1st week 121.2% (DB) Big Town After Dark (Para.) MY WILD IRISH ROSE (WB) First Report: Total Gross Tabulated $263,200 Comparative Average Gross 232,200 Over-all Performance M3.3% ATLANTA— Fox 118.6% BOSTON— Metropolitan 88.6% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) BUFFALO— Buffalo 107.5% LOS ANGELES— Warner Downtov/n .... 122.1% LOS ANGELES, — Warner Hollywood .... 112.6% LOS ANGELES— Warner Wiltern 125.9% MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 101.7% NEW YORK— Strand 88.0% (SA) The Ink Spots PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum 176.4% PITTSBURGH— Stanley 110.4% ST. LOUTS— St. Louis 130.4% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) KILLER McCOY (MCM) First Report: Total Gross Tabulated $186,400 Comparative Average Gross 190,600 Over-all Performance 97.7% ATLANTA— Loew's Grand 89.2% BALTIMORE— Century 71.8% BOSTON— Orpheum 69.5% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) BOSTON— State 70.5% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) BUFFALO— Great Lakes 96.3% fDB) High Conquest (Mono.) CINCINNATI— RKO Grand 136.3% INDIANAPOLIS — Loew's 117.6% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) PHILADELPHIA— Earle 133.8% PITTSBURGH— Penn . ■. 90.9% ST. LOUIS— Loew's State 110.0% (DB) Son of Rusty (Col.) TORONTO — Uptown 109.0% Settle Memphis Anti-Trust Suit Settlement was announced in Memphis December 31 of the anti-trust suit brought by a number of neighborhood theatres against M. A. Lightman and his associates and eight major film distributors. The agreement, reached in out-of-court conferences, changes the Memphis distribu- tion system in that it makes films available to a whole group of neighborhood theatres on the same date. Although William Goodman, attorney for the Lightman interests, declined to give any financial details, it was believed that, based on previous reports, the settlement would in- volve about $200,000. The suit was dismissed with prejudice, which means that it cannot be brought to trial again. Named as defendants were Mr. Lightman, VV. P. Zerilla, several officials of Malco cir- cuit, and the eight major distributors. The plaintiffs charged discrimination against them in favor of Lightman-owned theatres on second runs for neighborhoods. Liebeskind to Distribute In Brazil and Argentina Nat Liebeskind, former general manager of RKO in South America, will soon enter distribution on his own in Brazil and Argen- tina to handle American and foreign-made product. He recently organized a Mexican company, Cia. Mexicana de Peliculas, in partnership with Max Gomez, for 10 years manager for RKO in Mexico, which has made an exclusive deal to handle English, French and Italian product controlled for the Western Hemisphere by Foreign Screen Corp. of New York. Four pictures already have been released there. Next is "The Agitator," an anti-Communist film produced by Lou Jackson at the Pathe studios in London. Warners Announce Six Releases for England Warner Brothers has announced six fea- tures for release in England during the first four months of 1948. They are: "Possessed," January 12; "Brighton Rock," a British- Pathe production, January 12; "Each Dawn I Die," a re-release, February 2; "The Un- faithful," February 23 ; "Cry Wolf," March 15, and "Idol of Paris," a British produc- tion, April 5. All will have their British premieres at the Warner theatre in London. SEC Back to Washington The Securities and Exchange Commission, which was transferred to Philadelphia early in the war, started to return to Washington Monday. SEC officials estimate that it will take about three weeks to complete the move. The Commission will be housed in the old Reconstruction Finance Corporation build- ings. Figures directly below picture title compare estimated dollar gross with average gross and show relative percentage of all engagements tabulated. Figures opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly business based on the six months' period ending October 31, 1947. SYMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature title; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move- Over Run; (AA) Advance Admission, INDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear in Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 iAn international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress WALTER BROOKS, Director QP PURVEYORS of pressbooks have been trying to persuade us that the shiny- paper pressbooks are all right after all, on the grounds that theatres use these pages as engraver's proofs to make their own newspaper ads, by photo-engraving proc- esses, on the ground. Very frankly, we don't believe that one in one hundred theatres em- ploys the services of an engraver to devise their newspaper copy. Such extravagance is possible only to that top-bracket fringe who also employs advertising agencies. We think that the average, run-of-the- mine theatre manager uses mats, and that he appreciates the opportunity to see pressbook advertising on news-stock, as it will be used — and that pressbooks printed on both sides of super-calendered paper are a costly nuisance, if you don't happen to be among the fortunate few who can send your copy to an engraver. In fact, there are few en- graving houses except in key cities and the^ average theatre man seldom makes cuts. Pressbooks are often incomplete until af- ter the key runs ; the rank and file of theatre managers wait until these test runs are over to acquire the benefit of this advertising ex- perience with the picture. We still believe that splendor in pressbooks is intended for a very limited circulation and that we aim for a wider use of pressbooks on a basis that will reach Jim Mason, of Cherry Valley. ft Arnold Gates, manager of Loew's ^1 Stillman theatre, Cleveland, Ohio, uses double-edged blades when he serves up favorable reviews, as blow-ups in his lobby. Arnold is aware of a fundamental, i.e., that movie critics like to be known, and so, when Ward Marsh, critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, wrote an enthusiastic review on "Golden Earrings," he posted it, life size and twice as natural, with a big picture of ILLINOIS MEETING This week we salute the United Theatre Owners of Illinois, holding their two-day convention at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Springfield, January 8th and 9th. We've been out there, as a guest, and recall many names and faces. We meet President Ed- ward G. Zorn here and there around the country and greatly admire the forthright- ness and integrity he pu+s into his leader- ship of Illinois exhibitors. We imagine that our good friends, Homer Strowig of Abilene, "Doc" Cook of Marysville, Mo., and Fred Wehrenberg of St. Louis, will be flying in to attend the Springfield meeting. Springfield, in the heart of the Lincoln country, is as typically American as the cornbelt. We remember one lady "ex- hibitrix" who owned two hundred acres of standing corn, the best theatre and the liquor store in her town. There's good showmanship in Springfield and surround- ing towns, represented by such as the Kerasotes Brothers, E. E. Alger with his circuit, Ralph Lawler of Great States the- atres, Fred Souttar of Fox Midwest, and many others we would like to hear from, since we cannot make the trip to Spring- field this year. the critic, pointing the way to the boxoffice. We can't all afford photographic blow- ups, even if the facilities were available to make them, but managers can always gratify the vanity of a friendly critic by displaying his kind words where the public can follow an urge to see the picture. It's possible that movie critics would like to be liked, if they display a tendency to like the movies. You can have a movie critic in your town, witli the cooperation of your newspaper man, and for good, long-range results. f% Advertising and exploitation of the Louis-Walcott fight pictures arriving at this desk indicate wide interest in the fight and substantial business at the boxoffice. The newspaper ads were necessarily limited to all-type displays, but Pierce McCoy sold the show at the Miller theatre, Augusta, Ga., with a home-made ad, created from a news photograph, turned into a line-cut by his art department. Best quip was Duke Stalcup's billing of "The Great Walcott Robbery" at the Martin theatre, Opelika, Alabama. c-"si, c^v, c^?n, Q Reverberations of Drew Pearson's "Friendship Train" still felt with the influx of shows given to obtain food and food packages for local and international charities. Latest is Pierce McCoy's "Canned Food Matinee," where in the Miller theatre, Augusta, Ga., the Augusta Chroni- cle and station WRDW cooperated with the sponsorship of a local fraternity house to collect more than 1,000 cans of food for the needy. Elsewhere, throughout the country, the effect of the "Friendship Train" is still felt in the promoting of food matinees. ^2V, c^3l, c^V, €From far away Japan, via the Mo- tion Picture Export Association, comes an idea developed at the Roxy thea- tre, Asakusa, which shouldn't have happened so far from home. May not be new, but it's the first time we've seen it. All they've done is fix up a twenty-four sheet board as a stage drop, so that at the end of the performance, it comes down in front of the screen and just back of the proscenium. Open the cur- tains, and you have a well lighted, neatly framed, 24-sheet poster that remains visible during intermission, or at whatever times may be desired. — Walter Brooks MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 41 Lester Pollock's "Tal- ent Quest" at Loew's Rochester theatre. Auditions were given those nominated by ballots deposited in lobby box, at left. You might think that Lana Turner was right there, with her own copy of "Green Dolphin Street" in this effective window display for the run of the picture at Loew's State, Cleveland. A good blow-up can become a photographic double when masked a bit and combined with other display to create the illusion. ONCE OVER LIGHTLY SHAVING "WONDER MAN" IN FINLAND The premiere of Danny Kaye's "Won- der Man" was sold in Helsinki, Finland, with these printed paper napkins, in shops where the barber is a lady! Other exploiteers have used reverse English to read in mirrors, but this is Finnish. Interesting display for "Carnegie Hall" at the Alhambra theatre, Basil, Switzerland. Note the English language billing, the numerous bicycles and the little flags with the white cross of the Swiss national emblem. 42 Manager C. J. Holloway of the Gaumont theatre, Chelsea, with the Gaumont Junior Boxing Club, at Paddington Station, London, with gifts of fruit for the Victoria Children's Hospital. Engine driver and fireman are interested onlookers at trackside. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 SHAFFER AND CHANT TAKE FOURTH QUARTER AWARDS W illis Shaffer, manager of Fox Atchison theatres, Atchison, Kansas, was the unani- mous choice of the Judges, for Showmanship Honors in the Fourth Quarter of the Quig- ley Awards for 1947. The decision entitles Mr. Shaffer to the Silver Desk Plaque, which he also won in the Second Quarter of 1947.. In a larger competition than usual, with many close contenders, the judging occupied more than the usual time and effort in making the selection. Still, there could be no doubt of the winner of the Silver Desk Plaque, for Mr. Shaffer was first choice with no opposition. However, in the names immediately following, a difference of opin- ion prevailed, so the Scroll of Honor win- ners, in order of preference, stand as follows ; Mildred FitzGibbons, Roosevelt, Flush- ing, N. Y. Bill Hastings, Orpheum, Denver, Col. Phil Katz, Kenyon, Pittsburgh, Pa. W. V. Novak, Capitol, Winnepeg, Can. Louis Nye, Hoosier, Whiting4 Ind. Trevor F. Kerridge, St. James, Auckland, N. Z. L. Stanley Hodnett, Gaumont, Middles- brough, Eng. The special Overseas Citation, for top honors in the Foreign Field, went to: Len Chant, New Victoria theatre, Pres- ton, England. Willis Shaffer has been one of the hardest workers in his sustained effort to win the Quigley Awards and it is obvious that he is a serious contender for one of the grand . prizes to be awarded in the annual judging for 1947, in March. He is manager of two theatres in Atchison, Kansas, where Fox Midwest are going to build a new house as his first-run headquarters. In the foreign field, the winner is a dark horse, and has only been a contender with an entry received in November. It was a close decision between his campaign for "The Jolson Story" and two others received from "down under," these being the St. James, Auckland, N. Z., and the State the- atre, Sydney, Australia. Many campaigns from England and in various parts of the world required careful study as to the de- gree of showmanship that produced the best results. The judges were eager to weigh the personal effort as against the coopera- tion that was available in each instance. Certificates of Citation were awarded to 48 showmen throughout the world as runners- up out of a total of over 100 campaigns. Judges for the Fourth Quarter were Harry Greenmari, managing director of the Capitol theatre, New York, G. R. Keyser, advertising and publicity director of Warner Brothers' foreign department and Phil Wil- liams, well known in the industry for his association with March of Time. Examining the many campaigns entered for the Fourth Quarter: Judges were, left to right, Harry Greenman, Capitol theatre, New fork, Phil Williams of Fortune Magazine and G. R. Keyser of Warner Brothers, who were both competent and conscientious in their 'judgment. 4th Quarter Citation Winners The following contestants for the Quigley Awards, having submitted entries of merit, will receive Certificates of Citation for outstanding showmanship. ELMER ADAMS, JR. Hornbeck, Shawnee, Okla. R. M. AINSWORTH Regent, Brighton, Sussex, England H. BEDFORD Gaumont Palace, Derby, England R. D. BOWDEN Regal, Bridlington, England A. J. BROWN Empire, Cardiff, Wales BILL BROWN Poli-Bijou, New Haven, Conn. JOE BOYLE Broadway, Norwich, Conn. ROBERT W. CASE Kingston, Kingston, N. Y. L. C. CLARK Bucklen, Elkhart, Ind. TIFF CQOK Capitol, Halifax, Nova Scotia KENNETH EDMONDSON Gaumont, Chester, England RICHARD FELDMAN Paramount, Syracuse, N.Y. ELAINE S. GEORGE Star, Heppner, Ore. STANLEY A. GERE Rialto, Racine, Wis. GERRY GERMAINE Palace, Pittsfield, Mass. MIKE GUTTMAN Century, Minneapolis, Minn. LEO HANEY Lido, Maywood, III. HANK HAROLD RKO Palace, Cleveland, Ohio HERMAN HATTON Capitol, Macon, Ga. THOR HAUSCHILD Plaza, Milford, Del. E. HERBERT Broadway, Stratford, England EARL HUBBARD 20th Century, Buffalo, N. Y. LEO HUFF Lincoln, Goshen, Ind. E. F. JOHNSON Majestic, Leeds, England ELLIOTT JOHNSON Malco, Memphis, Tenn. WALTER KESSLER Loew's Ohio, Columbus, Ohio W. R. McCORMACK Elco, Elkhart, Ind. P. E. McCOY Miller, Augusta, Ga. I. K. MAKOVER New Albert, Baltimore, Md. CURTIS MILLER State, Tampa, Fla. JOHN MISAVICE Forest, Forest Park, III. J. PECORA Allis, Milwaukee, Wis. GERALD A. PENNY Ritz, Waycross, Ga. MIKE PICCtRILLO Loew's Dyckman, New York, N. Y. SAM PIERCE Capitol, Macon, Ga. LESTER POLLOCK Loew's, Rochester, N. Y. JIM PREDDY Telenews, Dallas, Texas G. E. RATHMAN New Marion, Marion, la. SONNY SHEPHERD Miami, Miami, Fla. SOL SORKIN RKO Keith's, Flushing, N. Y. BOYD SPARROW Loew's, Indianapolis, Ind. D. S. STALCUP Martin, Opelika, Ala. A. HENRY STOBIE Gaumont, Essex, England REG STREETER Mission, Santa Barbara, Calif. A. M. SULLIVAN, JR. Lucas, Savannah, Ga. R. M. WHITE Orpheum, Elkhart, Ind. NATHAN WISE Albee, Cincinnati, Ohio ELY ZULAS Ritz, Berwyn, III. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 10, 1948 43 Brussels All Out Antwerp Also — For G.W.T.W. Rene Poehnans, who signs his letters as a Member of the Managers' Round Table, writes from Brussels, Belgium, to tell us about the terrific campaign in Brussels and Antwerp for the opening of "Gone With the Wind. As Rene puts it, these big Euro- pean premieres were the signal for pulling all stops. In Brussels, announcement of the showing at the Metropole theatre started eight weeks in advance with a special trailer and a huge mounted panel in the lobby. The biggest Brussels department store, La Bon Marche, devoted 18 of its large store windows to the picture, a month ahead of playdate. 150,000 copies of a local daily newspaper were dis- tributed by postmen in private letter boxes throughout Brussels and suburbs. The Mayor of Atlanta (Ga.) addressed a letter to the Mayor of Brussels and three hundred "Scarlett O'Hara" roses were shipped by air from Atlanta for display in the lobby and as gifts. A special screening for the trade press; an interview with Clark Gable for broadcast purposes (and Gable really spoke French!) ; half a hundred tieups with book shops, specialty shops and stores, with the celebration of St. Catherine's Day, com- pleted a campaign that literally took Brus- sels by storm. In Antwerp, much the same pattern was followed, with 120,000 copies of Volksgazet distributed by post, placards carried on 500 street cars and a special souvenir booklet for the showing at the Metro theatre, in addi- tion to many commercial tieups. Another Loew's Theatre Found! Another Loew theatre heard from ! That's news, like the British Empire discovering a new colony, or something. We welcome a campaign submitted as an entry for the Quigley Awards from Leo Sidosky, mana- ger of Loew's Post Road theatre, Bronx, New York. All kidding aside, it's surpris- ing to find there's one Loew theatre we can welcome as a new member of the Mana- gers Round Table. Ernie Emerling has been holding out on us. Leo's campaign, which is substantial and professional, sells the 10th Anniversary of the theatre, and went into action a month in advance. Merchants in the neighborhood joined in the celebration and contributed many valuable gifts to give away. A nearby bakery supplied a huge cake, and patriotic organizations marched in a parade led by a local band. Neighborhood newspapers car- ried special write-ups of the celebration. George Cameron, Schine district manager, with Bob Serbell, manager of Schine's Nor- walk theatre, Norwalk, Ohio, with the "live baby" they gave away during five hectic days of teaser advertising, newspaper co- operation, and terrific business. Good Advertising For Good Music James V. Pisapia, manager of the College theatre, College Point, L. I., was on his toes when he conjured up a special herald addressed to the students of P. S. 27, 29 and 30, St. Fidelis Catholic School, St. Agnes School and Academy, listing 24 separate musical numbers, the works of Liszt, Schu- mann, Brahms and Strauss, which are fea- tured in the motion picture presentation of Metro's "Song of Love" as a program for "Musical Appreciation Week" in these local schools. The flyer is dignified, printed on good paper, looks like better-than-usual ap- preciation for the film by music lovers. Another nifty in the mail from College Point is an impressive looking "courtesy card" which, with the regular admission price, will get you in to see "Welcome Stranger" for more laughs than you've had recently. Good natured kidding, and in the spirit of the picture. Jim also submits his adaptation of the ticket for "Dear Ruth," which calls attention to the $6.60 price for the Broadway show of the same name, but makes it clear that you can see the film at the College. Two Managers Offering New "Benefit" Shows Thor Hauschild, manager of Schine's Plaza theatre at Milford, Del., made a spe- cial occasion of the showing of the "Techni- color short film "Men of Tomorrow" for the benefit of the Boy Scouts, but Sid Kleper wasn't really serious when he proposed the showing of "The Women" at Loew's Poli College theatre, New Haven, for the benefit of "the women" ! Corny, but Cute Baby Give-Away Gets Business Bob Serbell, manager of Schine's Nor- walk theatre, Norwalk, Ohio, doesn't ordi- narily blow his own horn, but we can't blame him for boasting of his "live baby" stunt, very far from new, but mighty effective as a business builder. What probably put this over so complete- ly was the excellent cooperation of the Nor- walk Reflector-Herald. They enjoyed the gag well enough to front-page it through a five-day campaign, asking "who is going to claim this gurgling little bundle advertised in the lost and found?" They built up the running-gag until it was front page news in Norwalk. Even after the secret must have been out, the newspaper was still describing the little darling "dressed in baby clothing with as nifty a bonnet as could adorn any baby's head, refusing to pose for photographers un- til quieted by the soothing effect of its bot- tle," and saying that "gleeful theatre attend- ants will give the baby away unless claimed by proper authorities'' — all with dead-pan seriousness* The response was terrific when the winner was awarded the baby and it went "oinking" all over the stage. 600 Street Signs Read "Green Dolphin" A lot of managers put up new street signs, here and there, to mark "Green Dolphin Street," adjacent to the theatre, but Lester Pollock tops them all, for he posted a new street sign on six hundred lamp posts in downtown Rochester, to convince the natives that every street was "Green Dolphin Street" through the run of the picture at Loew's theatre. Lester is a manager we want to keep an eye on, for his special handling of such stunts as this ! Re-Christens Kingston For "Magic Town" Bob Case, manager of Walter Reade's Kingston, N. Y., theatre, remodeled his town for the run of "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and has now renamed it, for the run of "Magic Town." Signs which Bob posted on all highways entering Kingston read "You are now entering Magic Town," with billing for the picture at the Kingston. HENRY R. ARIAS PURCHASING AGENT Foreign and Domestic Film Distribution 729 7th Ave., N. Y. 19, N. Y., Circle 5-4574 Serving the Industry Since 1913. Negotiations In Any Language CABLE: HENARIAS. N. Y. 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 A New Selling Approach REVIEW OF CURRENT PRESSBOOKS LOVE FROM A STRANGER— Eagle Lion. Good title, has excellent teaser ad value, from a story by Agatha Christie, with a cast of exciting "whodunits", including John Hodiak, Sylvia Sidney, Ann Richards, all sinister and attractive. As usual, Eagle Lion have done a fine preselling job via magazines, newspapers and radio. There are two combination mats, both worth getting, (a)' a series of four punchy display ads in small space (84 lines each) and (b) a four-day contest, built squarely to keynote the ad campaign, all four lay- outs on one mat. Two trailers are available from National Screen and a special free radio platter on application to Eagle Lion, New York. Theme and title lend readily to radio tie-ins, especially radio forum question: "Would you marry a man you didn't know?" Largest newspaper mats are least desirable; best styles are three- column ad mat 304 and two-column ad mat 207. One-column ads are limited to billing; you can cut several of the tall ones down to size. Posters are good, with 24-sheet and 6-sheet leading. There's a dramatic herald featuring the two best newspaper themes. Production and pub- licity stories, illustrated in mat form, look like the sort of thing the newspaper feature pages would go for, accenting dangerous romance, dangerous "Stranger", the elements of suspenseful movie mystery melodrama. THE SWORDSMAN— Columbia. For men, women, boys and girls only. In Technicolor. Audiences may be looking for the return of Larry Parks, but remember that Al Jolson is not around the corner in the sound department. Nevertheless, Larry is an attractive young man in this swash- buckling adventure. Color makes scenes of Scotland and picturesque costumes sparkle. Newspaper advertising mats are limited to swordsman poses; best of the lot is three-column ad mat 301. Some will be difficult to combine with theatre mast- head. One group of ads features the seat of the hero's pants. The herald has good display; front cover and center spread suggest the best theme for advertising. One- and three-sheet posters are best; the 24-sheet and 6-sheet are devoted to that rear view. There is a long ad mat, No. 209, two columns wide and 17 inches deep, that has everything. It could be used to print a streamer herald, with a co- operating merchant using the other side for his own advertising. Sometimes a "circusy" looking herald suggests an excit- ing attraction. There is also a utility mat, combining many small bits and pieces. Cut the pressbook copy apart, but take the whole mat to your composing room foreman and let him show you how to use it. Pressbook suggests some reasonable merchandising tie-ins, and you may stir up local interest in fencing and archery. Day Dreamers Lured By "Mitty" Contest Manager Ben Domingo and publicity di- rector Red King of the Memorial theatre, Boston, maneuvered effective advance pro- motion on "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Two weeks in advance of opening, disc jockey Fred Cole of radio station WHDH staged a contest in which listeners were asked to write their favorite day dream and choose a song title to describe it. There were prizes of $100 and each entrant re- ceived a copy of Danny Kaye's book "How to Dream the Mitty Way." Contest was limited to listeners of the daily disc stanza, and final tabulations revealed 2,000 entries. and with FILMACK'S SPECIAL TRAILERS „ Filmock • 1 327 S. Wabash • Chicago 5 "New and Old" for Civic Show Spencer Bregoff, manager of Fabian's Palace theatre, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York, has just completed a campaign which became part of the Port Richmond Board of Trade's Silver Jubilee, celebrating 25 years of progress for Staten Island's main shopping center. The Board of Trade were sponsors for an "old photo" contest, local scenes of 25 years ago, which were displayed at the Palace theatre in an immense lobby frame. Pursuing this theme, Spencer booked a program of old films, including "Tillie's Punctured Romance" and news-reels of the early 1920's, with the entire show sold for comedy, using a comparison of the new and old to emphasize the progress made in a quarter of a century. The entire campaign continued over three weeks, with trailers, lobby display, heralds and cooperative news- paper advertising. A twenty-five-year-old Ford car was used for street ballyhoo, and the theatre staff dressed as Keystone Kops. E. F. JOHNSON "Johnnie" Manager's Hobby Winning Showmanship Awards Manager E. F. Johnson (Johnnie to his friends) of the Majestic Cinema, Leeds, England, describes himself roughly as fair, fat and nearly forty land tells us about his [life in show business land an interesting in- terlude in the service of his country. In 1940, after spending [five years with the IGaumont- British [Picture Corporation, Ihe joined the R.A.F., land was wireless loperator of an ad- vance mobile signals unit for two years. His proximity to the enemy made this an exciting job. In 1943 he was commissioned an officer of films and cinemas and this work took him to Iraq, Persia, Palestine, Egypt, Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, where he worked with equip- ment consisting of 35 static cinemas running 35 m/m film and 7 dual 16 m/m mobile units. His memories include splendid help given by the American Films Section of the U.S.A. Special Services Division. Demobilized in 1945, Mr. Johnson was given the manage- ment of St. George's Hall, York. After 18 months there, he became manager of his present theatre. "Johnnie" is an active con- tender for the Quigley Awards and a good correspondent, with news from Britain. pipii iliil LIQUID SEASONING costs you per bag of popcorn! —Because it's liquid . . . needs no pre-heating . . . pours readily . , . and measures accurately! l Simonin of Philadelphia SEASONING SPECIALISTS TO THE NATION MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 10, 1948 45 Canada Theatre Building Under Federal Rule CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Ten cents per word, money-order or check with copy. Count initials, box number and address. Minimum insertion, $1. Four insertions for the price of three. Contract rates on application. No borders or cuts. Forms close Mondays at 5 P.M. Publisher reserves the right to reject any copy. Film and trailer advertising not accepted. Classi- jpBB tied advertising not subject to agency commission. Address copy and checks: Bfiflj MOTION PICTURE HERALD, Classified Dept., Rockefeller Center, New York (20) WMl HELP WANTED THEATRE MANAGER, NEW ENGLAND, FIRST- run theatre. Excellent salary. References required, write fully. BOX 2189, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. POSITIONS WANTED AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY— THEATRE MAN- ager capable handling small circuit. Now employed, desires immediate change. If you have the opportunity, I am your man. BOX 2187, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. USED EQUIPMENT THEATRE CHAIRS — 3,000 USED SPRING cushioned, part full upholstered back and part insert panel back, with spring edge and box-spring cushions; 1,000 veneer chairs; 800 good backs, 500 spring cushions; and hinges. Immediate delivery. Advise how many you need. Write for prices and photographs. Phone Valley 2-3445. JESSE COLE, 2565 McClellan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. RCA SOUND SYSTEMS. ROTARY STABILIZER Soundheads, 2-way Speaker Systems, complete and re- built, $795; Super-Simplex mechanisms, rebuilt, $525; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, shockproof gears, rebuilt, $340; Powers, $114.50; 2 unit late model Auto- maticket machines, rebuilt, $210; Gold Seal, $157.50; hand operated 2 unit, $79.50. Series II lenses, $35 pair. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New York 19. PRESTO CHANGEOVERS, $27.50 PAIR; BREN- kert Enarcs, rebuilt, $425 pair; Strong LOU low in- tensity late model, rebuilt. $225 pair; Peerless, $204.75; Forest LD-30 Rectifiers, like new, tubes, $105 pair; 800 spring Seats, excellent, $3.25; what do you need? STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St.. New York 19. IN 21 YEARS SOS EQUIPPED THOUSANDS of theatres from boxoffice to backstage! Guaranteed savings up to 40%. A trip to New York will convince. Typical values — Late model RCA Brenkert equipment, L. I. Arcs, rectifiers, complete sound, worth $6,000, special $2,995; Rebuilt HI Super Simplex or Century outfits with RCA or Simplex 4-Star Sound, $3,850 S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. REMOVAL SALE-BARGAINS GALORE FROM our $250,000 stock— 5C0W Spotlites. $4.75:. Series II Lenses, over 6V+", $19.50; Simplex Rewinder Sets. $6.95; Simplex F.S. Mechanisms, $95; Simplex BB Mechanisms, $125; with rear shutters. $195; Century late Motiograph or Super Simplex, $395; Soundheads, $22.50 up; Amplifiers, $9.95 up; Sound Projectors, 35mm, $89.50 up; 16mm $149.50 up; PA Systems com- plete. $44.75. Send for Bargain Catalog. S.O.S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. 288 ANDREWS FULL UPHOLSTERED METAL lined back, springedge cushions, excellent condition. $4.95; 200 Hardwood sectional folding chairs, 2's and 4's, $2.95; 1300 Stafford panelback, boxspring cushions, excellent, $4.25; 375 American heavy panelback, box- spring chairs, rebuilt, reupholstered. $5.25; 1,200 Hey- wood- Wakefield veneer chairs, rebuilt, $3.95; 255 Hey- wood panelback reupholstered boxspring cushions, re- built, $5.95; 74 Ideal beautiful loge chairs, 22" wide, reupholstered, rebuilt, $8.95. Send for stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHIC BLOWUPS: WRITE FOR America's lowest prices. PHOTOCRAFT DISPLAY COMPANY, 3545 Broadway. Kansas City. Mo. THEATRE BLOWUPS. BEST QUALITY SERVICE. STTTES PORTRAIT COMPANY, Shelbyville. Ind. CONFECTION SUPPLIES FOR SALE POPCORN BOXES. LOTS OF 1M OR more. Write for samples and quotations. WINNE- BAGO DISTRIBUTING CO.. Oshkosh. Wis. Blank Forms Television, Broadcasting Company A. H. Blank, president of the Tri-States Theatre Corporation, Des Moines, has formed Tri-States Television and Broadcast- NEW EQUIPMENT MOVING INTO OUR NEW BUILDING-CLEAN - ing house — Boxoffice Bowl Heaters, $2.95; Loose chair cement, $1.39: Aisleliles, $3.25; Singlecell ushers flash- lites, 29c; 10" Exhaust Fans, $10.78; Carbon Savers. 77c; Griswold Splicers, shelfworn, $17.95; GE % HP Motors, $22.50; Changeable Letter Signs, $1.95; 1000W Medpref. Mazda Lamps, $1.49; Coated Snaplite Lens. Series I, $50; Series H, $75; (liberal tradeins). Send for catalog. S. ©. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. STUDIO EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION, EDITING, LABORATORY EQUIP - ment. Used and new 16-35mm Eyemo, Arriflex, Akeley, Cineyhon, Cine special cameras always in stock. Film, Disc, Tape and Wire Recorders, Moviolas, Editors, Griswold Splicers, Tripods, Booms, Lights. Write for catalog R4. CAMERA MART, 70 W. 45th St., N. Y. ASKAN1A 35MM STUDIO' CAMERA, SYNCHRON- OUS Motor, 3 Astro f2.3 Lenses; 4-400' Magazines, Blimp, etc. $975; Bolex 16mm, 3 lenses complete, $375; Process Background Screens, $2.40 sq. ft.; Underwater Blimp, $395; 35mm Soundfilm Recorder with new Galvanometer, $1995; Optical Reduction Printer 35/16. $3395; Three Way Sound Moviola, reconditioned. $795; New Moviola D, $279.50; 5000W Studio Spots, $89.50. Send for latest stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. GENERAL EQUIPMENT NEW 25W COMBINATION PHONOGRAPH PA Amplifier, worth $125, $49.50; Sound Projectors, 16mm from $149.50; 55mm from $89.50; WE Dynamic Mikes. $22.50; PM Driver Units, $14.95; Semi Permanent phononeedles, 39c; PA Systems, Microphone, Ampli- fiers, tubes, speaker, 10W, $44.75; 20W $74.95; 30W $94.95. S, O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. THEATRES THEATRE WANTED, 600-1000 SEATS. SUBUR- ban, example Northern N. J., Westchester. Long Island. Send full particulars. BOX 2190, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. BUSINESS BOOSTERS GIVEAWAY TOYS, NOVELTIES. SURPRISES, for Saturday children matinees. $30 per thousand (all 10c values). UNIVERSAL TOY CO.. 40 E. 23rd St., N. Y. COMIC BOOKS AGAIN AVAILABLE AS PREM iums, giveaways at your kiddy shows. Large variety, latest 48-page newsstand editions. COMICS PREMIUM CO.. 412'A Greenwich St.. N. Y. C. SCHOOLS LEARN MODERN SHOWMANSHIP. HUNDREDS have successfully advanced to better theatre positions through the Institute's time-tested training in spare time, at low cost. Free information. Established 20th year. THEATRE MANAGERS INSTITUTE, Elmira, N. Y. BOOKS INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMAN ac — the big book about your business — 1947-48 edition now available. Contains over 12,000 biographies of im- portant motion picture personalities. Also all indus- try statistics. Complete listing of feature pictures 1937 to date. Order your copy today. $5.00 postage in- cluded. Send remittance to QUIGLEY BOOKSHOP. 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20. N. Y. RICHARDSON'S BLUEBOOK OF PROJECTION Best seller since 1911. Now in 7th edition. Revised to present last word in Sound Trouble Shooting Charts. Expert information on all phases of projec- tion and equipment. Special new section on tele- vision. Invaluable to beginner and expert. $7.25 post- paid. QUIGLEY BOOKSHOP. 1270 Sixth Avenue New York 20. ing Company in Des Moines, according to articles of incorporation filed Monday with the Iowa Secretary of State. A. H. Blank is president, L. H. Goldensen, vice-presi- dent, and Myron N. Blank, among the own- ers of the theatre corporation, is secretary. Montreal Bureau A newly announced Governmental order makes it obligatory for all future theatre construction in Canada to come under the direct control of the Dominion Government. Henceforth it will be necessary to obtain a permit from the Government for the im- port of all key building materials. The order also applies to other types of "luxury" building, like night clubs, ior example. Ot- tawa will judge each import request indi- vidually. Reconstruction Minister Howe, in mak- ing the announcement, revealed that the cur- rent ban on the import of projectors from the U. S. has been eased slightly by the fact that such equipment would now be in the permit class, meaning that under ex- traordinary circumstances the projectors might be admitted. Reason for the construction control is the intent to restrict the import of steel which requires the expenditure of U. S. dollars. One bright spot in the picture is the Tru- man plan to spend a large sum of U. S. dol- lars in Canada and Latin America. If Con- press approves this "plan, present import re- strictions may be lifted within "a matter of months," according to the Reconstruction Minister. Enter FTC Stipulation On "Burning Question" Washington Bureau Distributors of the film, "The Burning Question," have entered into a stipulation with the Federal Trade Commission to dis- continue certain representations concerning the picture, according to an FTC announce- ment. In connection with the leasing or distribu- tion of the film, they agree to stop repre- senting, or placing in the hands of others a means of representing, that it is based on authentic data obtained from the files of the Bureau of Narcotics, Treasury Department, that it was filmed through the cooperation of the Bureau or any other governmental agency ; or that it is sponsored or endorsed by the Bureau or by parent-teacher associa- tions. Distributors of the film are listed by the FTC as Harry G. Silverman, Harold Schwarz and Lillian Bullard, all of Dallas, Texas. Reade Books "Well Digger" Walter Reade, Jr., has booked the French feature, "The Well-Digger's Daughter," for his circuit's Jersey theatre in Morristown, N. J., for Wednesday, January 21. French films will be presented every other Wednes- day at the Jersey from now on and the pol- icy may be extended to other Reade theatres. 46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS REISSUE REVIEWS ADVANCE SYNOPSES SERVICE DATA THE RELEASE CHART This department deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor who is to purvey it to his own public. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Warners — Corroding Gold Man's age-old quest for gold, and its deteri- orating influences, provides the archstone of an interesting and often powerful film from War- ners. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is believable and realistic in point of performance and backgrounds, chiefly Mexican, but its prin- cipal handicap is the inordinate length which di- rector John Huston felt required to develop and thereafter round out his story. Two hours and six minutes develop into a long and tenuous stretch for the dramatic material at hand. The principal characters are three. One is Humphrey Bogart, shiftless and ne'er-do-well American, down on his luck in Tampico. He meets up with Tim Holt, also apparently down on his luck, and together they set forth to best circumstance as it shows up. The early sequences, unnecessarily prolonged, concern themselves with their adventures up to the time their path crosses that of Walter Huston, hard- bitten and world-experienced searcher for gold. The triumvirate joins hands for a foray into little visited Mexican wilds on the hunt for glittering gold. After much hardship, they find it in plenty. But once their expedition is crowned with success, the doubts and suspicions heightened by their loneliness set in. As Hus- ton has developed his own script, these doubts and suspicions never become" fixed long enough for the audience to diagnose whose motives are honest and whose are otherwise until the junc- ture arrives at which Bogart is established as the undeniable heavy. He kills, or thinks he kills, Holt in order to get the latter's one-third of the haul as well as Huston's. However, his marksmanship is faul- ty, for Holt is picked up by Indians converted into friendship through Huston's rescue from death of one of the Indian children. The two remaining partners set out in pursuit of Bogart, by this time wholly committed to escape. Bo- gart meets an end which is justified under the circumstances when bandit Mexicanos slash him to death as they throw to the elements the gold dust which to their primitive minds stacks up merely as grain. When Huston and Holt catch up with the train of events, a howling wind storm has scattered to the earth from which it came the gold into which has gone so much travail, sweat and misunderstood purpose. In his intelligent handling, Huston has incul- cated the smell of the primitive. Out of the performances delivered him by a first-rate cast in which Huston dominates, the scenarist-direc- tor has caught the purposelessness of ill-gotten gains and the irony of victory snatched by the mysterious ways of a higher force, in this case Mother Nature. This attraction, produced by Henry Blanke, is never pretty, but it has guts and substance. And also Bogart. Fifth in the Motion Pic- ture HERALD-Faw Money-Making Stars Poll of 1946, he moved up into fourth place in 1947. Reviewed at Warner home office. Review- er's Rating: Good. — Red Kann. Release date, January 24, 1948. Running time, 126 min. PCA No. 12347. Adult audience classification. Dobbs Humphrey Bogart Howard Walter Huston Curtin Tim Holt Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya, A. Soto Rangel, Jacqueline Dalya, Bobby Blake Secret Beyond the Door U -I - Diana — Psychological Drama The expert hand of Fritz Lang, responsible for direction and production, is clearly visible in this tense and exciting Diana production pre- sented by Walter Wanger. The psychological theme here is put to excellent use as the basis for a compact, well-paced package, graced by sparkling performances. Joan Bennett exercises a restraint that fits in well with the pattern of subdued tension that prevails. Michael Redgrave, popular British actor known here, does his best without being entirely convincing in the part. His accent is not pronounced, but it can hardly be denied. Silvia Richards did the screenplay from a story by Rufus King. Dialogue is used spar- ingly and is subordinated to dramatic situations. There are several spots where, while nothing visibly dramatic happens on the screen, pho- tography and dialogue are such that the audience will be roused to a high pitch of tension. When heiress Miss Bennett meets magazine editor Redgrave in Mexico she marries the comparative stranger. Their happiness is marred when, after she playfully locks her bedroom door, Redgrave departs. She finds out that he has lied to her when claiming that he received a telegram that called him away. She goes to live at his house near New York, where she meets his sister, Anne Revere, his jealous sec- retary, Barbara O'Neil and, to her surprise, his son, Mark Dennis, of an earlier marriage which he had kept secret. Redgrave's actions are strange. At a party he shows his friends his collection of rooms. They all turn out to be places where murder has been committed in the past. One room re- mains locked. One night she opens it and dis- covers it to be a replica of her own room. Then she knows Redgrave plans to kill her. She realizes there is a psychological reason for Michael's motivation, yet she flees. Later, urged by her love for him, she returns and set- tles in the room he prepared. Redgrave ad- vances to kill her, but, by unlocking his mental "door" and by showing him the reason for his urge to kill in terms of an explanation of some- thing that happened back in his childhood, she brings him back to sanity. Seen at the Universal-International home of- fice in New York. Reviewer's Rating : Very good. — Fred Hift. Release date, not set. Running time, 99 min. PCA No. 12621. General audience classification. Celia Lamphere Joan Bennett Mark Lamphere Michael Redgrave Caroline Lamphere . ... Anne Revere Barbara O'Neil, Natalie Schafer, Anabel Shaw, Rosa Rey, James Seay, Mark Dennis (Review reprinted from last week's Herald) REISSUE REVIEWS BORDER G-MAN (RKO Radio) The basic plot of this reissue deals with the attempts of a gang of smugglers somewhere near the U. S. -Mexican border to illegally ex- port trained cavalry men, horses, guns and ammunition to an unnamed South American country. George O'Brien stars in the role of a Department of Justice investigator. Three songs are included. The picture was produced by Bert Gilroy and features Laraine Johnson, Ray Whitley and John Miljan. It was originally reviewed in the Herald for June 18, 1938. The picture was reissued November 14, 1947. IN OLD MEXICO (Screen Guild) Produced by Harry Sherman for Paramount, this Hopalong Cassidy Western, starring Wil- liam Boyd, "contains all the elements which have combined to give the Hopalong Cassidy series unique audience appeal." When reviewed in the August 6, 1938, issue of the Herald, the feature was characterized as "refreshing," with "plenty of action." Boyd is supported by George Hayes, Russell Hayden, Paul Sutton and Allan Garcia. It is to be reissued February 7, 1948. LAWLESS VALLEY (RKO Radio) A George O'Brien Western, this feature has O'Brien paroled from prison after a sentence for stagecoach robbery to return home to en- gage in a fight with the corrupt influences which were responsible for framing him and for the murder of his father. Kay Sutton plays opposite Mr. O'Brien. In support are Walter Miller, Lew Kelly, George MacQuarrie, and "The Four Tunes," a choral group. The feature was originally reviewed in the Herald of November 5, 1938. It is for reissue January 30, 1948. PAINTED DESERT (RKO Radio) George O'Brien appears as a young rancher who buys a mine only to have it almost taken away from him by one of the West's bad men. Bert Gilroy produced and David Howard di- rected. O'Brien is supported by Laraine John- son, Ray Whitley, Stanley Fields and Maude Allen. The feature, reissued December 19, 1947, was originallv reviewed in the Herald of Au- gust 6, 1938. PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 10, 1948 4009 ADVANCE SYNOPSES and information ALL MY SONS (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Chester Erskine. DIREC- TOR: Irving Reis. PLAYERS: Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians, Howard Duff, Louise Horton, Arlene Francis, Frank Conroy, Henry Morgan, Elizabeth Frazer. DRAMA. A small town stove manufacturer charged with making faulty airplane motors, causing the death of 21 U. S. fliers during the war, is acquitted, while his partner, convicted, goes to jail. A daughter of the imprisoned partner visits the stove manufacturer's home. Before the war she was engaged to one of the manufacturer's sons, a pilot killed in action. Another son now loves her, but the girl's broth- er, who thinks the manufacturer, equally guilty with his father, warns her against such a mar- riage. The manufacturer's son gets evidence that his father is actually guilty ; also learns that his brother, killed in action, deliberately committed suicide in his shame over his father's unpatriotic and criminal act. Confronted with this by his son, the manufacturer commits sui- cide. MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (Selznick) PRODUCERS: Norman Panama and Mel- vin Frank. DIRECTOR: H. C. Potter. PLAYERS: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Mel- vyn Douglas, Sharyn Moffett, Connie Mar- shall, Louise Beavers, Jeff Donnell, Reginald Denny. COMEDY : The story of a typical Manhat- tan family, faced with the housing shortage and the necessity of vacating their apartment, give in to the desire to have their own place in the sun and start looking for a "dream house" in suburban Connecticut. The Blandings (Cary Grant and Myrna Loy) contact a realtor, who knows he has a couple of fish when they come to see him, and without first consulting their lawyer (Melvyn Douglas) they buy a 170-year-old house for five times more than its worth. That is when their troubles start: Mr. Blandings' job suffers; they tear down the old house, and after a series of trying and comical events they build their "dream house." RIVER LADY (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Leonard Goldstein. DIREC- TOR: George Sherman. PLAYERS: Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, Rod Cam- eron, Helena Carter, Lloyd Gough, Florence Bates, John Mclntire. PERIOD MELODRAMA: On the Missis- sippi River in the 1860's, a palatial gambling boat is operated by a beautiful entertainer, who has set up a syndicate with a confidence man which is squeezing out the independent lumber- men in the area. She is in love with a lumber- jack, but dissatisfied with his type of work, succeeds in "buying" him the position of run- ning the plant of an independent lumberman. When her "purchase" is exposed, the lumber- jack denounces her and marries the lumber- man's daughter. In revenge, the entertainer sets out to break the lumber company. The lumberjack bands all the independents togeth- er to fight the syndicate and in an ensuing log jam and dynamiting, the leader of the syndi- cate is killed. MY GIRL TISA (Warner Brothers) PRODUCER: Milton Sperling. DIREC- TOR: Elliott Nugent. PLAYERS: Lilli Palmer, Sam Wanamaker, Akim Tamiroff, Alan Hale, Hugo Haas. DRAMA. Tisa, immigrant working girl in New York City, tries to raise money to bring her father to America. Mark Denek, struggling law student with Alderman aspirations, lives in the same boarding house and is in love with Tisa. After spending the money she had saved for her father's passage on law books for Denek, she is duped by the ship's agent, who later seeks to have her deported. She is awaiting deportation when the boat bringing her father docks with President Theodore Roosevelt aboard, who becomes interested in her case and makes it possible for her to stay. Through this contact, Denek is on. his way to be Alder- man and Tisa, obviously, to be Mrs. Denek. THE SMUGGLERS (Eagle Lion) PRODUCER: Muriel and Sydney Box. DI- RECTOR: Bernard Knowles. PLAYERS: Michael Redgrave, Jean Kent, Joan Green- wood, Richard Attenborough. MELODRAMA. The skipper of a smuggling vessel dies and leaves the guardianship of his weakling son to his successor, Carlyon, in com- mand of the smuggling activities. The morbid boy, shunned by everyone, but befriended by Carlyon, betrays the crew as smugglers. When they are jailed, he struggles with his conscience and through a series of events which lead to his involvement in a murder, and his subse- quent imprisonment, where he sees Carlyon. He is tortured to make him identify the smuggler, but at last he finds his manhood and courage- ously refuses to speak. THE NAKED CITY (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Mark Hellinger. DIREC- TOR: Jules Dassin. PLAYERS: Barry Fitz- gerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Ann Sargent, Ted De Corsia, John McQuade, Tony Rivers, House Jameson, Beverly Bayne. MYSTERY DRAMA. New York homicide detectives start a hunt for the killer in a mys- terious slaying of a young woman. Stolen jewelry is their first clue when they uncover the fact that the murdered woman headed a ring of jewel thieves preying on New York socialites. They run down the actual murderer after several false leads. The killer dies in a pitched battle with the police. • TAP ROOTS (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Walter Wanger. DIREC- TOR: George Marshall. PLAYERS: Van Heflin, Susan Hayward, Boris Karloff, Ward Bond, Whitfield Connor, Richard Long, Julie London, Arthur Shields. MELODRAMA. A gun-toting, deadshot newspaper editor in a Kentucky valley town in- jects himself into a love triangle just prior to the start of the Civil War. The onset of the war finds him In sympathy with the Union and he rallies the residents of the valley to the cause of the North and at the same time wins a Con- federate cavalry major's financee from the lat- ter, following a stubborn, though losing, battle with Confederate forces led by his rival. CASBAH (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Nat Goldstone. DIRECTOR: John Berry. PLAYERS: Yvonne De Carlo, Tony Martin, Marta Toren, Peter Lorre, Thomas Gomez, Hugo Haas, Katherine Dunham. ADVENTURE DRAMA. Jewel thief Pepe Le Moko plans to steal the jewels of a rich French girl visiting the Casbah, but becomes infatuated with her instead. Police arrest Pepe but his gang manages to free him. A police detective uses Pepe's newfound love and one of his henchmen to bait a trap in which to capture the notorious jewel thief. The trap fails, and the wily Pepe kills the pal who betrayed him and is mowed down by police bullets himself, as he runs to catch a plane carrying his sweet- heart to Paris. UP IN CENTRAL PARK (Universal-International) PRODUCER: Karl Tunberg. DIRECTOR: William Seiter. PLAYERS: Deana Durbin, Dick Haymes, Vincent Price, Albert Sharpe, Thurston Hall, Tom Powers, Robert Cava- naugh, Moroni Olsen. MUSICAL. A father and daughter, green- horns from Ireland, arrive in New York and are taken over by Boss Tweed's political crooks. The father votes 23 times at one election and is made superintendent of Central Park. A reporter on a crusading newspaper, and Tweed, become rivals for the girl. Tweed arranges an opera debut for the girl. The reporter learns from her some of Tweed's grafting machina- tions as a political boss. The reporter blasts Tweed in his newspaper. As a result of the expose Tweed is dethroned and sent to prison. The girl turns to the reporter for comfort when she learns how much of a fool she and her father had been about Tweed. TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (Columbia - Kennedy-Buchman) PRODUCER: Sidney Buchman. DIREC- TOR: Robert Stevenson. PLAYERS: Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Maylia, Ludwig Donath, Vladimir Sokolok, John Hoyt. MELODRAMA. A United States Commis- sioner of Narcotics, shocked by the sight of Chinese slaves being dumped over the side of a Japanese ship off the coast of San Francisco, is spurred on to investigate this act. He finds himself on the trail of a world-wide plot to subjugate weaker nations by making their peo- ple opium addicts. The investigation leads from Shanghai to Cairo, Beyrouth, Havana and finally to New York. While in Shanghai he meets an American widow, governess of a young Chinese girl. The leader of the narcotics ring is eventually revealed to be the Chinese girl, who was engaged to a Japanese General. REISSUE REVIEW GUN LAW (RKO Radio) Here is George O'Brien as the Lone Ranger of radio fame. When the picture was first re- viewed in the Herald of May 14, 1938, Wil- liam R. Weaver wrote : "The cast is admirably balanced and the plot is complex enough to satisfy general requirements yet not too com- plex to unwind expeditiously at no expense to logic at the conclusion." Reissued October 3, 1947, the feature concerns the Lone Ranger's adventures in Gunsight, a crime-ridden cow- town. Others in the cast include Rita Oehmen, Ray Whitley and Paul Everton. 4010 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 SERVICE DATA on features Service Data appearing in this issue of Product Digest include the over-all performance percentage figures from final reports previously published in PICTURE GROSSES. Reference to Round Table Exploitation and Legion of Decency ratings with audience classification are a/so listed. Index to Service Data may be found in the Release Chart starting on page 4012. Big Town After Dark (Para.) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 The Bishop's Wife (RKO) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — January 3, p. 40. Black Hills (EL) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Blondie in the Dough (Col.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Body and Soul (UA) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Picture Gross, Over-all Performance — 113.6% Round Table Exploitation — August 30, p. 48 ; November 22, pp. 42, 43; December 6, p. 48; December 20, p. SO. Bush Christmas (Univ.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Captain Boycott (Univ.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — December 13, p. 47. Captain from Castile (20th-Fox) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 The Chinese Ring (Mono.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l The Crime Doctor's Gamble ( Col.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Dangerous Years (20th-Fox) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Escape Me Never (WB) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating— Class B Round Table Exploitation — December 20, p. 50. Golden Earrings (Para.) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — -Class B Picture Gross, Over-all Performance — 94.4% Green Dolphin Street (MGM) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Round Table Exploitation — November 15, p. 40 ; November 29, p. 40; December 6, p. 46; De- cember 13, pp. 44, 46; December 20, p. 49; December 27, p. 49. Green for Danger (Brit.) (EL) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — September 6, p. 48 ; January 3, p. 44. High Wall (MGM) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Intrigue (UA) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 / Walk Alone (Para.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — -Class A-2 The Lone Wolf in London (Col.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — -Class A-2 The Lost Moment (Univ.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating— Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — December 6, p. 47 ; December 20, p. 50. Merton of the Movies (MGM) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — September 6, p. 50 ; January 3, p. 40. Mother Wore Tights (20th-Fox) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Picture Gross, Over-all Performance — 117.4% Round Table Exploitation — September 20, p. 46 ; October 4, p. 56; October 11, p. 53; November 1, p. 44; November 8, p. 40; November 29, p. 43; December 27, p. 46; January 3, p. 43. My Wild Irish Rose (WB) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Ninotchka (Reissue) (MGM) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Round Table Exploitation — January 3, pp. 40, 44. LEGION of DECENCY Ratings Class A-l Unobjectionable Class A-2 Unobjectionable for adults Class B Objectionable in part Class C Condemned Out of the Blue (EL) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class B Round Table Exploitation — November 1, pp. 40, 44; November 15, p. 43; November 22, p. 46; December 20, p. 49; December 27, pp. 47, 49. Out of the Past (RKO) Audience Classification— Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Picture Gross, Over-all Performance — 103.8% Pirates of Monterey (Univ.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Red Stallion (EL) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Round Table Exploitation — September 6, p. 50; September 27, p. 48 ; October 18, p. 40 ; Novem- ber 1, p. 41; November 15, p. 44; November 29, p. 41 ; December 27, p. 49 ; January 3, p. 40. Secret Life of Walter Mitty (RKO) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Picture Gross, Over-all Performance — 110.3% Round Table Exploitation— September 6, p. 51 ; October 4, p. 56; October 18, p. 44; November 1 , p. 43 ; November 22, p. 42 ; December 20, p. 46. The Senator Was Indiscreet (Univ.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Sweet Genevieve ( Col.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 The Tender Years (20th-Fox) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating— Class A-l T-Men (EL) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-l Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) Audience Classification — General Legion of Decency Rating — Class B Tycoon (RKO) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class A-2 Wild Harvest (Para.) Audience Classification — Adult Legion of Decency Rating — Class B Picture Gross, Over-all Performance— 96.2% Round Table Exploitation — September 27, p. 48 ; October 25, p. 43 ; November 1, p. 43 ; Decem- ber 20, p. 49 ; December 27, p. 49. PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 10, 1948 401 I THE RELEASE CHART Index to Reviews, Advance Synopses and Service Data in PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Release dates and running time are furnished as soon as avail- Short Subjects Chart with Synopsis Index can be found on able. Advance dates are tentative and subject to change. Run- page 4002, issue of January 3, 1948. ning times are the official times supplied by the distributor. Feature product listed by Company on page 4003, issue of All page numbers on this chart refer to pages in the t*™^ 3' ,948" pFor, c?mf.,ete4 listin9 Feature* PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION of MOTION PICTURE HERALD. bJ ^ffW'"* Produc+ D,9ei* Pa9es 3808-3809, issue of August 30, 1947. For Legion of Decency Rating, Audience Classification and (T) before a date in the list below is the tradeshow date; Managers' Round Table Exploitation, see Service Data page release dates are given as soon as available, numbers in last column. (t) indicates a Box Office Champion. r— REVIEWED -> M. P. Product Advance Servict Prod. Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stan Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page ADVENTURE Island (color) Para. 4702 Rory Calhoun-Rhonda Fleming Oct. I0,'47 67m Aug. I6,'47 3782 3759 3909 Adventures of Don Coyote (color) UA .... Richard Martin-Frances Rafferty May 9, '47 65m May 3,'47 3610 3599 Albuquerque (color) Para. .... Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton Feb. 20,'48 .... .... 3956 .... Alias a Gentleman MGM .... Wallace Beery-Tom Drake Not Set .... .... 3717 .... All My Sons Univ. .... Edw. G. Robinson-Arlene Francis Not Set .... .... 4010 .... Along the Oregon Trail (color) Rep. 651 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Aug. 30,'47 64m Sept. 1 3, '47 3829 3818 Always Together WB 713 Joyce Reynolds-Robt. Hutton Jan. !0,"48 78m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 Anthony Adverse (Reissue) WB 709 Fredric March-Olivia de Havilland Dec. 13/47 1 1 6m Nov. 1/47 3907 An Ideal Husband (color) 20th-Fox Paulette Goddard-Michael Wilding Not Set 4000 Arch of Triumph UA .... Ingrid Bergman-Charles Bover Not Set .... .... 3487 Arnelo Affair, The MGM 803 John Hodialt-George Murphy Sept.,'47 87m Feb. 15/47 3473 3459 3633 t BACHELOR and the Bobby Soxer, The (Block I) RKO Bad Men of Missouri (Reissue) WB Bambi (Reissue) (color) RKO Bandits of Dark Canyon Rep. Banjo (Block 5) RKO Bells of San Angelo (color) Rep. Betrayed (Reissue) Mono. Big Town Para. Big Town After Dark Para. Bill and Coo (color) Rep. Bishop's Wife, The RKO Black Bart (color) Univ. Black Gold (color) (Allied Artists) Mono. Black Hills EL Blackmail Rep. Black Narcissus (Brit.) (color) Univ. Blaze of Noon Para. Blonde Savage EL Blondie's Anniversary Col. Blondie in the Dough Col. t Body and Soul UA Border Feud EL Border G-Man (Reissue) RKO Born to Kill (Block 5) RKO Bowery Buckaroos Mono. Boy I What a Girl I SG t Brute Force Univ. Buckaroo from Powder River Col. Buck Privates Come Home Univ. Bulldog Drummond at Bay Col. Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Col. Burning Cross, The Screen Guild Bury Me Dead EL Bush Pilot Screen Guild Bush Christmas Univ. t CALCUTTA Para. Call It Murder (Reissue) SG Captain Boycott (Brit.) Univ. Captain from Castile (color) 20th-Fox Captive Heart, The (British) Univ. Caravan (Brit.) EL Carnegie Hall UA Casbah Univ. Case of the Baby Sitter, The Screen Guild Cass Timberlane MGM Check Your Guns EL t Cheyenne WB 801 Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Temple Sept. 1/47 704 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman Oct. 4/47 .... Disney Feature Carton Feb. 2/48 752 Allan Lane-Bob Steele Dec. 15/47 725 Sharyn Moffett-Jacqueline White May 15/47 642 Roy Rogers-Dale Evans May 15/47 4706 Kim Hunter-Dean Jagger Dec. 27/47 4622 Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke May 23/47 4706 Phillip Reed-Hillary Brooke Dec. 12/47 Bird Picture Not Set 852 Cary Grant-Loretta Young Not Set .... Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea Not Set 2 Anthony Quinn-Katherine DeMille Aug. 16/47 851 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 25/47 617 William Marshall-Adele Mara July 24/47 .... Deborah Kerr-Sabu-David Farrar Dec. ,'47 461 1 Anne Baxter-Sterling Hayden May 2/47 807 Leif Erickson-Gale Sherwood Nov. 22/47 913 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Dec. 18/47 911 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Oct. 16/47 .... John Garfield-Lilli Palmer Nov.,'47 752 Al "Lash" LaRue-'Tuny" St. John May 10/47 882 Laraine Johnson-Ray Whitley Nov. 14/47 722 Claire Trevor-Lawrence Tierney May 3/47 625 Leo Gorcey-Huntr Hall Nov. 22/47 X-2 Tim Moore-Elwood Smith Sept. 20/47 620 Burt Lancaster-Hume Cronyn Aug. ,'47 961 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Oct. 14/47 612 Bud Abbott-Lou Costello Apr.,'47 820 Ron Randall-Anita Louise May 15/47 821 Ron Randall-Pat O'Moore Sept. 4/47 4704 Hank Daniels-Virginia Patton Oct. 11/47 803 Mark Daniels-June Lockhart Oct. 18/47 4616 Rochelle Hudson-Jack LaRue June 7/47 .... Chips Rafferty-Helen Grieve Dec. ,'47 4612 Alan Ladd-William Bendix May 30/47 S-2 Humphrey Bogart-Richard Whorf Sept. 13/47 ... Stewart Granger-Kathleen Ryan Jan. ,'48 801 Tyrone Power-Jean Peters Jan. ,'48 .... Michael Redgrave-Rachel Kempson Not Set 106 Stewart Granger-Jean Kent Sept. 30/47 .... Marsha Hunt-William Prince Aug. 8/47 .... Yvonne de Carlo-Tony Martin Not Set 4618 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 26/47 .... Spencer Tracy-Lana Turner Jan. ,'48 535 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 18/47 622 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman June 14/47 95m June 7/47 3665 3363 3909 71m Oct. 4/47 3861 70m Dec. 6.'47 3966 59m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 68 m Apr. 19/47 3586 3539 78m May 31/47 3654 3488 3783 66m Nov. 29/47 3956 60m Feb. 22/47 3486 2776 69m Nov. 22/47 3941 3931 4011 61m Dec. 27/47 4000 1 10m Nov. 22/47 3941 3702 4000 401 1 92m June 28/47 3701 3631 3983 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3818 401 1 67m Aug. 9/47 3771 3759 90m July 12/47 3725 91m Mar. 8/47 3513 3503 3783 62 m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3919 3933 69m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 401 1 104m Aug. 16/47 3781 401 1 55m May 24/47 Jan. 10/48 3643 61m 4009 92m Apr. 19/47 3585 3078 3633 66m Oct. 25/47 3894 3782 69m Feb. 8/47 3458 98m June 28/47 3702 361 i 3877 55m Dec. 6/47 3966 3830 77m Mar. 15/47 3525 3819 70m Nov. 29/47 3955 3587 65 m Nov. 1/47 3906 3782 78m July 26/47 3746 71m Sept. 27/47 3850 3818 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3539 76m Nov. 29/47 3953 401 1 83m Apr. 26/47 3598 2884 3851 74m Nov. 29/47 3956 92m Nov. 29/47 3953 401 1 140m Nov. 29/47 3953 3562 401 1 86m Apr. 26/47 3597 80m Sept. 13/47 3829 134m Mar. 1/47 3501 4010 3877 40m 120m 55m 1 00m Sept. 20/47 Nov. 15/47 Nov. 15/47 Apr. 26/47 3841 3930 3930 3597 3689 3759 2939 3983 3747 4012 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 'r— REVIEWED M. P. Product Advance Servic Prod. Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Date Tifle Company Number Stan Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page EL 530 Al "Lash" IflRllp-Al "FlJ77v" Inhn Dec. 13, '47 58 m Dec. 6/47 3965 3876 Cfiinss© Rin^j Th© ^1 o n o 626 Rrtl-anrt ^Vin+^rc-l rtiiicn t nrrio IWIQIIU TT III ICI 3 LUUIjq V^U 1MB Dec. 6, '47 68m Dec. 20/47 3982 3850 401 1 Christmas Eve UA George Raft-George Brent Oct./47 90m Nov. 8/47 3918 3983 Code of th© Saddle M o no. 677 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton June 28 '47 53m July 26/47 3749 3689 Co pdCdDdfld UA Groucho Marx-Carmen Miranda May 30,'47 June/47 92m May 24/47 3641 3795 Corpse Came C.O.D., The Col. 839 George Brent-Joan Blondell 87m Aug. 23/47 3794 3562 3795 Corsican Brothers (R.) EL Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Ruth Warrick Dec.,'47 1 10m Dec. 27/47 4000 Crime Doctor's Gamble, The Col. 915 Warner Baxter-Micheline Cheirel Nov. 27/47 66m Dec. 13/47 3973 3919 401 i Crimson Key, The (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 722 Kent Taylor-Doris Dowling July/47 Aug. 15/47 76m July 5/47 3714 3679 Crossfire (Block 1) RKO 802 Robert Young-Robert Mitchum 86m June 28/47 3701 3983 Cry Wolf WB 625 Errol Flynn-Barbara Stanwyck Aug. 16/47 84m July 5/47 3713 3138 3933 Cynthia MGM 726 Elizabeth Taylor-George Murphy July/47 98m May 17/47 3629 361 1 3933 DAISY Kenyon 20th-Fox Dangerous Venture UA Dangerous Years (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Danger Street Para. Dark Delusion MGM f Dark Passage WB f Dear Ruth Para. Deep Valley WB Desert Fury (color) Para. Desire Me MGM Desperate (Block 6) RKO Devil Ship Col. Dick Tracy's Dilemma (Block 6) RKO Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (BI.2) RKO Dishonored Lady UA Double Life, A Univ. Down to Earth (color) Col. Dragnet, The Screen Guild Driftwood Rep. Drums Along the Mohawk (R.) 20th-Fox t Duel in the Sun (color) Selznick • EACH Dawn I Die (Reissue) WB t Egg and I, The Univ. Emperor Waltz (color) Para. Escape Me Never WB Exile, The Univ. Exposed Rep. FABULOUS Texan Rep. Fiesta (color) MGM Fighting Vigilantes, The EL Flame, The Rep. Flashing Guns Mono. t Forever Amber (Spcl.) (col.) 20th-Fox For the Love of Rusty Col. For You I Die FC f Foxes of Harrow, The 20th-Fox Frieda (British) Univ. Fugitive, The (Special) RKO Fun and Fancy Free (color) (Spl.) RKO Fun on a Weekend UA 73 1 Joan Crawford-Dana Andrews Not oet oo_ Wm Kl«w OO 'i7 Nov. zV, 4/ 00/0 3703 William Boyd-Andy Clyde May IS, 47 CO bVm Feb. 11, 47 3487 804 \A/'ll! II _ 1 * n T IJ William nalop-Ann b. lodd Not Set A 1 « o 1 m r* ~ _ OA 'A ~l Dec. /(J, 4/ OOO 1 .570 1 • • • • A ti 1 1 4U 1 1 4623 1 \A/*Al ft _ L 1. 1 Jane Withers-Robert Lowery June 20/47 / / oom Mar. 15/47 3526 2972 724 Lucille Bremer-James Craig June, 47 on vum A 1 *> * A 7 Apr. 1 L, 4/ ^C75 3573 3459 703 Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall Sept. 27/47 106m Sept. 6/47 3817 3599 3933 4616 Joan Caulfield-William Holden July 18/47 95m May 31/47 3653 3909 701 Ida Lupino-Dane Clark Sept. 1/47 104m Aug. 2/47 3757 3717 3909 4617 John Hodiak-Lizabeth Scott Aug. 16/47 95m Aug. 2/47 3757 3611 3909 807 Greer Garson-Robert Mitchum Oct.,'47 91m Sept. 27/47 3849 3287 3983 728 Steve Brodie-Audrey Long June/47 73 m May 17/47 3629 3599 923 Richard Lane-Louise Campbell Dec. 11/47 3943 729 Ralph Byrd-Lyle Latell July/47 60m May 17/47 3630 3599 809 Boris Karloff-Ralph Byrd Nov. 12/47 65m Oct. 4/47 3861 Hedy LaMarr-Dennis O'Keefe May 16/47 85m Apr. 26/47 3597 3747 Ronald Colman-Signe Hasso Not Set 103m Jan. 3/48 4001 3956 930 Rita Hayworth-Larry Parks Oct. 31/47 101m Aug. 2/47 3757 3126 3933 4703 Henry Wilcoxson-Mary Brian Oct. 25/47 71m July 12/47 3725 621 Ruth Warrick-Walter Brennan Sept. 15/47 88m Nov. 8/47 3917 3850 741 Claudette Colbert-Henry Fonda Oct. 10/47 103m Oct. 25/47 3895 Jennifer Jones-Joseph Cotten Apr. 17/47 135m Jan. 1 1/47 3409 3363 3933 705 James Cagney-George Raft Oct. 4/47 84m Sept. 13/47 3830 Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray May/47 108m Mar. 29/47 3549 3312 3909 Bing Crosby-Joan Fontaine Not Set 3611 708 Errol Flynn-lda Lupino Nov. 22/47 104m Nov. 1/47 3905 3876 4011 630 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. -Maria Montez Nov.,'47 92m Oct. 25/47 3893 3865 3983 629 Adele Mara-Robert Scott Sept. 8/47 59m Sept. 20/47 3841 3830 624 William Elliott-John Carroll Nov. 9/47 95m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 3983 727 Esther Williams-Ricardo Montalban July/47 104m June 14/47 3677 361 1 3851 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John Nov. 1 5/47 61m Nov. 22/47 3942 3919 628 John Carroll -Vera Ralston Nov. 24/47 3931 673 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Sept. 20/47 59m Aug. 30/47 3806 3759 733 Linda Darnell-Cornel Wilde Oct. 22/47 140m Oct. 18/47 3885 3475 3933 812 Ted Donaldson-Ann Doran May 1/47 69 m Nov. 29/47 3958 3830 Cathy Downs-Paul Langton-Mischa Auer Dec.,'47 77m Dec. 20/47 3982 3972 729 Rex Harrison-Maureen O'Hara Oct. 1/47 1 19m Sept. 27/47 3849 3830 3983 624 David Farrar-Glynis Johns Sept./47 97m Aug. 23/47 3793 863 Henry Fonda-Dolores Del Rio Nov. 3/47 104m Nov. 8/47 3917 3895 891 Disney Feature Cartoon Sept. 27/47 73m Aug. 23/47 3793 3631 3983 Eddie Bracken-Priscilla Lane May 15/47 93m Apr. 19/47 3586 3503 3703 GANGSTER. The (Allied Artists) Gas House Kids Go West Gas House Kids in Hollywoo Gay Ranchero (color) Gentleman After Dark (R.) Gentleman's Agreement Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Ghost Town Renegades Glamour Girl Golden Earrings Good News (color) Grapes of Wrath, The (R.) Great Expectations (Brit.) Green for Danger (British) t Green Dolphin Street Gunfighters (color) Gun Law (Reissue) Gun Talk Mono. 3 Barry Sullivan-Belita Nov. 22/47 83m Oct. 4/47 3861 3666 EL 71 1 Emory Parnell-Chili Williams July 12/47 62m July 19/47 3735 d EL Rep. 712 644 Carl Switzer-Rudy Wissler Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee Aug. 23/47 Jan. 1/48 63m Sept. 6/47 3818 3931 EL 740 Brian Donlevy-Miriam Hopkins Nov. 8/47 76m Nov. 29/47 3957 20th-Fox Gregory Peck-Dorothy McGuire Not Set 1 18m Nov. 15/47 3929 3818 20th-Fox 715 Gene Tierney-Rex Harrison May/47 104m May 24/47 3641 3563 3747 EL 754 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John July 26/47 57m Aug. 2/47 3758 3702 Col. Gene Krupa Orch.-J. Leonard Jan. 16/48 3992 Para. 4703 Marlene Dietrich-Ray Milland Oct. 3 1 ,'47 100 m Aug. 30/47 3805 401 1 MGM 810 June Allyson-Peter Lawford Dec.,'47 85m Dec. 6/47 3965 3850 3983 20th-Fox 745 Henry Fonda-Charley Grapewin Dec.,'47 128m Dec. 6/47 3966 Univ. John Mills-Valerie Hobson July/47 Oct. 4/47 1 18m Mar. 29/47 3549 3783 EL 802 Sally Gray-Trevor Howard 93m July 26/47 3746 361 1 4011 MGM 811 Lana Turner-Van Heflin (T) Nov. 5/47 I4lm Oct. 25/47 3894 3587 401 1 Col. 838 Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton July/47 87m June 14/47 3677 3587 3983 RKO 881 George O'Brien-Rita Oehmen Oct. 3/47 60m Jan. 10/48 4010 Mono. 674 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Dec. 20/47 58m 3919 HAL ROACH Comedy Carniva (color) Hard Boiled Mahoney Hat Box Mystery, The Heading for Heaven Heartaches Heaven Only Knows Her Husband's Affairs t High Barbaree High Conquest High Tide UA Mono. 616 Screen Guild 4617 EL EL 704 UA Col. 929 MGM 721 Mono. 620 Mono. 4701 Frances Rafferty-Walter Abel Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall Tom Neal-Pamela Blake Stuart Erwin-Glenda Farrell Sheila Ryan-Chill Wills Rotert Cummings-Brian Donlevy Franchot Tone-Lucille Ball Van Johnson-June Allyson Anna Lee-Warren Douglas Lee Tracy-Don Castle Aug. 29/47 1 12m Aug. 30/47 3805 3877 May 10/47 63m Nov. 29/47 3958 3488 July 12/47 44m Aug. 30/47 3806 3866 Dec. 6/47 71m Dec. 20/47 3982 June 28/47 71m July 5/47 3714 3702 Sept.,'47 98m Aug. 2/47 3758 3933 Nov. 12/47 86m July 26/47 3745 3735 3933 May/47 June 21/47 91m Mar. 15/47 3525 3238 3851 79m Mar. 15/47 3525 3435 Oct. 1 1 ,'47 72m Aug. 9/47 3769 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 10, 1948 4013 REVIEWED Tifle High Wall Hollywood Barn Dance Homestretch, The (color) Honeymoon (Block 5) Hoppy's Holiday t Hucksters, The Hungry Hill (British) Com patty MGM Screen Guild 20th-Fox RKO UA MGM Univ. I COVER Big Town Para. I Love Trouble Col. If You Knew Susie RKO If Winter Comes MGM I Know Where I'm Going (Brit.) Univ. In Old Mexico (Reissue) SG Indian Summer RKO Intermezzo (Reissue) Selznick Intrigue UA Invisible Wall, The (Wurtrel) 20th-Fox It Had to Be You Col. t It Happened in Brooklyn MGM Ivy Univ. I Walk Alone Para. \ I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? (color) 20th-Fox Prod. Number 4701 713 721 728 4624 HCI6 732 718 616 4708 723 Stars Robert Taylor-Audrey Totter Ernest Tubb-Lori Talbott Cornel Wilde-Maureen O'Hara Shirley Temple-Guy Madison William Boyd-Andy Clyde Clark Gable-Deborah Kerr Margaret Lockwood-Dennis Prince Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke Franchot Tone-Janet Blair Eddie Cantor-Joan Davis Walter Pidgeon-Deborah Kerr Wendy Hiller-Roger Livesey William Boyd-George Hayes Alexander Knox-Ann Sothern Leslie Howard-lngrid Bergman George Raft-June Havoc Don Castle-Virginia Christine Ginger Rogers-Cornel Wilde Frank Sinatra-Kathryn Grayson Joan Fontaine-Patric Knowles Lizabeth Scott-Burt Lancaster June Haver-Mark Stevens M. P. Product Advance Service Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page Feb.,'48 99m Dec. 20/47 3981 3972 4011 June 21, '47 72m June 7/47 3665 3655 3909 May, '47 May 17/47 96m Ann 26 '47 3597 JTOO 74m Apr. 19/47 3585 3539 3877 July I8,"47 60m May 17/47 3630 Aug.,'47 1 15m June 28/47 3701 3574 3877 Not Set 92m Oct. 18/47 3885 July 25,'47 Jan.,'48 63m Mar. 1/47 3502 3459 3980 Not Set 3475 Jan.,'48 99m Dec. 27/47 3993 3972 Not Set 91m Aug. 9/47 3769 Feb. 7,'48 60m Jan. 10/48 4009 Not Set 3865 Oct..'47 70m Sept. 20/47 3841 Dec.,'47 90m Dec. 27/47 3994 3907 401 1 Vrf'CT. 13, 1/ Tim n,i 1 Q >A7 V-JCT. 1 O, *r/ 3QOC JOBS Dec.,'47 98m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 Apr.,'47 103m Mar. 8/47 3513 3238 3747 June, '47 99m June 14/47 3677 3909 Jan. 16/48 98 m Dec. 20/47 3981 3919 401 1 Aug.,'47 104m June 14/47 3678 3563 3933 JEZEBEL (Reissue) WB 710 Bette Davis-Henry Fonda Dec. 13/47 93 m Nov. 1/47 3907 Jewels of Brandenburg (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 716 Richard Travis-Micheline Cheirel May/47 64m Apr. 12/47 3573 Jiggs and Maggie in Society Mono. 4704 Joe Yule-Renie Riano Jan. 10/48 66m 3895 Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad Mono. 4709 Joe Kirkwood, Jr.-Elyse Knox Jan. 3 1/48 4001 Joe Palooka in the Knockout Mono. 4702 Leon Errol-Elyse Knox Oct. 18/47 72 m Aug. 30/47 3805 Jungle Book The (color) (R) FC Sabu Feb.,'48 1 15m Dec. 20/47 3992 Jungle Flight Para. 4625 Robert Lowery-Ann Savage Aug. 22/47 67m Mar. 1/47 3502 3126 KEEPER of the Bees Col. 803 Harry Davenport-Michael Duane July 10/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3679* 3909 Key Witness Col. 905 John -Beal-Trudy Marshall Oct. 9/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3769 Killer at Large EL 717 Robert Lowery-Anabel Shaw May 31/47 63m June 7/47 3665 3655 Killer Dill Screen Guild 4702 Stuart Erwin-Anne Gwynne Aug. 2/47 71m June 14/47 3678 3666 Killer McCoy MGM 809 Mickey Rooney-Brian Donlevy Dec.,'47 104m Nov. 1/47 3907 Kilroy Was Here Mono. 621 Jackie Cooper-Jackie Coogan July 19/47 68m July 5/47 3713 361 1 King of the Bandits Mono. 624 Gilbert Roland-Angela Green Nov. 8/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3954 3809 Kiss of Death 20th-Fox 725 Victor Mature-Brian Donlevy Sept.,'47 99m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 3909 LAST Days of Boot Hill Col. 964 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Nov. 20/47 56m Dec. 13/47 3973 3895 Last of the Redmen, The (co lor) Col. 837 Jon Hall-Evelyn Ankers Aug.,'47 77m Nov. 29/47 3955 3574 Last Round-Up, The Col. 981 Gene Autry-Jean Heather Nov. 5/47 77m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3850 Law Comes to Gunsight, The Mono. 672 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton May 24/47 56m June 7/47 3665 3587 Lawless Valley (Reissue) RKO 884 George O'Brien-Kay Sutton Jan. 30/48 60m Jan. 10/48 4009 Letter from an Unknown Woman, A Univ. Joan Fontaine-Louis Jourdan Not Set 3943 Life With Father (color) WB 702 Irene Dunne-William Powell (Spcl.) Sept. 13/47 1 18m Aug. 16/47 3781 3475 3909 Linda, Be Good EL Elyse Knox-Marie Wilson Dec. 20/47 67m Nov. 1/47 3906 3895 Little Miss Broadway Col. 815 Jean Porter-John Shelton June 19/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3666 Living in a Big Way MGM 725 Gene Kelly-Marie MacDonald June/47 103m June 7/47 3666 3983 Lone Wolf in London Col. 917 Gerald Mohr-Nancy Saunders Nov. 13/47 68m Nov. 29/47 .3954 3895 4011 Long Night, The (Special) RKO 861 Henry Fonda-Barbara Bel Geddes Aug. 6/47 97m May 31/47 3654 3909 Lost Moment, The Univ. Robert Cummings-Susan Hayward Dec.,'47 89m Oct. 25/47 3894 401 1 Louisiana Mono. 4703 Jimmie Davis-Margaret Lindsay Nov. 1/47 85m Aug. 16/47 3781 3771 Love and Learn WB 620 Jack Carson-Martha Vickers May 3/47 83m Mar. 29/47 3550 Love from a Stranger EL 806 John Hodiak-Sylvia Sidney Nov. 15/47 81m Nov. 8/47 3917 3907 Lured UA George Sanders-Lucille Ball Sept..'47 102m July 19/47 3733 3575 3933 MAD Wednesday UA Harold Lloyd-Raymond Walburn Oct.,'47 89m Mar. 1/47 3503 2870 3633 (formerly Sin of Harold Diddlebock) Magic Town (Special) RKO 862 James Stewart-Jane Wyman Oct. 12/47 103m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 3933 Main Street Kid, The Rep. Al Pearce-Arlene Harris Jan. 1/48 3972 Man About Town (French) RKO 864 Maurice Chevalier-Francois Perier Special 89m Oct. 25/47 3893 Man from Texas EL James Craig-Johnnie Johnston Dec. 27/47 3895 Man in Iron Mask (R.) EL 735 Louis Hayward-Joan Bennett Nov. 8/47 1 10 m Nov. 29/47 3956 Man of Evil UA James Mason-Phyllis Calvert Jan.,'48 3992 Marauders, The UA William Boyd-Andy Clyde July/47 Oct. 10/47 63m July 19/47 3734 Mark of Zorro, The (Reissue) 20th-Fox 740 Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell 93m Oct. 25/47 3895 Marshal of Cripple Creek Rep. 667 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake Aug. 15/47 58m Aug. 23/47 3794 3759 Mary Lou Col. Frankie Carle Orch.-R. Lowery Jan. 23/48 3992 Meet Me at Dawn (British) 20th-Fox 721 William Eythe-Stanley Holloway July/47 Oct.,'47 99m Jan. 25/47 3434 Merton of the Movies MGM 805 Red Skelton-Virginia O'Brien 82m July 19/47 3734 3655 4011 Millerson Case, The Col. 817 Warner Baxter-Nancy Saunder? May 29/47 Jan. 24/48 72 m Nov. 29/47 3954 3587 Miracle in Harlem SG X-3 Stepin Fetchit 71m 3919 t Miracle on 34th Street 20th-Fox 718 Maureen O'Hara-John Payne June/47 96m May 10/47 362 i 3933 Monsieur Verdoux UA Charles Chaplin-Martha Raye Oct.,'47 123m Apr. 19/47 3585 Moss Rose 20th-Fox Victor Mature-Peggy Cummins June/47 82m May 24/47 3641 3550 3783 t Mother Wore Tights (color) 20th- Fox 724 Betty Grable-Dan Dailey, Jr. Sept.,'47 107m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 401 1 Mourning Becomes Electra RKO Rosalind Russell-Michael Redgrave Not Set 170m Nov. 22/47 3941 3919 Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Selznick Cary Grant-Myrna Loy Not Set 4010 t My Favorite Brunette Para. 4609 Bob Hope-Dorothv Lamour Apr. 4/47 87 m Feb. 22/47 3485 3388 3703 My Girl Tisa WB Lilli Palmer-Sam Wanamaker Feb. 7/48 4010 My Wild Irish Rose (color) WB 711 Dennis Morgan-Andrea King Dec. 27/47 101m Dec. 13/47 3973 3599 4011 4014 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 REVIEWED M. P. Product Advance Servict Proa. Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stan Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page NAKED City, The Univ. Barry Fitzgerald-Dorothy Hart Not Set 4010 News Hounds Mono. 622 Leo Gorcey-Christine Mclntyre Sept. 13/47 68 m June 21/47 3689 Nicholas Nickleby (British) Univ. Derek Bond-Cedric Hardwicke Dec/47 94m Nov. 15/47 3930 Nightmare Alley 20th-Fox 730 Tyrone Power-Joan Blondell Oct. 18, '47 1 1 Im Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3830 3983 Night Song (Block 2) RKO 806 Dana Andrews-Merle Oberon Nov. I0.'47 102m Nov. 15/47 3930 3717 Night Unto Night WB Viveca Lindfors-Ronald Reagan Not Set 3735 Ninotchka (R.) MGM 812 Greta Garbo-Melvyn Douglas Dec.,'47 1 10m Nov. 22/47 3942 401 1 Northwest Outpost Rep. 615 Nelson Eddy-llona Massey June 25, '47 91m May 17/47 3629 3933 ODD Man Out (British) Univ. 617 James Mason-Robert Newton June, '47 1 15m Feb. 15/47 3473 3783 On the Old Spanish Trail (col.) Rep. 648 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee Oct. I5.'47 75m Nov. 1/47 3906 Oregon Trail Scouts Rep. 5503 Allan Lake-Martha Wentworth May 15, '47 58m May 24/47 3643 3599 Other Love, The UA Barbara Stanwyck-David Niven July 1 1 ,'47 96m Apr. 5/47 3561 3550 3851 Out of the Blue EL 801 George Brent-Virginia Mayo Oct. 1 1,'47 87m Aug. 30/47 3806 401 1 Out of the Past (Block 2) RKO 810 Robert Mitchum-Jane Greer Nov. I3,'47 97m Nov. 22/47 3942 3875 401 1 Overland Trail Mono. 4751 Johnny Mack Brown-Virginia Belmont Feb. 7,'48 4001 PACIFIC Adventure Col. 835 Ron Randell-Muriel Steinbeck July.'47 95m Nov. 29/47 3958 3689 Painted Desert (Reissue) RKO 883 George O'Brien-Laraine Johnson Dec. 19/47 59m Jan. 10/48 4009 Panhandle (Allied Artists) Mono. 5 Rod Cameron-Cathy Downs Mar. 7/48 3943 Paradine Case, The Selznick Gregory Peck-Ann Todd Not Set 132m Jan. 3/48 4001 3666 Patient Vanishes, The (Br.) Film Classics James Mason-Mary Clare May 22/47 78m May 31/47 3654 Perilous Waters Mono. 4707 Don Castle-Audrey Long Jan. 24/48 66m Nov. 1/47 3906 (formerly In Self Defense) Perils of Pauline (color) Pa a. 4615 Betty Hutton-John Lund July 4/47 96m May 31/47 3653 3631 3795 Philo Vance Returns EL 708 William Wright-Terry Austin June 14/47 64m Apr. 26/47 3598 3422 Philo Vance's Secret Mission EL 709 Alan Curtis-Sheila Ryan Aug. 30/47 58m Sept. 6/47 3817 3475 Pioneer Justice EL 753 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John June 28/47 56m July 5/47 3714 3631 Pirate, The (color) MGM Judy Garland-Gene Kelly Not Set 3865 Pirates of Monterey (color) Univ. 632 Maria Montez-Rod Cameron Not Set 77m Nov. 22/47 3942 3127 4011 Possessed WB 624 Joan Crawford-Van Heflin July 26/47 108m May 31/47 3653 3078 Prairie, The SG 4705 Alan Baxter-Lenore Aubert Jan. 10/48 80m 3919 Prairie Express Mono. 678 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Oct. 25/47 55m Nov. 29/47 3955 3809 Prairie Raiders Col. 000 Charles Marrett-imiley Burnette May 11, 4/ r j S4m M-w OO 'A7 Nov. iV, 4/ 0 TOD 3C07 300/ Pretender, The Rep. 6Z0 Albert Dekker-Catnerine Craig Aug. 1 6/47 69 m Aug. 23/47 3794 3759 Prince of Thieves, The Col. 1 l_J 11 r» i • • fcj^? Jon Hall-ratncia Morison Not bet 3743 RAILROADED EL 710 John Ireland-Sheila Ryan Sept. 25/47 71m Oct. 11/47 3874 3809 Ramrod UA Joel McCrea-Veronica Lake May 2/47 94m Mar. 1/47 3503 3487 3909 Red River UA John Wayne-Montgomery Clift Not Set 3575 Red Stallion (color) EL 107 Robert Paige-Ted Donaldson Aug. 16/47 81m July 26/47 3746 3475 401 1 s Repeat Performance EL 105 Joan Leslie-Louis Hayward May 30/47 93m May 31/47 3655 3475 3819 Return of the Lash EL 755 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John Oct. 1 1/47 53 m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 Return of Rin Tin Tin, The (col.) EL 804 Donald Woods-Bobby Blake Nov. 1 ,'47 67m Nov. 8/47 3918 3527 Ride the Pink Horse Univ. 625 Robt. Montgomery-Wanda Hendrix Oct./47 101m Sept. 20/47 3841 3983 Riders of the Lone Star Col. 870 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Aug. 14/47 55m Nov. 29/47 3958 3735 Ridin' Down the Trail Mono. 685 Jimmy Wakely-Beverly John Oct. 4/47 53m Nov. 29/47 3955 3850 Riff Raff (Block 1) RKO 803 Pat O'Brien-Anne Jeffreys Sept. 15/47 80m June 14/47 3678 3666 3851 River Lady (color) Univ. Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea Not Set 4010 Road to the Big House, The SG 4706 John Shelton-Ann Doran Dec. 27/47 72m Nov. 1/47 3906 3876 Road to Rio Para. 4707 Bing Crosby-Bob Hope Dec. 25/47 100m Nov. 15/47 3929 3818 Robin Hood of Monterey Mono. 623 Gilbert Roland-Evelyn Brent Sept. 6/47 55m Sept. 13/47 3829 3759 Robin Hood of Texas Rep. 685 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts July 15/47 71m Sept. 13/47 3829 3735 Rocky Mono. 4705 Roddy McDowall-Edgar Barrier Jan. 17/48 3931 Romance of Rosy Ridge MGM 729 Van Johnson-Thomas Mitchell Aug./47 105m July 5/47 3713 361 1 3877 Roosevelt Story, The (Specie ) UA Documentary Nov.,'47 80m July 12/47 3725 Rose of Santa Rosa Col. 951 Eduardo Noreiga-Patricia White Dec. 25/47 3931 Roses Are Red (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 734 Don Castle-Peggy Knudsen Not Set 66m Nov. 8, '47 3918 Rustlers of Devil's Canyon Rep. 666 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake July 1/47 58m July 19/47 3735 3679 SADDLE Pals Rep. 684 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts June 15/47 72 m June 21/47 3689 3631 Saigon Para. Alan Ladd-Veronica Lake Mar. 12/48 3666 Sarqe Goes to College Mono. 618 Alan Hale, Jr. -June Preisser May 17/47 63m May 17/47 3630 3575 Scared to Death (color) Screen Guild 4608 Bela Lugosi-Douglas Fowley May 3/47 65m June 21/47 3689 3127 Second Chance (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 726 Kent Taylor-Louise Currie Sept.,'47 62 m July 26/47 3745 3735 Secret Beyond the Door, The Univ. Joan BenTiett-Michael Redgrave Dec/47 99m Jan. 10/48 4009 3956 Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The (color) (Special) RKO 851 Danny Kaye-Virginia Mayo Sept. 1/47 1 10m July 19/47 3733 361 1 401 1 Senator Was Indiscreet, The Univ. William Powell-Ella Raines Jan./48 81m Dec. 13/47 3973 3956 401 1 Sepia Cinderella SG x-i Billy Daniels-Sheila Guyse Oct. 18/47 70m Aug. 2/47 3758 Seven Keys to Baldpate (Bl. 1) RKO 804 Phillip Terry-Jacqueline White Oct. 1 ,'47 68m June 14/47 3679 3983 Shadow Valley EL 852 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Nov. 29/47 58m Nov. 29/47 3954 Shoot to Kill Screen Guild 4615 Russell Wade-Susan Walters May 17/47 63 m Apr. 12/47 3574 3488 Singapore Univ. 622 Fred MacMurray-Ava Gardner Sept.,'47 79m Aug. 16/47 3782 3851 Six-Gun Law Col. Chas. Starrett-Smiley Burnett Jan. 9/48 4000 Six Gun Serenade Mono. 684 Jimmy Wakely-Kay Morley Apr. 5/47 55m May 3/47 3610 3459 Slave Girl (color) Univ. 623 Yvonne DeCarlo-George Brent Aug.,'47 80m July 19/47 3734 3631 3933 Sleep. Mv Love UA Claudette Colbert-Rob't Cummings Jan. ,'48 3992 Sliqht Case of Murder, A (R) WB 712 Edw. G. Robinson-Jane Bryan Dec. 13/47 85m Dec. 13/47 3980 Slippy McGee Rep. 701 Donald Barry-Dale Evans Jan. 15/48 3943 Smart Politics Mono. 627 June Preisser-Freddie Stewart Jan. 3/48 3907 (formerly The Old Gray Mayor) Paul Campbell-Ruth Terry Aug. 21/47 Smoky River Serenade Col. 851 67m Nov. 29/47 3958 3759 Smugglers, The EL 81 1 Michael Redgrave-Jean Kent Jan. 31/48 4010 Something in the Wind Univ. 62 1 Ueanna uuroin-Jonn uan c.ni '47 jepT., 4f 0 Tim July zo, 4/ 3/3b 3877 Song of the Drifter Mono. 686 Jimmy Wakely-"Cannonball" Taylor Jan. 10/48 3972 Song of Love MGM 804 Katharine Hepburn-Robert Walker Oct.,'47 118m July 26/47 3745 3679 3983 Song of My Heart Frank Sundstrom-Audrey Long Jan. 17/48 (Allied Artists) Mono. 4 85m Nov. 8/47 3917 3717 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION. JANUARY 10, 1948 4015 Prod. Title Company Number c... _f xL- TL;_ k.i oong ot the inin Man MAM [VI [VI fin i 5ong ot the Wasteland u Mono. ooz oon ot Kusty, I he ^Ol. o 1 o 0 1 J C iL f n D . id \ 5outh of Pago Pago (K.J bL bo Well Kemembered (ontishj (block l\ l\ l\ w OU / C * »x f \A/ _x D • x Spirit of West Point 5port of Kings Ool. 8 1 1 ■J D 1 1 11 Q T 1 ill© In T M t? O 1 \ \ O 3 Rep. 646 Stepchild EL 703 Stork Bites Man UA Stranger from Ponca City Col. 869 Summer Holiday (color) MGM Sweet Genevieve Col. 918 Swing the Western Way Co!, 853 Swordsman, The (color) Col. Tradeshow or Stan Release Date William Powell-Myrna Loy Sept. ,'47 Jimmy Wakely-Lee "Lasses" White May3l,'47 Ted Donaldson-Tom Powers Aug. 7,'47 Victor McLaglen-Jon Hall Dec.,'47 John Mills-Martha Scott Nov. 12. 47 Felix Blanchard-Glenn Davis Oct. I, '47 Paul Campbell-Gloria Henry June 26, '47 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee July 15/47 Brenda Joyce-Donald Woods June 7,'47 Jackie Cooper-Gene Roberts June 21/47 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette July 3, "47 Mickey Rooney-Gloria DeHaven Not Set Jean Porter-Jimmy Lydon Oct. 23, '47 Jack Leonard-Mary Dugan June 26, "47 Larry Parks-Ellen Drew Jan. ,'48 REVIEWED M. P. Product Advance ServUi Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Time Issue Page Page P'gt 86m July 26,'47 3745 3877 56m July 5, '47 3714 3655 69 m Aug. 23, '47 3794 3735 97m Dec. 27, '47 4000 1 14m Nov. 1 ,'47 3905 363 1 77m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3983 68m 3655 75m July 26,'47 3746 3689 70m June 14 '47 3678 3631 67m Aug. 16, '47 3782 3679 56m Nov. 29/47 3955 3679 3599 68m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 4011 66m Nov. 29/47 3958 3655 81m Oct. 25/47 3894 3771 TAP Roots (color) Univ. Tawny Pipit (British) Univ. Tender Years, The 20th-Fox Tenth Avenue Angel MGM That Hagen Girl WB That's My Gal (color) Rep. That's My Man Rep. They Won't Believe Me (Bl. 6) RKO Thief of Baghdad (color) (R.) FC This Happy Breed (British) (col.) Univ. This Time for Keeps (color) MGM Three Daring Daughters (color) MGM (formerly The Birds and the Bees) Thunder in the Valley (color) 20th-Fox (formerly Bob, Son of Battle) Thunder Mountain (Bl. 6) RKO Time Out of Mind Univ. T-Men EL Tobacco Road (Reissue) 20th-Fox Too Many Winners EL To the Ends of the Earth Col. Trail of the Mounties SG Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The WB Trespasser, The Rep. Trouble with Women, The Para. Two Blondes and a Redhead Col. t Two Mrs. Carrolls, The WB Tycoon (color) RKO Van Heflin-Susan Hayward Not Set Bernard Miles-Rosamund John Not Set 803 Joe E. Brown-Noreen Nash Jan. ,'48 Margaret O'Brien-George Murphy (T) Jan. 13/48 707 Ronald Reagan-Shirley Temple Nov. 1/47 609 Lynn Roberts-Donald Barry May 15/47 613 Don Ameche-Catherine McLeod June 1/47 726 Robert Young-Susan Hayward July/47 Sabu Feb.,'48 Robert Newton-Celia Johnson Not Set 808 Esther Williams-Jimmy Durante Nov.,'47 Jeanette MacDonald-Jose Iturbi Feb.,'48 720 Peggy Ann Garner-Lon McCallister Not Set 730 Tim Holt-Richard Martin June/47 614 Phyllis Calvert-Robert Hutton May/47 Dennis O'Keefe-Mary Meade Dec. 15/47 744 Gene Tierney-Charley Grapewin Dec.,'47 716 Hugh Beaumont-Trudy Marshall May 24/47 Dick Powell-Signe Hasso Not Set 4708 Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Dec. 20/47 714 Humphrey Bogart-Walter Huston Jan. 24/48 619 Dale Evans-Warren Douglas July 3/47 4614 Ray Milland-Teresa Wright June 27/47 919 Jean Porter-Jimmy Lloyd Nov. 6/47 621 Barbara Stanwyck-Humphrey Bogart May 24/47 866 John Wayne-Laraine Day Not Set 4010 81m Sept. 13/47 3829 81m Dec. 6/47 3965 401 1 3031 83m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 66m May 31/47 3655 3434 104m Apr. 12/47 3573 3563 95m May 17/47 3630 3599 38.19 106m Dec. 20/47 3992 1 15m Apr. 19/47 3586 106m Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3865 3983 3599 103m June 14/47 4677 3539 60m May 7/47 3630 3599 88m Mar. 22/47 3537 3527 3577 91m Dec. 20/47 3981 4011 84m Dec. 6/47 3966 60m June 7/47 3666 3587 4010 42 m 3931 126m Jan. 10/48 4009 4000 71m July 19/47 3734 3717 S0m May 17/47 3629 361 1 3877 70m Nov. 29/47 3954 3895 401 1 99m Apr. 5/47 3561 3539 385 ' 126m Dec. 6/47 3965 3956 401 1 t UNCONOUERED (color) Para. Under Colorado Skies (color) Rep. Undercover Maisie MGM Under the Tonto Rim (Block I) RKO Unfaithful, The WB Unfinished Dance (color) MGM Unsuspected, The WB Upturned Glass. The (British) Univ. Up in Central Park Univ. 4705 Gary Cooper-Paulette Goddard (T) Nov. 7/47 146m Sept. 27/47 3849 3809 3933 652 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Dec. 15/47 65m Dec. 20/47 3982 3949 722 Ann Sothern-Barry Nelson May/47 Aug. 1/47 90m Mar. 8/47 3514 3459 3795 805 Tim Holt-Nan Leslie 61m June 14/47 3678 3666 623 Ann Sheridan-Zachary Scott July 5/47 109m May 31/47 3654 3574 3819 802 Margaret O'Brien-Cyd Charisse Sept.,'47 100m Aug. 2/47 3757 3240 3983 706 Joan Caulfield-Claude Rains Oct. 1 1 ,'47 103m Sept. 20/47 3841 3818 3909 631 James Mason-Rosamund John Deanna Durbin-Dick Haymes Nov "47 Not Set 87m Nov. 1/47 3905 4010 t VARIETY Girl Para. 4618 Mary Hatcher-DeForest Kelley Aug. 29/47 93m July 19/47 3733 3599 3851 Vigilantes Return. The (color) Univ. 618 Jon Hall-Margaret Lindsay July/47 67m May 31/47 3654 361 1 Voice of the Turtle, The WB Eleanor Parker-Ronald Reagan Not Set 103m Dec. 27/47 3993 3831 WALLFLOWER WB Joyce Reynolds-Robert Hutton Not Set 3876 Web, The Univ. 615 Edmond O'Brien-Ella Raines June/47 87m May 31/47 3655 3611 3851 Web of Danger Rep. 616 Adele Mara-Bill Kennedy June 10/47 58 m June 7/47 3665 3631 t Welcome Stranger Para. 4613 Bing Crosby-Barry Fitzgerald (T) Apr. 25/47 106m May 3/47 3609 3574 3983 When a Girl's Beautiful Col. 827 Stephen Dunne-Adele Jergens Sept. 25/47 68m Sept. 27/47 3850 3809 Where the North Begins SG 4707 Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Dec. 13/47 42 m 3919 Where There's Life Para. 4704 Bob Hope-Signe Hasso Nov. 21/47 75m Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3865 Whiplash WB Dane Clark-Alexis Smith Not Set 3717 Whispering City (British) EL 805 Helmut Dantine-Mary Anderson Nov. 15/47 89m Sept. 6/47 3817 Wild Frontier, The Rep. 751 Allan Lane-Jack Holt Oct. 1/47 59m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 Wild Harvest Para. 4701 Alan Ladd-Dorothy Lamour Sept. 26/47 92m Aug. 9/47 3769 3759 40 ii Wild Horse Mesa (Block 2) RKO 808 Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Nov. 13/47 60m Nov. 22/47 3942 3931 Winter Wonderland Rep. 614 Lynn Roberts-Charles Drake May 17/47 71m May 31/47 3654 3599 Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap Univ. 628 Bud Abbott-Lou Costello Oct.,'47 78m Oct. 4/47 3861 3933 Woman in White, The WB Alexis Smith-Sydney Greenstreet Not Set 3575 Woman on the Beach (Bl. 6) RKO 727 Joan Bennett-Robert Ryan June/47 71m May 24/47 3643 3599 3933 Woman's Vengeance, A Univ. Charles Boyer-Rachel Kempson Jan.,'48 96m Dec. 27/47 3993 3972 Women in the Night FC Tala Birell-William Henry Jan. ,'48 3992 Women, The (Reissue) MGM 806 Norma Shearer-Joan Crawford Oct./47 135 m Sept. 13/47 3830 Wyoming Rep. 618 William Elliott-Vera Ralston Aug. 1/47 84m Aug. 2/47 3758 3795 t YEARLING, The (color) MGM 717 Gregory Peck-Jane Wyman May/47 128m Nov. 30/46 3333 2883 3819 FEATURE PRODUCT, LISTED BY COMPANY IN ORDER OF RELEASE, ON PAGE 4003 4016 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948 OST ADVANCED TEXTBOOK ON SOUND R EPRODUCTION AND PROJECTION # You will find this edition t'ne most complete and practical treatise of its kind and a sure solution to the perplexing prob- lems of projection room routine. The book is supplemented with a comprehensive group of TROUBLE-SHOOTING CHARTS to help meet every possible emergency in the pro- jection room. It also includes a lightning-fast index system al- phabetically arranged for swift easy reference. F. H. Richardson's BLUEBOOK of PROJECTION SEVENTH EDITION — SUPPLEMENTED WITH SOUND TROUBLE CHARTS and ALPHABETICAL INDEX Over 700 pages. The only practical guide to good projection and quick trouble-shooting, ORDER TODAY • $7.25 POSTPAID QUICLEY BOOKSHOP ROCKEFELLER CENTER (20) • NEW YORK CITY ""'Trailers draw 31% of your Patrons" ...says Woman's Home Companion in authoritative 1947 Movie Survey OTION PICTURE ERALD REVIEWS (In Product Digest) An Ideal Husband Sleep, My Love Tenth Avenue Angel Relentless The Gay Ranchero Prince of Thieves I Love Trouble The Flame Open Secret Women in the Night Gun Talk Devil Ship HOLLYWOOD EYES PRODUCTION ABROAD TO OFFSET DOLLAR RESTRICTIONS AND SAVE BRITISH WONT COOPERATE' SAYS JOHNSTON; YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND/ SAY BRITISH POOR PICTURES AT HIGH COST WILL RUIN HOLLYWOOD ' — Samuel Goldwyn PARAMOUNT SUES BRANDT ON PERCENTAGE RETURNS Defense Against Hazard: 1. OPERATING PRACTICE 2. INSURANCE 3. INSPECTION GUIDE THE THEATRE SUPPLY MART A new reader service VOL. 170, AO. I; JANUARY 17, 194S Entered as second-class matter. January 12, 1931, at the Post Office, at New York City, U.S.A., under the act of March 3, 1879. Pub- lished weekly by Quigley Publishing Co.. Inc.. at 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, .Vew York 20. .V. Y. Subscription prices: $5.00 a year in the Americas, $10.00 a year Foreign. Single copy, 25 cents. .Ill contents copyright 1948 by Quigley Publishing Company. SPENCER TRACY One of the industry's top stars now gives his greatest performance. Yes, in "Cass Timberlane" he tops even such great roles as "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" and "A Guy Named Joe.'' LAN A TURNER Magnificent as "Jinny" the girl from the other side of town. She loved life — and found it when "Cass" lifted her into a world every girl dreams about. ZACHARY SCOTT He was their best friend but he loved "Jinny" too in the explosive romantic drama M-G-M has made of the famed Sinclair Lewis novel. ) JSr*—l Wl ^^^^ TOM DRAKE • MARY ASTOR • ALBERT DEKKER Screen Play by Donald Ogden Stewart ■ Adaptation by Donold Ogden Stewart and Sonya Levien • Based on the Novel by Sinclair Lewis Directed by GEORGE SIDNEY • Produced by ARTHUR HORNBLOW, JR. A METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURE A REMARKABLE RECORD! 9 weeks Criterion, N. Y., 22 days in Boston (playing 2 theatres simultane- ously), 26 in Los Angeles, 21 San Francisco, 28 Seattle, 21 Cincinnati, 23 Portland and 20 Spokane, 20 Providence — and Philadelphia with 35. Move- overs after 14 days in Cleveland, 15 in St. Louis, 14 in Toledo, 13 in Syracuse — and new hold-overs reported daily. GREEN DOLPHIN STREET LANA VAN TURNER HEFLIN DONNA REED • RICHARD HART FRANK MORGAN * EDMUND GWENN- DAME MAT WHTTTY REGINALD OWEN - GLADYS COOPER Screen Play by Samson Raphaelson • Based on the Novel by Elizabeth Goudge Directed by VICTOR SAVILLE • Produced by CAREY WILSON A METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURE TRADE SHOW JAN.26 ALBANY Warner Screen. Room 79 N. Pearl St. - 12:30 P.M. ATLANTA 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 197 Walton St. N.W. - 2:30 P.M. BOSTON RKO Screening Room 122 Arlington St. — 2:30 P.M. BUFFALO Paramount Sc. Room 464 Franklin St. — 2:00 P.M. CHARLOTTE 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 308 S. Church St. — 10:00 A.M. CHICAGO Warner Screen. Rm. 1307 So. Wabash Ave. — 1:30 P.M. CINCINNATI RKO Screen. Rm. Palace Th. Bldg. E. 6th — 8:00 P.M. CLEVELAND Warner Screen. Rm. 2300 Payne Ave. — 2:00 P.M. DALLAS 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 1803 Wood St. — 10:00 A.M. DENVER Paramount Sc. Rm. 2100 Stout St. — 2:00 P.M. DES MOINES 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 1300 High St. - 12:45 P.M. DETROIT Film Exchange Bldg. 2310 Cass Ave. - 2:00 P.M. INDIANAPOLIS Universal Sc. Rm. 517 No. Illinois St. - 1:00 P.M. KANSAS CITY... 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 1720 Wyandotte St. — 1:30 P.M. LOS ANGELES Warner Sc. Rm. 2025 S. Vermont Ave. — 2:00 P.M. MEMPHIS 20th Cent.-Fox St. Rm. 151 Vance Ave. — 10:00 A.M. MILWAUKEE Warner Sc. Rm. 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. — 2:00 P.M. MINNEAPOLIS Warner Sc. Rm. 1000 Currie Ave. — 2:00 P.M. NEW HAVEN Warner Th. Proj. Rm. '70 College St. — 2:00 P.M. NEW ORLEANS . 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 200 S. Liberty St. — 1:30 P.M. NEW YORK Home Office 321 W. 44th St. -2:30 P.M. OKLAHOMA 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 10 North Lee St. -1:30 P.M. OMAHA 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 1502 Davenport St. — 1:00 P.M. PHILADELPHIA Warner Sc. Rm. 230 No. 13th St. - 2:30 PJM. PITTSBURGH 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 1715 Blvd. of Allies - 1:30 P.M. PORTLAND Jewel Box Sc. Room 1947 N.W. Kearney St. - 2:00 P.M. SALT LAKE 20th Cent.-Fox Sc. Rm. 216 East 1st South — 2:00 P.M. SAN FRANCISCO Republic Se. Rm. 221 Golden Gate Ave. — 1:30 P.M. SEATTLE Jewel Box Sc. Room 2318 Second Ave. — 10:30 A.M. ST. LOUIS S'renco Sc. Room 3143 Olive St. -1:00 P.M. WASHINGTON Earle Th. Bldg. 13th 8C E Sts. N.W. - 10:30 A.M. EVE ARDEN WAYNE I KENT SMITH • JOHN EMERY Play by JOHN van DRUTEN • Additional Dialogue by Charles Hoffman • From the Stage Play by JOHN van DRUTEN • Produced by Alfred de Liagre. Jr. • Music by Max Stelner "No other distributor enters 1948 in a greater blaze of glory than O Film Bulletin CENTURY-FOX B because all of these great attractions are in release NOW! . . . i/ie Mo«< Acclaimed Picture % In Screen History! Now Setting Recor ds Throughout The Land! The Woman-And-Man Picture Of The Year! i^lotion Picture Herald Boxoffice Champion ! It Beats With A Pulse That Becomes Your Very Own / The Love. Songs, Laughter Of That Wonderful Flapper Age! And F rom Alexander Korda Gentleman's Agreement 10th Week, Mayfair, N.Y. . 10th Week, Apollo, Chicago Captain From Castile Color by TECHNICOLOR Daisy Kenyon Forever Amber H Color by TECHNICOLOR Call Northside 777 You Were Meant For Me An Ideal Husband Color by TECHNICOLOR 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARTIN QUIGLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher TERRY RAMSAYE, Editor Vol. 170, No. 3 QP January 17, 1948 THE STALEMATE THE Britain vs. America situation! the confiscatory tax on their side and the picture embargo on ours, has reached utter stalemate. The condition of relations stands pre- cisely where it started, after a long tedious succession of exchanges which have been hardly more than elaborate reassertions of everything that had been said before. There has been some amplification by continued emphasis supporting the initial impression that the effort of the Government of Britain was determined to exclude the American product. That much seems clear, indeed. It is not equally clear that the basic interest is entirely a matter of the dollar balance. Meanwhile, the proposals that the American industry should supply Britain with pictures and then pay itself off by selling British pictures to itself is an amazingly presumptuous effort at prestidigitation. It assumes a remarkable simplicity of mind of the order which accepts bootstraps economy — and you supply your own boots. The proposed arrangement is essentially evil and destructive in an endeavour to set up an artificial market and an arrange- ment to force product upon the American public regardless of its merit and appeal. Britain with its quota pictures was never able to do that successfully with its own showmen. Meanwhile, assuming that absurd arrangement were put to work, in the event the forced product did not earn adequate return, the importing American concerns would be compelled to make direct contribution of a subsidy. It is hardly necessary to explore the diverse destructions that would ensue in all directions. The British proposals, in sum, amount to totalitarianism at work. Ill MORE on PUBLIC RELATIONS GOOD public relations grow out of good private rela- tions. Public relations are private relations multiplied, projected and spread on the public record. Some- times the process is direct as, for instance, in proceedings in the courts, and sometimes, more generally, perhaps, it is indirect, growing out of the flow of incidental attentions in advertising, in publicity promotions and the word-of-mouth which can be set a-twittering clear across the nation any day by columnists and radio. The manner of the presentation and the order of conscience behind it is decidedly in control of the ultimate effect, both upon the individual and upon the institution. It is not to be expected that high ideals of honesty, honour and a good intent are always to be observed in the conduct of human affairs, individual or corporate. Exceptions are to be expected. They tend to arrest special attention because they are exceptions. The essence of good citizenship, and good business, requires that the exceptions and transgressions be admitted, faced and dealt with most positively as transgressions; that misconduct be not condoned. The curse of compromise with evil falls alike on both sides of the compromise and taints the total scene and all parties. Page one of the daily newspapers of the nation are covered day by day with recordings of departures from the norm of human conduct, nearly always when they come afoul of the law which codifies the common, accepted ideas of proper private and public behavior. They are news because they are not to be condoned, not to be permitted to prevail. Ill ASSETS and VALUES THE statistics indicate that the investors, as represented by transactions on the New York Stock Exchange at the end of 1947, rated the film industry, as represented by listed securities there, at about a quarter of a billion dollars less than the year before. That indicates a depreciation of about eighteen per cent. Incidentally, and coincidentally, that quarter of a billion is just about equal to the estimated value of the existing backlog of pictures in inventory in Hollywood. The value of the backlog, however, is as speculative as the destiny of unreleased product must always be. There continues, unquoted and unestimated, the industry's greatest asset, which is the great and eager American public's abiding interest in entertainment. Its patronage of the motion picture is conditioned by only two basic factors, buying power based on payrolls, and the appeal of the product amid the competitions of pastimes. There is assurance there is a healthy success for a competently conducted industry. * * * * OUT in Hollywood, forthright Mr. Samuel Goldwyn, contemplating the scene, and aware of the miasma of concern pervading the production atmosphere, gave out with an array of objective judgments which did not appear to partake of the general alarums. "A producer who today counts on any foreign revenue to pay off his costs is inviting disaster. "We must make tip our minds that we can depend only on the domestic market. "I am convinced that if we make good pictures the public in this country will support them." A majority of the foremost showmen of the motion picture can well remember when the foreign market for the American product was subrtantially negligible in the operation of the industry, and in a period when it was prospering and grow- ing great. The industry of the United States is now presented with an opportunity to lay aside its global anxieties and its psycho- logical involvements with the grandiose excitements of a world in travail and turn to the task at hand of serving the one great audience which can and will pay for its enter- tainment. The American box office can do with a lot of attention, an attention consisting of the pictures made for its people and sold on scales directly related to the purchasing power of the common man and his family. It is the greatest market in the world, and it is ours. — Terry Ramsaye :iii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiii THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Lots of Dollars London Bureau NEW TWIST to the old story of protests this side over too many U. S. dollars spent for U. S. entertainment came last week from London's drama critics upset over the fact that some American entertainers — and they were thinking of Mickey Rooney — could collect about $10,000 a week for playing in English music halls. Said disgruntled Har- old Conway of the Evening Standard: "We have had numerous examples in the past of foreign stars being paid small fortunes to attract audiences into variety theatres while far more talented British acts (with small billing and salaries to match) were relied upon to deliver the goods." Non-resident "artists" are permitted to take dollars out of the country. However, as the News-Chron- icle has noted, if any attempt were made to bar American performers, British perform- ers in the U. S. might suffer and they are "earning at least three times as much cur- rency for Britain as we are now paying out to American artists over here." There have been a number of legitimate shows and musicals moved bodily from London to New York in recent months. Tired of It THERE ARE going to be no more babies baptized in All Saints' Church, Wimbledon, England, who are named after racehorses, greyhounds, vegetables or Hollywood film stars. United Press reported the other day that the church's vicar, W. A. Gibson, told his congregation that news and then elab- orated: "The majority of names I take ex- ception to are those borrowed from Ameri- can film stars. It is un-English and un- christian." Open House THOMAS A. EDISON'S laboratory at West Orange, N. J., will be opened to the public February 11, the 101st anniversary of the inventor's birth. The laboratory will serve as headquarters for the educational and research program of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, according to Charles F. Kettering, Foundation president. In this laboratory Mr. Edison developed the motion picture, improved phonographs, the fluoro- scope, the nickel-iron-alkaline battery, the universal electric motor and new mining methods. And there he worked on pro- ducing rubber from goldenrod — the final re- search project in his 44 years of work there. Vice Admiral Harold G. Bowen (ret.), war- time chief of the Bureau of Naval Research, has been named as the Foundation's acting MOTION PICTURE HERALD for January 17, 1948 HOLLYWOOD now is traveling abroad for production Page 1 3 BRITISH and Americans at odds as tax impasse stands Page 13 GOLDWYN insists Hollywood must cut costs and double quality Page 14 PARAMOUNT sues Brandt Circuit on per- centage returns Page 15 MEMO to Hollywood on over-length pic- tures— by Red Kann Page 16 STUDIO and union heads to testify at hear- ings on strike Page 17 TEN cited for contempt of Congress to stand trial Feb. 9 Page 17 FOREIGN films found successful in two Seattle theatres Page 18 BRITISH set plans for extensive production overseas Page 26 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on indus- try personnel across country Page 30 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 27 In the Newsreels Page 40 Managers' Round Table Page 45 Picture Grosses Page 44 Short Product at First Runs Page 43 What the Picture Did for Me Page 42 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 4017 Short Subjects Page 4019 Reissue Reviews Page 4019 Advance Synopses Page 4021 Short Subjects Chart Page 4022 Release Chart by Companies Page 4023 The Release Chart Page 4024 executive director. An important aspect of the Foundation's work will be a study and analysis of Mr. Edison's methods of re- search, based upon the more than 2,500 note- books which Mr. Edison kept on nearly 1,100 patents. Not Guilty JAMES CAESAR PETRILLO, president of the American Federation of Musicians, was acquitted Wednesday of violating the Lea Act, passed by Congress in 1946 specifi- cally to limit Petrillo's powers in the radio field. United States District Court Judge Walter J. LaBuy in Chicago heard the case in which the Government charged that Pe- trillo had violated the law by attempting to force a Chicago radio station, WAAF, to employ more union musicians than it said it needed. The judge found, "there is no evi- dence whatsoever in the record to show that the defendant had knowledge of, or was in- formed of, the lack of need of additional em- ployees prior to the trial of this case." This was the second time the Government had tried and failed to convict the union leader. The earlier complaint was dismissed by Judge LaBuy on the ground that the Lea Act was unconstitutional. Since a defendant cannot be tried a second time on a charge of which he has been acquitted the decision is final. Said Petrillo: "I guess it puts a dif- ferent light on the situation." Trick Cake LAST WEEK in Atlanta R. B. Wilby sat down in front of a 100-pound cake that had been baked and iced to look like a theatre — complete with electric signs, marquee and box office. The occasion, on January 7 at the Piedmont Driving Club, was Mr. Wilby's 60th birthday and 40th anniversary as a theatre owner. That cake was a replica of his first theatre. President of Wilby-Kincey Theatres, Mr. Wilby is one of the south's most successful showmen. More than 350 attended the birthday party. Slings and Arrows Berlin Bureau ATTACKS on American motion pictures and the American industry have become a standing feature on the program of the Sovi- et-licensed German radio stations in the Russian sector of Berlin and in the whole of the eastern zone. In recent weeks, these attacks, broadcast also on short wave, have sunk to the level of name calling. They form part of the "cold war," warning theatre owners in the western zones that one day they may be held to account for the "fascist, capitalistic propaganda" — i.e., the American- made pictures — which they presented on the screen. These attacks, which are reminiscent of the late Paul Joseph Goebbel's rumblings against "Hollywood decadence," also serve to present an excuse for the "socialization" of motion picture theatres. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 »iiii>iMnniMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiitMiiiiiiiiiu>MniM»MiiiiiiiiiMn>t»»»»nu>»»>iiiMMnnMU>mtm Taxes, Taxes Washington Bureau READING BETWEEN the lines of the budget message President Truman recently delivered to Congress you'll find that there is little hope for a cut in the admissions tax levy — estimates of returns on admission taxes for the current fiscal year are only slightly lower than actual returns for the 1947 fiscal year, ended last June. That looks like taxes hold. Actual receipts from ad- missions taxes for the 1947 fiscal year were reported at $392,873,383. Estimate for the current year is an even $380,000,000. And the same figure has been set as the estimate for the 1949 fiscal year, which ends June 30, 1949. That's the story. Straw Vote WHEN Fox-Midwest Theatres and the Wometco Circuit got hold of "The Presi- dential Year," March of Time's latest issue, they decided the smart way to sell the short was to run presidential polls in their thea- tres. And this they're doing. They've printed up some straw-vote ballots and they pass them out to their customers after they've seen the various White House aspirants re- viewed in the March of Time short. On the ballot are President Truman, as Democratic candidate, Dewey, Taft, Eisenhower, Stas- sen, Warren, MacArthur, Martin, Vanden- burg and Saltonstall, for the Republicans, and Henry Wallace, representing the third party. Complaints CHARLIE CHAPLIN got two complaints this week about his "Monsieur Verdoux," one from a Frenchman by the name of Henri Verdoux (same name as the feature's villain- hero), who complained that the feature too closely paralleled his own life, and one from Culture and Life, the Soviet literary maga- zine, which complained that Chaplain has fallen down badly as an "enemy of reaction." In Paris Tuesday the namesake of Chap- lin's wifekilling, M. Verdoux, sued United Artists and the British Gaumont Rex Soci- ety, distributors of the feature, after a Paris court had rejected his plea that the name of the feature be changed. M. Verdoux ex- plained his suit: "I, like the film hero, have a son of five years old and am a stock- broker." But there the parallel stops, we gather, for "Monsieur Verdoux" is based on the life of Henri Landru, the notorious French "bluebeard" who was fond of mur- dering his wives. In Moscow, at about the same time, Cul- ture and Life was explaining that Verdoux need not have murdered because of the ogre of capitalism. Instead, Socialist optimism and confidence in his own power and in the power of other people like him who didn't like capitalism could have saved him. The picture has not yet played Russia, but the scenario has been printed there. Mexican Forecast Mexico City Bureau TAKING A GOOD LOOK at business pos- sibilities for the new year, seasoned indus- try men here see no theatre saturation for the city, see high admissions maintained, and see no success of legislation passing which would force Mexican exhibitors to play Mexican production for a minimum of 26 weeks. Although there will soon be 95 thea- tres in Mexico City, which has a population of 3,000,000, industry figures contend that as pictures are first favorites of Mexicans, all those theatres will be able to more than live. They also see continued success of the local exhibitors' stand for high admissions — 85 cents. This admission became standard during the war boom and now high costs, large taxes and high wages will keep ad- missions at that level. The public has gen- erally accepted that admission scale anyway, it is believed. Although fewer Mexican pic- tures are expected better quality is seen. Eagle's Scream EAGLE LION is in a position not only to deliver 55 to 60 pictures during 1948, but to deliver to the exhibitor all types of pic- tures, Max Youngstein, director of advertis- ing, publicity, and exploitation, noted in New York Tuesday. Commenting on the program announced last week, Mr. Young- stein said : "The big thing to me, after conferences at the studio with our top men and after seeing completed pictures, is that our com- pany should be able to put out such a pro- gram at the end of what to other companies seems to have been a terrible year. Our job right now is to convince the exhibitor that we're not a one-shot company; that we have all types of pictures — and enough pictures to keep him in business 52 weeks of the year. There's no secret about our ability to keep our promises, now that We've ob- tained our $11,000,000 loan." At least 21 of the pictures promised are in the "A" classification, each costing over one million dollars, Mr. Youngstein said. The company has an increasing number of independent producers, in varying deals. "We will attract many of the fellows now sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what happens to United Artists," he said. PEOPLE George V. Allen, ambassador to Iran, has been named by President Truman as As- sistant Secretary of State for Public Af- fairs succeeding William Benton whose resignation became effective October 1. Mr. Allen's new duties will include super- vising the State Department's overseas information program, including the film section, and working out a solution to the frozen funds problem. Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, returned to Holly- wood from Spokane this week for a two- week stay and announced that he was not going to Europe because "there is nothing to be accomplished by such a trip at this time." A. M. Weinberger, office manager of War- ner Brothers' New York exchange, lec- tured for the third time at New York University Thursday on showmanship and motion picture distribution. Ted Gamble, president of Theatre Owners of America, is due to arrive in New York Wednesday from his Portland, Ore., home for TOA-Ascap meetings. John Tassos, assistant to the general man- ager of Twentieth Century-Fox's Bogota, Colombia, office, has resigned to take up executive duties with a resort construction company. K. F. Van Norman, manager of the Twain theatre at Mansfield, Pa., this month is celebrating his fiftieth anniversary in the motion picture industry. Charles D. Fair, former director of adver- tising and publicity for the Southwestern Medical Foundation and College at Dallas, Tex., has been appointed to a similar post with Sack Amusement Enterprises, which has a home office in Dallas. Cresson E. Smith, assistant to Phil Reis- man, RKO Radio foreign vice-president, will retire as soon as he can conclude matters now at hand. Neil Hellman, retiring chief barker of the Albany, N. Y., Variety Club, will be guest of honor at the fifth annual dinner of that group January 24 at the Clinton Hotel. Otto Whittaker, one time advertising and general manager of the Newbold Theatre Circuit at Bramwell, W. Va., has been named copy head of Houck & Company Advertising Agency at Roanoke, Va. J. P. Harrison, theatre manager at Denton, Texas, has been elected president of the local chamber of commerce. Henry Anderson, manager of the insur- ance department of Paramount theatres, New York, has been appointed chairman of the special committee on codes and ordinances of the Theatre Owners of America, it was announced Tuesday. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Ouigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Ouigpubco New York", Martin Ouigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; David Harris Circulation Director. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building; Chicago, Editorial and Advertising, 120 South LaSalle Street, Telephone Andover 6449' Urben Farley, Advertising Representative; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square. Corre- spondents in the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, International Motior Picture Almanac and Fame. .MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 nm»mtM»mmm>mmm>mi»miiiiimmmm>uuu»mimiimimttmttr 9 THIS WEEK the Camera reports: RELAXATION, at the United Theatre Owners of Illinois Springfield meet- ing, last week. Above, in left to right order, are: Edward Zorn, president; Fred Wehrenberg, TOA board chairman; Leon Bamberger, RKO; Gus Kerasotes, Kera- sotes circuit president; George Kerasotes, UTOI vice-president, and Claude C. Mundo, The- atre Owners of Arkansas president. ARTHUR SCHMIDT, Hollywood aide to Harry Cohn, president of Columbia, has been named advertising and publicity director, succeeding Ben Serkowich, resigned. THE MOTION PICTURE industry was represented this year in Pasadena's annual Tournament of Roses parade. Above is the Cinecolor float. The Warner-Pathe newsreel photographed the parade in Cinecolor. A SCENE from the new Swiss feature, "Die Gezeichneten", produced by Lazar Wechsler, starring Ivan Jandl, above. It is a story of war-torn Europe. BIRTHDAY, right. Adolph Zukor, Par- amount's chairman of the board, spent his birthday, Janu- ary 7, at his desk, as usual. However, this did not prevent his New York friends and associates from offering congratu- lations the day long. At the right, Mr. Zukor, left, is felicitated by Frank Meyer, pur- chasing manager. Mr. Meyer's asso- ciation dates back to 1912. 10 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 By the Herald MERVYN LEROY, MGM director, was in New York this week for home office conferences and a look-see at the New York stage. PARTY, in Claridge's Hotel, London, for the completion of "The Courtneys of Curzon Street", by Herbert Wilcox. The hosts were Mr. Wilcox and his wife, actress Anna Neagle. Above, Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, near the tree, chat with Hope Williams Burnup, Quigley Publications London manager. Peter Burnup, QP London editor, is at the extreme right. PREMIERE, left. Republic's "The Flame" opened January 5 at the Paramount State theatre, San Francisco. At the left, in lobby conversation, are Mayor Oliver Eaton of Astoria, ■Oregon, Marjorie Milward and Mayor Roger Lapham of San Francisco. Premiere pro- ceeds went to the CARE organization. ANOTHER PREMIERE, this one at Berne, Switzerland, to help celebrate the opening of the new Jura theatre. The premiere was of Paramount's "Love Letters". At the right, in the Hotel Bristol, at the reception attendant to the premiere, are some of the notables and film men who attended. In left to right order are Jules A. Gendre, distributor for Paramount in Switzerland; Max Frikart, manager of the Jura theatre; F. Milliet, attorney, president of the Swiss Film Board, and Swedish Consul; Dr. H. Mauer- hofer, chief of the Swiss Chamber of Cinemas; A. Palivoda, RKO manager; F. Reyrenns, 20th-Fox manager. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 1 1 miiiiiiiiiiiimtmmnttniiUiMmnmufflfflnmTm^^ ALLEN G. ("SMITTY") SMITH, who this week succeeded James Frank, Jr., as manager of the National Theatre Supply Company's New York branch, is known to thousands of exhibitors. Once a projectionist in Oklahoma and Texas for his theatre-owning father, he was in the theatre supply business and in exhibition. THE WASHINGTON VARIETY CLUB INDUCTS. At the luncheon ceremonies in the Willard Hotel, left to right, first row, Wade Pearson, second assistant chief barker; Leon Makover; Jake Flax, first assistant chief barker; Sam Wheeler; Nathan D. Golden, 1947 chief barker; Alvin Newmeyer, counsel; Milford Schwartz, associate counsel. In the rear, George Crouch; Frank M. Boucher, 1948 chief barker, and Robert Denton. RECEPTION, right, for Glenn Ireton, newly appointed general manager of the English-speaking division of Renaissance Films, of Canada. The "open house" in Renaissance's Montreal studio drew many from the trade. At the right are Edgar Tessier, Renaissance secretary; Phil Maurice, general manager of Consolidated Theatres, and Mr. Ireton. I I A NAMEPLATE for Greer Garson's Monterey, Calif., villa. It is the invention of Silas Seadler, MGM advertising manager, and is presented to Miss Garson, above, by Frank Whitbeck, MGM studio executive. It says: "Shan-Greer-La". By the Herald LOUIS K. ANSELL, left, St. Louis exhibitor, who has turned producer, and William Rowland, the director, at a New York interview last week following the screening of the Ansell film, "Women in the Night". 2 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 HOLLYWOOD IS TRAVELING ABROAD FOR PRODUCTION THE BRITISH WON'T GIVE— says Johnston YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND— Utilizing Frozen Revenue and Lower Cost; Urge Shooting in Canada Hollywood is packing its cameras, don- ning its traveling clothes, and moving out- side U. S. borders to find new locales for production. The impulse to travel, stronger today than ever before, has been prompted by : A desire to utilize some of the revenues frozen abroad by restrictions on remit- tances to the United States. The advantages, in a time of economy, of the lower production costs abroad, both in personnel and materials. Significant underlining of the trend came in an official report Wednesday to Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, from Gerald M. Mayer, chief of the International Department of the MPAA. Said Mr. Mayer : American producers may liquidate dollars now blocked in at least six foreign countries by producing pictures in or sending companies on loca- tion to Italy, France, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Australia. All of these countries would welcome an opportunity to participate financially in American production activity within their boundaries, Mr. Johnston was informed. Hollywood, in turn, is interested in these countries and in others. Several Companies at Work In Foreign Countries David O. Selznick will produce in Sweden and Norway. Edward Small and Columbia are producing in Italy. Twen- tieth Century-Fox and RKO have produced in Mexico. Columbia has produced in Australia. RKO and Paramount are doing location shooting in Germany. Twentieth Century-Fox is shooting in Canada. RKO has produced in France. All this, of course, is aside from participation in British pro- duction. Britain, too (see page 26), is look- ing beyond her shores for production sites. In Canada, Government officials and leading theatre men are discussing the pos- sibility of Hollywood producing in Canada, using revenues which customarily are sent out of Canada for the purchase of Ameri- can features. In Ottawa Monday, a deputation of five theatre men, headed by J. J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., met C. D. Howe, Minister of Recon- struction and Supply. Mr. Fitzgibbons, who recently returned from New York where he conferred with Paramount offi- cials, with which company his circuit is (Continued on jollowing page, column 3) With American and British interests dead- locked in their attempts to settle the contro- versy over Great Britain's 75 per cent im- port tax on films, both sides withdrew from the conference tables last week to issue con- flicting statements. Said the Americans : The British won't cooperate. Said the British : We will. You don't understand our problem. Last Friday, Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, issued a statement in which he said that during the preliminary discussions held on the tax mat- ter in London, "the British stood firm on the tax and summarily rejected in principle any alternative to it. . . . The British Govern- ment has given us no choice except to con- tinue our policy of withholding shipment of pictures to Great Britain until an alternative to the confiscatory tax is worked out." "Willing to Discuss" In London, Friday, Sir Henry French, di- rector general of the British Film Produc- ers Association, issued a statement in which he said that although holding to the princi- ple of the ad valorem tax, the British Gov- ernment is "willing to discuss adjustments which would allow the American industry to retain revenues earned in the U. S. by British pictures in addition to amounts earned here by American pictures after the ad valorem duty has been paid." The French announcement was given au- thoritative backing by the circumstance that it was issued immediately after Sir Henry consulted with high British Treasury officials. Said Mr. Johnston in his statement- "They (the British) declined even to re- ceive or consider mutually beneficial pro- posals we were prepared to offer. . . ." Calls Statement "Misleading" Sir Henry, during his press conference, called Mr. Johnston's statement "mislead- ing." He said that interviews he had had with leading American industry officials in New York had convinced him that Ameri- cans, including Mr. Johnston, had failed completely to understand the crux of Britain's problem, that Britain simply could not afford more than £5,000,000 ($20,000,- says Sir Henry 000) for film hire. He added that Ameri- cans sincerely believed that Britain's tax action was due to prejudice against Holly- wood films. "The present British position," said Mr. Johnston, "affords no basis for detailed ne- gotiations. . . . We are prepared, as we al- ways have been, to negotiate at any time with the British Government on tax alter- natives." "We Have Offered" In London, Sir Henry told reporters that there was no hope for ending the deadlock until the Americans were prepared to nego- tiate on the basis that England cannot afford to pay the American film hire it once did. Mr. Johnston concluded: "We have of- fered, as evidence of our desire to aid the British people in their struggle for recovery, to leave a substantial part of our revenues there. This has been our position from the first. It is our position now." He stated, however, "it is impossible to operate in Britain under the harsh terms of the tax. . . . We cannot understand how any responsible official could expect us to do business under the tax." Into this impasse sailed Filippo Del Giu- dice, British producer, with plans for solv- ing the tax problem for himself on an in- dividual basis. Arriving in New York Jan- uary 8 aboard the Queen Elisabeth from London, Mr. del Giudice brought to Ameri- ca his reciprocity plan which he hopes to submit to American producers. Private Negotiations Saying he was in America in a "strictly private capacity," the producer stated on shipboard: "I am a great believer in the need for a flow of good pictures between our two countries and I am here to undertake some purely private negotiations which can. in my opinion, be very useful in achieving this aim. If I succeed it will establish a val- uable precedent for all concerned and will help the film art in the right direction." Mr. del Giudice would presumably ex- change productions of his own Pilgrim Pic- tures Company for American product. He was accompanied to the U. S. by Alan Jar- vis, a member of the Pilgrim board. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 13 COLDWYN SAYS: CUT COSTS IN HALF DOUBLE QUALITY Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn, the producer who wants to turn the industry upside down and sometimes very nearly does, this week urged a "revolution" to correct the "cha- otic condition" of Hollywood, said "quality (of pro- duction) must be doubled and costs cut in half," turned his back on "the crocodile tears of the exhibitors," and flew off to a vaca- tion in Honolulu. He left behind him, on the desk of James Mulvey, his company's president, three closely-typed pages of opinion predicting ruin unless the industry takes itself in hand. Wants Drastic Changes "There must be a completely revolution- ary change in the industry's objectives and methods," he wrote. "Inefficiency must be rooted out in high places as well as in all other ranks. . . . Unless a thorough and honest housecleaning takes place, the diffi- culties our industry has experienced in the past will fade into insignificance by compari- son with those ahead." Then, being specific : "There is no surer road to ruin for the industry than poor pic- tures produced at high cost. . . . Quality must be doubled and costs cut in half." Mr. Goldwyn sees costs reduced and qual- ity retained by writers paying more atten- tion to the economy of scripts, by producers and directors preparing so carefully in ad- vance of shooting that at least 50 per cent of their work is done before a camera turns, by cutting overhead by more efficient man- agement. Picture makers should, he said, "realize that the greatest spectacles are not those produced by vast sets and huge crowds, but by whatever truly touches the hearts of the audience." Sees No Move for Improvement Although Mr. Goldwyn admits that the industry is "trying a variety of expedients in order to meet the need for readjustment," he bluntly stated that he has "seen no indi- cation of an attempt to concentrate on mak- ing better pictures." Producers, too, must make up their minds that they can depend only on the domestic market. "A producer who today counts on any foreign revenue to pay off his cost is inviting disaster," he warned. Turning to exhibition, Mr. Goldwyn was frank: "I have no sympathy whatever for the crocodile tears of exhibitors about high film rentals when it is a fact that the exhibi- tion end of the business has always received the lion's share. . . . Exhibitors ought to realize that basically they are in the real estate business. . . ." He sees divorcement of exhibition from production as "essential to the health of our industry in order to break the strangle-hold held by a few companies" and he does not believe that the industry is doing a good public relations job. "Good public relations," he believes, "start with good private relations, and we must put our own house in order before we can hope to win the genuine good will of the public." Park-In To Construct Two Theatres in Camden, N. J. W. W. Smith, president of Park-In Thea- tres, Inc., Camden, N. J., has announced that his company will build two drive-ins in the Camden area, each with a 750-car capacity. It is planned to have the theatres in operation in the early spring of 1948. Park-In Theatres, established 15 years ago, and which owns the patent on drive-in thea- tre construction, has licensed more than 150 drive-ins throughout the country to use their patents. "Power" for Bond Drives The U. S . Treasury has ordered 450 16mm prints of the Warner Brothers docu- mentary, "The Power Behind the Nation," to use during the year in Savings Bond Drives. The Technicolor short is being released by the Motion Picture Association, with all proceeds going to the Damon Run- von Memorial Fund for Cancer Research. Takes 5 Foreign Films Distinguished Films, Inc., of New York, has acquired the United States distribution rights to five foreign pictures. The first to be released will be the Italian-made "Re- venge," starring Anna Magnini, followed by four French productions, "Torrents," "One Night With You," "Mr. Alibi," and "The Wrath of God." Beck Forms Producing Unit The formation of Westwood Corporation to make two features for Universal-Inter- national release has been announced in Hollywood by John Beck, former U-I ex- ecutive. The first will be "Countess of Monte Cr-isto," starring Sonja Henie and Susanna Foster. PRODUCTION ABROAD (.Continued from preceding page) affiliated, is seeking, along with other the- atre men, elimination of the Federal Gov- ernment's war tax of 20 per cent on theatre grosses. Further, plans for modifying Can- ada's import restrictions are up for discus- sion. It is Mr. Howe's idea that Hollywood should come to Canada instead of Canadian dollars going to Hollywood. Tuesday, Mr. Selznick announced that he would produce in Europe beginning in April of this year, "A Doll's House," the Henrik Ibsen classic, starring Dorothy McGuire. Studio work will be done in Sweden and locations will be shot in Norway. The fea- ture will be released internationally by the Selznick Releasing Organization. Aside from economic considerations, Hollywood's foreign activities, as Mr. May- er pointed out in his report, will aid in- ternational understanding. "I have found," he said, "that the Ameri- can film industry was quick to realize it had to gear post-war production to changed conditions in countries that had experienced the war. There is gratifying evidence that this is being done." Eastman Kodak Appoints Seven Assistants Appointment of seven assistant superin- tendents at Eastman Kodak's Kodak Park Works in Rochester has been announced. They are: Richard L. Clark, cine processing department ; James P. Culhane, film plan- ning and record department; Wesley T. Hanson, color process development; Floyd L. Hertle, film testing department; Lewis H. McGlashan, sensitized paper packing de- partment; Gordon L. Waasdrop, baryta de- partment, and Lot S. Wilder, film testing department. Eastman Gelatine Corporation has appointed John P. Newbury general manager. Clark Let Contracts Clark Film Distributors, Inc., of Phila- delphia, has let a contract for the installa- tion of a complete sprinkler system and the addition of four film vaults, William J. Clark, executive vice-president of National Film Service, has announced. Grants Franchise Devonshire Film Company, Boston, has granted a franchise for west coast distribu- tion to Screen Guild Production of the Pa- cific Coast, Inc. The first releases under the deal will be "Wings of Morning" and "Dark Journey." Acquires "Mill on the Floss" English Films has acquired the reissue rights for the U. S. of "Mill on the Floss," starring James Mason and Geraldine Fitz- gerald. 14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JANUARY 17, 1948 PARAMOUNT SUES BRANDT ON PERCENTAGE RETURNS New York Circuit Charged with Fraud; Action Asks $563,265 in Damages Paramount Pictures on Monday, January 12, instituted a fraud action in the New York State Supreme Court, New York County, naming Brandt Theatres, New York, and 162 other exhibitors and officers of ex- hibitor corporations in the Brandt Cir- cuit. A total of 8563,265 damages is claimed. The complaint, which consists of 33 separate causes of action, charges all the defendants with having- made false Harry Brandt box office returns on percentage pictures and with having offered fraudulent state- ments, during the period beginning Jan- uary 6, 1942, and continued to the pres- ent. In June of 1942, Mr. Brandt, head of a booking combine in addition to heading his circuit and organizer and president of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York, made an out-of-court settlement with Twentieth Century-Fox for $237,000 as an accounting on percentage picture played during a period of about two years. Loew's, RKO and Warner Brothers have been weighing action similar to that of 20th- Fox and Paramount since that time. The Paramount complaint alleges that "the defendants Harry Brandt, Bernard B. Brandt, Louis Brandt and William Brandt, doing business under the name of Brandt Theatres, in collaboration with the other de- fendants" conspired "to defraud the plain- tiff, making, or causing to be made . . . false and inaccurate statements of the gross ad- mission receipts" from percentage pictures. Plaintiff Charges Checkers Bribed to Sign Reports In addition, it is alleged that in the case cf license agreements containing "split fig- ure arrangements" which provide for the sharing of receipts in excess of the exhibi- tors' operating expenses, "false and inac- curate statements of the defendants' ex- penses" were furnished to the plaintiff, in- ducing the plaintiff to grant licenses which provided for fees which were lower than the plaintiff would have required to be paid. Filed by Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin and Krim, attorneys for Paramount, the com- plaint charges that some of the defendants "induced checkers, by bribery, deceit, and other means, to sign certain of the written reports pertaining to the box office receipts of percentage pictures" and that the defend- ants' acts of under-reporting "were wilfully, deliberately and fraudulently committed.-' Specifically, it is charged that "said de- fendants falsified the books and records of their respective theatres." The complaint alleges that such falsification was "effected hy the following methods and devices, among others : "By crediting as received from flat rental pictures a portion of the receipts that had in fact been derived from the exhibition of some of the percentage pictures of the plain- tiff; by using duplicate ticket rolls; by using unreported ticket rolls ; by selling tickets out of continuity ; by reselling tickets and by engaging in fraudulent and illegal methods in connection with the admission of patrons to the theatres ; by maintaining separate un- reported bank accounts ; by switching ticket rolls between different theatres in the same circuit ; by submitting to the plaintiff altered and/or rewritten daily tally reports; and by attributing portions of the gross receipts to other sources, thus diminishing the amount of gross receipts reported." Paramount Claims Defense Padded Its Expenses In regard to the "split figure arrange- ments'' based on the exhibitors' expenses. Paramount alleges that the exhibitors pad- ded their expenses in the following ways : "By passing excessive theatre rentals to realty corporations owned or controlled by the corporate defendants ; by claiming as operating costs certain non-existent items of expense; by claiming as operating costs items of expense attributable to non-operat- ing or extraneous sources ; by claiming as operating costs certain personal non-busi- ness expenses of officers of the defendant corporations ; and by claiming as operating costs sums in excess of the actual expenses incurred." The "methods and devices" used by the exhibitors, in furthering their conspiracy to under-report admission receipts and to exaggerate expenses, are alleged, in all cases, to have "followed a common pattern." S hour as Arbitrator in 20th-Fox Settlement In the 20th Century-Fox case, an award was made under the New York arbitration statute, with Spyros Skouras, 20th-Fox president, acting as the arbitrator at the re- quest of Mr. Brandt. The complaining company had refused to sell Brandt houses their product from Oc- tober, 1945, until settlement was reached. About 50 pictures were believed to have been involved in the settlement — pictures which had had playdates in more than 80 of the 100 or more theatres in the circuit. BRANDT ATTACKS SUIT AS FALSE Monday Mr. Brandt issued the following statement on the suit: "This type of action is typical of the ac- tions instituted all over the country against independent exhibitors in an effort to im- pose the pressure of the monopoly upon the independent. The allegations of the com- plaint are libelous, baseless and wholly with- out merit. Appropriate action to redress these charges will be taken in due course. "Typical of the falsehood, inaccuracy and absurdity of the allegations of the complaint is the inclusion, for instance, of theatres neither owned nor booked by the Brandts and theatres which never made any contracts with Paramount. "The other charges will be proved to be equally false and inaccurate. It is high time that some of the monopolistic industry prac- tices which have caused the deplorable condi- tions affecting the independent exhibitor be given a thorough airing. I welcome this suit because it affords an opportunity to bring to the light of day the circumstances surrounding the monopolistic practices to which independent exhibitors are subjected. It will be a revelation to the public when the facts of this case are aired in court. It will show the extremes to which some of these companies are willing to go in then- greed for control over the independent ex- hibitor, to the extent that they must rule or ruin. The exhibition industry should once and for all be free of these onerous prac- tices. I am positive that those clear think- ing industry executives who have the best interests of the future of the industry at heart will support this fight of the indepen- dent." ACTION NAMES 162 DEFENDANTS Following are the defendants named in the summons and complaint of Paramount Pictures, Inc., against Harry Brandt, Louis Brandt, Bernard B. Brandt and William Brandt, individually and/or doing business under the name Brandt Theatres, et al : Harry Brandt, Louis Brandt, Bernard B. Brandt and William Brandt, individually and/or doing business under the name Brandt Theatres, Jay Dee Theatre Corp., Constance Theatre Corp., Wells Theatre, Inc., M. F. Theatre Corp.. Phillips-Sussman, Inc., Selhel, Inc. Harkray, Inc., Brandt Amusement, Inc., 1555 Broadway Inc. Eisenbran, Inc., Alden Rochelle, Inc., Gladpearl, Inc., Central Amusement Yonkers, Inc., Harlou Inc. Lou-Har Inc., Audubon Amusements, Inc., Harmark, Inc. Evadne. Inc., Belle Theatre, Inc. Greenvine Theatres, Inc., Helsel, Inc., Dobar Theatre Co., Inc. Tudor Theatre Corp. Raystock Theatre Corp., Quin- ral, Inc. Rayrita Theatres Corp., Hal Theatres Corp., Ray- mark Theatres, Inc., Mangood Operating Corp., Ro- (Continued on following page, column 3) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 15 BRANDT SUIT MEMO TO HOLLYWOOD The Evil of Over-Length Pictures by RED KANN A PICTURE theatre cannot get along without pictures. Which isn't saying much about anything. But a picture theatre cannot get along without sufficient audience turnover, either. And that's say- ing a little about much. The over-length film is responsible for a condition which theatremen complain over and find their objections ignored. As the closest point of contact with the traffic-bear- ing public, it is difficult to understand why this should be. But a fact can never deny its birthright no matter how it is kicked around. The fact is too many attractions are pad- ded because a limited number of long and successful predecessor attractions have set a Hollywood fashion. The fact is a for- midable list of films has been running to excessive footage in the mistaken idea that inordinate length equals production values which equal size which equals record-break- ing grosses. The sad, sad commentary is that very often this simply is not so. Some stories are told in their dramatic and entertaining best when told in minimum footage — let's say, 90 minutes or thereabouts which the theatreman, practically to a man, finds perfect for his program, his operating overhead, his turnover, his boxoffice and, therefore, for his audience. Some stories cannot be told adequately in an hour and a half, or thereabouts, and should not be held to such an arbitrary standard. When it can be justified on the ■basis of solid and experience-proof judg- ment, but not on the basis of vanity spawned by the competitive, professional urge, the additional length, of course, becomes proper and sound procedure. The evil of the over-length picture, how- ever flares into a number of directions from which its own champions are never ex- empted. The over-length film runs up the negative charge, as illustrated by added costs represented by additional shooting time. It sacrifices potential dramatic values and waters down the existing values. It robs the theatre of that fast turnover which builds grosses, thereby depriving the exhibitor of actual dollars and the producer of a greater share of the take under per- centage engagements. It disrupts normal operating schedules. It gets the public into the theatre at an inconvenient hour and out when average America wants to be, or ought to be asleep. The over-length film crowds playing time to an extent which keeps off the screen and away from millions who would be interested a wide assortment of interesting short sub- jects— many of them of great value in keep- ing alive the public's interest in motion pictures, per se. IN the last 17 months, 94 films released in the domestic market ran 100 minutes or better. Metro, where once it was the brave intention of inducing its producers to hold to an average 100 minutes top, has been responsible for 18 of these, climaxed cur- rently with "The Green Dolphin Street" at two hours and 21 minutes. Warner has had 16, as had Universal with mostly British product; RKO 12, Twentieth Century-Fox 10; Paramount and United Artists five each, and Columbia three. Of course, not all in this category ran to excessive footage with the dissipation of dramatic strength which usually sets in as the film gets longer and longer. But the following attractions, which had the oppor- tunity of dodging such a dissipation of their strength or of enhancing their strength, ap- pear to us to have gotten out of hand: "The Beginning or the End," "Carnegie Hall," "Captain from Castile," "Cass Tim- berlane," "Duel in the Sun," "Forever Am- ber," "Gentlemen's Agreement," "The Hucksters," "Humoresque," "The Green Dolphin Street," "It Happened on Fifth Avenue," "It's a Wonderful Life," "I've Al- ways Loved You," "The Jolson Story," "Life With Father," "Monsieur Verdoux," "Mourning Becomes Electra," "Nightmare Alley," "No Leave, No Love," "The Para- dine Case," "The Razor's Edge," "Sea of Grass," "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "Sinbad, the Sailor," "Sister Kenny," "Song of Love," "Till the Clouds Roll By," "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," "Tycoon," "Unconquered" and "Undercurrent." Even far-famed "The Best Years of Our Lives," blueprinted at its inception for advanced admissions, could have been done with less than its 172 minutes. "Since You Went Away" at 170 minutes was an outstanding success, of course. So, too, was "Mrs. Miniver" at 133, '"Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Random Harvest" at 126, "Rebecca" at 125, "San Francisco" at 115, "This Is the Army" at 114, and "Meet Me in St. Louis" at 113. The phenomenal "Going My Way" was five minutes over two hours, and "The Bells of St. Mary's" six minutes over, these and the others presum- ably tending to defeat the argument. How- ever, they were among the exceptional. But "California" at 98 minutes went handsome places. So, also, did "Two Years Before the Mast" at 98, "The Farmer's Daughter" at 97, "Perils of Pauline" at 96, "Dear Ruth" and "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" at 95, "Margie" at 94, "Vari- ety Girl" at 93, "My Favorite Brunette" at 87. And very good were "Spellbound" at 111, "The Egg and I" at 108, "Mother Wore Tights" at 107, "Welcome Stranger" at 106, "The Time, the Place, the Girl" at 105, "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" and "Blue Skies" at 104 and "Lost Weekend" at 101. (Continued from preceding page) gel Amusement Corp., Lenflar Amusement Co., Inc., Kaydee Amusement Co., Inc., Kay Theatres Corp., Kaydale Theatre Corp., Normandie Amusement Corp., Utopia Amusement Corp., Raystan Theatres Corp., Raygota Theatre Corp., Rayhertz Amusement Corp., Raygold Amusement Corp. Stateray, Inc., Eaglamuco, Inc., Monamco, Inc., Monthecorp, Inc., Aljoma Amusement Corp., Electra Amusement Co. Inc., Fair Operating Corp., R. O. R. Amusement Corp., R. H. R. Amusement Corp., Tena- fly Playhouse, Inc., Jaysebe Theatres, Inc., Wakefield Cinemas, Inc., Benwill Theatre Corp., Bednob, Inc. No. 14 Theatre Inc. Bedford Theatres, Inc., Grenvil Theatre Corp. Schuyler Theatre, Inc., Embassy Ver- non Corp., Mt. Vernon Theatre Corp., Yonkers-Kent Corp., Germal Operating Corp. Lawbin Theatre Co., Inc., Addie Co., Inc., Ralsut. Inc., Helgus, Inc., Carol Ann Theatres Inc., Andear Amusement Corp., Iris Joyce, Inc., Anwell Amusement Corp., Broadyork, Inc., Bernbar, Inc., Sanglo Operating Co., Inc. Mayfair Entertainment Co., Bergenline Amusement Co., Cliffside Amusement Company, Gold- en Lane Theatre Corp., West New York Theatre Co., Ravenswood Realty Corp., Ridgewood Amuse- ment Corp., Milton Feldman, Leonard Feldman, Sey- mour Feldman, Florence Feldman and Louis Feldman, doing business under the name Midtown Operating Co., Lednar Amusement Co., Inc., M. E. & H. Amuse- ments, Inc., Sagamore Theatre Corp., Dean Enter- prises, Inc., Cinema Theatre Corp. 48th Street Theatre Co. Inc., Colony Theatre Corp., Miriam Amusement Corp., T. C. Theatre Corp., Music Hall Theatre Corp., Juliet Theatre, Inc., Libco Thea- tre, Inc., Rialto Amusement Enterprises, Inc., Netcong Amusement Co., Inc., Jewel Theatre of Brooklyn, Inc., 60 West 116th St. Theatre Corp., Sanpine Operating Co., Inc., Tenlow Theatre Operating Corp., Richie Amusement Corp., Emmons Theatre Corp., Davestan Amusement Co., Inc. Museum Theatre Co., Inc., Argent Amusement Co., Inc., Weingin Amusement Corp., Vinegrad Theatre Enterprises, Inc., Joseph E. Rubinstein doing business under the name of Ampere, Ltd., Ess-Kay Theatres, Inc., Francis Amusement Corp., Lanroc Operating Corp., Raybond Theatres, Inc., Joseph Ingber, Wil- liam Sussman, Harry Eistenstein, Vivian Gruber, Louis Mazze, David Weinstock, Emanuel Hertzig, Ben- jamin Weinstock, Alexander Weinstock, Harold J. Weinstock, Bernard Zimetbaum, Samuel Rhonheimer, Ray Rhonheimer, Edith Bolte Marshall, as Adminis- tratrix of the Goods, Chattels and Credits of John C. Bolte, Deceased, Ben Knobel, Raymond V. Wem- ple, Erwin L Unger, W. J. Unger, Harold W. Freed - man. Sanruel H. Levine, Martin Levine, George Brandt, Rudolph Sanders, Julius Sanders, Albert Margolies, Murray Schoen, Milton Feldman, Leonard Feldman, Seymour Feldman, Abraham H. Eisenstadt, Max A. Goldbaum, Harry Doniger, Miriam Shukat, Abraham H. Shukat, R. H. Goldblatt, Samuel Friedman, Sidney- Ross, Hyman Browne, Lillie Browne, Stanley Sobel- son, Samuel Silver, S. Weinberg, Nathan Vinegrad, Irving Kurland, Max Friedman, Moe Goldman, Fred Faulkner, Harry Kridel and Matthew Katinsky. American Brotherhood Week Committees Are Selected J. Robert Rubin, national chairman of the amusement division for American Brother- hood Week, and Spyros Skouras, national chairman for the film division, Monday an- nounced committees to work on the drive sponsored by the National Conference of . Christians and Jews the week of Feb. 22. The committees are : David Weinstock, chairman, campaign committee; Barney Bal- aban, Jock Cohn, Ned E. Depinet, Ted Gam- ble, Jack Kirsch, Louis Nizer and Albert Warner, national associate chairmen; Sam Shain, aide to Mr. Skouras; N. Peter Rath- von, chairman, Hollywood committee ; Harry Brandt, chairman, exhibitors' committee; Emil Friedlander and Will H. Hays, co- chairmen, special gifts ; Robert Mochrie, chairman, distributors' division. Also, Max A. Cohen, chairman, home office committee ; Benjamin Sherman, chairman, allied industries; Brock Pemberton, chair- man, legitimate theatres ; John Golden and Oscar Hammerstein, vice-chairmen, legiti- mate theatres; Silas Seadler, chairman, ad- vertising and publicity ; S. Barrett McCor- mick and Charles Schlaifer, vice-chairmen, advertising and publicity, and Roger Ferri, chairman, company publications. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Company, Union Heads to Testify On Coast Strike The presidents of the major companies and other officers, Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, and the heads of the Hollywood labor unions are expected to appear at the week-long hear- ings on the studio jurisdictional strike, scheduled to get under way before Repre- sentative Carroll D. Kearns in Washington February 17. Mr. Kearns, chairman of a House labor sub-committee investigating the studio strike, said it was his hope the hearings would result in "a satisfactory settlement of existing jurisdictional strikes in Holly- wood." At the same time he warned that, should such a settlement not be obtained, the committee would "fix the responsibility" and would "recommend remedial legislation to Congress." Mr. Kearns, who will conduct the hear- ings alone, said this week he expected the presidents of the unions involved as well as one or more of their Hollywood representa- tives to attend. Among those to testify will be William L. Hutcheson, president of the Brotherhood of Carpenters, and Paul Dul- zell of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America. Others include the presidents of the teamsters, painters, electrical work- ers, plumbers, building service employes, machinists, hod carriers and operating engi- neers unions. Richard F. Walsh, presi- dent of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees, also will testify. In Hollywood, meanwhile, Herbert K. Sorrell, business agent of Local 644, de- nounced as "the same old deal we could have made a year ago" terms under which IATSE assertedly would withdraw claims to jurisdiction over studio painters. The terms were communicated to Mr. Sorrell by L. P. Lindelof, the painters' international president, and involved among others the resignation of Mr. Sorrell and "four or five others." Later, Roy Brewer, IATSE inter- national representative on the coast, denied having had any discussions on the subject with Mr. Lindelof. To Make Television Films A new company, Unitel, Inc., has been organized in Hollywood to produce motion pictures for television. The first series of shorts, designed to meet program require- ments of from five to 30 minutes, will fea- ture musical interpretations of stars of screen, radio and the concert field. Unitel also will produce television commercials. Theatre Leased Clarence and Irene King, owners and operators of the Walden theatre in Williams- town, Mass., have leased it to Franklin Amusement Corporation, of which Roy Harris of Greenfield, Mass., is president. CSA Asks Supreme Court To Eliminate Bidding Washington Bureau The Confederacy of Southern Associations has asked the Supreme Court to eliminate the competitive bidding provisions in the de- cree handed down by the New York District Court in the U. S. vs. Paramount, et al., anti-trust case. In a brief submitted to the high court on Tuesday, the CSA declared that it should have been permitted to inter- vene in the suit on the District Court level and asked leave to intervene at the Supreme Court level. The organization has been granted time for oral argument before the high court in connection with its appeal to intervene in the New York Court. The competitive bidding system, CSA submitted in its brief, would "only bring about hopeless chaos in the business of the exhibitor." Exhibitors Contesting Validity of Tax The city of St. Louis and Frank A. Brit- ton, license collector, were named defendants in a suit filed here Tuesday contesting the validity of the new five per cent city tax on theatre admissions. Action was brought by representatives of Fanchon and Marco, Kai- mann Theatres and other large St. Louis theatrical interests. Plaintiffs include the Anritz Amusement Co., Ansell Amusement Co., Eden Theatre Co., O'Fallon Theatre Co., Pauline Theatre, Loew's State Theatre Corp., Movie Enterprises, Inc., Palm Thea- tre Co., St. Louis-Ambassador Theatre, Inc., St. Louis Missouri Theatre, Inc,. and the St. Louis Amusement Co. Cite Trust Laws in Reply To Percentage Action Jesse Stern and Abe Levy, New York ex- hibitors named in percentage suits brought by Paramount, Twentieth Century-Fox and Warners, have claimed, in their answers, that film contracts violate Federal and New York anti-trust laws. They also have filed a counter claim against the plaintiffs and against Confidential Reports, checking ser- vice, alleging a conspiracy to violate the state anti-trust laws by exchanging theatre information. Famous Players Club Inducts 2 1 Employees Twenty-one veteran employees of the Famous Players Canadian circuit were in- ducted Tuesday night at Toronto into the circuit's "25-Year Club." The occasion was the club's fourth "birthday party," at the King Edward Hotel. At banquets in Winni- peg and Vancouver later this month, another 18 will be inducted. Those inducted Tues- day night are from Ontario and Quebec. Planning New Drive-In B. & L. Theatres, Inc., Charlotte, have an- nounced plans for construction of a drive- in theatre on Route 29 between High Point and Thomasville, N. C, at a cost of about $100,000. 10 Indicted Must Stand Trial for Contempt Feb.9 Indicted for contempt of Congress be- cause of their refusal to answer questions on their political affiliations at the hear- ings of the House Un-American Activities Committee, 10 Hollywood writers and di- rectors last week pleaded not guilty and were ordered to stand separate trials in Washington Federal District Court start- ing February 9. Also last week, four of the defendants filed claims for almost $4,500,000 in dam- ages from the companies which dismissed three and suspended one of them in the wake of the House Committee hearings. Ring Lardner, Jr., and Edward Dmytryk, producer-director, sought damages of $1,- 382,000 and $1,783,425 from 20th Century- Fox and RKO, respectively. Adrian Scott, producer, charging RKO Radio with breach of contract and "loss of outlet for artistic and intellectual gratification" asked $1,314,000. Lester Cole, writer, mere- ly asked a court order of declaratory re- lief and return to the payroll of the Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer studio. A separate suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by Emmett Lavery, writer, who sued for $1,000,000 in damages from seven individuals, American Town Hall and the American Broadcasting Company network as the result of a broadcast Sep- tember 2, 1947. Mr. Lawson's trial is of special interest since J. Parnell Thomas, chairman of the Un-American Activities group, has de- clared that the "second phase" of his com- mittee's hearings will not take place until the court has decided on at least the first of the 10 cases. Dalton Trumbo will be second to be tried. Lester Cole will be last on March 24. Mr. Thomas and Rob- ert E. Stripling, the committee's chief in- vestigator, are expected to testify. Last week each of the defendants posted $1,000 bond. Mr. Thomas took to the air last week to serve notice on the industry and the pub- lic that the committee's investigation of Hollywood was "far from over." In the very near future "the records of many more top salaried Hollywood figures will be spot- lighted," Mr. Thomas declared, adding that this was natural since it would be "sheer folly to permit the Communists and their fel- low travelers to remain in strategic positions in such a powerful medium of propaganda, education and entertainment as the movies." He also again attacked "certain prominent dupes and innocents in the motion picture in- dustry" for aiding and abetting in the cam- paign against his committee's investigation of the industry. Drops Department Paramount this week discontinued its ex- hibitor relations department. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 17 FOREIGN FILMS BIG IN 20th-Fox Starts TWO SEATTLE HOUSES Zone Clearance Seattle Bureau The theory that foreign-made feature films are box office poison to small town and neighborhood operators has been conclu- sively disproved by two Seattle, Wash., ex- hibitors. On October 30, 1947, the Varsity theatre, and one week later the Uptown, both neighborhood houses, launched pro- grams which featured only foreign-made films. Public response, and box office stimula- tion has been, according to Cassius Smith, manager of the Varsity, "terrific." Gene Naevitt, Uptown manager, is only slightly less enthusiastic with his award of "ex- cellent" to the results of the experiment. Says Terrific — and Means It "The word 'terrific'," says Mr. Smith, "has been worked to death by the motion picture people, but when I say that response to our new all-foreign film policy has been terrific, I mean it literally. It's the only term I can think of to describe our results to date with the new program. In my 13 years as manager of various theatres, I've never seen anything like it." Box office receipts at the Varsity since the inception of the experiment are slightly more than twice as great as before the new policy was adopted. Attesting further to the pop- ularity of the program are now-regular pa- trons who come to the Varsity from as far distant as Everett, 25 miles from Seattle, and from Kirkland, 15 miles away. Requests for programs of future showings have come from every district of the city of Seattle. And it is not an unusual occurrence to have patrons stop Mr. Smith in the lobby for as long as one-half hour, telling him of their approval of the new all-foreign program. Evidence of popularity and success of the program is sufficient, even at this early date, to justify Mr. Smith's prediction that the program is "here to stay." Location a Factor What is the explanation for this apparent contradiction to the experience of other neigh- borhood operators who have found foreign films neither popular nor profitable ? The number one factor for the phenomenal suc- cess of the Varsity, according to Mr. Smith, is its location within one of Seattle's newest and most progressive shopping and residen- tial areas, the University district, located two blocks from the 17,000-student University of Washington campus. This strategic loca- tion is all-important to this experiment which might fare much less favorable in a less receptive neighborhood, Mr. Smith feels. Oddly enough, the greater patronage* does not come from the University students or faculty members, but from the non-Uni- versity residents of the district. The advertising campaign announcing the new program was launched three weeks be- «^r- '3> MOEL COWARD'S tkvcm THIS HAPPY, iPfiil IS BREED o MARQUEE of the Varsity theatre, Seattle, selling the first attraction under the theatre's new foreign film policy- fore the opening of "This Happy Breed." A brochure heralding the new first run for- eign picture policy was mailed to 10,000 prospective patrons. Daily newspapers ads announcing the new plan started three weeks in advance, concurrently with advance trailers which explained to regular patrons of the Varsity the new policy. With each change of feature, 5,000 post cards are mailed throughout the city. "This Happy Breed," which lasted four weeks, was followed by "I Know Where Im Going," which stayed three weeks. The French "It Happened at the Inn" followed as the first non-English film. Lack of gen- eral publicity and of a name star kept at- tendance at this film down, but those who came expressed almost unanimous approval. "Bush Christmas" drew great crowds of neighborhood children. Must Have Good Films The continuing success of the new pro- gram will depend from here on, according to Mr. Smith, on the continuing importation of good foreign films. The Varsity has booked "The Magic Bow," "Johnny French- man," "The Years Between," and others. "We're getting a new type of customer," says Mr. Smith. At the Uptown, which inaugurated the new plan as it reopened November 7 after extensive remodeling, response has been as surprisingly good. Situated in the lower Queen Anne shopping-residential district, and approximately three miles from down- town Seattle, the Uptown has drawn large crowds with such non-English films as the Swedish "Torment," the Italian "Life of Verdi," and the French "Mayerling." Results at both the Varsity and Uptown, after two months, are conclusively success- ful. It will remain for the next six months to determine the long range significance of an all-foreign film program for neighbor- hood theatres. Plan in Chicago A new method of distribution in the Chi- cago general release area which will allow flexible clearance and call for competitive negotiation for runs, was announced Tues- day by Andy W. Smith, Jr., general sales manager, and Jack Lorentz, central division sales manager. The new method begins with the com- pany's current productions of "Daisy Ken- yon" and "Captain from Castile," Chicago area exhibitors have been informed by letter. Under this experimental plan, which may be changed or modified, the Chicago terri- tory and the suburbs, including Gary and Hammond, Ind., but exclusive of first runs in the Loop, has been divided into 15 major key zones. All comparable theatres in each of these zones, and in the sub-key zones in their turn, will be given an opportunity to buy a run on "Daisy" and "Captain" in com- petitive negotiation with every other theatre in the zone which desires to bid. In this way 15 theatres can play 20th-Fox product day and date on the same availability. The major zones have been divided into sub-key zones in which additional runs sub- sequent to the first run in the major zones will be offered also on the basis of competi- tive negotiation. The first run in the Loop area will be granted a flexible clearance of seven to 14 days and, in some instances, this seven-day clearance may be reduced to a prior run. This flexibility is to afford subsequent runs a better opportunity to book. The first run in each of the 15 zones will be granted a clearance of seven to 14 days over the next run and so on down the line with seven to 14 days' clearance granted.each prior run. Inaugurating the plan, however, clearance on "Daisy" will be 16 days and on "Captain" 15 days. In announcing the plan Mr. Smith said, "We have no intention of requiring as a part of our negotiation with key theatres a fixed admission price and because of our flexible clearance plan, there will be no uniformity of clearance. Texas Club Names Schepps Julius Schepps has been elected chief barker of the Texas Variety Club, succeed- ing William O'Donnell. Fred Hoenschiedt was elected first assistant chief barker; P. E. Wilson, second assistant, and Duke Clark, prop master. Harold Schwartz was reelect- ed treasurer. Acquires "Lover's Return" American distribution rights to "A Lover's Return, originally titled "Le Revenant," have been acquired by Westport Internation- al Film, Inc., a newly formed distribution firm. The French feature stars Louis Jou- vet and Gaby Morlay. 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Ti he love ... the songs ... the laught Jeanne ("MARGIE") CRAIN OSCAR LEVANT ■ BARBA Directed by LLOYD BACH Original Screen F V; 1 • ••• ft *>AS9 |{^Vf IV IF I HAD YOU • AIN'T MISBEHAVIN* • YOU WERE MEANT I'LL GET BY • CRAZY RHYTHM • SI an era that'll never be forgotten Dan ("MOTHER WORE TIGHTS") DAI LEY Selena Roy le • Percy Kilbride iVYRLNUL ' Lee MacGregor • Herbert Anderson roduced by FRED KOHLMAR Moll and Valentine Davies i^Scing • GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART • AIN'T SHE SWEET? iEADS AMONGST THE GOLD .and meant for "CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE" i TECHNICOLOR Dorryl F. Zanuck presents "CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE" . Color by TECHNICOLOR • Starring TYRONE POWER with JEAN PETERS, CESAR ROMERO, JOHN SUTTON, LEE J. COBB, Antonio Moreno, Thomas Gomez, Alan Mowbray, Barbara Lawrence, George Zucco, Roy Roberts, Marc Lawrence • Directed by HENRY KING • Produced by LAMAR TROTTI • Screen Play by Lamar Trotti • From the Novel by Samuel Shellabarger DAISY KENYON' JOAN CRAWFORD, DANA ANDREWS, HENRY FONDA in "DAISY KENYON" with Ruth Warrick, Martha Stewart, Peggy Ann Garner, Connie Marshall, Nicholas Joy, Art Baker Produced and Directed by OTTO PREMINGER • Screen Play by David Hertz • Based on the Novel by Elizabeth Janeway GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT" Darryl F. Zanuck presents GREGORY PECK, DOROTHY McGUIRE, JOHN GARFIELD in Laura Z. Hobson's "GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT" with Celeste Holm, Anne Revere, June Havoc, Albert Dekker, Jane Wyatt, Dean Stockwell, Sam JafFe • Produced by DARRYL F. ZANUCK Screen Play by MOSS HART . Directed by ELIA KAZAN CENTURY-FOX ft CALL NORTHSIDE 777" JAMES STEWART in "CALL NORTHSIDE 777" with RICHARD CONTE, LEE J. COBB, HELEN WALKER and Betty Garde, Kasia Orzazewski, Joanne de Bergh, Howard Smith, Moroni Olsen, John Mclntire, Paul Harvey • Directed by HENRY HATHAWAY • Produced by OTTO LANG • Screen Play by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler • Adaptation by Leonard Hoffman and Quentin Reynolds • Based on Articles by James P. McGuire SUMMER LIGHTNING TECHNICOLOR JUNE HAVER in "SUMMER LIGHTNING" • Color by TECHNICOLOR • With LON McCALLISTER and WALTER BRENNAN, ANNE REVERE, NATALIE WOOD, Robert Karnes, Henry Hull, Tom Tully • Directed by F. HUGH HERBERT • Produced by WALTER MOROSCO • Screen Play by F. Hugh Herbert • From a Novel by George Agnew Chamberlain FURY AT FURNACE CREEK" "FURY AT FURNACE CREEK" starring VICTOR MATURE with COLEEN GRAY, GLENN LANGAN, REGINALD GARDINER, Albert Dekker, Fred Clark, Charles Kemper, Robert Warwick, George Cleveland, Roy Roberts, Frank Orth, Willard Robertson • Directed by BRUCE HUMBERSTONE • Produced by FRED KOHLMAR • Written by Charles G. Booth Additional Dialogue by Winston Miller • Suggested by a story by David Garth Canada Lifting Ban on 35mm Projector Import The Canadian Government has lifted its ban on the importation of 35mm projectors, the film industry was informed last week. The import of 16mm projection machines still remains on the restricted list. The Gov- ernment's move applies to imports from all countries. There is the intimation, however, that, effective February 1, the importation of 35mm projectors will be placed in the category of articles for which permit li- censes are required. This would provide a svstem of Government control. Technicolor Files Denial In Government Trust Suit A complete denial of the charges con- tained in the Government's anti-trust suit filed last August was made by Technicolor, Inc., in an answer filed in the United States District Court in Los Angeles last Thursday by Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president. Dr. Kalmus said: "Technicolor's process has been evolved through more than 25 years of achievement and with the expenditure of millions of dollars for research, and not by the purchase or absorption of other com- panies." Report 411,433 Shares In Paramount Treasury Having purchased 7,800 additional shares of its common stock on the open market during December, Paramount at the end of the year had 411,433 shares in its treasury, the New York Stock Exchange reported this week. Total Paramount share purchases, since Barney Balaban, president, announced the stock-buying program November 1946, amount to 603,100 shares. During 1947, however, 35,000 shares were used to pur- chase Liberty Films and another 56,667 were used in exchange for the acquisition of, Rainbow Productions. Stock Shares Offered Consolidated Theatres, an affiliate of Fa- mous Players Canadian Corp., has made a public offer of 73,500 shares of class "A" stock at $9.50 per share, plus a frac- tional class "B" stock bonus, the dividend rate to be 50 cents per year. The com- pany operates theatres in Montreal. Buys Four in Philadelphia The A. M. Ellis Enterprises, one of the larger independent circuits operating in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, has purchased the four Philadelphia neighbor- hood houses of the Leo Posel circuit, the Tyson, Benner, Regal and Crest. The pur- chase price was reported at $300,000. Greenville Theatre Changes At Greenville, S. C, the present Rivoli theatre will be refurnished and will open in about a month as the Fox theatre. The pres- ent Ritz theatre there has reopened as the Roxy. The Rivoli is now operated by the Trio Amusement Company ; the Roxy by the Textile Amusement Company. THREE AREAS ANALYZED Statistical summaries of the Chicago, Salt Lake City and Detroit directories, compiled by the Motion Picture Association in its census of U. S. theatres, have been released. CHICAGO EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Theatres in operation* 702 595,179 Circuit-operated theatres*.. 351 Closed theatres** 16 9,447 Non-circuit theatres 367 Totals 718 604,626 Totals 718 Seating 395,294 209,332 604,626 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, accor ding to popu lation groupings:* Cumu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average Population* * Towns lative Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Total Operating Totaf Seats Total Theatre 1,000,000 and over 1 (Chicago) (Gary) 302 324,409 1,074 250,000-100,001 3 (Peoria) (South Bend) 4 35 337 34,258 358,667 979 100,000- 50,001 7 1 1 40 377 40,882 399,549 1,022 50,000- 25,001 12 23 47 424 43,545 443,094 926 25,000- 10,001 29 52 67 491 55,775 498,869 832 10,000- 5,001 35 87 44 535 32,392 531,261 736 5,000- 2,501 40 127 46 581 22,128 553,389 48! 2,500 and under 114 241 121 702 41,790 595,179 345 •Excluding two drive-in theatres, total capacity 1,450 automobiles. "Excluding two drive-in theatres, total capacity 2,030 automobiles. #A circuit is denned as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. #*There are no towns with theatres in this exchange territory ranging in population from 250,001-1,000,000. SALT LAKE CITY EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Theatres in operation 414 186,208 Circuit-operated theatres* . 155 Closed theatres 15 6,829 Non-circuit theatres 274 Totals 429 193,037 Totals 429 Seating 95,356 97.681 193,037 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings: Cumu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average Population9 * Towns lative Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Total Operating Total Seats Total Theatre 250,000-100,001 1 (Salt Lake City 17 14,365 845 50,000- 25,001 4 5 18 35 18,127 32,492 1,007 25,000- 10,001 1 1 16 37 72 27,780 60,272 751 10,000- 5,001 12 28 30 102 16,524 76.796 551 5,000- 2,501 46 74 69 171 35,446 112,242 514 2,500 and under 227 301 243 414 73,966 186,208 304 *A circuit is denned as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. ##There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 50,001-100,000. DETROIT EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Theatres in operation 589 435,830 Circuit-operated theatres*.. 286 Closed theatres* 24 13,728 Non-circuit theatres 327 Totals 613 449,558 Totals 613 Seating 274,608 174,950 449.558 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, accordi ng to pop ulation groupings: Cumu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average Population* * Towns lative Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Total Operating Total Seats Total Theatre 1,000,000 and over 1 (Detroit) 167 1 72,459 1,033 250,000-100,001 2 (G. Rapids) (Flint) 3 45 212 36,345 208,804 808 100,000- 50,001 6 9 50 262 44,674 253,478 893 50,000- 25,001 9 18 47 309 40,101 293.579 853 25,000- 10,001 17 35 38 347 32,731 326,310 861 10,000- 5,001 30 65 54 401 32,974 359,284 61 1 5,000- .2,501 32 97 37 438 21,512 380,796 581 2,500 and under 147 244 151 589 55,034 435,830 364 *Excluding two drive-in theatres, total capacity 680 automobiles. *A circuit is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. ##There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 250,001-1,000,000. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 23 f 2X \ The picture that took TWOl DRAMATIC) YEARS to film.. J in Shanghai, Cairol Havana and then far corners of the world... COLUMBIA PICTURES GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE COOPERATION OF THE TREA! Ji COLUMBIA PICTURES OF THE starring DICK POWELL • SIGNE HASSO with LUDWIG DONATH • VLADIMIR S0K0L0FF • EDGAR BARRIER and introducing the Chinese actress MAYLIA Story and screenplay by Jay Richard Kennedy • Directed by ROBERT STEVENSON A SIDNEY BUCHMAN Production . Associate Producer JAY RICHARD KENNEDY 'ARTMENT AND ITS BUREAUS OF NARCOTICS, CUSTOMS AND COAST GUARD. BRITISH PRODUCTION DIGEST BRITISH PLANNING FILMS OVERSEAS Baker Off to Australia for Rank, Eying Dominions; Other Studios Active by PETER BURNUP in London Vast plans are in the air here for film production overseas. Britain, more than ever in the current dol- lar stringencies, looks to her largely un- tapped Dominions as not only a source of supply, but as a potential market. Dominion Governments want films made in their own lands ; are prepared to assist approved projects to the ultimate limits. J. Arthur Rank, and perhaps others, are preparing to go overseas. Most recent evidence of England's across- the-waters interest is Reginald P. Baker's embarkation for Australia. Managing direc- tor of Ealing Studios, Mr. Baker said he proposed to take a look at a film — "Eureka Stockade" — which an Ealing unit is making in the Antipodes. Bigger Plans Afoot Back of his mission, however, is a large- scale project for film production . overseas. Back of the project, in turn, is none other than J. Arthur Rank. The box office success of Ealing's Aus- tralia-made "Overlanders" startled the or- thodox salesmen. Its success prompted Mr. Rank to order another "Overlanders" — hence "Eureka Stockade." But there are a longer term policy and other considerations involved. Mr. Rank's studio resources at home are stretched to the limit. Knowing as well as anyone that there will be a film famine here whatever happens to the ad valorem duty, his emissaries comb the world for likely pro- duction sites. Moreover, it is deserving of note that the mission has the blessings of H. M. Government. Four a Year in Australia Although unannounced officially, Ealing (affiliated with the Rank Organization) en- visages no fewer than four films annually from Australia, each costing about £200,000 ($800,000). That's part of an Arthur Rank plan to ex- tend his far-flung activities into every part of Britain's wide dominions. Inkling thereof is discerned in a state- ment lately made by Frank Launder, cur- rently occupied on another of the Rank over- seas enterprises — the production of "Blue Lagoon" in the Fiji Islands. Mr. Launder, speaking not without a brief from his em- ployer, recently outlined the scheme of an immense integrated system of British Com- monwealth film production. He spoke of the building of large studios in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and of a combing of every country in the Com- monwealth for stars, writers and technicians. Maybe Mr. Launder, in his enthusiasm, went slightly beyond the strict limits of his brief. But his oratory carries the essence of the matter. South Africa is the next ground sched- uled for tilling by the Rank missionaries. * Gainsborough's Sydney Box has a produc- tion in advanced stage of preparation. Pres- ent title is "Diggers' Republic" — a tale of the Voortrekkers who fought their way with Bible and musket into what is now the Transvaal. Films of South Africa Then there's another Gainsborough South African project in hand. Mr. Box has planned a "family" series, number one of which will be a recapitulation of the hazards encountered by Britons who made the over- land trip to South Africa. Also to be noted is the preoccupation of Mr. Rank's "This Modern Age" with Do- minion affairs. "Britain's Commonwealth," "West Africa," "India," "Canada," "New Zealand," are the announced titles of forth- coming documentaries in the short subject series. Like Mr. Rank's, the production schedules of the Korda-British Lion outfit and the formidable Associated British - Warner Brother combination are chock-ablock. Warners' rebuilt Teddington Studio has re- opened with an Edward Dryhust produc- tion, "Noose," destined for Pathe distribu- tion here and Warners' in the U. S. Wide open space, however, is still to be discerned in other studios here. Despite the adjurations of Sir Stafford Cripps that every inch of studio space be occupied, MGM's vast Elstree plant is empty. It is true that the Boulting Brothers announce that their production, "Guinea Pig," starts at Elstree January 26, but, with all deference to the Boulting Brothers, that's a drop in the ocean of MGM's space. Shipman Studios Dark There's the case also of the Alliance Stu- dio group — Riverside, Twickenham and Southall — whose close down for refurbishing was the occasion of much acid comment. Al- liance is controlled and largely owned by exhibitor Alfred Shipman, who has traded his product with several distribution com- panies. All three studios have been dark for some weeks. David Coplan, in behalf of United Artists, had made by Mr. Shipman one film, "Just William," currently one of the West End's greatest successes. UA has authorized an- other "Just William," which will start work as soon as Mr. Shipman is ready. Various statements have been made re- garding the distribution destinies of others in the Shipman-Alliance output. This Bureau reported on impeccable authority that two of the pictures concerned, "No Orchids for Miss Blandish" and "Things Happened at Night," would be handled by Paramount. One of the lesser, none-the-less highly suc- cessful, renting houses, George Minter's Re- nown Pictures Corporation, will exercise its rights in the films and distribute them throughout this country. U. S. Asks Court to Make Scophony, Ltd., Liable Washington Bureau Unless it gets the relief it seeks against Scophony, Ltd., in New York District Court, it cannot get relief anywhere, the Depart- ment of Justice told the U. S. Supreme Court this week. In an hour-long argument before the high court, Sigmund Timberg, Justice Depart- ment attorney, declared Scophony's agree- ment with Television Productions, Inc., and General Precision Equipment Corporation, to form a new domestic corporation to be controlled by the British company, consti- tuted doing business in New York and that, on those grounds, Scophony, Ltd., should be included in anti-trust suit proceedings. The Government's suit was filed in December, 1945. Later Scophony, Ltd., won a dismissal from the Federal Court on the ground that it was not directly involved. A Scophony brief filed with the Supreme Court Monday charged that the Government never made valid service of process on Scophony because the British company was not in business in this country when the ser- vice was attempted. At the same time the company declared that the 1942 master agree- ment involved merely an exchange of tech- nical and patent data and did not call on Scophony, Ltd., to perform any action within the U. S. Felt Heads Club Mike Felt has been elected chief barker of the Philadelphia Variety Club, Tent No. 13. Others named are: Sidney E. Samuel- son, first assistant barker; Fred Mann, sec- ond assistant; Charles Goldfine, treasurer, and Harry Pennys, secretary. The board of canvassmen includes, in addition to the of- ficers, Meyer Adelman, Jack Beresin, Har- old Cohen, Henry Friedman, Ted Schlanger and David Supowitz. Cinema Finance Names Davis John Davis has been named managing di- rector of General Cinema Finance, the com- pany recently purchased by J. Arthur Rank's Odeon Theatre circuit in England, and which controls the Rank Organization major product. 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 THE HOLLYWOOB SCENE Eight Films Completed; 18 Are Now in Work Hollywood Bureau Hollywood production, after sagging to a total of 22 features in shooting stage at the year-end, dipped to 18 in the first week of 1948. The figure derives from the comple- tion of eight features and the beginning of camera work on but four others. Republic led the production parade, start- ing two pictures. Joseph Kane is producing and directing an untitled feature starring Bill Elliott, with Joseph Schildkraut, Adrian Booth, Bruce Cabot and Andy Devine in support. Melville Tucker is producing "The Tim- ber Trail," with Monty Hale, Lynne Rob- erts, Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. Phil Ford is directing. Columbia launched "Let's Fall in Love," with Dorothy Lamour, Jeffrey Lynn, Janice Carter and others. Irving Starr is produc- ing, Douglas Sirk directing. Eagle Lion started ''The Spiritualist," with Lynn Bari, Turhan Bey, Cathy O'Don- nell and Richard Carlson, which Ben Stoloff is producing and Bernard Vorhaus directing. "Miracle " to UA, Bogeaus Says United Artists will not only receive his "A Miracle Can Happen," but will give it special handling, producer Benedict Bogeaus said on a New York home office visit last week. The statement settled rumors to the contrary, he remarked, and added that his releasing contract runs through 1948, that he will make several pictures this year, and ''most likely" deliver them to United Artists. Commenting that he was not ready to di- vulge what his next stories would be, he said, however, that one of them, for which he is negotiating now, is a "best seller," and that all would be produced with effort at 'top quality." Production costs "must come down," Mr. Bogeaus said. They will come down, not so much in purchasable material as in types of stories producers will select. Mr. Bogeaus called upon producers to cooperate in the maintenance of quality by such action, and by shorter shooting schedules. He sees no possibility of a reduction in craft union wages, but regards reduction of top star and director talent salaries as a "matter of time." "They will realize," he said, "that to keep the picture business going, all must con- tribute." Seeking lower production costs, Mr. Bo- geaus studied the possibility of producing in Italy or England, he admitted ; but he de- cided to remain in Hollywood and make pic- tures under "the new order," which he out- lined. "We need more ingenuity and less ex- travagance in producing — fewer spectacles merely because we think they mean better pictures," he said. Pointing out that his overhead costs are two and one-half times greater than when he started, Mr. Bogeaus noted that there are many fewer independent producers in Hol- lywood than a year ago, and predicted that financing of the remainder will depend upon their past records of performance and finan- cial stability. 20th-Fox Has 22 Set for Release With its 1948 release schedule stepped up to 48 pictures, Twentieth Century-Fox last Friday listed 22 pictures for the new year as either ready for release, being edit- ed, or in production, according to Andrew W. Smith, Jr., general sales manager, in New York. At the same time he announced that the company will have eight top budget pictures in release during the next two months. The eight pictures being released are : "Gentlemen's Agreement," "Captain from Castile," "Forever Amber," "Daisy Ken- yon," "An Ideal Husband," "Call Northside 777," "You Were Meant for Me" and "The Tender Years." All of these have been completed. The remaining 14 pictures, which have been completed or are currently in produc- tion, are: "Sitting Pretty," "Summer Lightning," "Fury at Furnace Creek," "Es- cape," "Green Grass of Wyoming," "Deep Water," "The Snake Pit," "Give My Re- gards to Broadway," "That Lady in Er- mine," "The Walls of Jericho," "The Iron Curtain," "Street With No Name," "The Chair for Martin Rome" and "Apartment for Peggy." Scully, Bergman to Coast For Product Conferences William A. Scully, Universal-Internation- al vice-president and general sales manager, and Maurice A. Bergman, eastern advertis- ing and publicity director, left New York last Friday for Hollywood for studio confer- ences to set distribution policies on forth- coming product. Pictures to be discussed include "A Double Life," "Naked City," "All My Sons," "Another Part of the For- est," "Up in Central Park," "Casbah," "Are You With It?," "Letter from an Unknown Woman" and "Black Bart." Following the studio meetings, Mr. Scully and Mr. Berg- man will launch a series of sales confer- ences with the distribution force. Del Ruth Signs Flaherty Pat Flaherty, former big league baseball pitcher, has been signed by Roy Del Ruth Productions to act as technical director on "The Babe Ruth Story," Mr. Del Ruth's next independent produc'tion for Allied Art- ists release. McCrea Buys "Tall Man" Joel McCrea has purchased the Graham Baker-Teddi Sherman story idea, "Tall Man from Texas," and plans to use it as the basis for a deal under which he will star in the picture for a major studio. Carmichael, Cole Signed Hoagy Carmichael and the King Cole Trio have been signed by producer George Pal to do musical numbers in his forthcom- ing initial feature for United Artists release, "The Adventures of Tom Thumb." STARTED COLUMBIA Let's Fall in Love EAGLE LION The Spiritualist REPUBLIC The Timber Trail BiH Elliott (Untitled) COMPLETED COLUMBIA Gallant Blade EAGLE LION The Cobra Strikes Assigned to Danger Rampage (Crestview) PARAMOUNT Sealed Verdict REPUBLIC Recoil RKO RADIO The Window 20TH CENTURY- FOX That Lady in Ermine SHOOTING COLUMBIA Loves of Carmen MGM A Date With Judy Easter Parade PARAMOUNT A Foreign Affair REPUBLIC Moonrise (Feldman- Grant) RKO RADIO Mr. Joseph Young of Africa (Arko) 20TH CENTURY- FOX The Street With No Name The Iron Curtain Walls of Jericho Apartment for Peggy The Chair for Martin Rome UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid Man Eater of Kamaon (Monty Shaff) WARNERS Key Largo iniinmifiiiHifin iiiiifiinntiitmiit [iiinii(tiiiiiitTi(ttiiiflif*Mii^UiiitiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiftiriiii iiiiiiiiiipiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ i ihi h«mi i J«u itm imt n mi 1 1 ntn ■■■■iiiiiiiiiiimiiiiHiiiitnMtuiiini{niiiiiniiiiniiiiii|iiiiiiHniiiHiMitiiHiiH ulHf ■■■■■■ ■•miiimiiiiiiimB \ 27 V_ hen a truly greet knows it . . . the critics, th I Here's what they're saying "The year's only outstanding candidate for the Academy Award." - N. Y. SUN "A beautiful picture . . .a pure delight! An Acad- emy Award contender." — HEDDA HOPPER "Sam Goldwyn should harvest another crop of Academy Awards with his newest picture, 'The Bishop's Wife'." - LEONARD LYONS "All sunshine and moonbeams. Finds a home in the celluloid heavens." - WALTER WINCHELL "Pick of the pictures. ..Four Bells... if more such inspiring, delightful movies as this were pro- duced, the film industry would indeed be the greatest medium for spreading peace and con- tentment... Must-see." - JIMMIE FIDLER "High on the eligible list for 1948 Oscars." - COLLIER'S "I love every minute of 'The Bishop's Wife' and I guarantee you will, too. I glowingly give it the Cosmopolitan Citation." - LGUELLA PARSONS "Most appealing flicker I've seen recently: 'Thf Bishop's Wife,' in which Cary Grant gives ar Academy Award performance." - ED SULLIVAN "Foremost contender for the Academy Award.' — LOUIS SOBOL "Cary Grant's best." - N. Y. HERALD-TRIBUNE "First-class comedy -- was made for mass appea and hits it." - CECILIA AGER (PM)| "One of the best movies of the year. A-1 enter tainment for everyone in the family." - N. Y. DAILY MIRROR me comes along everybody >ublic and the Box Office nb< about ESTn 'Congratulations to Producer Sam Goldwyn for another winner." - SHEILAH GRAHAM "Cary Grant is guilty of some of the most bril- liant acting of the year in 'The Bishop's Wife.' I hereby sentence him to an Academy Award. 'The Bishop's Wife' is a wonderful picture." - DOROTHY KILGALLEN | "One of the most thoroughly satisfying films to come around in a long time. Heartwarming . . . I extremely comic." - N. Y. SUNDAY MIRROR "One of the very best pictures of the year." - BOSTON RECORD '"The Bishop's Wife' should rate the Academy Award." - WORCESTER DAILY TELEGRAM Distributed by RKO RADIO PICTURES ALBANY The Strand held over "My Wild Irish Rose" for a second week, the first time this policy had been adopted in recent months. The musical did smashing business. It also caused a rush on the ticket machines at the Troy theatre in Troy. The Palace played "The Unfinished Dance" and "Merton of the Movies," while the Grand began a two weeks' run of "Unconquered" at road show prices. The De Mille feature will likewise be exhibited at Proctor's in Troy and the State in Schenectady, at advanced prices. The Ritz booked "Heaven Only Knows" and "The Adventures of Don Coyote." The Eagle presented "Open City." . . . Snow and consequent traffic congestion led the police to issue an order banning parking on North Broadway and North Pearl Streets in the vicinity of Film Row. The tieup was de- scribed as the worst in the city's history. . . . Harold Sliter is reported to have been given an assignment as zone manager for the Schine Circuit in northern New York. ATLANTA Solicitor General Ed Wohlwender, Jr., of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Court, said he would have to close down "every- thing that is not a necessity of life" if he halted Sunday shows as requested by the Columbus-Phenix City Ministerial Alliance. W. C- Pease, Jr., president of the Consoli- dated Community Chest, reported that the Sunday shows in Columbus-Phenix City have netted the Chest $6,298.80 for Sunday showing. . . . Al Santo, Conger and Santo film tent show ; Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Smith, Gem theatre, Barnesville, Ga. ; J. R. Johnson, Gay theatre, Greensboro, Fla. ; R. L. Lovvon, Palace, Bowdon, Ga., and L. J. Duncan, Al Dun Amusement Co., West Point, all were visitors in the city. . . . The 36th annual convention of the Theatre Own- ers of North and South Carolina, will be held at the Hotel Charlotte, Charlotte, N. C, February 1-3. . . . Gilbert Thornhill has been added to the office force of Wil-Kin Theatre Supply Co. ... In the city for the first time in about 20 years was George Parr, owner of theatres in Lancaster, S. C. . . . R. B. Wilby, president, Wilby-Kincey theatres, had all his managers in for his birthday dinner held at the Piedmont Driv- ing Club, January 8. . . . Changes on Film Row : Merrit Davis, former district man- ager, Republic Pictures, now local branch manager; Jimmy Hobbs, former branch manager, now sales manager. BALTIMORE Business fair for week beginning January 8, with only two new pictures offered at first runs. "Pirates of Monterey," good at the Century. "High Conquest," plus "Tight Shoes," offered at the Roslyn and Times to very good business. Those held for third week included: "Road to Rio," at Keith's; "Captain from Castile," at New theatre ; "I Know Where I'm Going," at the Little. Those holding for second week included "The Swordsman," with vaudeville, at the Hippodrome; "My Wild Irish Rose," at the Stanley; "Monsieur Verdoux," at the May- fair ; "Tycoon," at the Town. . . . Baltimore Operators' Union Local 181, AFL, has Louis P. Seiber chairman board of trustees, with Charles J. Grauling and Russell G. Claggett Frederick Mercy PICTURE PIONEER FREDERICK MERCY has had 41 years of running theatres, and thinks it's enough. The Yakima, Washington, circuit owner is retiring from active work and, with his wife, will loaf a while, leaving op- eration of his prop- erties to his eldest son, Fred, Jr., and two other sons, Ed- gar and Paul. Mr. Mercy was not always in Yaki- ma. Not always so comfortable. H i s first house, in San Francisco's Wash- ington Street, was opened in 1907, and had as a necessary ad- junct a Chinese interpreter. Mr. Mercy sold out shortly and in 1908 tried his luck in Georgetown, near Seattle. There he remained till 1912, when he again sold out, and moved to Yakima. He began there with the Majestic, a 25-foot "store-room show." He doubled its size, re- modeled it; it was then the second largest. There occurred then a gradual growth. In 1915, he acquired the Empire; in 1916, the Yakima, and also the Yakima Valley Poster Service; in 1917, the Avenue, and in 1920, he opened the Mercy theatre. He expanded to Walla Walla acquiring the Kaylor-Grand and American. His intimates predict that retirement plans notwithstanding, his enterprises will see him peeking in wistfully, and probably actively from time to time. as members. Samuel Isaacson, president, and Charles J. Grauling are delegates to the Baltimore Federation of Labor. Various committees of the Baltimore Variety Club, Tent No. 19, O. D. Weems, 'chief barker, have seen selected for the ensuing year. Chairmen include : house, William G. Myers and Al Vogelstein ; entertainment, Mark N. Silver; special events, Sam Tabor; finance, W. Spalding Albert; associate membership, J. C. Grant; resident membership, Barry Goldman and F. G. Schmuff ; welfare, Rod- ney Collier ; publicity, Barry Goldman ; ways and means, F. H. Durkee. BOSTON Business continued good in the Hub de- spite the bad cold-weather session over the weekend. Best of the holdover business was done by "Captain from Castile" which went into a third week at the Boston. Second at the box office in the holdover sweepstakes was "Road to Rio" at the Metropolitan which went into its second week with good grosses. . . . Word has it that Albert R. Daytz of the Boston sales department , of Warners has joined Affiliated Theatres as an equal .partner to Arthur Howard. Affiliated has added other new staff members to take care of the increased business which has snowed under the present staff. . . . Joe Di Pesa, press representative for Loew's State and Orpheum here, acting as director of public relations for Suffolk County on the March of Dimes Drive again this year. . . . The monthly meeting of Independent Exhib- itors, held at the Bradford Hotel January 6 revealed that 71 theatres out of a 75 total had voted in favor of the Myles Plan. CHARLOTTE Erwin Beck, chief booker at Charlotte's MGM branch, has resigned as of February 1 and will go to work for Ed Haley, who operates a circuit of theatres in the two Carolinas. . . . Walter Powell, who has been salesman for Charlotte branch of Twentieth Century-Fox, is now working as salesman for Screen Guild T. A. Little and S. W. Craver, who operate a circuit of theatres, are now building a structure in Charlotte that will house a new supermarket. . . . Miss Alice Young has been added to the Charlotte branch of Columbia. CINCINNATI Announcement was made late last week of the sale of the RKO Orpheum theatre and building to Stanley M. Cooper, local real es- tate broker. The structure, which houses the 1,200-seat theatre, located in suburban Walnut Hills, was built 30 years ago by the late I. M. Martin. The theatre is under lease to RKO until 1950. The property was owned by the Orpheum Theatre Co., con- trolled by the sons of the builder. . . . The Majestic theatre, in Georgetown, Ohio, will pass out of existence through the sale by Carrigan Brothers to Charles Febt, who plans to remodel the house into elaborate bowling alleys. . . . The New Oxford thea- tre in Oxford, Ohio, dark for several months, has reopened, according to an- nouncement by Virgil Hill, manager. "Hen- ry V" is booked into the house this week, . . . William M. Widmer expects to reopen his Pioneer theatre, at Pioneer, Ohio, late this month, upon completion of extensive remodeling. ... A new 400-seat theatre, to cost an estimated $80,000, is being built at Genoa, Ohio, by Herbert Hoaglan, which will be the first theatre in that town. It is scheduled for opening in earl)' spring. CLEVELAND Harold Hendee, RKO research director, was to be guest speaker at the January 15 meeting of the Motion Picture Council of Greater Cleveland meeting in the Higbee Auditorium. . . . Milton Mooney, recently elected Variety Club chief barker, has thrown open the regular monthly meetings of the executive board to the general mem- bership to permit them to voice their ideas on policies. . . . Alan Shaw has been pro- moted by Screen Guild manager Edwin R. Bergman from head booker to salesman with Mary Drews moving up from assistant booker. . . . Marty Seed has resigned from Eagle Lion to become an associate of Bob Snyder and E. J. Stutz in Realart Pictures. . . . "Captain from Castile" held three weeks at the RKO Palace and "Tycoon" held three weeks at the RKO Allen. . . . Anesto Alles- ,sio, building contractor in Akron, is report- (Continued on opposite page) 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 (.Continued from opposite page) edly building a new 850-seat house in Good- year Heights. . . . John Tender's completely remodeled Tivoli theatre, Lorain, opened last Thursday, after having been closed five weeks. Following the opening, more than a 100 invited guests were entertained at the home of Tender and his mother, the occasion being Tender's birthday. COLUMBUS Box office receipts dropped back to aver- age in the second week of the new year, with only two new first runs in downtown theatres. Two features were moved for ad- ditional playing time. The Palace had "The Exile," and the Ohio brought in "Golden Earrings." The Broad had a second week of "Good News" after a big first week at the Ohio. The Grand played "Tycoon" for an additional four days after a week's stay at the Palace. Stage shows were resumed at the Palace after a holiday hiatus. . . . Down- town first runs have reduced their week night admissions from 65 to 64 cents and week day matinee rates from 40 to 39 cents. Weekend and holiday rates remain at 50 cent matinees and 70 cents evenings. . . . Tax relief and other desired legislation from Congress may be "seriously hampered" if Universal-International's "The Senator Was Indiscreet" is released at this time, said P. J. Wood, secretary, Independent Theatre Own- ers of Ohio, in his current bulletin. . . . Leo Burkhart, manager of the Hippodrome, Crestline, Ohio, has installed a new sound system. . . . D. A. Canady, newly inaugurat- ed mayor of Pomeroy, Ohio, has asked coun- cil to enact a one per cent income tax. . . . Norman Nadel, Citizen theatre editor, is on a two weeks' show -shopping New York trip. DENVER Mr. and Mrs. Milt Hossfeld were given a farewell party at the Rocky Mountain Screen club. He had been president of the club the past year. He has resigned as film buyer for Fox Intermountain Theatres and will take a vacation before reentering the business. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Harry Huffman (he's city manager for Fox theatres) to N. Y. for two weeks. . . . Albert Feit is now assistant at the State. . . . Fred Lind has set January 20 as definite date for opening of his new $100,000 600-seat Ute, Rifle, Colo. Gives him two theatres there. PES MOINES Double normal business was reported by the Orpheum last week for its showing of "Tycoon." The 200 per cent picture, ap- pearing on a double bill with "Two Blondes and a Redhead," was held for a second week. In general, most downtown houses fared well during the week despite a full schedule of stage performances at the KRNT Radio theatre. . . . The Des Moines City Council has been urged to provide for a theatrical commission to review stage or screen per- formances which prompt complaints. The recommendation came from Safety Commis- sioner Walter J. Massey, who recalled that an ordinance passed in 1925 provides for such a commission. . . . Back on Film Row after an absence of two years is Ruby Dyer Zelcher, former office manager for Warners. A veteran of 20 years in the trade, Mrs. has become sales representative in the Con- necticut territory for Film Classics. . . . Benefit show is slated for January 21 at the Wilkinson theatre, Wallingford, Conn., for the Chamber of Commerce's swimming pool fund. . . . Spyros Cateras, operator of the old Olympic theatre, Manchester, N. H., one of that town's earliest nickelodeon and variety theatres, is dead. . . . Princess theatre, Rock- ville, Conn., has been acquired on a 13-year lease by the two Ordway brothers of Hart- ford. Russ Ordway has resigned as manager of Lockwood and Gordon's suburban Webb Playhouse to go into partnership with his brother, Jack, formerly with Shulman Thea- tres of Hartford, in the theatre, effective February 1. Jim Farrell has been named Webb Playhouse manager. . . . The Turnpike Theatre Corp., of Newington, Conn., has incorporated. Incorporators include Robert Gloth, Phil Simon, Lou Rogow, and Stanlev Clark. Zelcher is now working at RKO. . . . The Iowa chapter of AITO held a board meeting at the Savery Hotel last week. HARTFORD Frank Ramsey, formerly with Warner Theatres in Hartford, is now doing publicity for Candy Candido, comedian, in Los An- geles. . . . Saul Carp is new student assistant manager at Loew's Poli in Hartford. . . . Ladislaus Jachimowski is the new manager of Music Box theatre, New Britain, Conn. . . . Ray Wylie, former branch manager in New Haven and Albany for United Artists, WHEN AND WHERE January 27: Board of directors of Tri-States Motion Picture Theatre Owners to meet at Hotel Chisca, Memphis, Tenn. January 29: Regional meeting of the Mo- tion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois at Hannibal, Mo. January 30: Meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee at the Hotel Chisca in Memphis, Tenn. February 1-3: Annual meeting of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina at the Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, N. C. February 3—4: Theatre Owners of Texas to meet at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas to discuss affiliation with the Theatre Owners of America. April 6-8: Annual convention of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent The- atre Owners at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. April 12-17: International Variety Clubs 1 948 convention at the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. May 7-8: Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska convention at Des Moines, la. June 23-25: Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana annual convention cruise on Lake Erie. INDIANAPOLIS The new year opened in the grand manner at the first run houses here, producing three holdovers. "The Road to Rio" nearly dou- bled average- in a $23,000 week at the In- diana. "My Wild Irish Rose" grossed $17,000 at the Circle and "Good News" $16,000 at Loew's. . . . The de luxers report the recent price tilt, four cents on the mati- nees and five cents at nights is being ac- cepted without much fuss. There are more protests because of advancing the change- over hour from 6 to 5 p.m. . . . The Variety Club will install Chief Barker Russ Brent- linger and other 1948 officers January 26. . . . Every employe of the 20th-Fox office here received a bonus of three weeks' salary for the staff's record in the Andy Smith drive. . . . Jim Ricketts, former booker for Fox, now salesman for Republic in Des Moines, visited old friends on the Row here this week. . . . Doug Haney, Albion ex- hibitor, recuperating from a long illness, is back home. . . . Matt Shideler's Jefferson theatre at Hartford City was slightly dam- aged by fire in the projection booth Decem- ber 30. KANSAS CITY The Allied Independent Theatre Owner* of Kansas and Missouri have opened quar- ters on the second floor of 1717-19 Wyan- dotte Street, crossroads of Film Row. . . . Senn Lawler (Fox Midwest), chairman of the Jackson County campaign for the March of Dimes, has a well-knit organization and schedule — 1,500 collection boxes distributed last Saturday by one group, others taking assignments at a general campaign meeting Monday, January 12. Cancellation of the benefit show with motion picture stars re- quired no alteration in local plans. . . . Lee Jones, formerly associated with Common- wealth Theatres, and an old-time theatre operator of the territory, retired for several years and living in Arizona, died January 8. aged 57. . . . Bill Meyer, who has been man- aging the neighborhood Glen of the Dickin- son circuit, is now in charge of the Kimo, and Charles Boshart, formerly at the Kimo. manages the Glen, as well as the Tampico. . . . Ben Spainhour, formerly in another business in Springfield, Mo., has taken over operation of the Twilight, Greensburg, Kan. . . . Exhibitors visiting Film Row : M. C. (Continued on page 34) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 31 LOOK at these reviews . . . ■nent." giving NEW greatness to the Screen in A DOUBLE LIFE' with SIGNE HASSO • EDMOND O'BRIEN SHELLEY WINTERS • RAY COLLINS • PHILIP LOEB Written by RUTH GORDON and GARSON KANIN Directed by GEORGE CUKOR • Produced by MICHAEL KANIN A Universal-International Release {Continued from page 31) Hooper, New Franklin; R. M. Rogers, Buckner; James Dalton, Anderson; John Egli, Jr., St. Joseph ; J. L. Hayob, Marshall ; Bob Egender, Waverly ; Fred Walker, Lock- wood; L. Z. Henry, Plattsburg; Ed Wilson, Buffalo; Mamie Rhode, Liberal. LOS ANGELES The Markoy Corporation, headed by Al- bert Levoy, has taken over the Raymond theatre in Pasadena from Joe Green and Bill Reinke. The theatre will be remodeled throughout and will be renamed the Crown. Marvin Dunagan has been named house manager and M. L. Plessner will handle the advertising and publicity. . . . Joe Rosenberg and Harry Lithgow, of Warners' booking department, have left the company. . . . Ben Crandall is doing the buying and booking for the Park and Huntington theatres in Hunt- ington Park. . . . Bill Thompson, one of the oldest cameramen in the business, was on the Row visiting with Bob Beretta, of the John Filbert Theatre Supply Company. LOUISVILLE Sam J. Switow, of the Switow Amuse- ment Co., has been named chairman of an advisory committee for the March of Dimes benefit show to be given January 25 at the Jefferson County Armory. . . . George Lind- say's new theatre at Brownsville is nearing completion. . . . Film Row visitors : Pope Sisco, Bardstown ; Erwin W. Rau, Leitch- field; Mrs. R. L. Harned, Sellersburg; Louis Chowning, New Washington; M. H. Sparks,. Edmonton ; A. N. Miles, Eminence ; Otto Marcum, Lebanon Junction; Robert Enoch, Elizabethtown ; Lyell Webb, Burkesville, and Lewis E. Baker, West Point. . . . Pro- jectionists Louis Leatherman at the Rialto and Gus Ansbach at the Mary Anderson have been on the sick list. . . . Sam Giltner has relinquished the managership of his New Washington theatre, Louis Chowning will replace him. . . . The Dixie at Claysburg, Ind., dark these last months, may be re- opened. . . . W. E. Tresch, Woodburn, is planning a new theatre. . . . Loew's brought in "The Swordsman" coupled with "Mary Lou." The Rialto held over "Road to Rio" for the second week, the Mary Anderson kept "My Wild Irish Rose" for a third week, while the National was content with another week of "Frieda" and "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap." MEMPHIS A week of constant sunshine and a week of splendid theatre attendance went hand in hand in Memphis. All first runs reported from "very good" to "terrific" business. . . . Loew's State showed "Good News." Loew's Palace had "If Winter Comes." Malco held on to "Road to Rio" for a second week. Warner had "Always Together." Strand and Ritz showed double-headers. . . . Mid- south exhibitors visiting on Film Row in- cluded : Mrs. T. T. Foster, who has just opened the new Uptown theatre, Mountain View, Ark. ; W. B. Groves, who on January 5 bought Grove theatre, Holly Grove, Ark. ; J. A. Petty, Waynesboro; Mrs. Jack Mahon, Tutrovansum, Tutwiler; A. J. Cole, Webb; W. S. Tyson, Clarksdale ; Emma Cox, Osce- ola; W. T. Ellis, Cleveland; Tom Ford, Rec- tor; J. M. Mounger, Calhoun City; R. R. Clemmons, Adamsville. MIAMI "I Walk Alone" has been booked into the Sheridan, Beach and Paramount theatres. "Captain from Castile" opens here January 20. "The Bishop's Wife" opened at the Col- ony January 14. "Golden Earrings" did exceptional business at the Sheridan, Beach and Paramount. . . . The Mayfair theatre has begun the showing of J. Arthur Rank's "Prestige" pictures. Labe Mell, manager of the Ace theatre, has taken a leave of absence to attend a New York television school. Hewell Henderson, assistant manager at the Rosetta, will replace him. . . . Richard Ger- sley has transferred to the Strand from the Mayfair as assistant manager. . . . Wometco theatres scored another first with the Orange Bowl parade pictures in the newsreels. MINNEAPOLIS Theatre business snapped back nicely in the first week of 1948 after a bad holiday fortnight. "Road to Rio" drew nearly $20,000 at Radio City with "Tycoon" pull- ing $17,000 at the RKO Orpheum, both earn- ing holdovers. Other loop films generally ran above average with their grosses. . . . Nate Shapiro is having plans drawn for con- struction of a new 700-seat house on the edge of the loop after his license was ap- proved by the city council over opposition of local operators. . . . Art Anderson, WB branch manager, was confined in Sf. Mary's hospital with an infection. ... J. A. Coller, president of the North Star Film exchange here, announced acquisition of Masterpiece Pictures, Walter Wanger reissues, and 17 Hal Roach streamliners. . . . Booth equip- ment was damaged by fire in Kenneth Berg- lund's State at Sauk Rapids, Minn. . . . The State at Zumbrota and the Time at Kenyon, Minn., have been purchased by Mowry Bros., operators of the Sibley at Winthrop, Minn. . . . John Niggeling, former major league pitcher, is the new owner of the Jasper at Jasper, Minn. MONTREAL Business perking up slowly after pre-Yule slump. . . . Two holdovers along main stem — "Road to Rio" at Loew's and "This Time for Keeps" at the Palace. . . . "Singapore" showing at the Capitol, "The Long Night" at the Princess, and "Thief of Bagdad" re- issue at the Imperial. . . . Soviet film, "Stone Flower," which did great when it played at His Majesty's a few months ago, set for a return engagement at the His Majesty. . . . "In Which We Serve" being revived at the Kent. ... J. J. FitzGibbons was scheduled to see Reconstruction Minister C. D. Howe in connection with proposal by Canadian film men to encourage U. S. interests to produce in Canada as part of dollar-saving plan. . . . "Duel in the Sun" ordered withdrawn from circulation after bout with Sherbrooke offi- cials. Film was previously okayed by cen- sors. . . . "Little Elgin" addition to Elgin theatre in Ottawa opened recently with civic dignitaries attending. . . . Quebec Produc- tions' "Whispering City" to have Canadian premiere at Palace January 21. NEW ORLEANS On Film Row were: F. G. Prat, Jr., and W. G. Waguespack, Vacherie ; Wilbur Jolet, Weeks ; Jeff Rebstock, Golden Meadow ; Roy Pfeiffer, Baton Rouge; Ira Phillips, Monroe; Mr. and Mrs. William Terrell, Roseland, and Locke Bolen, Jackson. . . . Billy Fox, who recently sold an interest in three of his theatres to the Joy circuit, is now covering the Louisiana territory for Screen Guild. . . . "That Hagen Girl" was at the Saenger ; Loew's had "If Winter Comes" ; "T-Men" was at the Joy, and "It Had to Be You" played simultaneously at the Orpheum and Liberty. The Poche had "I Know Where I'm Going" and the Center had "The Exile." . . . The Strand at Cotton Valley has reopened. OMAHA With the new year came an all-time record for Omaha. Horace Heidt on stage and "Out of the Blue" drew $33,000 in a week at the Orpheum. . . . "My Wild Irish Rose" grossed $18,000 at the Paramount for next best in a fast parade. . . . Mort Ives, Colum- bia office manager here, has shifted to Des Moines as a salesman. He is succeeded by Arnold Shastin, assistant booker at Des Moines. . . . Gene Schmidt opened the new 400-seat Home theatre at Tripp, S. D. . . . Also opening are Glen McKenzie's Star theatre at Lyons, Neb., and the municipally- owned Cody at Cody, Neb. . . . Dick Lysiner, film transporter, has sold the Grand theatre at Ravenna, Neb., to Tom Sandburg. Sand- burg formerly operated a house at Anthon, la. . . . The R. D. Goldberg circuit gets credit for a local first by sending "It Had to Be You" into one first run and three neigh- borhood houses and the Broadway theatre, Council Bluffs, simultaneously. PHILADELPHIA William Goldman's Erlanger, dark since November 10 when the controversial "The Outlaw" was withdrawn, reopens January 28 with "Cass Timberlane," making for another first run house in the downtown district. . . . Warners' Capitol, in the downtown district, will adopt an all-foreign film policy for the first time, starting at the end of the month with the Italian film "Shoe Shine." . . . Lyle Trenchard, general manager of the William Goldman theatres, is back at work after a siege in the hospital. . . . Exhibitor Charles Goldfine is out of the hospital with his strep throat all cured. . . . United Artists' district manager, Mark Silver, moved his office back (Continued on page 36) 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Eve&r REVIEW* ^AV£r '"T-Men/ the new Thrilluloid !" -Walter Winehell "The Pick of the Pictures. Best Picture of Week!" —Jimmy F idler's Coast' to-Coast Broadcast "Exploitation natural should click heavily with audiences!" ~ .. „ . . —Daily Variety "Red-blooded, hard-boiled drama can be expected to deliver handsome returns!1' —Boxoffice "Ranks with best, not excepting 'House on 92nd St.!'" —M. P. Daily "Unlimited possibilities for top exploitation . . . headed for top grosses everywhere!" —Showmen's Trade Review I "Box-office natural, equal if not superior to 'House on 92nd St.', 'Brute Force', and 'The KillorS!'"_r.(mBu||eMii Dynamic, smashing entertainment. . .a winner!" —Hollywood Reporter "One of most interesting pictures of the kind I have ever seen!" —Louella Parsons "What 'House on 92nd St.' did for the FBI, 'T-Men' does for the Treasury agents!" —Variety Has what it takes to pull customers off streets!" —Independent 'Solid box-office click . . . not a dull foot of film!" —Film Daily EDWARD SMALL presents (.Continued from page 34) to Washington, D. C. . . . Norman Silver- man resigned as Republic salesman to be- come branch head for SRO. . . . Hilton Fran- cis, manager of Warners' Columbia, becomes manager of the circuit's State, Chester, Pa. . . . The Lyric, Newmanstown, Pa., has been renamed the Joy, with a number of improve- ments including new seats. . . . Schad's Strand, Reading, Pa., undergoing an im- provement program. . . . Aurora here under- going an extensive modernization program including new sound, carpeting and a new front. . . . Retiring Chief Barker Al Davis and newly elected Chief Barker Mike Felt were feted by the Variety Club membership at a testimonial dinner at the Bellevue-Strat- ford Hotel on Monday. ... Nick Todorov, manager of the Transit, Allentown, Pa., has joined the Mark Rubinsky Circuit, which operates houses in the Harrisburg, Pa., area. . . . Bill Blankenship, coming in from Rich- mond, Va., where he was a student assistant, is the new assistant manager of Loew's Re- gent, Harrisburg, Pa., succeeding Bob Wes- terman, who goes to Richmond, Va., for the circuit. PITTSBURGH Faced with the prospect of being hospital- ized for at least six weeks, the "no visitors'' sign has been placed on C. C. Kellenberg's room at the Shady Side Hospital. He's sales manager for 20th Century-Fox here. . . . Because of the excellent business done during the two holidays, "My Wild Irish Rose" was moved over to the Warner from the Stanley which took over "The Road to Rio," which is giving that house far better than average grosses. . . . "Gentleman's Agreement" did a sensational $50,000 at regular prices for its first two weeks in the J. P. Harris. . . . "Daisy Kenyon" failed at the Fulton so manager John Walsh brought in "Captain from Castile." SAN ANTONIO "Daisy Kenyon" clicked at the Majestic theatre last week. . . . Now managing the new Globe, Corpus Christi, is Gilberto Fer- nandez. . . . Visitors on Film Row included Tomas Gonzalez, Perez Teatro, Encinal ; William L. Oliver, St. Louis; Miss Delia Copell, Mexico City; William Hall, Holly- wood; and Pedro Armendarez, Mexico City. . . . "The Road to Rio" was held for a sec- mid week at the Texas. It had played to outstanding business at the Majestic. . . . "The Mark of Zorro" played a return en- gagement at the Empire. SAN FRANCISCO Paramount's benefit show this week at the State theatre scored solid success. Local dignitaries made their appearances as well as representatives from the several consulates and wounded veterans who were guests for the evening. Entire proceeds were handed over to CARE. . . . Theatre executives re- sponded this week to Governor Earl War- ren's request for cooperation in helping with the campaign to supply milk for the Good- will Milk Ship which will sail from San Francisco January 18 with a cargo of 1,200 tons of milk for thts stricken people of France, Greece and Italy. . . . The Film Col- ony Club with Dorothy Haley, B. F. Shearer Company, president, held its first party of the new year at the Variety Club. . . . Al Grubstick, manager of Screen Guild Ex- change, is bedded in the hospital with a strained ligament in his leg. . . . Buck Stoner, of 20th-Fox, headed this week for the northwest. SEATTLE Seattle had more holdovers this week than at any time during the past year. "Captain from Castile" entered its third week at the Fifth Avenue. "The Swordsman" closed after three successful weeks at the Liberty. All in their second weeks were : "It Had to Be You" at the Palomar, "Road to Rio" at the Paramount, "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" showing concurrently at the Music Hall and the Blue Mouse, "Mayerling" at the Uptown, "Good News" at the Roosevelt, and "Private Life of Henry VIII," which played to record-breaking crowds at the Varsity. Cassius Smith, manager at the Varsity, announced that box office receipts had doubled since the inauguration of its first run all-foreign film program two and a half months ago. . . . Trustees of the PCCITO completed arrangements for the organization's three-day conference here in Seattle next week. ... A survey of the city's 1947 box office records indicate that year's number one attraction was "The Jolson Story" which lasted 104 days at the Liberty, with a weekly gross average of $13,000. TORONTO The spiral of living costs is cutting deeply into Canadians' wallets, but Toronto first run grosses are holding up well. "Road to Rio" at Shea's and "The Secret Life of Wal- ter Mitty" at the Imperial both had nice second weeks while "Green Dolphin Street" kept the customers coming in its second week. "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" continued strong in its third week at the Tivoli and Eglinton theatres while "Captain Boycott" played to excellent crowds at the Odeon Fairlawn, likewise "Pirates of Mon- terey" at Loew's Uptown theatre. "A Mid- summer Night's Dream" concluded its date at the International Cinema at the end of three weeks, to be followed by "The Raider." . . . First releases in Canada of the Warner Bros, newsreel, partly in color, were booked into the Capitol and Eglinton theatres, To- ronto units of the Famous .Players' circuit. . . . Statistics show that Canada's import restrictions under the dollar-conservation program are already causing unemployment in industrial cities of Ontario. . . . The Can- adian theatres are reported to be bargaining with the government that they want the Fed- eral 20 per cent war tax on grosses abolished if cooperation is wanted in reducing film- rental remittances to the United States to save dollars. VANCOUVER The front office white collar employees of the Vancouver Film Exchanges have now been granted a charter by lATSE. Local will be F-71. . . . RKO is using 55 prints of the Joe Louis- Walcott fight films in the Dominion. The 18-minute short is doing big business in British Columbia and is booked well into April. . . . Grosses were still on the upgrade this week where new top prod- uct was being shown but showed signs of slipping in spots which depended mainly on holdovers or reissues. "Road to Rio," at Capitol, the leader, with "This Time for Keeps," at Orpheum, good. Dominion fin- ished a 15-day run on "The Foxes of Har- row" to record-breaking business. The In- ternational Cinema is doing nicely on a re- vival of "The Thief of Bagdad." . . . New addition to the Strand theatre staff is Lilian Wren, cashier, replacing Stella Shewack, resigned. Elaine Bolster, formerly with the Churchill theatre in Brussels, is a new addi- tion to the Orpheum staff. . . . Odeon circuit has completed managerial changes in their B. C. division as follows: Bob Fraser, Circle, to Paradise; Frank Brown, assistant man- ager at Hastings, promoted to manager of the Odeon, Abbotsford, B. C, succeeding Johnny Stobbart, who moves to the Rio, Vancouver; Jimmy Adams, of the Olympia, takes over the Circle and Al Goodwin, of the Rio, moves to Olympia ; Elliott Brown, of the Odeon Trail, B. C., will be in charge of the new Odeon theatre at West Vancouver which opens shortly ; Jack Armstrong, of the Paradise, Vancouver, succeeds Brown at the Odeon Trail. Changes are effective Janu- ary 15. WASHINGTON An upward spurt in business resulted in two holdovers in the big houses, with "My Wild Irish Rose" at the Warner, held for a second week, and "Tycoon," at RKO Keith's, held for a third. In the art houses, "I know Where I'm Going," at the Hippodrome, and "The Great Mr. Handel," at the Little, are both breaking records. New openings in town included: "The Unconquered," at Loew's Palace; and "If Winter Comes," at Loew's Capitol. Carryover for the week was "Where There's Life" at Loew's Colum- bia. . . . Harry Cohen, formerly with MGM, has been appointed manager of the Wash- ington Kay Film Exchange. Jack Eskridge will assist Cohen. ... A. Julian Brylawski, chief of Warner Bros. Realty Dept., was host at a year's-end party to all tenants of the Warner Bldg. . . . Frank M. Boucher, newly elected chief barker of the Variety Club of Washington, announced the follow- ing committee chairmen at the Induction Luncheon on January 5 in the Willard Hotel : executive committee, Nathan D. Golden; welfare committee, Fred S. Kogod; ways and means committee, Carter T. Bar- ron and Sam Galanty; membership commit- tee, Jake Flax ; finance committee, J. Edward Fontaine ; tickets, testimonials and affairs committee, Leon Makover ; entertainment committee, Wade Pearson, chairman, Gene Ford and Herman Paris, co-chairmen ; luncheon, speakers and distinguished guests committee, Robert Denton ; director of pub- lic relations, Hardie Meakin, chairman. Southern Exhibitor Unit To Meet January 30 The officers and board of directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkan- sas, Mississippi and Tennessee will meet Friday, January 30, at the Hotel Chisca in Memphis, Tenn. Following the executive meeting all members of the organization will meet that afternoon and all exhibitors of that area have been invited to attend. Rob- ert W. Coyne, executive director of the Theatre Owners of America, will attend. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Urges Formation Of Film Councils Indianapolis Bureau The Associated Theatre Owners of In- diana is lirging exhibitors to organize local film councils in their communities as a pub- lic relations move. The councils, the ATOI suggests, should include representatives from schools, churches, libraries and civic organ- izations who would feel "that they had some voice in th/e policy of the theatre" and would ''become more understanding of and cooperative with the theatre man's prob- lems." Exhibitor Unit Condemns "Senator Was Indiscreet" The board of directors of the Allied Inde- pendent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Ne- braska at a meeting in Des Moines last week adopted a resolution condemning Universal- International's film, "The Senator Was In- discreet," and asked members of that organ- ization not to show it in their theatres. The association represents owners of 325 theatres in the two states. The resolution condemned the picture as "a reflection on the integrity of every duly elected representative of the American people," and added that it could be used as propaganda by subversive ele- ments in this country as well as by enemies abroad. $155,000 in Gratuities Paid by Warner Club Approximately $155,000 in gratuities was paid out in the past year by the Warner Club, the national social and welfare organization of Warner Brothers employees. According to the annual report issued recently by Stuart H. Aarons, president, $23,000 repre- ^ented marriage gratuities, $20,000 was for births and $86,000 for sickness. In addition, $7,500 was contributed to indigent members and emergency loans totaled $15,000. In all, 2,125 club members — one out of every six — received either gratuities or financial help from the club during the year. Exhibitor Meeting Postponed The Hannibal, Mo., regional meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illi- nois, has been postponed from January 15 to January 29, the organization has an- nounced. The January 14 meeting of the Motion Picture Foundation's finance unit in New York was given as the reason for the postponement. Columbia Votes Dividend Columbia Pictures Corporation board Wednesday, January 7, declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06i4 per share on the $4.25 cumulative preferred stock, payable Feb- ruary 14 to stockholders of record January 31. The date of the annual meeting of stockholders was set for March 9. Portland Theatres Increase Ad missions Five Cents A general five-cent increase in admissions for Portland downtown first runs and for neighborhood theatres has been put into ef- fect. Theatre managers cited rising costs as reasons for the increase. Portland admis- sions are now on par with Seattle admis- sions— 85 cents. Cleveland Club Elects Mooney Chief Barker Milton A. Mooney, president of Coopera- tive Theatres of Ohio, was elected chief barker of the Variety Club of Cleveland at elections held recently. He succeeds Nate Schultz. Other officers elected included: Leroy Kendis, first vice-president; Lou Ratener, second vice-president; I. J. Schmertz, treasurer ; Sam Abrams, record- ing secretary ; Al Friedlander, sergeant-at- arms, and Harry Weiss, publicity. New board members include Irwin Shenker, San- ford Leavitt and Al Sunshine. Open New Headquarters Allied Theatre Owners of Kansas and Missouri this week opened permanent head- quarters in a three-room suite at the corner of Wyandotte and Eighteenth Street, Kan- sas City. 7& CRITICS RAVE LOUELLA PARSONS says: WELL WORTH SEEING" ▲ FILM DAILY says: "DRAMATIC PUNCH!! SOUND SHOWMANSHIP!!" saYs- Cathy DOWNS • Paul LANGT0N with Mischa AUER • Roman BOHNEN Marion KERBY . Jane WEEKS • Manuela CALLEJO Product/on and Screenplay ROBERT PRESNELL, SR. • Direction JOHN REINHARDT DEADLY to oppose! DANGEROUS .to expose! ueHil NATIONAL RELEASE Now for thru 07i(*K &dteic4,. Inc. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 37 FOREIGN REVIEWS TO LIVE IN PEACE (Times Film Corp. — Italian with English subtitles). Following the success of "Open City" and "Shoe Shine" Italy has sent another of its finer films to this country. "To Live in Peace" is a story which bubbles with the laughter and tears, the trials and tribulations which mark the lives of most people. Basically it is a story of an Italian vil- lage during the war, which, because of its ob- scurity, remained untouched. When a farm family finds two Americans — a Negro soldier and a correspondent — hiding behind the Ger- man lines their troubles begin, first in keeping the Americans hidden from the German soldier stationed in the village and later in fleeing the town after the German and Negro become roar- ing drunk and announce the end of the war. By the time the German sobers up and realizes it was all a ruse the townspeople, in fear of re- prisals for harboring Americans, have fled to the hills. But the highlight of the picture is the tragic-comic role portrayed by Aldo Fa- brizi, who played the elderly priest in "Open City." He has an excellent cast to work with. There is Ernesto Almirante as the cornet play- ing grandfather; Gino Cavalieri as the local priest; John Kitzmiller and Gar Moore as the two Americans, and Ava Ninchi as the wife. Direction by Luigi Zampa is of the best. Run- ning time, 86 minutes. General audience classi- fication. Excellent. — G.H.S. CAVALLERIA RUSTIC ANA (Superfilm —Italian with English subtitles). In bringing the original story rather than the Mascagni opera of "Cavalleria Rusticana" to the Ameri- can screen Superfilm has here a picture which should appeal not only to patrons of art theatres but also to opera enthusiasts curious to see how the screen has treated a favorite. The screen- play follows closely the theme of the opera in that it has a soldier returning to his deeply religious village in Sicily only to find the girl he loved has married another. For spite he meets, flirts with, and eventually seduces a vil- lage maiden then returns to the arms of the married woman. At the end he pays for his promiscuity when he dies in a duel with the outraged husband. Starring Isa Pola as the girl who is shamed, Doris Duranti and Carlo Ninchi as the husband and wife whose marital life is ruined, and Leonardo Cortese as the _ returning soldier who disrupts the normal routine of the village, "Cavalleria Rusticana" was produced by Scalera in Italy and was directed by Amleto Palermi from Givanni Verga's story. Back- ground songs and music are from Sicilian folk- lore. Running time, 82 minutes. Adult audience classification. Good. — G.H.S. MARCO VISCONTI (Film Rights Inter- national— Italian with English subtleties). Based on an Italian novel by Thomas Grossi, "Marco Visconti" is a story of medieval chivalry com- plete with romantic interludes of plumed knights and pretty women. Except for the first few reels it is a picture which moves rapidly through several thrilling scenes of jousting tour- naments and high pageantry in a story of a warlike nobleman of Milan who attempts to break up a romance between his relative and the daughter of his former fiancee. Carlo Ninchi offers a convincing portrayal as "Marco," while Roberto Villa and Marietta Lotti handle their roles as the young lovers with ease. However, much of the rest of the cast appear to have had little acting experience. Mario Bonnard di- rected. Running time, 110 min. General audi- ence classification. Good. G. H. S. FAREWELL, MY BEAUTIFUL NAPLES ( Saturnia-Italian with English subtitles). This film, originally titled "Addio, Mia Bella Napoli," tells an appealing love story which is set in Naples at the turn of the century. Fosco Giacchetti and Vera Carmi are the lead- ing performers. Giacchetti portrays a brilliant composer who falls in love with a beautiful girl who is half American and half Italian. Vera Carmi plays the girl. The composer sees the girl's portrait and the story concerns his search for her. After he finds the girl they fall madly in love. The girl's traveling companion and chaperone attempts to discourage this romance and finally convinces the musician to trick the girl into sailing for America. He realizes that this is the end of their romance. The natural beauty of the scenes of Naples adds to the charm of the film. Ideal Films Roma produced and Mario Bonnard directed. The story was written by Ernesto Murolo. English subtitles adequately tell the story. However, the appeal of this film is primarily to Italian-speaking audiences. Running time, 108 min. Adult audi- ence classification. Fair. — M. R. Y. THE BLUE VEIL (Leo Cohn— French with English titles)— Not one of the best ex- amples of French film making, this is a weepy, old-fashioned tale of a woman who gives much and gets nothing in return. To a degree the film's shortcomings can be blamed on its age — it is of pre-war vintage — and on the outdated approach to an otherwise promising subject. Essentially it is the story of a woman who takes care of the children of other women. After a variety of experiences she ends old and broke, only to be found and sheltered by one of her former charges. Gaby Morlay is good in her portrayal of the child-loving nurse. Raymond Artus was the producer and Jean Stelli the director. Running time, 70 min. General audi- ence classification. Fair. — F.H. TOSCA (Superfilm— Italian with English subtitles). As a dramatization of Victorien Sardou's Italian opera "Tosca," this picture of the same title is an interesting story of the underground movement in Rome in 1800 when the Jacobins were secretly supporting the con- quests of Napoleon against wealthy Italian dic- tatorships and their police states. With Imperio Argentina in the title role and the French film star Michel Simon as the cold and cruel Scar- pia who eventually seeks her love after order- ing her fiance executed, the picture is a straight dramatic story incorporating only a few of the arias as written by Giacomo Puccini. Arturo Ambrosio produced with Carlo Koch directing. Running time, 82 minutes. Adult audience clas- sification. Good. — G.H.S. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Distinguished Films — French with English subtitles). Al- though the title sounds intriguing, "Midnight in Paris," more than anything else, is a character study of an elderly and dishonest Parisian hobo and his battle of wits with the law. Starring the late Raimu, who turns in his usual excellent performance, the story concerns the murder of a wealthy financier, a missing wallet found by the derelict and a handful of suspects. However, since the story depends mostly upon dialogue for its telling American audiences may find that the picture unfolds rather slowly for it appears much of its flavor has been lost in the French dialogue's transposition to English subtitles. In supporting roles are Aime Clariond, Charles Granval and Gilbert Gil. Roger Richebe pro- duced and Georges Lacombe driected. Running time, 90 min. Fair. G. H. S. THE GREAT DAWN (Superfilm— Italian with English subtitles). Of first importance is that "The Great Dawn" stars the nine-year- old musical prodigy, Pierino Gamba who, de- spite his age, has been acclaimed for the sym- phonies he has conducted in Paris and Rome. It is around this musical genius that a fictional story has been built concerning his rise to fame. For dramatic purposes the story deals with an unsuccessful composer whose family reputa- tion is finally established by his son. During his climb up the musical ladder Master Gamba conducts his orchestra in rendering selections from Beethoven, Schubert and Rossini. How- ever, a highlight of the picture is the charm- ing and humorous performance of Michele Riccardini as music-loving priest. Produced by Scalera Films in Rome and directed by G. M. Scotese. Running time, 86 min. Adult audience classification. Good. — G. H. S. VOLPONE (Siritzky International— French with English subtitles). In bringing Ben Jon- son's immortal play to the screen with the late Harry Baur in the title role the French have managed to keep in the picture all the naughti- ness and bawdiness of the Venice of several centuries ago. Since it concerns a depraved merchant who uses his new-found wealth to bribe three enemies to surrender a wife, a son, and a fortune, respectively, it is a picture that has a definite adult theme and which will make even the most sophisticated art theatre patrons raise an eyebrow. In supporting roles are Louis Jouvet as the right-hand man of the wealthy merchant, Charles Dullin and Jacqueline Delu- bac. Maurice Tourneur directed. Running time, 105 minutes. Adult audience classification. Good. —G.H.S. SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE (AF Film Corp. — French with English titles). Jean- Louis Barrault, star of "Les Enfants du Para- dis," also heads the cast of this film on the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz. He is as good as ever, but severely handicapped by a somewhat childishly contrived plot, devoid of the subtlety and originality usually found in the good French films. The music of Berlioz is brought in from time to time, but none too gen- erously. Included are selections from "Damna- tion of Faust," "Requiem," "Benvenuto Cellini" and "Symphonie Fantastique." It is good art theatre product. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. Good. — F. H. SHAKUNTALA ( Mayer-Burstyn— Hindu- stani with English subtitles). Produced in India and based on a legend which has been handed^ down through 17 centuries, "Shakun- tala" is the story of a village maiden and her unfortunate marriage to a nobleman. Fur- ther, it is a picture which will show interested American audiences the technical advances in production by the Indian producers. In this they have made full use of fadeouts, montage shots, closeups and other camera processes. However, the story depends solely on dialogue and thus seems somewhat longer than its 75 minutes. It concerns the innocent girl who falls in love with and marries a king. Later when she turns up at his palace he fails to recognize her and she goes to live alone in the jungle and eventually bears his son. Years later the king's memory is restored and he searches out and finds his wife and son. The picture's theme, language and musical background are typically Indian. The picture was produced and directed by V. Shantaram and stars Jayashree and Chandra Mohan. Running time, 75 minutes. General audience classification. Fair. — G. H. S. TWO ON A VACATION (Hoffberg— Italian with English subtitles). The star of this film is Vittorio De Sica, who wrote and directed "Shoe Shine." He also wrote this light-hearted romantic comedy, produced at the Cinecitta Stu- dios, Rome. The plot combines the Cinderella story with a comedy of errors. A young work- ing girl meets a wealthy Count but does not dis- cover his identity until the end. A group of persons, including the Count, the girl, the Count's valet, now disguised as the Count, and several others are motoring in Italy. There are touches of slapstick humor which result from confused identities. A happy ending is reached when the Count reveals his identity and the girl promises to marry him. The cast of the film, directed by C. L. Bragaglia, includes Maria Denis and Umberto Melnati. The English sub- titles are satisfactory. Running time, 84 minutes. Adult audience classification: Fair. — M. R. Y. 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Ask More Funds For Information Washington Bureau In his budget message to Congress Mon- day President Harry Truman asked for an increase of almost $6,000,000 to $18,500,000, in the funds for the State Department's in- formation program. Expansion of the pro- gram's motion picture activities will be one of the first things to be done with the fund, the message said. The President's message also proposed funds for a census of business, and again asked increased funds for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to publish business financial statistics. A slight in- crease was sought in the funds of the Fed- eral Communications Commission, in line with an anticipated increase in that agency's volume of work. Canadian Drive Launched With "Sleep, My Love" United Artists' "Sleep My Love" had its world premiere Monday evening at the Elgin theatre in Ottawa concurrent with the launching of the Canadian Appeal for Chil- dren, sponsored jointly by the Canadian Council for Reconstruction and the United Nations Appeal for Children. Attending the opening were Mary Pickford and Grad- well L. Sears, president of United Artists. The picture is a Triangle Production, pro- duced by Miss Pickford, Buddy Rogers and Ralph Cohn. Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings and Don Ameche are starred. More Television Sets For Reade Houses Television lounges will be installed in Walter Reade theatres in Morristown, Long Branch and Red Bank, New Jersey, Walter Reade, Jr., announced at the monthly man- ager's meeting in New York last Tuesday. Such lounges are now operating at the St. James, Asbury Park; Strand, Freehold; Majestic, Perth Amboy, and the Strand, Ox- ford and Parampunt in Plainfield, N. J. Radio, Television Set Production Increasing The production of radio receiver sets con- tinued to rise during September with a total of 1,339,980 produced in that month com- pared with 1,265,835 in August, according to figures released by the Radio Manufac- turers' Association in Washington last week. The production of television sets also con- tinued to increase with 32,719 reported for September. Eagle Lion Names Two Eagle Lion Films has appointed Paul A. Hannon as salesman in the Kansas City branch, and Chester A. Roeder as Los An- geles salesman. Georgia Theatre Company Will Collect Dimes The Georgia Theatre Company, Atlanta, will participate in the 1948 March of Dimes drive, William K. Jenkins, president, has announced. All theatres in the circuit will make audience collections. Mr. Jenkins, who served as state chairman for the 1947 campaign, said that collections would be taken in his theatres, January 24-30, Edward Small To Reissue Anti-Communist Film Edward Small, independent producer, an- nounced in Hollywood last Thursday that he would reissue "Red Salute," a film of left- wing agitation in American colleges which brought Communist denunciations and dem- onstrations when it was first released late in 1935. At that time the picture was re- leased by United Artists but Mr. Small said that a distributor has not been selected as yet for the reissue. Before the film is again released Mr. Small said he intended to pref- ace the picture with a forward linking the story to the current anti-Communist fu- rore. Opens Plastics Laboratory Eastman Kodak Company has announced the opening of a new plastics laboratory at Rochester to aid in the design of plastic parts for cameras, projectors and other pho- tographic apparatus. fit I /Mi of m mm mm JSt NATIONAL RELEASE MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 IN NEWSREELS VFW Plans 16mm Illinois Group To Join TOA United Theatre Owners of Illinois voted in favor of affiliation with Theatre Owners of America last week at the end of their two- day convention at Springfield, 111. George Kerasotas was elected national TOA direc- tor. The convention also reelected Edward Zorn as president and all other officers. Three TOA executives — Fred Wehren- berg, board chairman ; Robert Coyne, execu- tive secretary, and Herman Levy, general counsel — presented TOA's case to the 150 attending. Mr. Coyne outlined TOA's ob- jectives as being two-fold, including self- protection and public service. He called for exhibitor understanding and support for a number of industry problems such as 16mm competition, television, the Ascap question and taxation. Mr. Zorn, in his annual report, stressed the importance of more careful attention to municipal taxation. He deplored "petty in- dustry economies" as not adequate to keep film prices within the exhibitor's reach. Other highlights of the convention were dis- cussions on public service, public relations, self-protection and taxation. The question of public relations also was taken up by Senator Charles F. Carpentier of Moline, national legislative representative, who told the exhibitors their failure to de- velop good public relations in their individ- ual communities was handicapping their leg- islative "friends." Other speakers included Claude Mundo, president of the Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas; Leon Bamberger of RKO; Henderson M. Richey of MGM and Charles Rogers, producer. Washington MPTO Votes Affiliation with TOA The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Washington, D. C, voted to affiliate with the Theatre Owners of America at a meeting last Wednesday. A. Julian Brylawski, presi- dent of the local unit, was named TOA director. New Organization Takes Over For USO in Vet Hospitals Veterans Hospital Camp Shows, Inc., has been formed to take over the work done previously by the Hospital Circuit of USO- Camp Shows. Sponsored by all major mo- tion picture producers and exhibitors and by all radio networks as well as all guilds, crafts and unions associated with them, in addition to the legitimate theatre, the new organization will have seven of its ten com- panies on the road before February 1. Ex- ecutive producers of major Manhattan the- atres and a Hollywood director will set to work this week to turn out the streamlined revues. The new companies will visit 101 hospitals in all, entertaining 100,000 men on a schedule that will take more than five months to complete. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 31, No. 3— President Tru- man reports to Congress on the "State of the Union." . . . Michael of Rumania forced to abdicate by Reds. . . . Government seizes contraband TNT headed for Palestine. . . . Ski jumping. . . . Golden Gloves. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 31, No. 4— Senate Com- mittee hears Marshall plan. ... A day with Haile Selassie. . . . First pay telephone in Japan. . . . Miami air show. . . . Los Angeles open golf. . . . Sled dog race. . . . College ski meet in Sun Valley. , , . Future ski stars. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 237— President Truman's report to Congress. . . . Marines answer call to duty. . . . Bonus for war vets. . . . Male jury tests new beach wear. . . . Ski classics. . . . Golden Gloves. . . . Zoom racing. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 238— Marshall warns, "Aid Europe now, or else!" . . . De Gaulle bids for power. . . . Haile Selassie intimate films. . . .Japan's honor system telephones. . . . Fashions for mermaids. . . . Inter-collegiate ski meet. . . . Aquatic carnival. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 40— Leathernecks sail for Mediterranean. . . . Friendship Food arrives in Italy. . . . Michael of Rumania reaches exile in Switzerland. . . . Congress hears President Truman. PARAMOUNT NEWS — No. 41— Hockey squad sails for Olympics. . . . High-flying hickory aces. . . . European aid program debated. . . . Grillers on Konitsa front. ... Air show. UNIVERSAL NEWS — Vol. 30, No. 107— President Truman's message. . . .Marines sail to Mediterranean. . . . Ski meet. . . . Football. . . . Golden Gloves. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 30, No. 108— Marshall be- fore Senate committee. . . . French group strikes against U. S. movies. . . . Slalom ski champions. . . . Ail-American air maneuvers. WARNER PATHE NEWS — No. 42— UN Commission at Greek front. . . . Japs get peek at Royal palace. . . . Hair fashions. . . . Aftermath of New Year's Eve. . . . Michael in exile. . . . Australia honors U. S. war dead. . . . Ski meet. . . . Golden Gloves. . . . Commemoration of Benjamin Franklin. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 43— Explosives for Palestine seized. . . . Princess Ann_ ends trip to Michael. . . . Italy welcomes Friendship goods. . . . Marshall before Senate Committee. . . . Rescued Soviet ship. . . . Air show at Miami. . . . Skiing. TELENEWS DIGEST— Vol. 2, No. 2— UN makes on- the-spot check of farm methods in Poland. . . . Famous bridge at Orleans, France, rebuilt. . . . Re- construction in Germany. . . . Ancient art treasures found in Mexico. . . . Beauty contests in France, Belgium and Sweden. . . . Switzerland — winter Olympic stars tune up. Warner News Releasing Special Oanadian Issue Warner Pathe News is issuing a special edition of its newsreel in Canada, Norman Moray, president of Warner News, Inc., has announced. The new edition, which contains news of special interest to Canadians, is issued weekly and is ' known as Warner Pathe Canadian News. The first edition was released last Friday and included color sequences of the Rose Bowl football classic and the Tournament of Roses parade in Pas- adena, Cal. Time Sells Prints Outright The 16mm prints of the March of Time Forum Edition, previously available only on a three-year rental basis, now are being sold outright, the company announced this week. The prints, running about 16 minutes, cost $55 per print. Some 35 Forum Edition sub- jects now are available, with five more to be released March 1. Building Ban Appealed T. and D. Jr. Enterprises has filed an appeal with the country board of supervisors at San Jose, Cal., asking that a decision by the county planning commission denying the circuit a permit to build a $1,000,000 multi- ple amusement center be rescinded. Films Nationally The 16mm industry added another threat to 35mm exhibitors last week when the Vet- erans of Foreign Wars announced plans to enter upon the controlled circulation of 16mm sponsored films among its 10,000 posts and 3,500 Ladies' Auxiliary chapters. The potential VFW audience numbers more than 1,750,000. The project is based on current criticism of 16mm distributing agencies which try to get sponsored films shown anywhere, re- gardless of whether or not the audience is interested in the subject. It aims to please both the audience and the producer by con- trolling distribution and seeing to it that films are shown only where there is an in- terest in them. The pictures will be shown free of charge, but the sponsors pay a fee for each screen- ing. The plan for controlled distribution was originated by Al Sherman, Washington film consultant and publicist. It involves the publication of special catalogues from which member groups may request films. All films will be submitted to a preview committee including Mr. Sherman, Merritt F. Williams, national chaplain of the VFW ; Nathan D. Golden, motion picture consult- ant of the Commerce Department, and three VFW officials. The National Rifle Associa- tion with 270,000 members also subscribes to the plan and Mr. Sherman claims similar deals are pending with three other national organizations. Warner Theatre Converts To Foreign Film Policy Warner Brothers' Capitol theatre in Phil- adelphia will inaugurate a new foreign film policy starting Wednesday, February 4, the theatre has announced. The first film to be shown under the new policy will be "Shoe Shine," an Italian picture with English sub- titles distributed in the United States by Lopert Films. The theatre's new policy has been decided upon, the theatre announced, following public requests. Mitchell Sells Records Curtis Mitchell, retiring director of ad- vertising and publicity for Paramount, Tuesday confirmed reports he would enter the premium business. Mr. Mitchell is treasurer of Berkshire Enterprises, five- month-old concern of Pittsfield, Mass. William Powell, -former theatre manager, is president; James Fletcher, former advertis- ing man, vice-president. The company, is enlisting exhibitors in a premium plan using surplus RCA records. Arkansas House Opens The new Saenger theatre in Hope, Ark., was formally opened last week. Among the speakers on the program were Mayor Al- bert Fink, George Peck, president of the Chamber of Commerce ; Miss Temple Texas, Hollywood player, and theatre executives. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Calls Foundation Attack Baseless "The Motion Picture Foundation was launched with the highest motives and for the hest interests of all of the people of our industry," E. V. Richards, Jr., president of the organization, said this week in calling ''entirely unfounded in fact" statements by units of Allied States Association criticizing the Foundation. • The attacks originated with North Central Allied and the Allied Rocky Mountain In- dependent Theatres. "If there were any effort to shift the bur- den from one phase of the industry to an- other, I would not want to be a party to it," Mr. Richards said. "However, nothing of the sort is in prospect. On the contrary, there has been every evidence that each phase of the industry has been willing to carry its fair share of the responsibility.'' Mr. Richards suggested that any criticism should await the formulation of final plans. Find I 1 ,500 Television Sets Operating in Chicago Area Television circulation in the Chicago area has risen more than 1,500 per cent during the past 12 months, with 11,500 sets in oper- ation on December 31, 1947,-against 650 sets at the beginning of that year, Paramount station WBKB announced this week. According to the survey, sets were sold at the rate of 750 per week in the Chicago area during December. A breakdown of current circulation shows that some 7,400 receivers are located in homes, 3,000 in taverns and other public places and slightly more than 1,000 in places of business, showrooms, etc. At the beginning of 1947, tavern and bar sets represented 70 per cent of the total. During the year circulation increased to such an extent, however, that today 65 per cent of all sets in the area are in homes and only 25 per cent are in taverns. Television for Salt Lake To Begin in February The first transmission of television broad- casting in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area will begin in February over station KDYL, S. S. Fox, manager of the station, has announced. At first the station will televise only two half-hour programs but later will expand to cover local sport events. Newsreel on BBC Television The British Broadcasting Company now is expanding its television news coverage and at present is showing a 15-minute spe- cial television newsreel three times a week, the BBC's press bulletin said this week. To expand the scope of these reels BBC has made deals with a number of film and tele- vision companies abroad calling for the ex- change of film material. One such arrange- ment has been in effect for many months with the National Broadcasting Company. Renaissance Films Names Ireton English Manager Montreal Bureau Renaissance Films Distribution, Inc., one of the latest companies to enter the produc- tion field in Canada, has appointed Glenn Ireton general manager of English language operations. Until recently, Mr. Ireton was public relations director for Warner Broth- ers in Canada. Renaissance, whose office and new studio are located on a Montreal mountainside, is, as its name implies, experi- encing a rebirth. The company will con- centrate equally on French and English pro- duction, according to J. A. DeSeve, presi- dent, who also reported that the company is contemplating a second studio to occupy some 300,000 square feet in the east end dis- trict of Montreal. Production will begin in March. Two Atlanta Newspapers Get Television Permits The Federal Communications Commission in Washington has announced the grant of construction permits for two new commercial television stations in Atlanta, Ga. Recipi- ents are the Atlanta Journal Company, and the Atlanta Constitution Publishing Com- pany. The FCC also announced that the National Broadcasting Company had been granted special temporary authorization to operate three experimental television relay stations between Philadelphia and Baltimore. DISCOVERED AGAIN £A. NATIONAL RELEASE „, MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 41 '/what the picture hip for . . . the original exhibitors' reports department, established October 14, 1916. In It theatremen serve one another with information about the box office performance of product — providing a service of the exhibitor for the exhibitor. ADDRESS REPORTS: What the Picture Did for Me, Motion Picture Herald, Rockefeller Center, New York 20. Columbia BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST, THE: Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise — This, of course, was a little old, but regardless it is an outstanding picture. It is worth playing. Played Thursday, Jan. 1.— Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. THRILL OF BRAZIL: Evelyn Keyes, Keenan Wynn— Played this late and was surprised to hear many good comments on same, as generally these musical dancing releases do not go in a small town. Suppose everyone has played it by now. Played Sat- urday, Dec. 6.— A. L. Dove, Bengough Theatre, Ben- gough, Sask., Can. Film Classics DEAD END: Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea— I believe we went to the well just once too often with this one. Besides the print being in bad shape, the cash cus- tomers seemed weary of seeing this again and again. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3.— A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer BOOM TOWN: Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy— Very good reissue. Weather bad, but enjoyed good busi- ness. Played Monday, Tuesday.— Roy Matthews, Pal- ace Theatre, Wilmington, N. C. GALLANT BESS: Marshall Thompson, George To- bias—Excellent. A good crowd was enthralled by this feature. The .color was good and the story, for a change, was excellent. Well worth playing in any situation. Heard no complaints. Played Saturday, Dec. 27.— Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. LOVE LAUGHS AT ANDY HARDY: Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone — A very pleasing comedy which drew well in spite of the late playdate. Strictly a family picture. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 24, 25.— Melvin Lipnick, Inverness Theatre, Inverness, Miss. MY BROTHER TALKS TO HORSES: Jackie "Butch" Jenkins, Peter Lawford— This was very slow to begin with, but when we got into the racing scenes action and story seemed to pick up and finally ended in a blaze of glory for a small town and rural audi- ence. A good evening's entertainment, if the audi- ence can sit comfortably for the first 30 minutes. Would recommend it. Played Saturday, Nov. 29.— A. L. Dove, Bengough Theatre, Bengough, Sask., Can. ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE: Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell— A big departure for Johnson. Our crowd enjoyed this. Good to see the star in a role which demands a little action instead of pretty boy roles. However, his acting still isn't any great shakes. This is well worth playing. Played Monday, Dec. 22.— Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. Monogram KING OF THE JUNGLE: Buster Crabbe— They ate this up. Played during the holiday and, regardless of bad weather, it was what the doctor ordered. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. MR. HEX: Leo Gorcey Huntz Hall— We doubled this with "King of the Jungle," and Herb (our booker) really put us in something that brought them in. Would recommend this combination for small towns. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2. 3.— Harland Rankin. Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. Paramount CALIFORNIA: Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland— An outstanding color Western with good story, good scenery and everything to entertain a rural audience. Played Friday, Dec. 19.— A. L. Dove, Bengough Thea- tre, Bengough, Sask., Can. INCENDIARY BLONDE: Betty Hutton, Arturo de Cordova— I used a repeat on this in place of one of the newer ones. Still verv good.— S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. EARLY BIRD E. H. Peterson of Bristol, Term., reports to us an incident of interest on a recent visit to Bristol, Va. On a street corner near a large theatre, where "'Red Stallion" was marqueed, a small boy was intently occupied in pursuit of papers borne by a brisk breeze. He stopped for breath, says Mr. Peterson, and in- quired when it would be 12:45. Advised that he had one hour and 1 5 minutes to wait, the youngster replied: "That's nothing. I've been on this corner since 7:00 o'clock this morning to be sure I would not miss the show." JUNGLE PRINCESS: Dorothy Lamour, Ray Mil- land — This picture still has popular appeal regardless of its age. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3. — Har- land Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. WHERE THERE'S LIFE: Bob Hope, Signe Hasso — One more like this and they will be using Bob Hope films for the second half of a double feature. The only consolation, if any, is they can't come any worse. — A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. RKO Radio NOCTURNE: George Raft, Lynn Bari— Fair. Drew only a fair crowd and no one seemed to be displeased with it. Raft is not a great favorite here. Mystery fans should go for it. Played Friday, Dec. 19. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. SUNSET PASS: James Warren, Nan Leslie— Very good little Western. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS: Johnny Weiss- muller, Brenda Joyce — Here is a good one. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. Republic DRIFTWOOD: Ruth Warrick Walter Brennan— Very good picture. I played this Christmas Day and it was very well liked. The cast in this picture is as perfect as can be. They were all excellent. The new child star is a sensation. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Thea- tre, Flomaton, Ala. PLAINSMAN AND THE LADY, THE: William Elliott, Vera Ralston — Not very good. Elliott can't act and Miss Ralston adds nothjng to the acting situa- tion either. Much too long for the amount of action. I can't see why Republic puts Elliott in these so-called big action pictures. This one is a definite disappoint- ment. Played Saturday, Dec. 20. — Fred J. Hutchings. Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. Twentieth Century-Fox BEHIND GREEN LIGHTS: William Gargan, Carole Landis — This picture will do well on a double bill, but it was no good for a single. Weather bad. — Roy Matthews, Palace Theatre, Wilmington, N. C. BRASHER DOUBLOON, THE: George Montgom- ery, Nancy Guild— No appeal. Didn't see it, but busi- ness was poor. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. FOREVER AMBER: Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde— An excellent picture which drew better than expected. The advance admission is too much for small town patronage. Played Friday, Dec 26. — Melvin Ljpnick, Inverness Theatre, Inverness, Miss. GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, THE: Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison — This did well Sunday, but no business Monday; probably the word got around. I must admit some enjoyed it, but they seemed to be in the minor- ity. Played Sunday, Monday, Jan. 4, 5. — A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. SMOKY: Fred MacMurray, Anne Baxter — Sponsored by a club for the midnight show. Adverse weather spoiled things. Still a good picture. — Harland Rankin. Erie Theatre, Wheatley, Ont., Can. THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE: June Haver, Vivian Blaine — This was as sweet a picture as you could wish for, but they didn't come out. It seems that this type isn't popular. I'd say they are crazy. Played Monday- Wednesday, Dec. 29-31.— Harland Ran- kin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE: June Haver, Vivian Blaine — As lovely a picture as you could ask for. Didn't do business in Bothwell, but much better in Wheatley. It's still a good picture.— Harland Ran- kin, Erie Theatre, Wheatley, Ont., Can. Universal EGG AND I, THE: Claudette Colbert, Fred Mac- Murray — A wonderful picture, which pleased 100 per cent. Good in any situation. Played Monday, Tues- day, Dec. 15, 16. — Melvin Lipnick, Inverness Theatre, Inverness, Miss. TRAIL TO VENGEANCE: Kerby Grant, Fuzzy Knight — This picture is good for those who like West- erns. Weather was good. Enjoyed fair business. Played Friday, Saturday. — Roy Matthews, Palace Theatre, Wilmington, N. C. Warner Bros. CHEYENNE: Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman— A good picture for small towns. It should do well almost anywhere. We had a sleet storm, so cannot report good business. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Til- bury, Ont., Can. CHEYENNE: Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman— A real live rootin' tootin' shootin' Western by Warners. The rural patrons surely eat this stuff. There is plenty of galloping, stagecoaches and a good story connect- ed with same. Just what the small town exhibitor ordered. Play it for sure. Played Saturday, Dec. 27.— A. L. Dove, Bengough Theatre, Bengough, Sask., Can. CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT: Barbara Stan- wyck, Dennis Morgan — I picked this old one up, not having used it before. It was excellent. Warners' old pictures have much better prints than a certain com- pany's new product. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. NEVER SAY GOODBYE: Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker — Played this very late, but it turned out to be a very good evening's entertainment for my patrons. Would recommend you to play this. Played Friday, Dec. 12. — A. L. Dove, Bengough Theatre, Bengough, Sask., Can. STALLION ROAD: Zachary Scott. Alexis Smith- Played this on New Year's Day. Opinions were divid- ed, although trade papers gave it a lot of publicity. I'd say it was oversold. Business only average. Played Thursday, Jan. 1. — Harland Rankin, Joy Thea- tre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL, THE: Den- nis Morgan, Jack Carson — This arrived too late for (Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 (Continued from preceding page) a Christmas showing, but a good crowd turned up the following day. This is nothing to be enthusiastic about. The story is poor and except for one or two scenes it is just an ordinary musical. Played Friday, Dec. 26. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. United Artists COPACABAN A : Groucho Marx, Carmen Miranda- Very good. If there is a better comedian than Groucho Marx, I don't know him. Why don't they make more pictures with him. Business was bad on this one, however. Played this the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas, and the title scared my rural pa- trons away. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Floma- ton, Ala. NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, A: Marx Brothers, Lois Collier — This proved to be very popular. We find comedians very popular in small towns. Played Saturday-Monday. Dec. 27-29. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. RAMROD: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake — An above average Western which drew. McCrea and DeFore were excellent. Played Monday, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 30. — Melvin Lipnick, Inverness Theatre, Inverness, Miss. RAMROD: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake— This was chosen by our local newspaper as the most exciting picture of the year. Played it -under adverse weather conditions and still did business. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. Short Features Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer HOUND HUNTERS: MGM Technicolor Cartoons- Good cartoon. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flo- maton, Ala. Paramount CAGEY BIRD: Flippy— Not worth running through the machine. — A L Dove, Bengough Theatre, Ben- gough, Sask., Can. CHAMPAGNE FOR TWO: Musical Parades— Ex- cellent two-reel film in Technicolor. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. RKO Radio SLEEPY TIME DONALD: Walt Disney Cartoons- Only fair. In my estimation. Metro and some .of the Warner cartoons are far ahead of Disney. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. THE BUCKAROO BROADCAST: Ray Whitley Western Musicals — This is O.K. if your folks like Westerns. Here it is a nice short. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. Warner-Vitaphone HOUSE HUNTING MICE: Merrie Melodies Car- toons—Excellent. Well received.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. THE SNEEZING WEASEL: Blue Ribbon Cartoons —Cartoon in Technicolor. Fair. — A. L. Dove, Ben- gough Theatre, Bengough, Sask., Can. Midstate Amusement Buys Walla Walla Drive-ln Purchase of the Iris drive-in theatre at Walla Walla, Wash., capacity of 400 auto- mobiles, has been announced by S. J. Gre- gory, vice-president of Midstate Amusement Corp., which operates three downtown Walla Walla theatres and another drive-in in the Kennewick Highland area. Extensive im- provements will be made. The Iris was opened last May by Columbia Service, Inc., of which Gaylord C. Ransom was president, and operated until late October. Llano, Texas, House Opens The new Lantex theatre at Llano, Texas, has been opened. R. N. Smith Theatres, Inc., purchased the theatre several months ago from Carl Garner. Short Product in First Run Houses CAPITOL: Miracle in the Cornfield MGM Fishing Bear MGM Feature: High Wall MGM CRITERION: Brooklyn Makes Capital. Universal Pickle Puss Columbia Feature: The Senator Was Indiscreet. ... Universal GLOBE: Now That Summer Is Gone Warner Bros. Feature: Body and Soul United Artists PALACE: Booth Beetle RKO Radio Feature: Tycoon RKO Radio PARAMOUNT: Midnight Serenade .Paramount Safari So Good Paramount Popular Science. No. 2 Paramount Feature: Where There's Life Paramount ROXY: A Fight to the Finish. ..20th Cent.-Fox Jungle Closeups 20rh-Cent.-Fox Feature: An Ideal Husband 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND: Fishing the Florida Keys Warner Bros. Stars in the Night Warner Bros. Horse Fly Fleas Warner Bros. Feature: My Wild Irish Rose Warner Bros. WARNER: Action in Sports. .. .Warner Bros. Two Gophers from Texas Warner Bros. Feature: The Voice of the Turtle. .. .Warner Bros. WINTER GARDEN: Jack the Giant Killer Universal Feature: The Exile Universal Universal Declares 25-Cent Dividend for Quarter The board of directors of Universal Pic- tures Company, Inc., last Thursday voted a dividend of 25 cents a share, payable Janu- ary 31 to stockholders of record at the close of business January 19. This compares with a dividend of 50 cents a share declared quarterly during the past several years. In a statement accompanying the an- nouncement, the company said: "In view of the unsettled conditions throughout the world and the uncertain effects upon the company's business, the board of directors feels that it is to the best interests of the stockholders at this time to conserve the company's cash resources until such time as these problems become clarified." At the same time it was announced that Universal has available for release, or in the final editing stages, 15 pictures. Washington Supreme Court Rules Against Ascap The Washington State Supreme Court last week reversed a lower court ruling and held that Ascap had some 13,000 selections listed with the Secretary of State for which it had no right to collect royalties. Ascap, the court held, had not properly complied with state laws in its attempt to collect roy- alties from radio stations, hotels and restau- rants, for the playing of Beethoven's "Minuet in G." Many of the works, Chief Justice Mallery said, are now in the public domain and Ascap has no right to profit from their playing. The appeal had been made by the Independent Theatre Owners of Washington, Northern Idaho and Alaska and the State Restaurant Association of Washington. Film Board of Canada Operated 67 Circuits The National Film Board of Canada op- erated 67 rural film circuits, each of which covered a minimum of 20 locations per month during the 1946-47 season, giving a total of 16,080 exhibitions during the year. The board also assisted provincial and local agencies in operating 90 supplementary cir- cuits. Total rural audience reached by the Film Board during the year was 2,760,443. According to a report from the Board, the organization completed and released 164 films, including newsreels and trailers, in 1946-47. Of this total, 22 English and 19 French-language subjects were included as regular items on entertainment programs in more than 300 commercial theatres, reaching an estimated audience exceeding 2,000,000 a month. Legion of Decency Reviews Nine New Productions The National Legion of Decency has reviewed nine new productions, approving all but one. In Class A-I, unobjectionable for general patronage, were: "Prince of Thieves," "Phantom Valley" and "Tenth Avenue Angel." In Class A-II, unobjection- able for adults, were: "The Paradine Case," "An Ideal Husband," "Secret Beyond the Door," "Sleep My Love," and "Woman from Tangier." "The Flame" was placed in Class B, objectionable in part, because of a "sug- gestive sequence." Sack Heads Visual Dealers Alfred N. Sack, general manager of Sack Amusement Enterprises, Dallas, has been elected president of the Texas Association of Visual Education Dealers. Other of- ficers elected at the meeting held in Austin January 10 are J. R. Riley, Houston, vice- president; Reed Morgan, Dallas, secretary- treasurer, and C. A. Reagan, Austin, and John Gunstream, Dallas, directors. Young Sole Owner of Du-Art Al Young, one of the founders and part- ners in Du-Art Film Laboratories, New York, has purchased the entire interests in the company held by Jack Goetz and Ar- thur Gottlieb and is now sole owner. Dezel Closes Deal Albert Dezel, president of Albert Dezel Productions, has acquired distribution rights to all releases from Masterpiece Productions for territories served by his offices in Chi- cago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 43 PICTURE CROSSES A statistical compilation and comparison of Box Office Per- formance in first run theatres Figures directly below picture title compare estimated dollar gross with average gross and show relative percentage of all engagements tabulated. Figures opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly business based on the six months' period ending October 31, 1 947. SYMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature title; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move- Over Run; (AA) Advance Admission. INDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear in Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. ROAD TO RIO (Para.) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated $669,100 Comparative Average Gross 445,000 Over-all Performance 150.3% ATLANTA — Fox 130.0% BALTIMORE — Keith's, 1st week 198.2% BALTIMORE — Keith's, 2nd week ..... 135.1% BOSTON— Metropolitan 109.4% (DB) The Dragnet (SG) BUFFALO— Great Lakes 123.8% CHICAGO— State Lake 178.1% CINCINNATI— RKO Palace, 1st week .... 170.7% CINCINNATI— RKO Palace, 2nd week .... 129.2% CINCINNATI— RKO Lyric, MO 1st week . . 250.0% CLEVELAND— Loew's State 147.7% CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman, MO 1st week 136.3% DENVER— Denham, 1st week 148.0% DENVER— Denham, 2nd week 128.0% INDIANAPOLIS— Indiana 170.3% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 1st week . . . 126.0% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 2nd week . . . 126.0% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 3rd week . . . 78.8% LOS ANGELES— Paramount Downtown . . . 218.9% LOS ANGELES— Paramount Hollywood . . 181.4% MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 116.7% OMAHA— Paramount 139.6% OMAHA— Omaha. MO 1st week 127.9% PHILADELPHIA— Stanley 246.9% SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount 188.6% SAN FRANCISCO-St. Francis, MO 1st week 192.0% ST. LOUIS — Fox, 1st week 109.8% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) ST. LOUIS— Fox, 2nd week 98.9% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) ST. LOUIS— Shubert, MO 1st week .... 136.3% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) TORONTO— Shea's 119.3% GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (MCM) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated Comparative Average Gross Over-all Performance $1,359,500 1 ,206,400 112.6% ATLANTA— Loew's Grand, 1st week ATLANTA— Loew's Grand, 2nd week BALTIMORE— Century, 1st week BALTIMORE— Century, 2nd week BOSTON— Orpheum, 1st week . BOSTON— Orpheum, 2nd week . BOSTON— Orpheum, 3rd week . BOSTON— State, 1st week . . . BOSTON— State, 2nd week . . . BOSTON— State, 3rd week . . . BUFFALO— Great Lakes, 1st week BUFFALO— Great Lakes, 2nd week BUFFALO — Hippodrome, MO 1st week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 1st week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 2nd week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 3rd week CLEVELAND— Loew's State, 1st week CLEVELAND— Loew's State, 2nd week CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman, MO1 1st week CLEVELAND— Loew's Ohio, MO 2nd week DENVER— Orpheum, 1st week . . DENVER— Orpheum, 2nd week . . INDIANAPOLIS— Loew's, 1st week INDIANAPOLIS— Loew's, 2nd week KANSAS CITY— Midland, 1st week KANSAS CITY— Midland, 2nd week LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 1st week LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 2nd week LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 3rd week LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 4th week LOS ANGELES— Fox- Wilshire, 1st week LOS ANGELES— Fox-Wilshire. 2nd week 148.8% 113.1% 131.7% 89.8% 119.6% 100.3% 84.9% 147.4% 89.7% 64.1% 112.1% 73.5% 92.9% 146.3% . 97.5% 56.9% 140.3% 108.3% 115.7% 91.6% 160.0% 93.3% 151.2% 84.0% 149.7% 98.8% 167.9% 104.4% 82.0% 55.9% 175.8% 117.1% LOS ANGELES— Fox-Wilshire, 3rd week LOS ANGELES— Fox-Wilshire, 4th week LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 1st week LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 2nd week LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 3rd week LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 4th week MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City, 1st week MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City, 2nd week NEW YORK— Criterian, 1st week NEW YORK— Criterion, 2nd week NEW YORK— Criterion, 3rd week NEW" YORK— Criterion. 4th week NEW YORK— Criterion, 5th week NEW YORK— Criterion, 6th week NEW YORK— Criterion, 7th week . NEW YORK— Criterion, 8th week . NEW YORK— Criterion, 9th week . OMAHA— Paramount, 1st week . . OMAHA — Paramount, 2nd week . . PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 1st week PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 2nd week PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 3rd week PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 4th week PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, Sth week PITTSBURGH— Penn, 1st week . . PITTSBURGH— Penn, 2nd week . . PITTSBURGH— Ritz, MO 1st week SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield, 1st week SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield, 2nd week SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield. 3rd week ST. LOUIS— Loew's State, 1st week . ST. LOUIS— Loew's State, 2nd week . ST. LOUIS— Loew's Orpheum, MO 1st week ST. LOUIS— Loew's Orpheum, MO' 2nd week TORONTO— Loew's 90.0% 58.5% 149.7% 96.6% 67.6% 50.0% 117.7% 71.8% 228.1% 171.1% 150.0% 133.3% 116.6% 93.3% 83.3% 100.0% 70.0% 130.1% 81.9% 184.9% 125.3% 105.6% 85.9% 99.5% 128.3% 90.9% 129.0% 170.9% 108.8% 72.5% 145.0% 105.0% 74.7% 91.9% 130.9% DAISY KENYON (20th -Fox) First Report: Total Gross Tabulated $527,100 Comparative Average Gross 491,100 Over-all Performance 107.3% BALTIMORE— New, 1st week 119.8% BALTIMORE— New, 2nd week 90.9% BALTIMORE— New, 3rd week- 86.7% CINCINNATI— RKO Palace 112.2% DENVER— Denver 90.9% (DB) Smart Politics (Mono.) DENVER— Webber 85.7% (DB) Smart Politics (Mono.) DENVER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 120.0% (DB) Smart Politics (Mono.) KANSAS CITY— Tower 91.3% KANSAS CITY— Uptown 108.2% LOS ANGELES— Chinese, 1st week .... 116.8% LOS ANGELES— Chinese, 2nd week .... 71.4% LOS ANGELES— Loew's State, 1st week . . 125.0% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Loew's State, 2nd week . . 73.6% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Loyola, 1st week .... 126.2% LOS ANGELES— Loyola, 2nd week .... 7Z8% LOS ANGELES— Uptown, 1st week .... 131.5% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Uptown, 2nd week .... 83.3% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) NEW YORK— Roxy, 1st week 146.1% (SA) Lanny Ross and others NEW YORK— Roxy, 2nd week 99.2% (SA) Lanny Ross and others PITTSBURGH— Fulton, 1st week 121.3% PITTSBURGH— Fulton, 2nd week 77.6% SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield, 1st week . . . 101.0% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th-Fox) SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield, 2nd week . . . 67.3% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th-Fox) SAN FRANCISCO— United Nations. 1st week 88.2% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th -Fox) SAN FRANCISCO— United Nations, 2nd week 58.8% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th-Fox) ST. LOUIS— Ambassador 115.1% (DB) Roses Are Red (20th-Fox) Famous Players Plans Television Toronto Bureau Famous Players Canadian, Paramount af- filiate, will organize a television production company in Canada to be entirely separate from Paramount's American television sub- sidiary, it was announced here last week by J. J. Fitzgibbons, FPC president. The new company will be called Television Produc- tions, Inc. Mr. Fitzgibbons recently re- turned here from New York, where he dis- cussed television plans with Paramount of- ficials. Mr. Fitzgibbons was not certain, however, as to when theatre television would appear in Canada. Here television developments are awaiting action by the Canadian Broad- casting Corporation, the government com- pany which holds license control over tele- vision. Meanwhile, Mr. Fitzgibbons, as chairman of the National Committee of Motion Pic- ture Exhibitors Association of Canada, has announced that the second meeting of the organization will be held early this month to prepare a brief calling upon the Canadian Government to repeal the Dominion's 20 per cent war excise tax on theatre grosses. Leases Messena Theatre The Darnell Theatre Company, headed by Donald Schine, son of Louis Schine, vice-president and general manager of the Schine circuit in Gloversville, N.Y., and Elmer L. Lux, former RKO manager in Buffalo, has leased the Rialto theatre in Messena, N.Y. The company has an- nounced that it will lease or buy other the- atres in that territory. 1RMM FOR STATES OR 1CMM prints TERRITORIAL RIGHTS The latest proven Italian features with complete English titles — 1st block — (1) MARIA CEBOTARI in GENIUS & NIGHTINGALE (MARIA MALLBRAN) (2) VIVIANE ROMANCE in BLOOD RED ROSE (ROSA 01 SANGUE) (3) AMEDEO NAZZARI in HEYDAY FOR MARRIAGE (VIVA GLI SPOSI) (4) PAOLA BARBARA in BRIDGE OF SIGHS (PONTE DEI SOSPIRI) (5) ADRIANO RIMOLDI in CAPTAIN TEMPEST (CAPITANO TEMPESTA) (6) LILIA SILVI in LIVELY TERESA (VISPA TERESA) SUPERFILM DISTRIBUTING CORP. 52 VANOERBILT AVE.. N. Y. Bernard Jacon Mgr. of Sales and Distribution 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 zAn international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress WALTER BROOKS, Director CURIOUSLY, there are two places in film industry where the small news- paper ad is most appreciated and widely used, and these are the two extremes in the advertising of motion pictures. One is the big-city, first-run show-window type of theatre, where they pay top-bracket pen- alty rates for amusement advertising, run- ning to as much as $2.55 per line, in New York City. The other extreme, interested also in the same small space, is the small- town, last-run, or neighborhood type of theatre, where the advertising rate is the same to all comers, and averages about 25 cents per column inch. The thing that interests us is that the big- city show-window will really go into large space, to introduce a change of bill or accent a new attraction. It costs as much as $25,000 in extra advertising to change the bill at the Radio City Music Hall. But the small-town manager sticks to his minimum, one-column routine, no matter what comes along. This in spite of the fact that he needs only one newspaper to cover his trad- ing area, where the Music Hall must adver- tise in a dozen different sheets. If the "splurge" pays the Music Hall, why shouldn't it also pay Jim Mason? We'd like to see some of the routines changed, in small town advertising. Learn to use mats intelligently, for it's a simple process when you apply the easy method to your own requirements. Step out of that single-column space and try a two-column or three-column ad, occasionally, if for no other reason than the pleasant shock to your newspaper man. He may offer considerably more cooperation. And the readers will get a new lift from your advertising; it will jolt them out of the sameness of long con- tinued style and persuade them that there is a new movie season, by virtue of better pre-selling. If the average small theatre will "T-Men" in our book are showmen who use good teaser advertising, such as that provided by Eagle Lion for the pre- selling of their new picture, "T-Men". There's no better advertising than the fast approach, in small space, to arouse interest and curiosity and, while your potential patron is wavering, pull him . in off the street, for an admission fee. You can build an entire campaign around a good teaser idea; at least, it puts a foun- dation under special advertising and, in cases where the budget is limited, often does the whole job in better style than more stereotyped methods. We compliment Eagle Lion on its excel- lent teaser advertising, not only this example, but in every pressbook they offer at least one series of small ads appropriate for this purpose. Make a practice of getting the teaser mats, and make use of them, for better profit. vary its minimum advertising style, using different sizes and shapes for the benefit of greater attention-getting values, spending a little more money to make more money, it will give the entire industry a necessary boost. When small theatres use larger space, we will find that Greater Movie Season. Q Motion Picture Daily reports that foreign language films are at an all- time peak here, with 250 theatres currently exhibiting this product, and the figure ex- pected to reach 300 by the end of the year. And in the current mail comes an excellent campaign from Nate Wise, showing his handling of a new Italian language film in Cincinnati, with critics saying that it marks an unexpected response to foreign films there. We were in Cincinnati last April, asking exactly that question, and the con- sensus seemed to be negative. Now, "Shoe Shine" is offered with acclaim, so it all de- pends on the approach. We know two other Ohio situations, not many miles apart. One is an unqualified success ; the other, consid- erably less so, and for no reason that is ap- parent at this distance. Location matters; but it takes special handling to get proper results in this special field. c^sii c^v, c^aVi £t Harold deGraw, manager of Schine's ^1 Oneonta theatre, Oneonta, N. Y., staged a "Queen of the Dairy Maids Cow Milking Contest" up in his neck of the woods and, believe me, it was a honey. No "Miss America" here; these gals were bouncers, as husky as they come, but a very successful promotion ! Entire cost under- written by the Sears Roebuck Farm Store, and enjoyed excellent coverage from the daily paper and five weekly newspapers in surrounding towns. Sears came through with full page ads, and Oneonta Dairy Com- pany furnished contented cows "doing their best to entertain," according to copy in the special herald. A master of ceremonies pre- sided at a "Milk Maid's Matinee," and local newspapers stated "the audience howled at last night's elimination contest." You can do the same thing with any rural audience and they will love it. — Walter Brooks MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 45 NEW YORK ADVERTISING STYLES THE NATION takes its cue from newspaper display adver- tising in the New York press. Here you see the opening of a new picture at the Radio City Music Hall, three important current films in Times Square nouses, and the third annual return of "Bambi" for the holiday season, on Broadway, all suggestive of newspaper advertising as it will be patterned along many Main Streets. Point to make, and to be filed for reference, is that this is pressbook advertising, created for big town and key city runs, provided in the most convenient, inexpensive package for the manager who will follow through in situations across the board. You can never go wrong with pressbook ads. Others before you have paid more to find out just what makes the best selling approach. A swashbuckling salute... Jammed with chases, prison escapes, amorous encounter, fights on land and sea. Beautiful entertainment!" —Howard Barnes, Herald Tribune WHO-0'0'0-0'0'0'0'0- MR SAW SUCH AN ADVENTURE- FILLED, FUN: JAMMED SHOW? J COLOR BY TECHNICOLOR BRANDT'S Re-Relepsed by DFDIIDI IS* B'WAY & RKO Radio Pictures || t T U D %m I W 5 1st St. THE VOlCS tVCRY LOYttK MFARS WARNER THEATRE OPENS 11:30 A. M. « LATE MIDNIGHT FILM ♦ BROADWAY AT 51st ft/P Thrilling Story of Love ana" Conquest in the Andes! r JOHN WAYNE • LARAINE DAYm ~ X PALACE BROADWAY & 47th ST MMjmte Show Hitelt tut ml dsney s 'BOOTH BEETlf ' mTecAnicofor " TYRONE POWER 2a Jean Peters « Cesar Romero • John Sutton • Lee J. Cobb Directed by HENRY KING ' Prod'iced by' LAMAR TROTTI Doors Open 8:30 A. M. IVOLI i WAY AT 4«lh ST. RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ( Nation Announcing... A stirring, dramatic story of turbulent love . . 1 a masterpiece of screen entertainment... GREGORY PECK ANN TODD (by arnngement with ), Arthur Pink Organization) CHARLES LAUGHTON CHARLES COBURN ETHEL BARRYMORE and introducing two new Selznick Stars LOUIS JOURDAN and YALLI M LEO G. CARROLL • JOAN TETZEL ISOBEL ELSOM • From till Nov.! by ROBERT HICHENS Distributed by SELZNICK RELEASING ORGANIZATION. INC. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17. 1948 SHOWMEN IN ACTION DownSouth, They Like Football Sam Pierce, manager of the Capitol thea- tre. Macon, Ga., built a campaign on "The Spirit of West Point" that took full advan- tage of the South's keen interest in the foot- ball season. He started with 10,000 heralds, promoted from a local sporting goods store and operated a contest to guess winners in the football classics. Then, two weeks in advance of his play dates, the local high school team had a game, with a parade through the downtown area, and Sam caught a ride with billing for his coming attraction. One week in advance he put all his ushers in football uniforms, loaned gratis by the same sporting goods store, and spotted a colossal football figure as lobby display. An overall front was built to enclose the box office and lobby entrances and the marquee and building front were decorated with flags and streamers for the engagement, which re- sulted in big business, with absolutely no in- crease in cost for exploitation or newspaper advertising. Bank Sponsors Civic Contest James V. Pisapia, manager of the New College theatre, College Point, L. L, has de- vised a contest with the sponsorship of the College Point National Bank and six co- operating merchants offering $175 in war bonds and seven season passes to the thea- tre for the ten best letters on "What I Like About College Point." Ten thousand direct- mail circulars enclosing a contest blank are being sent out, and both bank and stores are displaying posters. The theatre has a special trailer and lobby display on the contest. What we like about the contest is that it builds up in community interest at the same time that it plugs for the theatre. Also, it brings the bank in with cooperating mer- chants, which is good business at all times. Such a civic contest can be held anytime, anywhere, and our only suggestion is that the newspaper be made a party to the trans- action from the first announcement. ■MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 17, 1948 Bert Bedford, manager of the Gaumont Palace, Derby, obtained an unusual news- paper illustration of the Mayor and Town Council viewing the Royal Wedding films in his theatre. Halftone shows group in or- chestra seats as they saw the picture. T Irving Levin, district manager of San Francisco Theatres, Inc., secured unusual holiday advertising layouts for his houses by having staff artist provide New Year's Bells effect. T Wometco Theatres got out a "green is- sue" of their Florida house organ to cele- brate the appointment of Bob Green, in charge of the new personnel department. Wometco soon will have station WMIE on the air, in Miami. T Willis Shaffer was going to take a week off, right after the holidays (?) but since he won the Fourth Quarter Desk Plaque, he has gone right back to work ! ▼ Ben Mortenson, manager of the Fox thea- tre, La Porte, Indiana, joins the Round Table and sends in his first campaign, on "The Farmer's Daughter." Good street bal- lyhoo and newspaper advertising displayed. T Elmer Adams, Jr., the Hornbeck theatre, Shawnee, Oklahoma, had "Unfinished Dance" for a Christmas attraction and made the most of Margaret O'Brien tieins with Santa Claus. T Dwight Seymour, manager of the Arbor theatre, Nebraska City, Neb., making timely use of "The Miracle on 34th Street" as an attraction in the Christmas spirit. T Dennis Montee, manager of the Chief theatre, Newton, Kansas, has an unusual front for his theatre in the style of the Southwest, with an attractive moving dis- play for "Gone With the Wind." T Joe Borenstein, manager of Warner's Strand theatre, New Britain, Conn., made a profitable tieup with nearby florists in the exploitation of "My Wild Irish Rose." T Hugh S. Borland, manager of the Louis theatre, Chicago, who is always on his toes with institutional and neighborhood affairs, getting a fine community result with his children's Christmas Party. ▼ John D'Amato, manager of the Palace theatre, New Britain, Conn., invited the en- tire New Britain High School football team to see "The Spirit of West Point" and they arrived in a chartered bus. T Jose Sameron, publicity manager for the Palacio Central, Seville, Spain, sends photos of his attractive theatre and suggestions of the lobby display he has used on recent American pictures. Elias Schlenger, ad and publicity director for Fabian Staten Island theatres, handling a two-week campaign to put over "Welcome Stranger" at the St. George theatre, with all seven of the Fabian houses on Staten Island cooperating. T Fred Perry getting cooperative merchants to join in a full-page ad of New Year's Resolutions, with a center double of cost- free advertising for "My Wild Irish Rose" at the Liberty theatre, Cumberland, Md. T Bob Cox, city manager for Schine's thea- tre in Lexington, Kentucky, had such a complete campaign for "Unconquered" with radio tieups and all-out exploitation effort that he won special praise from Paramount's home office. T Manager Harold Perlman of the RKO Palace theatre, Chicago, had the cooperation of a dairy company in the distribution of 150,000 color contest blanks to advertise "The Exile." 500 pairs of passes were given away as prizes. T A treasure hunt at Hines Veterans Hos- pital was the highlight of a campaign to advertise the world premiere of "Pirates of Monterey" by manager Matt Plunkett of the RKO Grand theatre, Chicago. ▼ Those indefatigables, J. Boyle and M. Pysyk, of Loew's Poli-Broadway, Norwich, Conn., doing a dozen things simultaneously to exploit "MagicJTown" on the street, in the press and over the air-waves. ▼ Leonard Lightstone, manager of the Ho- bart theatre, Woodside, L. I., had a wonder- ful Christmas party, but was plenty glad he was sold out in advance, with 28 inches of snow ! ▼ Jack Sidney, of Loew's Century theatre, Baltimore, Md., had the radio contest fiends writing "Body and Soul" innumerable times on a post-card, to win record albums on the Saturday Night Frolic over WCAO. T "Uncle Jules" Stark, manager of the Re- gent theatre, Newark, N. J., giving away "Sparkle Plenty" dolls in a contest that has the kids saving empty pop-corn bags. T Sam Horwitz, assistant to Lou Cohen, at Loew's Poli, Hartford, promoted "Daisy Kenyon" on a local disk-jockey show with guest tickets for the longest list of films with girl's names in the title. T Eli Zulas has succeeded John Misavice as manager of the Ritz theatre, Berwyn, 111., since John became city manager of Manta & Rose theatres in Forest Park, 111. Eli says he and his father operated a theatre in Westmont, 111., for 14 years. 47 QueensManager Promotes Donald Duck is Winter Beauty Contest Children^ Guest At Denver Party We sometimes think that all showmen are diplomats, or vice versa, but we feel this is especially true in the case of Sol Sorkin, who obviously has qualifications in both depart- ments. Through several years, Sol has been a Round Table member from RKO Keith's theatre, Washington, D. C, but he felt the urge to get back to his home town and now is stationed at RKO Keith's, in Flushing, Long Island, just across the Queensboro Bridge from midtown New York. Last summer, when J. Arthur Rank's party of distinguished British showmen vis- ited these shores, one of their group, return- ing to England, wrote a practical summary of his visit to Washington by saying that one S. Sorkin had everything well in hand. That's what we mean by diplomacy, for Sol has a way with him in getting what he wants. So, now he is handling one of the finest theatres of the RKO chain, in New York's best neighborhood. If he could just find an apartment, he would be quite happy. Bathing Beauties Out of Season When we chatted with Sol as this was to be written, he told us, of all things, that he was holding a bathing beauty contest last week (in 28 inches of snow, yet!) to deter- mine "The Queen of Queens" (that being his geographical subdivision) in cooperation with the Long Island Star-Journal. He had over 1,000 contenders, with no prizes offered except "fame and prestige" for the winner ! Last Monday, January 12th, Walter Thorn- ton, Harry Conover and John Powers, those famous model experts, designated "The Queen of Queens'' from the six finalists, on the stage of RKO Keith's theatre. Not bad going, for an old idea, at this time of year, with no boodle bag of prizes offered. Working closely with neighborhood and community things is old stuff with Sol, and he makes the most of his opportunities. Most recent campaign to reach this desk was the presentation of souvenir gold footballs to members of the Flushing High School Foot- ball Team, by Borough President James A. Burke of Queens, again in close contact T SOL SORKIN with the RKO Keith's theatre, and with S. Sorkin standing by, wearing a broad smile for the occasion. To make the most of civic pride is an attribute of a good manager. In this campaign, newspaper cooperation was plentiful and all Queens citizens enjoyed cheering the home team as they lined up, across the stage, for their football awards. Early in Sol's New York campaigns was the celebration of "Flushing Day," with a giveaway Dodge car and general hurrah-for- our-part-of-town. This merely served to get him well acquainted with his new audi- ence, and since then, he's been stirring up the elements of competition among New York's neighborhood theatres. He was win- ner of the first quarter desk plaque in the Quigley Awards for 1947, and is a contender again. He has been 22 years in show busi- ness, starting at the Fox theatre in Brook- lyn, then at the Mayfair, New York; then to Washington, and now back home again. Greenway Scares 'Em — Then Double Dares 'Em Fred Greenway, at Loew's Poli-Palace theatre, Hartford, challenged superstition by offering guest tickets to the first ten who dared to break mirrors in front of the thea- tre at a midnight horror show, also the first ten to walk in front of a black cat, and the first ten to walk under a ladder, all of which attracted attention in the lobby and sold tick- ets at the boxoffice. RKO's Keith's theatre, Flushing, seats nearly 3,000, one of the largest and finest of the vaudeville theatres of twenty years ago. Making Santa Work Overtime Joe Samartano, manager of Loew's State theatre, Providence, had a Santa Claus bal- lyhoo walking the streets with a sign, "I handle everybody's affairs, including 'Her Husband's Affairs' at Loew's." It's been a while reaching us, but Bill Hasting's good campaign book on "Fun and Fancy Free" at the RKO Orpheum theatre, Denver, is worth extra attention because, for the most part, it can be done elsewhere and on any occasion when Walt Disney cartoon characters are on the pro- gram. Bill combined "Mickey Mouse's Birthday Party" with a personal appear- ance of Donald Duck, all wrapped in one package of exploitation for his current film. Clarence Nash, who has been the voice of Donald Duck for the last ten years, came in from Hollywood for Denver's Com- munity Chest program, and was welcomed to Colorado by Governor Lee Knous. With this as a springboard, Bill Hastings con- trived a campaign to exploint "Fun and Fancy Free" that must have had every- body talking of the picture, and joining in the fun and festivity, for a hundred miles around. It takes something to reach half a million people. For this campaign really had the town by the ears. Every radio program in Den- ver, including the popular Ray Perkins, made much of Donald Duck in person. Chil- dren of the Denver Orphan's Home crowded around to see the "real" Donald Duck, and the principal of the Stevens school can- celled all classes so the youngsters could meet the visitor from Hollywood. Local civic clubs and hospitals put on widely publicized receptions for Donald Duck. A six-tier birthday cake was served, with ice- cream and milk, at the Saturday morning show, with kids queued up, and keyed-up, with excitement. Manager Uses Pressbook For Window Display Raymond Prostko, assistant manager of Bill Exton's Roosevelt theatre, Kenosha, Wis., is a new member of the Round Table, and he submits his first attempt at window trimming, in which he used the pressbooks in two features, literally, as the material on display. We once knew a manager who had a method; he nailed the pressbook to the front door with a big thumb tack, then let the townsfold read their own advertising and publicity. Ray uses his pressbook first, as a pressbook, and then displays all the fancy art-work, in this case for "The Plainsman" and "Dear Ruth" in a shop win- dow that looks like Broadway, with plenty of Christmas spirit for the seasonal touch. Kaufman Host to Boy's Club Abe Kaufman, manager of the Fountain theatre, Terre Haute, Ind., entertained mem- bers of a Boy's Club at his annual free show, a gala affair to which the neighborhood looks forward. Several hundred boys marched to the theatre in formation. 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 A New Selling Approach REVIEW OF CURRENT PRESSBOOKS GOOD N EWS — Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer. We are partial to Metro pressbooks be- cause all the working parts are printed on one side of the paper, on news stock, and if we had to sit down and go to work on a campaign, it would be easy going. This one has some better than usual newspaper advertising, starting off with cheerful teaser ads that spell "good news" in spirit as well as in type. The 3-column ad mat H-501 is also the herald, and may be used both ways, but we'd like to remind the powers- +hat-be that it is customary to measure an ad mat across the page and not up-and- down in computing the cost at 1 5c per column. The three teaser ads should be on a combination mat, so more theatres would be inclined to use them all. The MGM Photographic Package gives you an op- portunity to see all the production stills, all the advertising and special stills, and then make your own selection. The pub- licity part of the pressbook contains much that is lively and interesting, so try giving your newspaper some pictorial mats from this section; it will make routine reading notices more readable and will result in a greater amount of free space, more agree- able to the editor as well as the reader. Exploitation and promotion will make "Good News" travel fast, so study what is offered by way of cooperative ad page layouts, new ballyhoo ideas, contest and merchandising tieups. If you are in a col- lege town, don't miss this opportunity. There's a special record album available, and 17 other ways to shout "Good News." UNCONQUERED— Paramount. Seldom has a picture been as well presold as this one, but since it is now reaching the theatres where a manager's own initiative governs the final result, we urge every subsequent run to USE THAT PRESSBOOK. Give yourself the benefit of extra advertis- ing where it will do you extra good. There are many newspaper ads, some too big, but many to choose from, in usable styles. Give this picture extra space, unusual styl- ing, different than your ordinary practice. There are 73 advertising mats available, in- cluding 8 sets of teasers and special lay- outs for woman's pages, sport's pages, news and drama pages. There are 150 sell- ing ideas in the exploitation section of this pressbook; don't blame anyone if you don't use them profitably. There's a page of street stunts and 30 more workable ideas for inside and outside use. There are 6 newspaper contests and then a few more aimed at schools and the kids. You'll even find instructions for sending up smoke signals, if you want to call attention to a 24-sheet, Indian fashion. Of the two 24- sheets, either or both will make good cut- outs for marquee or inner lobby display. All the rest of the posters and display material runs to one pattern, more on the side of fanfare than convincing sales talk. A gallery of special art is available for window tie-ups and can be had in mat form for reproduction. Six free promotion aids for radio and a group of study charts for school use, complete a powerful promo- tion effort. Include Virginia in Our Secret Life Bill Morton, manager of the RKO Albee theatre, Providence, R. I., is one of the more fortunate who can boast of having Virginia Mayo in a personal appearance to exploit "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." We think that the secret life of any number of Round Table members would include some similar day-dream. But since she was ac- tually in Providence, in person, Bill managed to get a lot of newspaper publicity, radio interviews, merchandising tieups, etc., that couldn't have been too hard to take. . . COUNT ON lilmack FOR YOUR SPECIAL TRAILERS For All Occasions! 1327 S. Wabash, Chicago 5 APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y. 'Name Position Theatre Address City State Circuit Absolutely No Dues or Fees Not Van Johnson, but Our Youngest Member When Frank Kehr, manager of the Ar- cade theatre, Lynbrook, Long Island, visited the Herald the other day and asked to be- come a member of the Managers Round Table, our staff photographer took his picture, and he turned out a reasonably good likeness of Van Johnson, or so the girls here in the of- fice said. Frank is our youngest member, for he is still in his teens, but he has been manager of the Arcade since the middle of the year. Start- ing as an usher, he proved that he had that managerial urge, and he became head usher and then assistant to the manager. With the necessary qualifications, he simply stepped into the job when the opportunity came along. Pretty good going for a young fellow who still won't be able to vote in this Presidential election year. His biographical data, on file in this of- fice, states : "Married, No."— "Children, No" — but along with this information we will also file the statement that his position, as a manager, is permanent, and predict that he will be going places in this business, with an earlv start in the right direction. Frank Kehr LIQUID SEASONING costs you per bag of popcorn! — Ask any of the 1 1 ,590 showmen who've used Popsit Plus for the last two years! . Simonin of Philadelphia . SEASONING SPECIALISTS TO THE NATION MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 17, 1948 49 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Ten cents per word, money-order or check with copy. Count initials, box number and address. Minimum insertion, $1. Four insertions for the price of three. Contract rates on application. No borders or cuts. Forms close Mondays at 5 P.M. Publisher reserves the right to reject any copy. Film and trailer advertising not accepted. Classi- (BBB fied advertising not subject to agency commission. Address copy and checks: HKM MOTION PICTURE HERALD, Classified Dept., Rockefeller Center, New York (20) !«ft>Ji HELP WANTED SALESMEN WANTED TO HANDLE AS SIDE- line inexpensive premium toy novelties for children's matinees. BOX 2192, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. PERSONNEL ASSISTANT. COLLEGE GRAD- uate experienced in personnel techniques for New York theatre circuit. BOX 2191, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. . WANTED: MANAGER FOR A GOOD SITUA- tion located in Illinois. Give salary expected, marital status, age. and photo with experience in first letter. BOX 2195, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. THEATRE MANAGERS WANTED, APPLY F. W. ANDERSON, Morris, 111. POSITIONS WANTED AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY— THEATRE MAN- ager capable handling small circuit. Now employed, desires immediate change. If you have the opportunity, I am your man. BOX 2187, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. AVAILABLE MANAGER THOROUGHLY Ex- perienced in all phases of operation. Best references. Prefers Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey. BOX 2193. MOTION PICTURE HERALD. PROJECTION, SOUND SUPERVISOR DESIRES change, theatre circuit, twenty -four years' experience. BOX 2194, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. THEATRE MANAGER, 19 YEARS' EXPERI- ence, all type operation, available at once. Address BOX 1, 1601 Poplar St., Kansas City, Mo. USED EQUIPMENT THEATRE CHAIRS — 3,000 USED SPRING cushioned, part full upholstered back and part insert panel back, with spring edge and box-spring cushions: 1,000 veneer chairs; 800 good backs, 500 spring cushions; and hinges. Immediate delivery. Advise how many you need. Write for prices and photographs. Phone Valley 2-3445. JESSE COLE, 2565 McClellan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. IN 21 YEARS SOS EQUIPPED THOUSANDS of theatres from boxoffice to backstage! Guaranteed savings up to 40%. A trip to New York will convince. Typical values — Late model RCA Brenkert equipment, L. I. Arcs, rectifiers, complete sound, worth $6,000, special $2,995; Rebuilt HI Super Simplex or Century outfits with RCA or Simplex 4-Star Sound, $3,850 S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. REMOVAL SALE— BARGAINS GALORE FROM our $250,000 stock— 500W Spotlites, $4.75; Series n Lenses, over 6%", $19.50; Simplex Rewinder Sets, $6.95; Simplex F.S." Mechanisms, $95; Simplex BB Mechanisms, $125; with rear shutters, $195; Century late Motiograph or Super Simplex, $395; Soundheads, $22.50 up; Amplifiers, $9.95 up; Sound Projectors, 35mm, $89.50 up; 16mm $149.50 up; PA Systems com- plete, $44.75. Send for Bargain Catalog. S.O.S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. STRONG 1 KW. LAMPHOUSES AND RECTI- fiers, rebuilt, $625; Super-Simplex mechanisms, rebuilt, $525; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, shockproof gears, rebuilt, $340; Powers $114.50; complete booth equipment consisting of Simplex rear shutter mechan- isms, pedestals, magazines, Peerless lamphouses, rec- tifiers, lenses, RCA sound, all recently rebuilt, $1065. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New York 19. 288 ANDREWS FULL UPHOLSTERED METAL lined back, springedge cushions, excellent condition, $4.95; 200 Hardwood sectional folding chairs, 2's and 4's, $2.95; 1300 Stafford panelback, boxspring cushions, excellent, $4.25; 375 American heavy panelback, box- spring chairs, rebuilt, reupholstered, $5.25; 1,200 Hey- wood- Wakefield veneer chairs, rebuilt, $3.95; 255 Hey- wood panelback reupholstered boxspring cushions, re- built, $5.95; 74 Ideal beautiful loge chairs, 22" wide, reupholstered, rebuilt, $8.95. Send for stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. SPARES FOR YOUR BOOTH. SIMPLEX FRONT shutter mechanisms, $79.50; Simplex double bearing mechanisms, $104.50; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, $165 Simplex single bearing movements, $4.95; double bearing movements. $29.50 ; 30 ampere rectifiers, $50; amplifiers from $29.50. All above in good condition. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New York 19. SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHIC BLOWUPS: WRITE FOR America's lowest prices. PHOTOCRAFT DISPLAY COMPANY, 3545 Broadway. Kansas City. Mo. THEATRE BLOWUPS. BEST QUALITY SERVICE. STTTES PORTRAIT COMPANY, Shelbyville, Ind. SCHOOLS LEARN MODERN SHOWMANSHIP. HUNDREDS have successfully advanced to better theatre positions through the Institute's time-tested training in spare time, at low cost. Free information. Established 20th year. THEATRE MANAGERS INSTITUTE, Elmira, N. Y. NEW EQUIPMENT MOVING INTO OUR NEW BUILDING— CLEAN- ing house — Boxoffice Bowl Heaters, $2.95; Loose chair cement, $1.39; Aislelites, $3.25; Singlecell ushers flash- lites, 29c; 10" Exhaust Fans, $10.78; Carbon Savers. 77c; Griswold Splicers, shelfworn, $17.95; GE % HP Motors, $22.50; Changeable Letter Signs, $1.95; 1000W Medpref. Mazda Lamps, $1.49; Coated Snaplite Lens, Series I, $50; Series H, $75; (liberal tradeins). Send for catalog. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT FOR THEA- tre. 1 — 40 H.P. Motor and Compressor, 1—60 H.P. Motor and Compressor, coils, valves, controls, switches, etc. All new modern equipment, save over 50% — price $7,000. REYNOLDSBURG LOCKER SERVICE, Reynolds- burg, Ohio. BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SCREEN. RESURFACE IT yourself. Restore it to its original brilliance with Arctic Blanch, the wonder screen paint. A guaranteed product, $9.80 per gal. with instructions. Sold at lead- ing supply dealers or write NATIONAL THEATRE SCREEN REFINISHING CO., 129 Zenner St., Buffalo 11. N. Y. STUDIO EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION, EDITING, LABORATORY EQUIP- ment. Used and new 16-35mm Eyemo, Arriflex, Akeley, Cineyhon, Cine special cameras always in stock. Film, Disc, Tape and Wire Recorders, Moviolas, Editors, Griswold Splicers, Tripods, Booms, Lights. Write for catalog R4. CAMERA MART, 70 W. 45th St., N. Y. ASKAN1A 35MM STUDIO CAMERA, SYNCHRON- OUS Motor, 3 Astro f2.3 Lenses; 4-400' Magazines, Blimp, etc. $975; Bolex 16mm, 3 lenses complete, $375; Process Background Screens, $2.40 sq. ft.; Underwater Blimp, $395; 35mm Soundfilm Recorder with new Galvanometer, $1995; Optical Reduction Printer 35/16, $3395; Three Way Sound Moviola, reconditioned, $795; New Moviola D, $279.50; 5000W Studio Spots, $89.50. Send for latest stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. EXCELLENT BUY ON DEVRY 35MM MOVIE camera, F3.5 lens, excellent condition. See JIM MATHEWS, 358 W. 44th St., N. Y. C. GENERAL EQUIPMENT NEW 25W COMBINATION PHONOGRAPH PA Amplifier, worth $125, $49.50; Sound Projectors, 16mm from $149.50; 35mm from $89.50; WE Dynamic Mikes, $2Z50; PM Driver Units, $14.95; Semi Permanent phononeedles, 39c; PA Systems, Microphone, Ampli- fiers, tubes, speaker, 10W, $44.75 ; 20W $74.95; 30W $94.95. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. THEATRES THEATRE WANTED, 600-1000 SEATS, SUBUR- ban, example Northern N. J., Westchester, Long Island. Send full particulars. BOX 2190, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. WANTED: REASONABLY PRICED THEATRE, 300-400 seats, complete details desired. A. D. MUR- PHY. 331 Brewer. E. Hartford 8, Conn. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES YOUR OWN BUSINESS SHOWING TALKIES— theatreless communities— no investment — we rent 16mm sound equipments, programs, reasonable. Remarkable possibilities— earn $50-$200 weekly. 2207 RKO BUILD- ING, N. Y. C. CONFECTION SUPPLIES FOR SALE POPCORN BOXES. LOTS OF 1M OR more. Write for samples and quotations. WINNE- BAGO DISTRIBUTING CO.. Oshkosh. Wit. BUSINESS BOOSTERS GIVEAWAY TOYS, NOVELTIES, SURPRISES, for Saturday children matinees. $30 per thousand (all 10c values). UNIVERSAL TOY CO.. 40 E. 23rd St.. N. Y. COMIC BOOKS AGAIN AVAILABLE AS PREM- iums, giveaways at your kiddy shows-. Large variety, latest 48-page newsstand editions. COMICS PREMIUM CO.. 412!4 Greenwich St., N. Y. C. Offer $10,000 in Prizes For New Plays A drama contest offering $10,000 in awards for the three best plays submitted was announced this week by The Chris- tophers, a nationwide movement seeking to restore Christian values to all phases of pub- lic life. A few months ago The Chris- tophers announced a $30,000 Book Awards Plan. The primary object of both contests is "to discover and reward creative writing which is entertaining, artistic and inspira- tional." The first prize in the play awards is $5,- 000, the second $3,000 and the third $2,000. The book awards are $15,000 for the first place, $10,000 for the second and $5,000 for the third. The contests are open, without entry fee, to residents of the U. S. and Can- ada. The Christophers are a non-profit group directed by the Rev. James Keller. Listed among the drama award judges are Kath- arine Cornell, Eddie Dowling, Oscar Ham- merstein II, Leo McCarey and Joe Miel- ziner. Book Awards judges include the Rev. John S. Kennedy of The Catholic Tran- script, Clare Boothe Luce and Mary O'Hara, author -of "My Friend Flicka" and "Thunderhead." Siritzky Pictures Leases New York Theatre Siritzky International Pictures has leased the former ABC Radio theatre, New York City, for a period of 10 years. It will be used as a show house for French features owned or distributed by Siritzky. The house will be opened January 28 with a premiere of "Fanny," produced by Marcel Pagnol and starring Raimu and Pierre Fresnay. The theatre will be named the Elysee. Collaboration Plans Set A program of collaboration, under which the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will aid Cinema 16, the newly- formed cultural institution for the presenta- tion of documentary and experimental films, in the selection of programs to be presented by Cinema 16 and will offer special per- formances of these programs to its members, was announced this week. A special com- mittee of the National Board, consisting of educators and film experts, will make a monthly selection of informational and ex- perimental films. Cinema 16 programs will be based on this list. Set 10 Per Cent Tax The City Council in Lock Haven, Pa., has imposed a 10 per cent amusement tax on receipts from local theatres and sports events. The new levy is expected to bring in about $20,000 annually. James A. Sheridan Dies James Alfred Sheridan, 63, stage manager for Loew's State theatre, Houston, Texas, died January 1 in St. Joseph's Infirmary, Houston. He had been the State's stage manager for the past 20 years. 50 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17. 1948 M ©TTfl® N PD(E n_n D) IB EQUIPMENT • FURNISHINGS • DESIGN Page 21 BETTER ACOUSTICS FOR BETTER SOUND PLANNING REMODELING ON A SEAT-SALE BASIS GUARDING AND INSURING AGAINST THEATRE HAZARDS Page 24 LIGHTING MODERNIZATION Page 32 Page 22 PHYSICAL OPERATION ' MAINTENANCE JANUARY 17, 1948 PROJECTION AND SOUND SYSTEMS 4am 6m, dAMflf For projection purposes none have ever surpassed the complete line of outstanding lamps made by Strong. Reasons for this are Strong's Ceaseless research, painstaking care in development, and accurate, exhaustive operating tests that assure efficiency and a high standard of performance under the most gruelling conditions. Some of the original Strong lamps, built 25 years ago, are still working every day. As the only projection lamps produced complete within one factory, they can be so engineered as to guarantee the finest screen results. Especially outstanding today is the Strong Mogul, the ideal projec- tion arc lamp for drive-ins and large theatres. The 70-ampere 40 volt Mogul delivers 15,000 lumens of light — the maximum film will accept without damage — at the lowest possible cost, projecting a brilliant picture on 48-foot and larger screens with all details clearly visible 500 feet or more from the screen. It is wasteful, as well as futile, to burn more than 70 amperes in any reflector lamp, or twice the current in condenser lamps. $*m<7 i 114 <) NOW MORE THAN EVER ^ (Mken-tAe&MKfraw STRONG ide ptifaAe ia kyfc/ J THE STRONG ELECTRIC CORPORATION 87 City Park Avenue Toledo 2, Ohio PROJECTION ARC LAMPS RECTIFIERS • REFLECTORS USE THIS COUPON FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION OR LITERATURE THE STRONG ELECTRIC CORP. 87 City Park Ave., Toledo 2, Ohio I I I would like to have a demonstration of the Arc Lamp ' — ' in my theatre, without cost or obligation. □ Please send free literature on the Mogul Projection Arc Lamp. NAME THEATRE STREET CITY & STATE BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 3 How much air for the Strand at Olarkesville? ^oir can't afford gold-braided doormen for the Strand at Clarkesville. No luxuri- ous "extras" of any kind. And yet you know, from costly experi- ence, that air conditioning for this theater is a must. You know that next summer will be hot and sticky . . . and that people will seek recreation at places that are comfort- ably cool. So it isn't a question of whether you need comfort cooling for the Strand. The ques- tion is: How much can the Strand afford? USAIRCO has the profitable, business building answer in its 3 great comfort cool- ing systems . . . each a pre-engineered package unit . . . each available in a variety of sizes to meet any requirement. Refrigerated Kooler-aire delivers the ulti- mate in air conditioning . . . Cold Water Kooler-aire is designed for those locations where 5 5° water is available . . . Evapora- tive Kooler-aire gives washed and filtered air cooling at "pennies-a-day" costs. USAIRCO co-operating engineering coun- sel is available for correct installation. Would you like to see exactly what these systems are and what each one can do for you? Write and we'll send you all the facts. UNITED STATES AIR CONDITIONING CORP. Como Ave. S.E. at 33rd, Minneapolis 14, Minn. usAIRce 3 COMFORT COOLING SYSTEMS ... AT 3 BUDGET LEVELS Any problems . . . suggestions . . in management? Write Charles Ryan, care of Better Theatres. The F & Y Building Service is the outstanding agency in Theatre Design and Construction in Ohio and surrounding territory. THE F & Y BUILDING SERVICE 328 East Town Street Columbus 15, Ohio "The Buildings We Build Build Our Business" AND OF BUSINESSES SERVING THEM William David, architect for Golden State Theatres, has announced the acquisi- tion of property for a theatre at Lomito Park, Calif. H. B. Grimes has been appointed resi- dent sales and service representative of Dominion Sound Equipments, Ltd., in Regina, Sask. He was transferred from Winnipeg. R. H. Williams replaces Mr. Grimes, with the title of senior service engineer. William Lemke, president of the L & N Theatre Corporation, Antioch, 111., has purchased property at Round Lake, 111., on which he plans to build a 750-seat theatre. Florida Inland Theatres, Inc., has pur- chased property at Gainesville, Fla., on which a theatre will eventually be erected, according to W. Ed Roberts, city manager. Three Eugene, Ore., theatres were added to the Western Amusement Company's group recently when the circuit purchased the theatres of A. West Johnston. Tom Blair, Oregon manager, announced that remodeling of two of the houses will begin shortly. He also said that Arthur Turner, formerly of Victorville, Cal., will be city manager in Euguene. J. H. Thompson, partner and general manager of Martin and Thompson thea- tres, has announced that work will begin soon on a theatre and office building in Hawkinsville, Ga., on the site of a theatre that burned several months ago. H. V. Rost is building a theatre in a building he owns in New Madrid, Mo. The theatre, to be known as the Joy, will be open only on week-ends, Mr. Rost said, and will feature Western pictures. The Frisina Theatres Company, East St. Louis, 111., has purchased Dr. George Jerome Hobbs' Fortieth Street theatre as part of an expansion program which calls for three new theatres in the next two years. After rebuilding and redecorating, the theatre will be called the Colony. Construction of a theatre at Gainesville, Fla., to be built at a reported cost of ap- proximately $250,000, has been announced 4 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 1 7, 1 948 MARQUEE FRAMES >^ AND WAGNER MULTI-SIZE LETTERS */ Make Possible * SUCH EFFECTIVE — >. X SHOW-SELLING ' * DISPLAY BOARDS/ ' Only Wagner Window-Type Frames permit openings of any height and length in ONE panel. It is not necessary to construct a makeshift series of small signs and join them together. Wagner Window-Type Frames are by far the most economical to main- tain. Lamps, neon and glass can be removed and replaced from any section of the sign without disturbing any other portion and without removing the frames. Wagner is the only company operating its own glass bending department adapted to theatre marquee work. Quick delivery of round or flat glass and frames. ONLY WAGNER MULTI-SIZE TRANSLU- CENT COLORED PLASTIC LETTERS afford freedom from freezing to the sign, as in the case of letters designed for mounting arrangements which employ channels. They alone afford such complete safety. The exclusive slotted method of mounting provides more than six times the bearing surface of the lug-type letter. They double the effectiveness of your display board. They attract more attention. They avoid the eye-monotony of ineffective one-size letter copy. Their gorgeous color is everlasting — goes all the way through the letter, cannot chip or scale. They never require painting or other maintenance. 4", 8", 10" and 17" sizes in red, green and blue. 4", 8" and 10" sizes in amber. THEY CAN BE USED IN COMBINATION W/TH: WAGNER SLOTTED ALUMINUM LETTERS (Many styles and colors In 4", 6", 8", 10", 12", 16", 24" and 30" sizes — more sizes than rffered by any other company) or with WAGNER LOBBY DISPLAY UNITS (White enameled steel 24", 36" and 40" sections combine to make any length) or on WAGNER MOUNTING STRIP (Whit* enameled sheet steel, drilled for mounting above or below. No special wiring required) WAGNER TRANSPARENCIES AND FRAMES (Full-colored photographs tor marquee frame or lobby. All stars. Any size.) Shown is an example of how the adoption of multi-size letters increased the effectiveness of the display board of the McVickers Theatre, Chicago. The opening of this board is now 112" high, one of the highest in the country. IMMEDIATE DELIVERY FREE! USE THIS COUPON FOR BIG CATA- LOG ON EFFECTIVE SHOW SELLING Wagner Sign Service, Inc., 218 S. Hoyne Ave., Chicago 12, 111. Please send big free catalog on Wagner theatre display equipment, the largest line in the world. Name Theatre Street City & State. 218 S. Hoyne Avenue L CHICAGO 12, ILL. A BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 by Guy A. Kenimer of Jacksonville, head of the construction department of Florida State Theatres, Inc. Mr. Kenimer said the new theatre will be called the Univer- sity and will seat 1500. The Ellaville theatre at Ellaville, Ga., was recently destroyed by fire. The loss was estimated at $50,000. In response to a civic plea by the West Oakland, Calif., Merchants' Association, for business men to improve the appear- ance of their property, Ralph Martin has completed renovation of the Lincoln thea- tre. Included in the improvements is new carpeting, a new box-office, modernized lighting, and refurbishing of the marquee. C. B. Akers, official of Griffith The- atres, Oklahoma City, has resigned as di- rector of special assignments to become a Grifith partner in two Hobart, Okla., mo- tion picture theatres. He will also be a partner with the circuit in a new open-air theatre at Hobart, construction on which is to start this winter for opening next spring. Mr. Akers will retain his post as a member of the board of directors of Griffith Theatres. Drive-in Theatres, Inc., of Vidalia, Ga., has been organized with paid-in capital Friendly competitors — W. C. DeVry, president of DeVry Corporation, and Harry Monson, vice-presi- dent and sales director of the Am pro Corporation, subsidiary of General Precision Equipment Cor- poration — shown during a meeting concerning the Chicago Community Fund Drive, of which Mr. DeVry is chairman of the professional group, while Mr. Monson headed the photographic in- dustry group. They say they got those "Oscars" in their hands for going over their quotas. stock of $50,000, and has begun construc- tion of a drive-in theatre east of Vidalia. The principals include Roy E. Martin of Columbus, Ga., and M. F. Brice and John H. Thompson of Vidalia. Acquisition of the Imperial theatre at Stockton, Calif., has been announced by Robert L. Lippert, head of the circuit bearing his name. Purchase of the 500- seat theatre brings the Lippert circuit to 37 houses throughout northern California and Oregon. Formerly operated by R. Thomas, the Imperial is part of an estate encompassing several business stores which are included in the deal. The Gem theatre at Summerton, S.C., was recently damaged by fire, with a loss estimated at $2,000. Interstate Circuit has opened its Circle theatre in Dallas, Tex. It is under the supervision of James O. Cherry, city manager. W. T. Henderson has started construc- tion of a theatre at Medford, Okla. The City theatre in Mound City, 111., has been purchased by J. H. Bizzell, of Dongola, 111., from Earl Stout of Cairo. Mr. Bizzell has redecorated the theatre. L. E. Gwaltney has remodeled his Lyric theatre in Mena, Ark., replacing the marquee and refinishing the front with architectural glass. Ralph Todd, owner of three motion picture theatres in Hancock, McDonough and Henderson counties in Illinois, has fill RECTIFIERS 9 f SUPER MCS Super Magnesium-Copper Sul- phide Rectifier with the exclu- sive Forest transformer, inter- nationally recognized for its superiority. 3-phase fan, auto- matic voltage regulator, mag- ,n*tic switches, uniformly smooth arc control, no flicker, approved by Underwriters' Laboratories. Rectifiers for every size theatre. Forest Rectifiers internationally recognized for superiority in performance and dependability ... a culmination of advanced scientific engineering for improved rectification at minimum power consumption. FOREST MFG. CORP. 60 PARK PLACE • NEWARK 2. N. J. LD-60 BULB TYPE Designed for Sim- plified High Intensity, output from 30 lo 60 amperes. The ideal rectifier for smaller theatres. Outstanding for its reliability, efficiency and low cost power conversion. LD-30 BULB TYPE A dependable Low Intensity Rectifier with ample am- perage leeway to insure reserve power. Efficiency at maximum economy. Sturdi- ly constructed throughout and housed in an all-steel case. 75-V-6 40 TO 75 AMPS. 45-V-6 40 TO 50 AMPS. Finest in modern rectifica- tion for Suprex or Simplified High Intensity projection. 6 tubes, single type, full 3- phase rectification, built-in remote control relays, pro- ! visions for operating spot- j lights, power with flexibility, uniformly smooth arc con- trol, no flicker, all-steel case, sturdily constructed, under- ■ writers' listing. 6 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 THE BRILLIANT crater in the positive carbon of a "National" High Intensity Carbon arc, regardless of size or type, con- tains all the elements of an invisible rainbow. Direct this white light through a prism The beam breaks up into a vivid spectrum — bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet — with approxi- mately equal values in all bands. This "spot rainbow" insures the projec- tion of your color pictures on the screen in the full rich colors your patrons want and expect. The best film ever made is worthless without a light of the proper color balance. No other light source for film projection can match the almost perfect color distribu- tion found in "National" High Intensity Carbon arcs. No other "point source" packs so much light into a small area. For example, the quarter square inch area in the positive crater of a 170-ampere High Intensity arc emits more light than 75,000 brightly burn- ing candles. Your patrons get excellent color and clear bright visibility. They like it! WHEN YOU ORDER PROJECTOR CARBONS — ORDER "NATIONAL"! The term "National" is a registered trade-mark of NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, INC. Unit of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation \W 30 East 42nd Street, New York 17, N. Y. Division Sales Offices: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 outstanttUuy outstanding PERFORMANCE superiority of the Model 720 is recognized the world over. Its fidelity of reproduction, its richness and clarity of tone, its dependability, make it the complete sound system of QUALITY ... the leader in its field. The individual units — the Royal Soundmaster Soundheads the PD-56 Series Dual Amplifier, and the No. 20 Two-Way Horn System — are the finest sound equipment available. outstanding WORKMANSHIP of the best, quality materials, and precision engineering give to the 720 ruggedness, dependability and outstanding ECONOMY . . . No other complete sound system offers so much for so little! See and compare the 720 yourself . . . compare performance, quality, work- manship, and price. Buy Ballantyne. Make "The Needle's Eye" your projection round table. CHANGEABLE SIGNS and 5 PLASTIC INSERTS Chrome Metal Covered $595 Extra Inserts, 60c INEXPENSIVE GOOD LOOKING PRACTICAL SEE IT AT YOUR DEALER Associated Ticket & Register Co., Inc. 346 W. 44 Street New York 18, N. Y. AMPLEX Louver (Its in- side regular Amplex Color Clip for use with or with- out color filters as illus- trated. Color Clip 85f Louver $1.50 Dealers Inquire . . CMPS CORP., 346 W. 44 AMPLEX Color Clip with Color Filter Inside it, slip* over any standard R40, RE40 or BR40 (150 watt) reflector bulb. Weighs lew than 4 oz. and is uncon- ditionally guaranteed. Clin S5< Color Filter 60< . Sole Distributors St., New York 18, N. Y. sold the Stronghurst theatre at La Harpe to D. L. Danford of Keokuk, la. The theatre was opened by Mr. Todd two years ago. The Frisina Amusement Company, own- ers and operators of the Orpheum and Star theatres in Hannibal, Mo., have started a $10,000 improvement and remodeling program at the Star. The improvements will include a completely new front and redecorating of the interior. Roy McCullough, manager of the Covina theatre at Covina, Calif., reports renovation of that house, to include a new triangular marquee, removal of the box- office to one side of the vestibule, recarpet- ing, and modernized lighting. A permit for the construction of a drive- in theatre in St. Louis County, Mo., has been granted the Fred Wehrenberg Cir- cuit by the St. Louis County Court. The permit was granted by a vote of two-to-one despite the protests of the 150 residents of the area, who had petitioned the court to deny the permit after the Plan Com- mission had approved construction of the theatre. Walton Hamilton is the new man- ager of the three theatres at Newton, N.C., owned by Everette Enterprises of Char- lotte. He succeeds James W. Black- well, who has resigned to enter another business. Thornton Howell, who has built several drive-in theatres in the San Fran- cisco area, will erect another open air theatre on a seven acre site he has pur- chased at Cathedral City. Mr. Howell says the new theatre will be opened within a few months. Nathan Shapiro, former operator of Curly's Theatre Cafe in Minneapolis, has filed an application with the city licensing authority for permission to erect an 800 seat theatre in that city. Drive-in Theatres, Inc., of Anderson, S.C., has been granted a charter by the Secretary of State. Authorized capital stock is $5,000. The company is headed by W. E. Osteen, president. John Newcomer, manager of the Ritz and Grand theatres in Chillicothe, Mo., reports approval by the Office of the Hous- ing Expediter, of a new theatre in that city. Plans call for a seating capacity of 1000. The Dunbar Theatre Company, Inc., of Charleston, W. Va., has started con- struction of a theatre to seat 650. De- signed by Ivan Richard Lee, a Charles- H BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17. 1948 ton architect, the structure will be 45 by 150 feet and of fireproof construction, with a front of aluminum and stainless steel frame and brick and green stone front. Samuel Irvin, who has been previously connected with theatres in Columbia, S.C., has succeeded George B. Hendrickson as manager of the Darlington Theatres, Inc., Darlington, S.C. Mr. Irvin and his father, Warren Irvin, prominent Colum- bia theatre executive, have purchased the entire interest of Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick- son in the circuit. Julius Gordon, president of the Jef- ferson Amusement Company, Texas circuit, reports that the new drive-in being built by his organization in Beaumont, will be ready -for opening late in February. To accommodate 664 cars, it will be the first drive-in in the Beaumont area. Sumter Moving Picture Service, Inc., of Sumter, S.C, has been formed with capital stock of $6,000, to operate a mo- tion picture theatre in that city. William M. Hodge is president. The A.S.F. Theatre Company of Char- lotte, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., has received a charter from the Secretary of State to operate theatres. Authorized capital stock is $6,000, with $3,000 subscribed by Byron Adams, Robert Saunders and George Ferguson, all of Charlotte. Construction of a new theatre at Capi- tola, Calif., will be undertaken shortly, according to W. W. Morey of the Capi- tola Chamber of Commerce. The new theatre, to seat 500, will be built by Arthur Mayer, San Francisco advertis- ing executive, and Joseph Jacobs, Bur- lingame tannery salesman. At Lexington, Ky., the building inspector has approved construction of a new theatre at New Albany, Ky., by Lyric Theatres, Inc. The theatre for colored patronage, seats 940. The reported cost is $150,000. Century Productions of Dayton, Ohio, reports plans for a new drive-in theatre along U.S. Route 22, one mile east of Lancaster, Ohio. The opening date set is April 1. Plans call for a car capacity of 500. Partnership in the recently erected Franklin theatre at Olivehurst, Calif., has been acquired by the Marysville State The- atre, Inc., Frank and Edith Maun, owners of the theatre, have announced. Plans for the construction of "a new $1,000,000 theatre" in downtown Oak- land, Calif., have been announced by Louis This thorough vacuum cleaner cuts your costs two ways! Check the advantages of General Electric's new Industrial-Commercial Vacuum Cleaner f AST • EFFICIENT • QUIET • ECONOMICAL The New General Electric Commercial Vacuum Cleaner GENERAL m ELECTRIC Eliminate the mop, the pail, the broom. This double-duty cleaner picks up water as well as dirt. Reduce cleaning costs two ways: First, General Electric's new heavy-duty cleaner has so thorough a cleaning action that floors, rugs, and linoleum are pro- tected against wear . . . actually last longer! Second, this machine is built aud tested by General Electric to assure long life, efficient service. It's equipped with the G-E motor, and backed by the com- pany warranty. Simple to operate. One man can work this machine with no previous training. Tools and accessories provided. Furnace cleaners, too ! General Electric also makes the G-E Furnace Cleaner, that removes soot and scale from furnace interiors quickly and efficiently. For further information, mail coupon below. General Electric Company, Bridgeport 2, Conn. A & M Department, Section 221, General Electric Company, Bridgeport 2, Conn. Send descriptive literature concerning ( ) Wet and Dry Pickup Vacuum Cleaner ( ) Furnace and Boiler Cleaner NAME FIRM ADDRESS CITY . STATE I THE MISSING TENTH! EASILY INSTALLED IN ANY THEA- TRE, OLD OR NEW, SMALL OR LARGE. SOON AVAILABLE ON A PRACTICAL RENTAL BASIS. The TELESONIC THEATREPHONE opens wide the doors of your theatre to "The Missing Tenth" to their profit and yours. "The Missing: Tenth" are the 10% of the population tributary to each motion picture theatre, small or large, who cannot now patronize and enjoy the show unless yon install the remarkable TELESONIC THEATREPHONE. We welcome your inquiry for further details. CHARLES H. LEHMAN, President TELESONIC THEATREPHONE CORPORATION Times Building Times Square New York 18. N. Y. THE TELESONIC SYSTEM IS IDEAL FOR DRIVE-IN THEATRES BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 9> 'OH4 (rttU TO SEE THE PICTURE IT PAYS to put in SNAI'LITES Fine theatres . . . fine films naturally go together. fine equipment— they just You get your money's worth out of your projectors, arcs, and screen— only when using the finest of lenses. Try the f/2.0 Snaplite Series II— or the incomparable f/1.9 Super-Snaplite— in your projectors . . . and see the difference! ONE-PIECE MOUNT ANODIZED FINISH r SIIPEIE-SNjII'IJTBS Give You . . . • BRILLIANCE ... the fastest lenses made: f/1.9 • CONTRAST . . . with durable coated optics. # SHARPNESS . . . that only a six-element anastigmat can achieve. VALUE . . . one-piece mount, hermetically sealed to last a lifetime. Get full details of all Snaplite lenses in Bulle- tin 204, from your local theater supply house. 2 Franklin Avenue § f_ / Brooklyn 11, New York K^fiMtCOl CORPORATION Two Personal Product Information Services: New— "THE THEATRE SUPPLY MART" — on next page . . . for procuring further details, prices, literature, etc., on products and services advertised and editorially described IN THIS ISSUE. Indicate the product by symbol on the detachable postcard, which requires neither addressing nor postage. THE CATALOG BUREAU — on page 18 . . . for procuring literature on classes of product that are NOT ADVERTISED in this issue. Mail the coupon in your business envelope. NAMED REPRESENTATIVE Herbert Jack has been appointed Western representa- tive of the theatre seating division of the Kroehler Manu- facturing Company, according to an an- nouncement by H. V. Williams, Sales Man- ager. Mr. Jack was formerly associated with the R. & J. Service Company in San Francisco, and has been connected with the theatre business for over 25 years. He will handle sales of Kroehler push-back chairs in the eleven Western states, with head- in the eleven Western states, with headquar- ters at 2028 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Kaliski, Oakland theatre operator, who is a partner in the new project. Construc- tion will be started shortly, he reports, and is expected to be completed within six months. D. B. Levin of San Francisco, owner of the Grand theatre, is associated with Mr. Kaliski in the project. Ground work for the construction of a 1000-seat theatre at Pleasanton, Tex., has been started. It will be 70 by 135 feet. A confectionery stand will be operated in the lobby, and a 100 car parking lot will also be provided. W. D. Glasscock of San Antonio, is the owner. The theatre will be managed by Kelly S. DeBusk, Jr. The Alamo theatre at Higgins, Tex., held its formal reopening recently. Mayor Warren Jenkins complimented Mr. and Mrs. Jake Sell, the owners, on rebuilding their theatre, which was severely damaged by a tornado last April. Bruno Vecchiarelli, general manager of Sunnymount Theatres, has announced that construction is underway on a new theatre at Mountain View, Calif. The house will cost approximately $250,000, he. reports, and will include facilities for six stores flanking the theatre. The new Oaklawn theatre at Tex- arkana, Tex., has been opened. Con- struction was started last March and was completed just before Christmas, at a re- ported cost of $140,000. Paul Ketchum is owner and manager. S. J. Gregory, vice-president and op- erating head of Midstate Amusement Cor- poration, has announced the purchase of the Iris drive-in theatre near Walla Walla, Wash., and plans for extensive improve- ments in it before opening next spring. The Iris was opened last May by Colum- bia Service, Inc., of which Gaylord C. Ran- som was president, and it operated con- tinuously until late in October. 10 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 THE MART Index to products advertised & described in this issue, with • Dealer directory • Convenient inquiry postcard Firms are numbered for easy identification in using inquiry postcard. Dealer indications refer to listing on following page. ADVERTISERS . . . Reference Adv. Number. Page 1— Adler Silhouette Letter Co 40 Changeable letter sign equipment. Un- affiliated dealers. 2 — American Seating Co 20 Auditorium chairs. Direct and NTS. 3 — Associated Ticket & Register Co 8 Admission and price signs. All dealers except NTS. 4 — Automatic Devices Co 40 Motor-generators. Unaffiliated dealers 5 — Autocrat, Inc 17 In-car speakers. Unaffiliated dealers. 6 — Ballantyne Co., The 8 Sound systems. Unaffiliated dealers. 7 — Chicago Hardware Foundry Co 27 Electric hand driers. Direct. 8 — Chicopee Mfg. Corp. of Georgia, Lumite Div 23 Plastic upholstering materials. Direct. 9 — Cretors & Co.. C 29 Popcorn machines and popcorn warmers. Direct and unaffiliated dealers. 10— DeVry Corp 31 Projectors (I0A), sound systems ( I OB ) , in- car speakers (IOC). Unaffiliated dealers. 11 — Drive-In Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.. 35 In-car speakers. Direct. 12 — Essannay Electric Mfg. Co 33 Changeovers. Direct and all dealers. 13— F & Y Building Service, The 4 Architectural design and building service. 14 — Ferguson Open- Air Theatres, Inc 26 Patented system for open-air theatres. Franchise representatives. 15 — Forest Manufacturing Corp 6 Rectifiers. Unaffiliated dealers. 16 — Forest Electronic Co., Inc 39 Projection lamps. Direct and unaffiliated dealers. 17 — General Electric Co., Premier Vacuum Cleaners Div 25 Vacuum cleaners. Direct. 18 — General Electric Co., Appliance & Merchandise Div 9 Heavy-duty vacuum cleaners. Direct; NTS. 19 — General Register Corp 32 Ticket choppers. All dealers. 20— Goldberg Brothers 14, 17, 26 Reels (20A), rewinders (20B), speaking tubes (20C). All dealers. 21 — GoldE Manufacturing Co 30 Ticket dispensers. All dealers. 22— Heyer-Shuitz, Inc 39 Metal reflectors. NTS. 23— Heywood-Wokefield Co. 36 Auditorium chairs. Direct. 24 — Ideol Seating Co 30 Auditorium chairs. Unaffiliafed dealers. 25 — International Projector Corp 2 Sound (25A) and projection (258) equip- ment, NTS. Reference Number Adv. Page Reference Number Adv. Page 31 22 26 — Kollmorgen Optical Co 10 Projection lenses. NTS. 27— LaVezzi Machine Works 37 Projector parts. Unaffiliated dealers. 28 — Motiograph, Inc 37 Projection (28A) and sound (28B) equip- ment. Unaffiliated dealers. 29 — National Carbon Co., Inc 7 Projector carbon. All dealers. 30— National Super Service Co 15 Vacuum cleaners. All dealers. -National Theatre Supply 15, 19 Simplex projector parts (3 I A — see p. 15), projection lamps (3 IB — see p. 19). NTS. -Novelty Scenic Studios, Inc 14 Interior decoration. Direct and all dealers. 33— RCA Service Co., Inc 17, 26, 34. 40 Projection and sound maintenance service. 34— Robin, Inc., J. E 34 Rectifiers (34A) and motor-generators (34B). Unaffiliated dealers. 35 — S. O. S. Cinema Supply Corp 40 Distributors. 36 — Smith & Sons Carpet Co., Alexander. 30 Carpeting. NTS. 37 — Strong Electric Corp., The 3 Projection lamps. NTS. 38 — Superior Electric Co 17 Dimmers. Direct. 39 — Switzer Brothers 26 Black-light murals. Direct. 40 — Telesonic Theatrephone Co 9 Hearing-aids. Direct. 41 — Theatre Managers Institute 26 Correspondence course in management. 42— Vallen. Inc 32 Curtain controls and tracks. All dealers. 43 — U. S. Air Conditioning Corp 4 Air-conditioning systems. Direct. 44 — Wagner Sign Service, Shc 5 Changeable letter sign equipment All dealers except NTS. 45— Wenzel Projector Co., Tbe 33 Projectors. Unaffiliated dealers. 46 — Wesfrex Corp 38 Foreign distributors. • EDITORIALLY . . . ELECTRIC HAND DRIERS, page 12. Two wall models, and a pedestal model, manu- factured by the Chicago Hardware Foundry Com- pany. Postcard reference number 7. SELENIUM STACK RECTIFIERS, page 13. New dry type rectifier manufactured by J. E. Robin, Inc. Postcard reference number 34. TRANSFORMER TYPE DIMMERS, page 13. Motor-driven units, also a "package" dimmer, made by Superior Electric Company. Postcard reference numbers: Motor-driven units, 38A; "package" units, 386. SCULPTURED WALL COVERING, page 14. A new plastic wall covering that comes in rolls and Is applied like wallpaper, manufactured by Katzenbach & Warren, Inc. Postcard reference number E47. CHANGEMAKERS, page 15. Three models manufactured by the Coinometer Corporation. Postcard reference number E48. WOVEN GLASS FABRICS, page 16. Thortel decorative naturally fireproof fabrics of Fiberglas. Postcard reference number E49. For further information concerning products referred to on this page, write corresponding numbers, and your name and address, in spaces provided on the postcard attached below, and mail. Card requires no addressing or postage. To BETTER THEATRES Service Department: Please kave literature, prices, etc., sent to me according to the following reference numbers in the issue of January 17th — NAME THEATRE or CIRCUIT STREET ADDRESS CJTY STATE Theatre Supply Dealers Dealers in the United States listed alphabetically by states, numbered or other- wise marked for cross-reference from Index of Advertisers on preceding page. Unaffiliated distributors are numbered; RCA franchise dealers are marked RC; National Theatre Supply identifies that organization's branches. ALABAMA Birmingham: I — Queen Feature Service, 1912ft MerrU Am. ARIZONA Tucson: 2 — Arizona Film Supply, 84 W. Pennington St. CALIFORNIA Los Angeles: 3 — Breck Photoplay Supply, Inc., 1969 S. Vermont Ave. RC— John P. Filbert, 2007 S. Vermont Ave. National Theatre Supply, 1961 S. Vermont Ave. 4 — Projection Equipment & Maintenance. 1973 S. Vermont Ave. 5 — B. F. Shearer, 1964 S. Vermont Ave. San Francisco: National Theatre Supply, 255 Golden Gate Ave. 6 — Pacific Coast Theatre Supply, 250 Golden Gate Ave. 7 — Preddey Theatre Supplies, 187 Golden Gat* Ave. 8 — B. F. Shearer, 243 Golden Gate Ave. RC — Western Theatrical Equipment, 337 Golden Gate Ave. COLORADO Denver: 9 — Graham Brothers, 546 Lincoln St. National Theatre Supply, 2111 Champa St. 10 — Service Theatre Supply, 2054 Broadway. RC — Western Service & Supply, 2120 Broadway. CONNECTICUT New Haven: 11— Phillips Theatre Supplies, 130 Meadow St. National Theatre Supply, 122 Meadow St. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Washington) RC— Brient & Sons, 802 N. Capitol St. 12— Ben Lust, 1001 New Jersey Ave., N. W. FLORIDA 14 — Joe Hornslein. 1417 N. E. Second Ave., Miami. RC — Southeastern Theatre Equipment, 625 W. Bay St., Jack- sonville. 15 — United Theatre Supply, 110 Franklin St., Tampa. GEORGIA Atlanta: 16 — Capital City Supply, 161 Walton St., N. Y. National Theatre Supply. 187 Walton St., N. W. RC — Southeastern Theatre Equipment, 201-3 Luckie St., N. W. 17— Southland Theatre Equipment, 183 Walton St.. N. W. 18— Wil-Kin Theatre Supply. 150-4 Walton St., N. W. ILLINOIS Chicago: 19— Abbott Theatre Supply, 1311 S. Wabash Ave. 20— Academy Theatre Supply, 1312 S. Michigan Ave. RC — Chicago Theatre Supply, 1255 S. Wabash Ave. 21 — Droll Theatre Supply, 351 E. Ohio St. National Theatre Supply, 1325 S. Wabash Ave. 22— Stanley Theatre Supply, 1233 S. Wabash Ave. INDIANA Indianapolis: 23— Ger-Bar, Inc.. 442 N. Illinois St. National Theatre Supply, 436 N. Illinois St IOWA Des Moines: 24 — Des Moines Theatre Supply, 1102 High St National Theatre Supply, 1102 High St. KANSAS 25— Southwest Theatre Equipment, 309 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita. KENTUCKY Louisville: 26— Falls City Theatre Equipment, 427 S. Third St. 27— Hadden Equipment, 423 Wert Liberty St. LOUISIANA New Orleans: RC— Delta Theatre Supply, 214 S. Liberty St. 28 — Hodges Theatre Supply. 1309 Cleveland Ave. National Theatre Supply, 220 S. Liberty St. MARYLAND Baltimore: 29 — Dusman Motion Picture Supplies, 2021 N. Charles St. National Theatre Supply 417 St. Paul Place. MASSACHUSETTS Boston: RC — Capitol Theatre Supply, 28 Piedmont St. 30 — Joe Cifre, 44 Winchester St. 31 — Independent Theatre Supply, 28 Winchester St. 32 — Massachusetts Theatre Equipment, 20 Piedmont St National Theatre Supply, 37 Winchester St. 33 — Standard Theatre Supply, 78 Broadway. 34 — Theatre Service & Supply, 30 Piedmont St. MICHIGAN Detroit 35 — Amusement Supply, 208 W. Montcalm St. RC — Ernie Forbes Theatre Supply. 214 W. Montcalm St. 36 — McArthur Theatre Equipment 454 W. Columbia St. National Theatre Supply, 2312-14 Cass Ave. 37 — United Theatre Equipment, 2501 Cass Ave. Grand Rapids: 38— Ringold Theatre Equipment 106 Michigan St., N. W. MINNESOTA Minneapolis: 39 — Elliott Theatre Equipment, Glenwood Ave. RC — Frosch Theatre Supply, III! Currie Ave. National Theatre Supply, 56 Glenwood Ave. 40 — Western Theatre Equipment 45 Glenwood Ave. MISSOURI Kansas City: 41— Independent Theatre Supply. 115 W. 18th St. RC — Missouri Theatre Supply, 115 W. 18th St. National Theatre Supply. 223 W. 18th St 42— Shreve Theatre Supply, 217 W. 18th St. 43 — Stebbins Theatre Equipment, 1804 Wyandotte St. St. Louis: RC— Cine Supply, 3310 Olive St. 44 — Exhibitors Supply, 3236 Olive St. National Theatre Supply, 3212 Olive St. 45 — L. T. Rockenstein, 3142 Olive St. NEBRASKA Omaha: 46— Ballantyne Co., 1707-1 1 Davenport St. 47— Quality Theatre Supply. 1511 Davenport St RC— Western Theatre Supply. 214 N. 15th St. NEW MEXICO 48— Eastern New Mexico Theatre Supply. Box 1099. Clovis NEW YORK Albany: 49— Albany Theatre Supply. 1046 Broadway. 50— Empire Theatre Supply. 1003 Broadway. National Theatre Supply, 962 Broadway. Auburn: 51 — Auburn Theatre Equipment. 5 Court St Buffalo: 52 — Becker Theatre Equipment, 492 Pearl St. National Theatre Supply, 498-500 Pearl St. RC — United Projector & Film, 228 Franklin St. New York City: 53— Amusement Supply. 341 W. 44th St. RC— Capitol Motion Picture Supply, 630 Ninth Ave. 7" ou FIRST CLASS PERMIT No. 8894 (Sec. 510, P. L. & R.] NEW YORK, W Y. BUSINESS REPLY CARD No Postage Stamp Necessary if Mailed in the United States Postage will be paid by — QUICLEY PUBLISHING COMPANY ROCKEFELLER CENTER 1270 SIXTH AVENUE NEW YORK 20, N. Y. 54 — Crown Motion Picture Supplies, 364 W. 44th St. 55 — Empire Theatre Supply, 330 W. 42nd St. 56 — Joe Hornstein. 630 Ninth Ave. National Theatre Supply, 356 W. 44th St Star Cinema Supply, 442 W. 45th St NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte: 57— Bryant Theatre Supply. 227 S. Church St. 58 — Dixie Theatre Supply, Box 217. National Theatre Supply, 304 S. Church St. RC — Southeastern Theatre Equipment, 209 S. Poplar St. 59 — Standard Theatre Supply, 124-128 E. Washington St. 60 — Theatre Equipment Co., 261 N. Green St. 61— Will-Kin Theatre Supply, 229 S. Church St. NORTH DAKOTA 62— McCarthy Theatre Supply. 55 Fifth St., Fargo. OHIO Akron: 63— Akron Theatre Supply, 1025 N. Main St. Bellaire: 64 — Standard Theatre Supply, 3461 Franklin St. Cincinnati: RC— Mid-West Theatre Supply, 1632 Central Pkwy. National Theatre supply, 1637-39 Central Pkwy. Cleveland: National Theatre Supply, 2128 Payne Ave. 65 — Ohio Theatre Equipment, 2108 Payne Ave. 66 — Oliver Theatre Supply, E. 23rd & Payne Aves. Columbus: 67 — American Theatre Equipment 165 N. High St. Dayton: 68 — Dayton Theatre Supply, III Volkenand St. 69 — Sheldon Theatre Supply, 1420 Canfield Ave. Toledo: 70 — American Theatre Supply, 439 Dorr St. 71 — General Theatre Equipment, 109 Michigan St. OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: 72— Howell Theatre Supplies, 12 S. Walker Ave. National Theatre Supply, 700 W. Grand Ave. RC — Oklahoma Theatre Supply, 628 W. Grand Ave. OREGON Portland: 73— B. F. Shearer, 1947 N. W. Kearney St. 74 — Theatre Utilities Service. 1935 N. W. Kearney St. 75 — Western Theatre Equipment, 1923 N. W. Kearney St. PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia: RC— Blumbero Bros.. 1305-07 Vine St. National Theatre Supply, 1225 Vine St. 76— Penn Theatre Equipment, 307 N. 13th St. Pittsburgh: RC — Alexander Theatre Supply. 1705 Blvd. of Allies. 77— Atlas Theatre Supply, 425 Van Braam St. National Theatre Supply, 1721 Blvd. of Allies. 78— A. & S. Steinberg. 1713 Blvd. of Allies. 79 — Superior Motion Picture Supply, 84 Van Braam St. RHODE ISLAND 80 — Rhode Island Theatre Supply, 357 Westminster St., Providence. SOUTH DAKOTA 81 — American Theatre Supply, 316 S. Main St Sioux Falls. TENNESSEE Memphis: RC — Monarch Theatre Supply, 494 S. Second St. National Theatre Supply, 412 S. Second St. 82— Tri-State Theatre Service, 318 S. Second St. TEXAS Dallas: 83 — Hardin Theatre Supply, 714 Hampton Rd. 84 — Herber Bros., 408 S. Harwood St 85 — Modern Theatre Equipment, 214 8. St. Pull St. National Theatre Supply. 300 S. Harwood St. RC — Southwestern Theatre Equipment, 2010 Jackson St. Houston: RC — Southwestern Theatre Equipment 1416 Main St. UTAH Salt Lake City: 86 — Intermountain Theatre Supply. 142 E. First South St. 87 — Service Theatre Supply, 256 E. First South St. RO — Western Sound & Equipment, 142 E. First South St. VIRGINIA 88— Norfolk Theatre Supply, 2706 Celley Ave., Norfolk. WASHINGTON Seattle: 89 — American Theatre Supply, 327 Railway Exch. Bldg. 90 — Modern Theatre Supply, 2400 Third Ave. National Theatre Supply, 2319 Second Ave. 91 — B. F. Shearer. 2318 Seoond Ave. 92 — Western Theatre Equipment, 2406 First Ave. WEST VIRGINIA 93 — Charleston Theatre Supply. 506 Lee St., Charleston. WISCONSIN Milwaukee: 94 — Manhardt Co., 1705 W. Clybourn St. National Theatre Supply, 1027 N. Eighth St. 95— Bay Smith, 710 W. State St. 96— Theatre Equipment & Supply, 641 N. Seventh St NEWS AND VIEWS THE MARKET AND SOURCES SUPPLY New Hand Drier Models To End Paper Towel Mess with an increasing num- ber of theatres taking advantage of the electric hand drier to get rid of the waste and messiness of paper towels, and their menace to plumbing through thoughtless disposal in water closets, the Chicago Hardware Foundry Company of North Chicago, 111., has provided in its post-war line a model for various installation prefer- ances, in small as well as large toilet rooms. The line includes a pedestal and a wall- mounted model, neither of which requires any structural changes ; and a semi-recessed wall model with flush-set foot control pedal. In each case the finish is porcelain enamel, with white the standard color and with the pedestal model optionally available in black, brown, gray or ivory. The pedestal model also has a foot pedal switch, while the type for bracket-mounting on the wall is hand-operated. In the design characteristic of this line of hand driers, all air is drawn through a screen, and the drying nozzle is of full- turn swivel type adjustable to any position. The 115-volt motor has a rated capacity of 13.5 amperes, standard, but 17.5 amperes are available. The semi-recessed model can be installed in any wall 4 inches thick, including finish. For oiling or cleaning, all working parts t are readily accessible by removal of two , screws at the bottom, of the cover. Selenium Stack Rectifier Placed in Production The Dry-plate ( type of rectifier employing selenium re- cently announced by J. E. Robin, Inc., New York, has been placed in production for immediate delivery, according to Emil A. Kern, president. For three-phase op- eration, the selenium rectifier has a trans- former with a three-phase primary and two sets of isolated secondary windings cross- connected for six-phase full-wave rectifica- tion, having a ripple frequency of 720 cycles per second. The use of selenium, the manufacturer states, provides an especially high reverse voltage rating, thus requiring relatively few plates and introducing a high safety factor. A base plate of aluminum is used to keep At left, front view of the Robin selenium stack rectifier, cabinet finish of which is black crackle; and above, the remote control panel. weight and rusting to a minimum and to speed up radiation. Asserting that aging of the rectifier units is extraordinarily slow, the manufacturer points out that aging takes place to a certain degree during the first 10,000 hours of operation, when the forward and reverse resistances increase gradually, which often may be ignored and in case be compensated for by an increase of from 5% to 10% in the alternating current input voltage. After this 10,000-hour period, the manufacturer asserts, the forward and reverse resistances become stabilized, when the established ef- ficiency is rated at 80%. Other features cited by the manufacturer are its availability for use without warming up, and a power factor of nearly 100%. The transformer employs mica and glass for insulation, with completely isolated low-voltage secondaries. The transformer, which is of high-reactance type, acts as a ballast minimizing fluctuations in arc cur- rent. When the arc is struck this reactance also serves, the manufacturer explains, to negate shortcircuit inrush current. Primary taps for line voltage are pro- vided from 190 to 240 volts a. c, while change of d. c. voltage can be made in 2-volt steps from 25 to 37 volts. Cooling of the units is by means of a fan which draws the air up through the bottom of the cabinet and exhausting it through a grille at the top, with a thermostat control in case of fan failure. A remote control panel is part of the equipment. New " Package" and Multi-Station Dimmers with the addition of a "packaged" dimmer of transformer type, with a variable output from zero to 1700 watts, the line of the Superior Electric Company of Bristol, Conn., now provides light circuit dimming equipment especially designed for the smallest as well as for multi-circuit theatre installations. In the large capacities, Superior "Power- stat" dimmers can be obtained in motor- driven units with motor control in ratings up to 27,600 watts. This motor-driven equipment provides unusual flexibility of operation, dimming house lights from any location in the theatre by means of remotely controlled push-button stations. Units can also be obtained for automatic operation. The brilliancy of individual lamps in a circuit is not affected bv the number of Motor-driven type transformer dimmer. lamps, control of the load being through voltage variation, permitting gradual vari- ation from full-on to black-out without respect to the number of lamps. This equipment is adapted, according to the manufacturer, to either cold-cathode or filament lamps. The driving motor is a 115-volt, synchronous, brushless and ball- bearing type. The "package" equipment offers three individual continuously adjustable auto- transformer type dimmers in black wrinkle- finished, self-contained cabinet with the BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 13 ^CREATING SMART A^iR\OBS for 29 YEW* Local History or Legend can be depicted at the sides of your pros- cenium, on sidewall panels or in your lobby, by our brilliant MURALS PAINTING • DECORATING • MURALS t CURTAINS WAU COVERINGS • SPECTACULAR EFFECTS DRAPERIES • ACOUSTIC WALL TREATMENTS PLASTIC WALL PLAQUES AND INLAYS LEATHERETTE WALL PANELS ABESTOS CURTAINS • STAGE RIGGING CURTAIN CONTROLS AND TRACKS Dynamic, oustanding installations for theatre owners, circuits and architects throughout the world. Phone, wire or write for details, or send rough sketches, preliminary blueprints or plans for estimates and preparation of color renderings. J J SCENIC STUDIOS, INC. 32-34 W. 60TH ST., New York 23, N.Y. DECORATORS . DESIGN ARTISTS SCULPTORS . ETCHERS In first communication please include all necessary measurements. SUPPLY DEALERS Exclusively. ASK YOUR DEALER GOLDBERG r REELS "BROS. Denver, Colo. mechanical means of interlocking each unit to a master control for group operation. Rapid changes in intensity are achieved through lever action. Each dimmer cir- "Package" model Superior dimmer. cuit is equipped with a silent circuit- braker which combines an "on-off" switch with overload protection. Two sets of pin receptacles on the output of each dimmer accommodate standard 15 ampere pin plugs. When specified, twist- lock receptacles can be furnished in place of the pin receptacles. In addition to the marked indicator at the base of the levers, each dimmer has a pilot lamp to show the degree and color of light output. • NAMED FURNITURE FIRM HEAD Irving Grombacher has assumed the presidency of the Royal Metal Manufac- turing Company, Chicago, manufacturers of metal foyer and lounge furniture. Mr. Grombacher succeeds Joseph K. Solomon, who has taken the post of general manager vacated by the new company head. • MOVE TO NEW QUARTERS The export firm of K. Streuber & La- Chicotte, New York, have announced re- moval of offiices to 1819 Broadway. The S. O. S. Cinema Supply Corpora- tion, New York, has taken over the build- ing at 602 West 52nd Street, and expects to move there early in February. Sculptured Plastic for Hanging Like Wallpaper the variety of wall cov- erings that give prominent textural effect as well as an interesting pattern, which yet may be applied like a heavy-duty wall- paper, has been increased by an addition to the line of Katzenbach & Warren of New York, manufacturers of wallpapers. The new covering is a sculptured plastic called "Straw Square." Like a sculptured paper covering brought out by this firm a year or so ago, its pattern is heighted and modulated by play of light upon it. Having a linoleum-like consistency, "Straw Square" may be surfaced with any View of "Straw Square" showing shadow effect. wall paint, or it can be glazed for "antiqued" for emphasis of pattern. The natural color is off-white. It comes in 16-yard rolls of approximately 19-foot width. Each square in the pattern (see accompanying photograph) is approx- imately 10 inches square. In new buildings, it can be used without a finishing coat of plaster. AIR-CONDITIONING DEALERS AND SALESMEN GO TO SCHOOL Courses of study in air-conditioning are being conducted by the Typhoon Air-Conditioning Com- pany, Brooklyn, N. Y., in various cities throughout the country for its dealers and salesmen. The courses, which stress installation . and maintenance, were developed by Murray Kabiii, chief engineer. "Graduates" of the first "school" are shown banqueting at the Hotel Belvedere in Brooklyn. 14 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17. 1948 New Change Makers with Two Penny Issuing Types new designs in change makers have been brought out by the Coin- ometer Corporation of Chicago, with two of the three models integrating with the other coin mechanisms, keys for issuing pennies to provide for admission taxes. All models are of similar basic design and construction, with large legible key buttons, counter-level kevboards to eliminate arm strain and twist- You pay no more -often less ing, eight-tube coin trays designed for con- vient storing, and finger-tip control. Any model is available for either right- or left- hand coin delivery. The model adapted to the majority of theatres (Model B) is a direct changer with pennies, and the key colors represent the amounts received. Black keys are for change from $1, red from 50c pieces, blue from 25c to 75c, while white issue pennies. Model D is similar except for absence of penny facilities. In Model A key colors represent amounts remitted, with black keys for even change from a nickel to 95c, red for dimes, quar- ters, half-dollars and dollars, and white for pennies. Popcorn Machine Cleaner A NEW cleaning compound made up specifically for popcorn machines has been placed on the market under the trade-name "C. C. C." (Cretors Cleaning Compound) by C. Cretors & Company, Chicago, manufacturers of corn popping equipment. It is stated to be non-poisonous and incapable of injuring the hands. CATALOC ON CROWD CONTROL, SIGNS, ETC., FOR DIRECT SALE A folder from which to order direct from the manufacturer such products as lobby posts and ropes, sand urns, foyer and lounge lamps, push bars, directional signs and ornamental grilles, has been issued by the Hupp Metal Works Company, 1123 Broadway, New York 10, N. Y. The folder illustrates all items. NOW AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Why be satisfied with anything but the BEST? NATIONAL miny.nu EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES FOR EVERY THEATRE NEED National Theatre Supply congratulates the Altec Service Corporation on their tenth anniversary of service to the motion picture industry. At Your Service All of the departmental editors of Better Theatres welcome letters from readers, either of comment or of inquiry concerning matters of theatre planning and physical operation. If the subject of an inquiry is one likely to have general interest, it may be dealt with in the proper department (without identification of the source of the inquiry should omission of fhe name be requested). Other inquiries will be answered by mail. Merely write to Service Department, Better Theatres, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. • Ask your supply dealer or write us for a 5-day free trial of the Super. National Super Service Company, Inc. 1941 N. 13th Street, Toledo 2, Ohio National Super Service Company of Canada Toronto, Ont., Vancouver, B. C. SUPER SAVINGS with a SUPER CLEANER Specialized Super Theatre Cleaner with its powerful motor and special attachments is saving theatre owners thousands of dollars this winter. Super cleaning prolongs the life of floor coverings, draperies, walls, ornamen- ion, upholstery, box fronts — every item and object in your theatre's interior. The new Super Spot- light saves house lights, labor and time. Mount- ed on the handle, its strong beam illuminates the area around the Super Floor Tool. The Super Blower attachment, another time and labor saver, boosts popcorn boxes, bags, etc., out from under seats and from other inaccessible places down to the front where they can be easily disposed of. BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 15 Woven Glass Fabrics Today A full range of patterns is now available for fireproof Fiberglas decoration AMONG developments since the end of the war in materials peculiarly suited to the decorative requirements of thea- tres, none is of more practical interest than the creation of what is substantially a full line of patterns and colors in naturally fireproof fabrics. Notable among non-combustible woven materials before the war were those made of Fiberglas; then, however, they could be obtained in relatively few designs adapted to the major needs of theatres, especially to cover acoustically treated auditorium walls, and to drape the stage. Thortel Fireproof Fabrics, New York organization having an arrange- ment with the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation of Toledo, for the applica- tion of this new glass product to the production of decorative woven ma- terials, were pioneering this field when Pearl Harbor abruptly ended practically all purely commercial research. Since resumption of this work, according to Leon A. Chastel, manager of Thortel, the original problems of color and printing have been solved so that today fab rics woven wholly of Fiberglas fila- ment can be had in a wide choice of patterns, color combinations, and weights, in the large-scale designs re- quired for auditorium walls and for stage draping With all the materials that modern in- dustrial research has produced for in- terior decoration, fabrics have never been displaced as means of achieving a stimulating atmosphere, whether the objective is grandeur or intimate charm. A theatre frequently needs both, pre- senting one condition in the auditorium, and a radically different one in, say, the women's lounge. The designer now can m fi ft Indicative of the variety of patterns now available in Fiberglas fabrics are these from the Thortel postwar line — the first two ("Carnival" and "Comet") spiritedly modern, the third ("Damask Print") more reserved in its traditional tracery, all three in good auditorium scale. select fabric for either condition without weighing the factor of fire hazard. The Fire Underwriters' Laboratories classifies glass fabric as materials which "do not burn or propagate flame." The National Fire Protection Associa- tion has also gone into other practical aspects of glass fabrics which encourage their adoption for reasons of safety. An article in its Quarterly states: "These glass fabrics have other eco- nomic advantages in that they are not affected by climatic changes; in other words, they do not stretch or sag with changes in the weather; they do not soil as readily as usual fabrics and do not shrink when laundered or dry- cleaned. They are also mildew-proof and are not subject to attack by moths or other natural-fiber-eating insects. In weight, the materials compare with damask or heavy satin. Despite the fact that they are made of glass, they fall into folds or crush easily, but do not re- tain wrinkles." The article points out, however, that they should not be used where they would be subjected to friction. Being woven of fine filament, Fiber- glass fabric is porous to sound, and in most designs it can be used to cover acoustical material, such as rock or glass wool, or perforated acoustic tiles, with- out reducing the sound-absorption qual- ities of the acoustic treatment. Installation of glass fabric as a wall covering is by the same methods used for regular damask or other textiles, the widths being sewn together and tacked to furring strips, with the material stretched firmly between them. Since glass fabric does not shrink, the widths are sewn with a rather "loose thread" when mercerized cotton or similar thread is employed to allow for pos- sible slight shrinkage of the thread itself. It can, of course, be sewn with glass "thread," but this is available only in white. Or nylon thread, which likewise does not shrink, may be used. From the simple to the elaborate in recent stage area draping with Thortel Fiberglas fabric. In the Devon theatre in Philadelphia the curtain is silver and crimson in the "Breeze" pattern, with an upper border of silver "Grosgrain" draped by a crimson swag valance in the same material that is stretched over the surrounding forward wall. ... In Philadelphia's Fox theatre, coral and fuchsia "Grosgrain" fabrics are combined in a draped scheme that is carried into the balcony. !6 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17. 1948 BENJAMIN GOLDFINE — Alden Theatre, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania— writes: "15 years of service by RCA has insured me of continuous good sound in my theatre." To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Camden, New Jersey. The IN A CAR SPEAKER For Drive-ln-Theatres With the "LIGHT THAT SELLS" (Extra Profits) (Extra Patrons) (Extra High Fidelity Sound) AUTOCRAT, INC. P. O. Box 37, Dayton View Station DAYTON, OHIO • Phone RAndolph 2192 Order Now for Early Delivery F IL M REWINDER MM K DENVER. COLO^ Electric Air Cleaning for Today's Disease Hazard The practical significance of devices for cleansing the air of buildings serving the public has steadily increased in recent years with the mounting effort of the medical profession, public health authorities, school system heads and industrial management to deal with patho- genic bacteria, viruses and pollen as an economic problem. Among operators of businesses where people gather for a sub- stantial period of time in large numbers, this movement, with its education of the public in precautions against disease from such sources, is taking shape as a challenge to be met only by measures which assure the public maximum protection. Modern ventilating practice for almost any type of building specifies some means of filtering incoming air. Electrostatic air cleansing was developed some years ago as a more efficient method adapted to large Partially complete rack of ionizing and dirt collect- ing units of Raytheon "Precipitor" equipment of theatre and other commercial building type for in- stallation at intake and mixer of a duct system. An installation also includes high-voltage convert- ing equipment. factories, certain type of manufacturing plants where clean air is a critical factor, and other commercial structures. With greater consciousness of the menace of germs and pollen, the electrical method has been given greater scope, and is now becoming available in both duct system and self-contained units for homes. The line of electrical equipment manu- factured by the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, Waltham, Mass., now includes types for either home or commercial build- with "PACKAGED" POWERSTAT DIMMER Community, school and other small amateur theatrical groups require stage lighting con- trol equipment that is compact, easy to in- stall, and simple to operate. The "Pack- aged" POWERSTAT Theatre Dimmer offers three individual continuously adjustable auto-transformer type dimmers in an attrac- tive, black wrinkle-finished self-contained cabinet with the mechanical means of inter- locking each unit to a master control for group operation. FEATURES: * Overload protection * Two sets of pin receptacles accommo- date standard 15 ampere pin plugs * Pilot lamps to show degree and color of light output * Wiring strip for simplified input wiring POWERSTAT Theatre Dimmer, Bulletin 347 available on request. THE i SUPERIOR ELECTRIC / COMPANY 2018 DEMERS AVE., BRISTOL, k CONN. BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 17 CATALOG BUREAU A free service through which literature on products for the physical theatre may be conveniently procured. Refer to item by number from following list whenever pos- sible; otherwise explain in the space indicated for numbers in the coupon. ADVERTISING 101— Advertising projectors 102 — Cutout devices 103 — Display frames 104 — Flashers 105 — Lamps, flood 106 — Lamps, projector 107 — Lamps, reflector 108 — Letters, changeable 109 — Marquees 110 — Signs, theatre name 1 1 1 — Transformers AIR SUPPLY 201 — Air cleaners, electrical 202 — Air washers 203— Blowers & fans 204 — Coils (heat transfer) 205 — Compressors 206 — Control equipment 207 — Cooling towers 208— Filters 209 — Furnaces & boilers 210 — Grilles, ornamental 21 1 — Heaters, unit 212— Humidifiers 213 — Insulation 214 — Motors 215 — Oil burners 216— Outlets, mixing type 217 — Ozone generators 218 — Radiators 219— Stokers 220— . — Temperature indicators 221 — Well water pumps ARCHIT'RE & DECORATION 301 — Decorating service 302 — Drapes 303 — Fabric, waH 304 — Fibre boards & tiles 305— Glass blocks & tiles 306 — Glass fabric 307 — Leatherette for walls 308 — Luminescent paints 309 — Mirrors 310 — Paint, lacquers, etc. 311 — Plastic veneering 312 — Porcelain enamel tiles 313 — Roofing 314 — Terrazzo 315 — Wood veneer GENERAL MAINTENANCE 401 — Brooms & brushes 402 — Carpet shampoo 403 — Cleaning compounds 404 — Deodorants 405 — Disinfectants 406 — Gum remover 407 — Ladders, safety 408 — Ozone generators 409 — Perfumes 410 — Polishes 41 I — Sand urns 412 — Snow melting crystals 413 — Soap, liquid 414 — Vacuum cleaners FLOOR COVERINGS 501— Asphalt tile 502 — Carpeting 503 — Carpet lining 504 — Concrete paint 505 — Linoleum 506 — Mats, rubber LIGHTING 601 — Black-light equipment 602 — Cove strips & reflectors 603 — Dimmers 604 — Downlighting equipment 605 — Fluorescent lamps 606 — Lumiline lamps 607 — Luminaires (See also Advertising, Stage) LOUNGE FURNISHINGS 701 — Ash trays 702 — Chairs, sofas, tables 703 — Cosmetic tables, chairs 704 — Mirrors 705— Statuary OFFICE 801 — Accounting systems 802 — Communicating systems PROJECTION & SOUND 901 — Acoustic materials 902 — Acoustic service 903 — Amplifiers 904 — Amplifier tubes 905 — Cabinets, accessory 906 — Cabinets, carbon 907 — Cabinets, film 908 — Changeovers 909 — Cue markers 910 — Effect projectors 911 — Exciter lamps 912 — Fire extinguishers 913— Fire shutters 914 — Hearing aids 915 — Lamps, projection arc 916 — Lenses, condenser 917 — Lenses, projection 9 1 8 — Microphones 919 — Mirror guards 920 — Motor-generators 921 — Non-sync, turntables 922— Photoelectric cells 923 — Projectors, standard 924 — Projectors, 16-mm. 925 — Projector parts 926— Projection, rear 927 — Public address systems 928— Rectifiers 929 — Reel end alarms 930— Reels 931— Reflectors (arc) 932 — Renovators, film 933 — Rewinders 934 — Rheostats 935 — Safety devices, projector 936— Screens 937 — Speakers & horns 938 — Splicers 939 — Soundheads 940 — Stereopticons 941 — Tables, rewind 942 — Vent fans (arc lamp) 943 — Voltage regulators 944 — Waste cans, self-closing SEATING 1001 — Ash trays (chair back) 1002 — Chairs 1003 — Chair covers 1004 — Chair refinishing 1005 — Expansion bolts 1006 — Fastening cement 1007 — Latex cushions 1008 — Upholstering fabrics SERVICE & TRAFFIC 1 101 — Directional signs 1102 — Drinking cups 1 103 — Drinking fountains 1104 — Lobby Rails & Ropes I 105 — Uniforms STAGE 1201 — Curtains & drapes 1202 — Curtain controls 1203— Curtain tracks 1204 — Lighting equipment 1205 — Rigging & hardware 1206 — Scenery 1207— Switchboards TICKET SALES 1301— Box offices 1 302 — Changemakers 1303 — Signs, price !304 — Speaking tubes 1 305— Tickets 1 306 — Ticket choppers 1307— Ticket holders 1308 — Ticket registers TOILET 1401 — Fixtures 1402 — Paper dispensers 1403 — Paper towels 1404 — Soap dispensers (See also Maintenance) VENDING, ETC. 1501 — Beverage Dispensers 1502 — Bowling Equipment 1503 — Candy counters 1504 — Candy machines 1505 — Popcorn machines 1506 — Phonographs, automatic 1507 — Soda fountains BETTER THEATRES CATALOG BUREAU COUPON Write in numbers. Mail to Better Theatres, Rockefeller Center, New York. Name Theatre. Address ing requirements. Called the "Precipita- tor," it is designed to remove 90% of air-borne dirt and also removes the pollen and sub-microscopic particles suspended in air. Briefly, this is done by drawing the air through an electrostatic field, where the air-borne material is given a negative elec- trical charge, which causes it to be attracted to collector plates having a high positive voltage. The manufacturer points out that this method is capable of removing par- ticles so small that it would take several million to cover the head of a common pin. The Raytheon "Precipitator" is made up of three principal divisions — a dust-collec- tor cell, an ionizer unit, and a power sup- ply. To handle the number of cubic feet of air per minute required by a theatre, the installation is built up as a part of the fresh-air intake, with inclusion of recircu- lated air where that is provided for. In space requirements, the ionizers and col- lector cells virtually form one unit in a rack. The power supply, which converts regular power line current into direct cur- rent, supplies 12,000 volts to the ionizer, and 6,000 volts to the collector. The num- ber of units required depends on the num- ber of cubic feet per minute handled by the ventilating system. • Carpet Price Raised A price increase of ap- proximately 5% on all Seamloc carpeting has been announced by Goodall Fabrics, Inc., in consequence of increased costs of raw materials and production. Seamloc is of the patent-back type, allowing patterns to be formed of broadloom carpeting by making cutouts and insertions — a method greatly facilitating the use of emblems and other individual devices, or specific direc- tional effects, in high-grade carpeting. • FIFTY-ONE THEATRES SEATED Installation of International auditorium seating was recently completed in 51 the- atres, according to a report of the RCA Theatre Equipment Section. The theatres are located in nearly every division of the country, and the report states that RCA dealers are now installing more seating than at any time since the end of the war. • EQUIP MEXICAN "WHiTEHOUSE" Vallen, Inc., Akron, Ohio, reports the shipment of the company's new light-duty curtain control equipment and Kirsch- Allen track for installation in the Palace of the President of Mexico. E. J. Vallen, head of the company, also states that cur- tain controls and twelve noiseless, ball- bearing tracks have been shipped to Bombay, India. I 8 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 / PROJECTION ARC LAMPS ^/CTURES TWICE AS BRIGHT! Distributed Exclusively by 'THERE'S A BRANCH NEAR YOU" 5ETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 Most admired . . . most desired ... by profit-wise theatre operators in cities large and small. Unmatched for beauty. . . comfort. . . and long, profitable service, with exceptional maintenance economy. World's leader in public seating Manufacturers of Theatre, Auditorium, School, Church, Transportation, Stadium Seating and Folding Chairs. es/metican Seating Company GRAND RAPIDS 2, MICHIGAN ... Branch Offices and Distributors in Principal Cities 20 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, I94S \Jhmtkei GEORGE SCHUTZ, Editor Better Acoustics for Better Sound By Using the Basic Facts We Know By MICHAEL RETTINCER It is surprising how many theatres are acoustically inferior despite the emphasis on acoustics by sound engineers, declares this eminent specialist in theatre sound, and he summarizes con- siderations that should be regu- larly recognized in planning. The quality of sound reproduction in a theatre is never better than the quality of the theatre's acoustic response. This is recognized par- ticularly by persons engaged in recording and reviewing sound tracks in motion pic- ture studios. Frequently, recordings classed by the studio as A-l become barely in- telligible when reproduced in a theatre ! It is surprising how many new theatres are acoustically inferior, in spite of the publicity which has been given this subject in articles on architectural acoustics pub- lished in a wide variety of magazines and journals. Even so, such fundamental articles as "Theatre Acoustic Recom- mendations of the Academy Research council, Theatre Standardization Com- mittee," the result of interminable meet- ings of that body, deserves wider publicity than just publishing it in the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (issue of March 1941, page 267). While the general principles of theatre acoustics have been well established, many important details have not been discussed in literature. It is the purpose of this discussion to draw attention to such developments. Polycylindrical diffusers a [variety of curved surfaces] are used extensively in broadcast and motion picture studio con- struction. Such splayed surfaces act chiefly as low-frequency absorbents and high-fre- quency dispersers. It should not be thought, however, that in order to secure an efficient low-frequency absorber, the construction must be made convex. Any panel able to vibrate, and large enough to do so at low frequencies, will act in this manner. There- fore, whenever convex shapes do not lend themselves well to motion picture theatre construction, the "splays" may be made flat, constructed in the form of rectangular panels in the wall, backed by rockwool. The introduction of an efficient sound absorber behind the panel is important, not only to avoid an organ pipe effect pro- duced by empty space behind a vibrating wall, but to make this membrane com- paratively highly absorbent for the lower tones. The introduction of this sound- absorber is sometimes neglected, with ill effects. The chart shows the absorption characteristic of a plywood panel, with and without rockwool backing, and the increase in the absorptivity at low notes for the rockwool-backed panel is clearly evident. It is sometimes thought that such vibrat- ing membranes give rise to undesirable "transients" — sound waves created by the panel itself. In view of the high damping (Continued on page 36) 1 l \ \Y/A\y/A\v//\\\yA\y//,v.vA\\ $ »-> „ 1 PLYWOOD / '/AxZ/AVAV/AnV/AVV/AX K ! < > t > 4r PLYWOOD 4 -fe rr o ip (0 < / N ^ -7* V \ \ \. FREQUENCY io ioo iooo ioooo Chart indicating adaptation of wood wall panels to low-frequency control (see text). 21 By Ben Schlanger, theatre architect and consultant Planning Remodeling On a Seat-Sale Basis AN EXHIBITOR should take inventory just as much as any other business man, even though he does not have stock on a shelf that can be counted piece by piece. The average theatre operator does not make a serious inventory because his stock in trade is more elusive than articles that can be counted on shelves. The merchan- diser takes inventory regularly; the exhibi- tor is moved in this direction only when a great many empty seats confront him for a appreciable length of time. The sad part of this latter observation is that by the time he is so moved, he has al- ready sacrificed considerable income. To avoid this, the exhibitor requires a method, or more specifically an analytical check-list to enable him to evaluate his stock in trade — and equally important, a method of pre- determining potential losses because of the deficiencies that exist in the "stock" he is selling. For convenience, I shall use the term "seat-year-loss" in discussing such potential losses. Each theatre may have a different basis for figuring how many times a day a seat may be used under favorable condi- tions ; however, just for the purpose of an- alysis, let us assume an expectancy of two times a day, or a total of 730 uses per year. On that basis, for the purposes of this dis- cussion, we can employ the term "seat-year- loss" to denote non-usage of a seat amount- ing to 365 times a year — that is, only one use per day instead of two. (The same rela- tive values would hold under any system of figuring the number of times per day each seat should be used for reasonably prof- itable operation.) A 600-seat theatre thus would have a seat usage expectancy of 438,000 occupan- cies a year (two a day times 600, or 1200 "units"; and 1200 times 365, which equals 438,000). If this theatre experienced only 200,000 usages in a given year, the loss would be 138,000 occupancies, or approxi- mately 378 units of seat-year-loss. At an average admission price of 30c (which I think is a bit low at the present time), each unit of seat-year-loss would amount to around $100, and with 378 units of seat- year-loss, as calculated above for the pur- poses of our example, the total loss would amount to $37,800. That ain't hay! Moreover, it should be realized that only genuinely usable seats should be considered in such calculations. The analysis would be distorted if, for example, there were 100 seating positions really unsuitable for view- ing a motion picture. The point here is that the capacity of a theatre is not any larger than the number of seats that can be regu- larly put to use. Thus if a theatre having a useful capacity of 600 seats, proves in a given period of time to use only 400 of the total, a serious inventory is in order. THE "HABIT FACTOR'' I believe that the exhibitor is account- able to the community he serves. He should make his theatre as inviting and useful as possible, and have admission prices as low as good business sense will possibly permit. It is far better to have a theatre used close to full capacity, with a few thousand extra dollars in income, than to create a situation where the theatre is used to approximately three-quarters of its capacity at higher ad- mission prices. An amusement business like that of the motion picture should never forget the force that habit represents. Furthermore, the running cost does not in- crease with the fuller usage. It is only good business to invest the potential gain in income, in properly main- taining and in improving the theatre. It is not necessary to allow for carrying empty seats if the original investment is made with a conservative expectancy as to how many times a day a seat may be used. The ex- hibitor has usually assumed that his theatre had only to be as up to date as the com- petition. This assumption has resulted in a large member of theatres that we cannot be too proud of. Here the real competition has been overlooked — from the home! A theatre must be inviting and useful enough to make the patron to want to go out more often. The theatre is one of the most important means of relaxation and while the picture itself is an important part of the relaxation, the effect is far from satisfying when the theatre itself is lacking. By now, I hope, most exhibitors have learned not to say, "Give me a good picture and any barn will do." There never were nearly enough pictures to satisfy that formula, and I am pretty confident that there never will be. But motion pictures, as a whole, have come to be attractive enough to develop and support the habit of looking to the screen theatre as a regular source of mental stimulation, and that habit is least likely to peter out when our thea- tres, physically, contribute pleasantly to- ward the experience of theatre-going. Now the exhibitor must know how far he can go within safe investment range in considering improvements. It is wise, par- ticularly when the estimated cost for your remodeling runs more than approximately $40 a seat, to check conditions with extra thoroughness to make sure the changes are not going to be merely superficial, omitting more basic, permanent values, as for example : 1. If the theatre is on leased property, the term of the lease becomes important and extension of the lease is a factor. 2. The desirability of the location has to be checked as to accessibility, population shift, and character of patronage. 3. Required capacity — possibility of in- creasing capacity. 4. Basic shape of the structure — its suitability for a motion picture theatre. 5. Compliance with local building laws. 6. Insurance rates. 7. Parking for autos. In "taking stock" of a theatre to deter- mine what it needs, not merely superficially, but to raise its seat-selling potential to a sound economic level, relative values should be considered. Some conditions bear critical- ly on that potential, others are less im- portant. Here are major items in what I believe to be the order of their importance : A CHECK-LIST OF VALUES. Projection: There should be absolutely no compromise with faulty conditions in this department. The size of the picture should be correct specifically for each the- atre, and of course the equipment should be capable of reproducing the material on the film as it was intended to be. Maintenance : Investigate wall and ceil- ing surfaces, and all areas of and ap- purtenances to the building, and its furnish- ings, that bear upon shabbiness, rate of deterioration, and hazards to the public, particularly those of fire. Air Supply: Heating by radiators is still to be found in many theatres ; it should be associated with a ventilating system. Cooling has become mandatory in many locations, and highly desirable, from an economic point of view, in others. In still others, it is not needed at all. {Continued on page 29) 22 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 POO? 9 Of course they do! But there IS a sensible answer to the "feet- on-the-seat" problem: Recover your seats with Lumite (the amazing new plastic fabric that has never worn out!) and stop repair and replacement costs from eating up your profits. If you are ready to purchase new seats, too . . . specify Lumite fabric. Lumite can take it! Lumite is wearproof * beautiful * luxurious TO OUR DEPT. 71 for free samples and descriptive literature. Our trained engineers will be glad to work with you on your special applications. UMITE woven plastic fabrics LUMITE DIVISION CHICOPEE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION 47 WORTH STREET, NEW YORK 13, N. Y. I. . . A department devoted to the interests of the house manager, conducted by CHARLES H. RYAN, veteran showman and circuit executive Theatre Hazards and Insurance CHARLES H. RYAN A theatre owner is liable to anyone injured on his property if such injury can be attributed to the negligence of the owner or any of his employees. Under this principle, restitution for loss is made to the victims of accidents. Too fre- quently such restitu- tion has visited penal- ties, not only on the theatre owner, but on those dependent on him — the innocent em- ployes who were some- times deprived of their livelihoods when their employer was di- vested of his property. Less than a hundred years ago insurance stepped in and provided solution for many of the problems. It provided for restitution in cash, instead of in goods or in real proper- ty. That was a great boon to many victims of accidents. It let the property owner retain his property, and that was a boon to those who depended on the owner for support. Public Liability public liability insur- ance, as administered by reputable insur- ance companies, reduces through safety en- gineering and education of employes, the possibility of accidents ; and it reduces, through its claim service, the friction so easily produced in the handling of demands for damages. Theatre owners want three things from the company which carries their liability insurance — expert inspectional service, a company large enough to meet the claims which might result from an accident ; a company with an experienced claim organ- ization. Liability insurance provides protection against the uncertainties which constantly confront theatre management. The theatre operator never knows — Who? No one can tell you which one of the thousands of patrons who enter your theatre will be the one to present claims against you for real or fancied damages. When? It may not happen this year. It may not happen for ten years. But it may happen tomorrow ! Where? If you knew where the accident was going to occur, you could take some steps to guard against it. But who knows whether it will be on the stairs or in the lobby, indoors or out? How? Just how the accident will occur is also unknown. Will it be an icicle from the roof, a projecting nail, or a loose sign letter that will fall from your marquee? How much? The biggest uncertainty of all is how much will be demanded for the damages resulting from your alleged negli- gence. It may be $40— or $40,000! THE SINGLE POLICY The one way to take care of all those uncertainties is a comprehensive liability in- surance policy, the advantages of which are : 1. One policy rather than several. In place of several policies, you can now secure one contract which, for probably little more than the premiums of several, will give you complete protection. And you have only one renewal, one premium, one company in your bookkeeping. 2. Automatic coverage. Such a com- prehensive* policy covers new, changed, un- known or overlooked exposures on a blanket automatic basis. 3. Simple broad insuring agreements. The easily understood insuring agreements sweep in hazards formerly separately in- sured and specifically defined. 4. Exclusions reduced to a minimum. 5. Gaps in coverage eliminated. You don't have to worry about incomplete cover- age. "Third party insurance" is a phrase often used to describe liability insurance. It is designed to protect you in event of any action brought against you as a result of VIGILANT INSPECTION Every theatre manager should have prop- erty maintenance inspections at least once a month. He is the sole custodian of a property which is probably worth many tens of thousands of dollars, perhaps sev- eral hundred thousand, depending upon rhe magnitude of his theatre and its equip- ment. A good theatre manager keeps his the- atre safe from fire hazards and defects which might contribute to accidents. How? By making frequent personal inspection of his property up and down, inside and out. By no other means in the world can he be reasonably sure that his theatre is safe. Let the people know about the steps you have taken for their safety should an emerg- ency develop while they are in your the- atre. Tell them how safe they are while relaxing in a theatre chair under the trained care of your staff. Be certain that these steps have been taken, and that your staff is able to cope with any hazardous situation which may arise. injury to persons or damage to property resulting from your alleged negligence. You and the insurance company become two parties to a contract when a policy is issued. Who the "third party" is you will never know until he presents a claim. Valuable properties are sometimes lost today by a chain of circumstances. The primary cause may be somethings as simple as a nail — perhalps the lack of one nail in a stairtread, or in a railing! Possibly a nail-point sticking out where someone might be scratched. One day someone is in- jured and brings suit against you alleging negligence. A large damage judgment may be awarded, and there are many court costs. Unless an owner has a large cash reserve, or considerable negotiable property to meet such a verdict, something has to be sacri- ficed to raise the money — perhaps profitable investments. Liability insurance should pro- vide for all such claims. CAUSES REAL AND PHONEY A patron may be an honorable but a clumsy woman with a record for trips, skids and tumbles far above the average. Another 24 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 25 SAVE MORE IN CONSTRUCTION AND LAND AREA THAN OUR LICENSE FEE // you consider building an Op en- Air Theatre consult Us regarding license for use of our "Drive Over and Drop In" (Patented) SYSTEM CLEAR VISION PARKING Learn about its many advantages CONSULT US DIRECT OR THROUGH OUR REPRESENTATIVE IN YOUR TERRITORY . . . A FEW STATES ARE AVAILABLE FOR REPRESENTATIVES. FERGUSON OPEN-AIR THEATRES, INC 1910 East 26th Street, Cleveland 14, Ohio TELEPHONE CHERRY 6595 patron may be a clever faker who has discovered that tumbling on the premises of responsible theatres is very remunerative. They have accidents, bona fide or planned. Some blame themselves, but it is human nature to blame someone or something else. Usually they blame the theatre owner, or the employes for whom the owner is re- sponsible. Too frequently injuries that seem in- consequential when they are sustained, de- velop badly after the victims have told their friends. Recitation and discussion turn incidents into accidents, bumps into nerve bruises, scratches into beauty-marring gashes. They want damages — damages for injuries, damages for clothing torn. Some will settle out of court. Others crave drama as well as dollars, with the courtroom scene as the climax. Accidents can happen anywhere, and the causes are too numerous to list ; a theatre operator, however, is in the position of a host to the general public, and while the theatre is not more hazardous than other places, including the home, its management invites hundreds of people into it daily under conditions that presume reasonable protection of the person, and he is liable for damages when lack of those conditions result in an accident. Everything in and about the theatre should be inspected with frequent regularity, not only to eliminate hazards, but to provide evidence in refuta- tion of a charge of negligence. Avoid practices which increase normal hazards to the point of making them seem to justify a charge of negligence. Pictures, advertisements, etc., for example, or any- thing else that will distract attention should not be on or near stairways. Do not use carpet patterns on stairways which create a deceptive outline of the stair treads. If your stairway is so wide that the outer rails cannot be easily grabbed in case a patron slips, it should have a center rail. Candy machines, coin scales, and also mats near stairways, tend to introduce a tripping hazard. A panicky audience in the case of emer- gency evacuation of the theatre can produce injuries to patrons. This is a hazard even though there is no real cause for excitement. It is not at all uncommon for theatre man- agers to lock fire exits from the inside so as to prevent children from entering. These fire exits should be kept open at all times. If they are not, and that fact can be proved by a person injured during an emergency evacuation, the theatre operator cannot escape liability. Pedestrians as well as patrons can collect damages for injuries due to a theatre oper- ator's negligence — for example, when in- jury is caused by a suspended marquee sign or out-front easel. When injury is the result of some faulty condition of the candy concession equip- ment, the question of who is responsible For Everything in . . . & DISCRIMINATING EXHIBITORS COME TO HEADQUARTERS.' is the oldest, most experienced technicians, engineers end producers of Block Light materials and equipment, Switzer has the know-how that assures satisfaction. 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A. 24 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 — the theatre operator or the concession- aire— can be a costly one. In general, the most characteristic fea- ture of a motion picture theatre, a con- dition essential for its operation — darkness — is one of the most important hazards. Many motion picture theatres now in use were built as legitimate theatres and were not planned to minimize this darkness. Fire Loss Coverage most fires in theatres start from either of three things — cigarettes carelessly disposed of, trash and accumu- lated refuse in unused rooms and base- ments, and faulty wiring. The best solu- tion of the first cause is ample receptacles filled with sand for the convenience of patrons, plus caution signs for both patrons and employes. The second hazard is simply a matter of good housekeeping. The clean- ers who fail to dispose of all waste paper, boxes, paint, rags, etc., need earnest warn- ing. The third cause involves regular check- ups on existing wiring and the employment of competent electricians when any changes are contemplated. Don't let staff members do a repair job on vacuum cleaner cord, floor lamps, il- luminated displays, etc., or do anything of a temporary nature without personally in- MAINTENANCE ECONOMY Neglect is one of the most destructive forces of human nature. That l'll-do-it- tomorrow habit can result in a "pound" of expensive replacements where an "ounce" of prevention would have turned the trick. When a pipe starts leaking, call the plumber; when fuses start to blow, call the electrician. Don't pinch pennies when dollars are at stake. Your theatre building must last for many years, so keep it in good condition. specting the work. Good supervision on these three points can save you plenty. These three general causes of fire are also the ones that do most of the damage in motion picture theatres. The projection room is the location of 44% of film theatre fires. Smoking and matches cause 19%. Other causes notably including heating, account for 20%. Among the projection room fire hazards, it is especially important to note that the vents which are used to change the air in the room may also serve as 'excellent chim- neys for even a small fire, thus the fire may be spread into the roof and cause serious damage in a short time. Insurance related to fire insurance in- cludes storm damage coverage for signs and outdoor displays. A fire insurance policy may be extended to cover hazards like these with what is called an extended cover- age endorsement. This merely means that the provisions of the regular fire insurance policy, which apply only to damage caused by fire, are made to apply to other hazards like windstorm, explosion, riot, etc. KEEPING AN INVENTORY Could you, after a fire had done its work, make out a complete list and the appraisal value of your destroyed equipment and personal effects? Or would you forget many items? Could you remember the values of all those possessions that were merely dam- aged? To save yourself time, worry and money, in case of loss or damage to your property, you should have a record of your possessions, with their prices and present values. With a completed inventory book- let, you'll have them at your fingertips. Many of the larger insurance companies have such special inventory booklets that can be had for the asking. THE "80%" CLAUSE The "80% co-insurance clause" is an agreement between a policy holder and a fire insurance company under the terms of which the policy holder agrees to maintain insurance to the extent of at least 80% KEEP YOUR THEATRE WASHROOMS SPIC AND SPAN ft MODERN NO. 7 "SR-W" MODEL SANI-DRI (Semi-Re- cessed) You incur no obligation to send for our theatre brochure No. 1082, which will be mailed to you upon request. WITH n SANI-DRI The Electric Hand Drier This modern automotive method of drying hands costs 15% or less than old drying methods, and it is elec- trically operated too. Several models to choose from. Both wall and floor type. Each beautifully designed to blend with atmosphere of washroom and to conform with space permissible. "Sani-Dri" washrooms eliminate the following problems: SOILED LITTER LAUNDRY EXPENSE EMPTY CABINETS CLOGGED PLUMBING FIRE HAZARD and insures you of the following advantages: ATTRACTIVE WASHROOM SANITARY CONDITION CONTINUOUS DRYING AUTOMATIC SERVICE CLEAN EQUIPMENT THE CHICAGO HARDWARE FOUNDRY CO. 148 Theatre Street - - Chicago, Illinois (MANUFACTURERS OF DEPENDABLE PRODUCTS SINCE 1897) NO. 5-SF PEDESTAL MODEL HAND DRIER BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 27 of the value of the property ; that failing to do so he will himself become a "co- insurer" for the difference between the amount carried and the amount required by the agreement. The company, as a con- sideration for its use grants a concession in the rate of coverage. Now, does that mean that you would get paid only 80% of the loss? No, as long as you carry insurance equal to, or exceeding, 80c/o of the value of your proper- ty, the company will pay, subject to all other conditions of your policy, the full amount of any loss you may have ( not exceeding the amount of the insurance). If you fail to carry 80% of value, the fire insurance company is liable for only that proportion of a loss which the amount of insurance it carries bears to the amount required for full coverage. FIDELITY BONDS THE primary commercial fidelity blanket bond is a guarantee of the honesty of all employes up to the amount of the bond. The blanket position bond is likewise a guaranty of employe honesty, up to the amount of the bond, but is a combination of both individual and blanket coverage. ROBBERY INSURANCE A robbery policy cannot prevent a hold up, but it will reinburse you for your loss. Your policy should cover a situation in which an employe is forced, after your theatre is closed for business, to return under threat of violence and to give ad- mittance, or information leading to the ad- mittance, to the theatre or the safe. It should also include stealing from your thea- tre by a thief who breaks in while the theatre is open for business. HEATING PLANT HAZARD Accidents due to the usual type of heat- ing plant — perhaps the kind you have in your own theatre — reach an estimated min- imum of 18,000 each year, causing nearly one thousand deaths and serious injuries, and property damage in excess of $4,000,- 000. At least one boiler in every seven possesses dangerous weaknesses which, if uncorrected, can easily lead to serious loss. Most heating boilers in general use are so-called "low-pressure" type, designed and built to operate at comparatively low pres- sures ; but with improper operation or failure of a control or safety device, such equipment can — and too frequently does — become "high-pressure" and violently dan- gerous. The usual result is extensive dam- age to equipment and property, including property of others and loss of profit through interruption of business. Bodily in- juries or deaths frequently add to the toll. Fire Hazards 1— HYDRANT Check standby fire hydrant for rust and sediment. (This equipment should be labeled "emergency fire hydrant" and be enclosed, if practicable, in a glass-door case to reduce dirt and prevent tampering.) 2— ENTRANCE DOORS Make sure they open and close properly. Inspect door checks and locks for certain action. 3— INTERIOR WALLS These should be at least fire-retarding. (See Draperies below.) It is at these points that traffic becomes concentrated when the auditorium is emptied. Do not keep old and defective rubber mats of different sizes or thicknesses, as they are tripping hazards, which can mean disaster in case of fire. 4— EXIT PASSAGEWAYS All aisles, crossovers, hallways, standee areas and stairways should never be roped off unless an attendant is stationed there. Check carpet for open seams or looseness that might cause tripping. Check all directional signs for developing defects. Check doors for easy opening. Panic bolts should always be in perfect operating condition. Examine fire-escapes for weak slats, guards rails, counterbalances. 5— FLOOR GRILLES Check for dust, dirt, scraps of paper, etc. (The accidental dropping of a flaming object into a refuse-filled duct can cause a fire which, even though not otherwise serious, may cause panic.) A vacuum cleaner is ideal for this purpose, but remove the grille to make sure duct is thoroughly cleaned. 6— ELECTRICAL SYSTEM All electrical wiring, switches, panel-boxes, transformers and especially fuses should be checked for any defects, especially arcing parts. Examine fuses for proper current capacities for the wiring circuits they are protecting (an overloaded transformer or hot wire can cause smoke, which can create panic). 7 — DRAPERIES All draperies and curtains of inflammable material must be flameproof. Test for strength of flame proofing treatment. Check for cleanliness, since a heavy coating of dust will burn, even though the fabric will not. Inspect stage area for rubbish and storage of inflammable materials. Test operation of asbestos curtain, if any. 8 — VENTILATING SYSTEM A defective motor, or belts or pulleys driving the fan, can create smoke or the odor of smoke, which may be carried through the duct system or grilles to the auditorium. Check location of air intake to make sure it is not near any possible source of smoke. 9 — HEATING SYSTEM The boiler room should be always thoroughly clean of all refuse. Check chimney flue for cleanliness. Make sure coal storage bins are properly constructed, with no seepage of water, also that sufficient heat is not generated by uninsulated heat- ing pipes to cause spontaneous combustion in the bins. 10— FIRE EXTINGUISHER Make sure that the required number of fire axes, bars, extinguishers and a hose in good condition are within each firebox station within the auditorium. The hose and controls should be tested and checked periodically for any defects and the extinguisher tested and filled up with the proper chemicals as required for this type of extinguisher. 1 1— AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER If sprinklers are used, make sure all valves and heads are working properly by running water through them. Check alarm valve for rust. See that make-up water tank is full and floats build up water. 12— ROOFING If of the built-up type of wood and tar, or felt paper, it should have a light protective coating of sand or gravel when any portion of it is near an apartment building, railroad line or factory with a large boiler and chimney. 13— PROJECTION ROOM Fire here is due mostly to inefficiency. There should be sufficient working space around projectors and the equipment should be in good operating condition. A defective film gate, sprockets, aperture plate or changeover shutter, etc., can lead to fire. All film not in use should be enclosed in tight-fitting cabinets or a safe. Port shutters are properly subject to test before each day's performances. [NEXT MONTH: PLUMBING] 28 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 Planning Remodeling On a Seat-Sale Basis (Continued from page 22) Seating: Examine your need for new seat- ing from the point of view of good vision for your patrons. If new seats are required, by all means consider a stagger arrangement if the present sightline clearances are in- adequate. The new seating plan should be made by an expert in this type of work — one who has kept up with progress in motion picture auditorium seating (other kinds of auditoriums present radically different re- quirements). Such expert guidance wouldn't cost more than around 60c a chair, which is little enough in relation to the im- portance of good, comfortable vision of the screen. Toilets: This is a most important ele- ment of a theatre, yet one that I have found most likely to be sloughed off except in the more pretentious houses. Nothing more im- presses a patron of any theatre than ample toilet facilities, well equipped, well ap- pointed, well kept. Examine these conditions in your theatre thoroughly, and analyze any deficiencies with appreciation of their importance. (The planning and equipping of toilet rooms were discussed by me on pages 36 and 37 in the August 23rd issue of Better Theatres.) Exploitation: Provisions for advertising current and coming attractions at the front and inside the theatre itself are accepted by most showmen as being vital to their busi- ness, and they are. The wonder, then, is that, especially until recent years, they have been so unimaginatively and otherwise in- adequately handled. Study your present pro- motional equipment in an effort to deter- mine whether it is active or static, whether it really can attract consistent attention to the message and give legible and convincing display, or leaves seeing and reading it to chance. In my opinion, displays should have more personal character than most of them do, with provisions for using special art where that is feasible. Lighting: Advancement in light sources and the technique of illumination has been so great during the last decade that mod- ernization of the lighting scheme could do almost more than any one thing to give the average theatre greater safety, better view- ing conditions in the auditorium, and a fresh, up-to-date look. Restyling or just renovation of an interior may be only half- effective without revising the lighting. Decorative quality is easily destroyed by poor illumination. The lighting scheme sets the tone of the atmosphere which each par- ticular theatre is endeavoring to create ; it is a critical part of the decorative treatment. Screen Area of the Auditorium: This is the part of a theatre that patrons are look- ing at most of the time. Furthermore, its dimensions, design, materials bear upon pic- ( Continued on page 40) Today, more than ever before, Cretors' 63 years experience in the manufacture of corn-popping ma- chines is your assurance of the best! The "Super 60" is an eye-appealing, streamlined beauty. It is the only custom-made machine available in genuine, na- tural walnut finish . . . to harmonize with any location. You choose the top profit-maker in any theatre lobby when you choose the "Super 60". Write today for complete information. Distributors in All Principal Cities C. CRETORS & CO. 606 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago 16, III. IETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 n Most Economical Unit on the Market! ...FOR APPLICATIONS WHERE COST IS IMPORTANT! • Tickets Readily Grasped from Easy- Reading Dispenser Tabs • Magazine Loading Ticket Units— Sturdily Made, Attractively Finished • Additional Magazines May Be Added • Rub-Proof Satin Chrome Top Plate At Better Theatre Supply Dealers GoldE Manufacturing Co. 1220-D W. Madison St., Chicago 7, U.S.A. ALEXANDER SMITH /icnce/645 ALL WOOL PILE 30 A LINE O* LAW Oft TWO Actual suits involving points of law bearing on theatre operation, concisely described and analyzed in laymen's terms for the purpose of helping theatre management to avoid condi- tions which might lead to it to be sued, and of providing cases on which its own suits or legal defense might be based. All decisions given are of higher courts and of recent date. By LEO T. PARKER, Member Ohio Bar LEO T. PARKER Duty to Protect Patron From Another's Abuse IF A THEATRE official knows that a patron is in danger and fails to offer protection, the theatre company is liable in damages for injuries sustained by the patron. For instance, in Rine v. Eastern (58 N.E. [2d] 750) it was shown that a patron named Berg had been drinking, and that ne became sleepy and rested his head upon the shoulder of another patron named Rine. The latter protested, and Berg addressed profane and insulting language to Rine. While Rine was leaving his seat to go forward to another, Berg struck him and Berg continued his insulting remarks. Then as Rine was preparing to leave, Berg struck and seriously injured Rine. The important testimony during the trial was given by an employe of the theatre, who admitteed that he had heard the argu- ment between Berg and Rine. Since the employe had done nothing to protect Rine, the lower court promptly held the proprie- tor liable in heavy damages to Rine; and the higher court upheld the verdict. The court said : "The evidence was ample to show cul- mination of a series of acts, including profane and insulting remarks and within hearing and knowledge of the operator [agent of the exhibitor] and over such an appreciable length of time to afford him an opportunity to take appropriate measures to protect the plaintiff (Rine) from the harmful consequences that he was likely to incur." Owner of Valuables Found In a Theatre by Patron if a patron finds valu- able articles like jewelry in a theatre, who owns the articles? Recently in Flax v. Montic Company (39 S. E. [2d] 308), the testimony proved that a patron named Wilder found a pear-shaped diamond brooch valued at $3750. Wilder gave the brooch to the theatre manager with the understanding that if the owner could not be located, the manager would return the brooch to Wilder. The owner of the brooch never was found, but the manager refused to give it up, and Wilder sued to recover the brooch. The higher court however, held that the manager could keep it. On the other hand, higher courts have consistently held that where jewelery, money, bonds, etc., have been found in such public places as lobbies, halls and the like, to which the public has access, the finder owns the valuables found, as against every one except the rightful owner. For comparison, see Silcott v. Louisville Trust Company (265 S. W. 612), where a $1000 bond was found on the floor. The finder notified an officer of the building and delivered the bond to him, upon an express agreement that in the event the owner was not discovered, the officer would return the bond to him. No claimant appeared, and the finder demanded return of the bond. He was refused, and he then sued. The higher court held that the official and not the finder could keep the bond because it was found in a private room. Liability of an Official As Trustee of the Firm the TEST in determining whether a director or other officer of a theatre corporation should be held liable as a trustee for the corporation is : Was there a specific duty on the part of the officer to act or contract in regard to a particular matter as representative of the corporation ? Recently, in Westerly Theatre Operat- ing Company, Inc., v. Pouzzner (162 Fed. [2d] 821 ), it was shown that the president, director, and resident manager of the Westerly Theatre Operating Company leased a theatre in his own name and sub- leased the theatre to the corporation. In subsequent litigation the higher court held that the president must account to the cor- poration for rentals and secret profits re- ceived by him for the space in the theatre. BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 The court held that the president acted as trustee of the corporation in these transac- tions, although he transacted the business in his own name. This court said : "We believe that this case turns on the question whether Findlay (president) . . . was under a duty to take a new lease in the name of the corporation, or in his own name as an agent of the corporation." For comparison, see Arcadia Theatre Company v. Gall (37 Atl. [2d] 594), where the Arcadia Theatre Company sued Gall, one of its officers and directors, to recover damages of $35,000. It was alleged that Gall secretly sought to acquire a thea- tre building leased to the Acadia Theatre Company. According to certain evidence, Gall of- fered to pay $235,000 for the theatre build-' ing, whereas the Arcadia Theatre Company contended it could have purchased the building for $200,000 if Gall had not made the high offer. The higher court refused to hold Gall liable saying that the evidence was not sufficient to prove that Gall had practiced fraud on the corporation when making his offer to purchase the theatre building. Stockholder s Rights If He Disapproves of Sale here is A question which, according to court reports, arises from time to time in the theatre business: When is a shareholder in a corporation entitled to full cash value of his stock sold without his permission .' According to a recent higher court, for the shareholder to be entitled to an ap- praisal of his stock and the payment to him of its fair cash value upon the sale by a corporation of its assets, he must have com- plied with two conditions : ( 1 ) He must not have voted in favor of the proposal to sell ; and (2) He must have objected in writing and have demanded in writing the payment of the fair cash value of his shares, and comply strictly with state laws, particularly regarding supplying a written proxy to the corporation. In Klein v. United Theatres Company (74 N. E. [2d] 319) it was shown that the board of directors of the United Thea- tres Company reported an offer of $1,165,- 000 for assets and recommended its ac- ceptance. A shareholder objected to the sale at that price and voted against the acceptance of the offer. Later the shareholder's attorney made written demand on the corporation for pay- ment of the fair cash value of the shares. However, the attorney was not appointed by a written proxy signed by the share- holder and exhibited to the corporation, as required by a state law. Therefore, the higher court held that the shareholder was not entitled to the fair cash value of his shares. At common law it was within the power of a single shareholder to prevent a sale of the assets of a corporation, or to prevent a merger of one corporation with another, but when changing economic conditions demonstrated that this power of a single shareholder was harmful to the rights of the majority shareholders, ■ state statutes were enacted which specifically took away from the individual shareholder this power. Present laws award him the money value of his shares if he chooses to sever his connection with the corporation. Liability When Patron Knows Hazard Exists it is well established law that the owner of a theatre never is liable for an injury sustained by a patron who realized that a dangerous condition existed. In Benton v. Crown (192 S. W. [2d] 512) it was shown that a patron died as a result of injuries received when she fell on ice that had frozen in the theatre en- trance. The testimony proved that she knew that the ice was in the entranceway; there- fore, the higher court refused to hold the proprietor liable in damages. FOR GREATER AUDIENCE SATISFACTION IN 1948 SWITCH TO DeVRY 12000'' Series PROJECTORS and AMPLIFIERS NOW! IMMEDIATE DELIVERY— Still at Same Low Price For a bigger box office "fake" in 1948, follow fhe lead of ofher Exhibitors, operating 250 to 6,000 seat theaters, up to 1 ,000-car capacity "drive-ins," and switch to the sensational DeVRY "12000 Series" theater projectors and amplifiers. With sound head and picture mechanism in one complete unit . . . with patented silent chain drive. . . . With war-proved rotary sound stabilizer and a host of other mechanical, optical and audio refinements, this equip- ment is now being installed in the world's finer theaters. Remember, too, with DeVRY equipment everything you need to check, service or replace is easy to get to. See the "12000 Series" at the Authorized DeVRY Theater Dealer or actual installation nearest you. DeVry Cor- poration, I I I I Armitage Avenue, Chicago 14, Illinois. In Canada contact Arrow Films, Ltd., 11 15 Bay St., Toronto 5, Ontario. ORDER IN-CAR SPEAKERS NOW FOR EARLY DELIVERY Join fhe MARCH OF DIMES — January 15-30 DeVRY In-Car Speaker For the Perfect Show ^Uowt^eAt |\r\#DV Indoors or Out ' gay*** 1/tVKT BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 31 FOR COMPLETE TICKET COLLECTION CONTROL NEW AUTOMATICKET TICKET CHOPPER • Automatically chops tickets when in- serted by Doorman. • Automatically stacks theatre's stubs IN SEQUENCE OF COLLECTION — fo- quick informative analysis. • Records refunds, passes. • Establishes identity and time of duty of ticket taker. Speeds ticket taking • Takes standard tickets. It's the sensation of the industry! Ask yoin theatre supply dealer or write for illustrate!1 folder to: GENERAL REGISTER CORP. 36-30 Thirty-Third St. Long Island City I, N. Y WAYS & MEANS in operation, installation, maintenance liiiti John J. Sefing is a graduate mechanical engineer and has long specialized in theatre work Good Practice and Precautions In Modernizing Illumination IN the job of bringing thousands of theatres out of the old- fashioned classification, modernization of the lighting system is bound to play an im- portant part. So many improvements have come into illumination in recent years, really revolutionizing lighting installations in theatres as well as other buildings, that our older theatres are likely to be pretty obsolete in this respect even if they are not severely out-of-date otherwise. Just what should be done in any certain theatre is an illumination problem that is apt to be distinct from that of another theatre. Many general suggestions are of- fered from time to time by designers and lighting engineers, and they are very valu- able for the purpose of showing what can be done with modern lighting implements; but they are no more than that, as a rule — ■ you seldom can apply them just as they are to your own theatre with any assurance that you have dealt with your situation in the best manner. It is a good idea to engage a designer who knows his stuff on modern lighting, or a lighting engineer to work with an architect, when the cost of such service is a reasonable percentage of the total ex- penditure to be made for remodeling. That is truer today than it used to be for two reasons, one being that with regular fluor- escent and the so-called cold cathode light- ing, as well as filament lamps, methods are more complex than they were if one is : eeking a really efficient installation ; and the other being that theatre planning today calls for greater consideration of basic functional matters, such as safety, unhamp- ered vision of the picture, effective adver- tising display, etc. Theatre lighting is a specific branch of illumination, and unless a designer or light- ing engineer has had some experience in and around theatres, he is pretty likely to miss at least a few cues. With that in mind, and in view of the likelihood that a lot of remodeling involving illumination is going to be done more or less under the direct supervision of the theatre management it- 32 self, this article reviews the consideration that enter into good practice. Before the actual work is begun, every- one connected with the job should bej familiar with the recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association in the installation of all conduit and wiring. Theii rules and regulations are revised as neces- sary every two years, and a copy of them can be obtained by applying to any city fire; inspection bureau, or to the Underwriters Laboratories, about which your insurance broker can advise you. Where there are local codes covering the installation of con duit and wiring, enacted by city or state governments, they should be followed ex plicitly in doing the work. In every case it is always well to be familiar with all oi the code regulations in force in order to be in a better position to check the installatior and to be certain that there will be ncij violations. LIGHT — AND ILLUMINATION Even though there cannot be any se' rules, or any definite lighting scheme giver for properly illuminating every theatre there are certain basic considerations thai should be followed. The primary purpos- of a lighting installation is to supply suffi cient illumination for the safety and com fort of patrons ; after that comes the deco rative effect. There is a big difference be tween light and illumination — between, foi example, a brilliantly lighted auditorium and a well illuminated one. If the object; or areas can be seen clearly, then the audi1 torium is well illuminated ; if the light is soft and pleasing to the eye, the auditoriun is well lighted. The main thing, therefore to remember in planning and installing the system, is to keep the illumination of object: and areas as strong as necessary for safei, comfortable activity, but the brilliancy oj the light sources as low as possible for such results. Since no continuous reading is requiree in the auditorium, one watt of light pe square foot of floor area is all that is needed BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 194 ■km ■31 if it is properly diffused to a pleasant soft- ness. During show time, of course, the in- itensity of light will have to be subdued, so as not to interfere with the proper view- ng of the picture and how much reduction must be provided for will depend on the type of light sources, and where they are located. One thing that will have an effect on the . auditorium lighting scheme is the stage i masking, and the location of the screen. If the screen is set far enough from the proscenium opening, and the cyclorama set- ting in front of it designed and installed properly to give sort of a dark shadow-box effect, the intensity of the illumination in the auditorium can safely be increased above what it otherwise should be. Again, this will depend on the physical layout of the theatre, and what kind of a lighting system is used. DIRECT AND INDIRECT SYSTEMS Direct lighting, which has more than half of the light reaching the area to be illumi- nated, the light coming directly from the source without being first reflected from ceiling or wall, is the most efficient for illuminating walking areas, stairs and cer- tain display objects, and in the newer form of downlighting, with filament lamps in receptacles concealed in the ceiling, it is excellent for standee areas and aisles. Indirect lighting, with light directed first on ceiling or walls or baffles and then reflected from these areas to the places to be illuminated, as provided for by troughs, cove strips, plaques, etc., is the principal method adapted to the illumination of theatres because it can most easily distribute light pleasingly and uniformly over a large area and have a decorative effect at the same time. Now great care must be taken that the reflected light be distributed evenly and softly throughout an auditorium in order to avoid unpleasant shadows or darkened areas. Even with walls and ceilings of a light finish, the efficiency of indirect lighting is considerably lower than that of a direct system ; however, the absence of shadows and glare, and the even distribution of the light, especially where an elaborate decora- tive scheme of lighting is desired, makes it ,. better suited to. general theatre lighting purposes. SEMI-INDIRECT METHODS Semi-indirect lighting, with some light 9| directed to the walls and ceiling, while a j) small amount is diffused through fixture i glass or louvres, is used extensively in thea- tres because it is soft and appealing to the t eye, while the fixtures do not show up as an unpleasant, dark spot against say, a light i background. In semi-indirect lighting fix- ture shadow should be avoided by having some light issue from the underside. Semi-indirect lighting is slightly more efficient than an indirect system. In some theatres, a combination of semi-indirect and indirect lighting is used — that is, sources are installed in coves at the ceiling or else- where operated straight on and off, or dimmed, with semi-indirect fixtures in- stalled along the side walls. Here care should be taken that the wall fixtures are not installed too close to the proscenium opening (this applies, in the writer's opin- ion, to black-light paintings as well) and that the light intensity can be controlled so as not to interfere with audience vision during the show. In spacing direct light sources in a ceil- ing, the outlets should be located in the center of equal areas. The greater the number of light sources, the more uniform the illumination will be. Semi-indirect ceiling fixtures should not be so close to the reflecting surface that they appear as bright spots of light. Uniformity of ceiling illumination is the objective. Fixtures should be chosen that will throw most of the light upon the reflecting sur- faces without concentrating the light, other- wise the illumination will not be uniform. Semi-indirect fixtures along walls should always be directly above the areas where the maximum amount of light is required. The light should spill out softly and uni- [NEW BRENKERTS, DeVRYS, IMOTIOGRAPHS are FACTORY EQUIPPED with "ZIPPERS" Convincing proof of the equipment manufacturer's changeover preference, is the selection of Strong "Zipper" Changeovers as standard factory equipment on new "AA" MOTIOCRAPH, new postwar DeVRY, and the new BRENKERT theater projectors. Strong "Zipper" Changeovers are available in three models: Strong Special (for porthole installation), Strong Zipper for sight alone or sound alone, and strong Dual-Purpose Zipper for both sight and sound. ^f%> Essannay Electric Manufacturing Co., 1438 N. Clark, Chicago 10. STRONG'S 1C00^~ CHANGEOVERS mwurxmr/t ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING PRODUCT YOUR ASSURANCE OF THE BEST! WENZEL "Smooth-Running" PROJECTOR You are assured of "smooth-running" performance with the Wenzel time- proven projector. Use Wenzel's preci- sion replacement parts . . . and your present equipment will do a smoother- running job. WENZEL "BB" INTERMITTENT Double bearing intermittent movements are available for "Ace" Simplex and Kaplan projectors. Write for our NEW complete catalog WC2S. We will sell only through Independent Theatre Equipment Dealers. Mention the dealer serving you. PROJECTOR COMPANY , ■ ■ -r^Sf ■ a c cxtL ■_- 1 n r c tutc c t n r c t ti CHICAGO i 2505-19 S. STATf- SIR EET CHICAGO 16, I LL ! N 0 I S BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17. 1948 33 2 DEPENDABLE MEANS OF POWER CONVERSION Robin has Both I ROBIN SELENIUM RECTIFIERS 27 to 37 volts — Full wave. 6 or 3 phase — 50 or 80 amps. Long life — High efficiency. — Also — ROBIN-IMPERIAL s MOTOR- GENERATORS WRITE FOR LITERATURE STEWART R. MARTIN— Treas- urer and General Manager, Embassy Newsreel Theatres, New York City, and Newark, N. J. — says: "Good sound is as important as a good news shot. We use RCA Service to keep our sound operating at peak efficiency." To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Camden, New Jersey. // you do not see what you want advertised , write Better Theatres. Use Better Theatres Catalog Bureau, page 18. formly over the wall surface without caus- ing glare spots. For effective diffusion of reflected light, -vory, off-white (or eggshell), or light buff colors are good on wall or ceiling surfaces. In finishing, dull finishes should be em- ployed rather than glossy, as a glossy finish may reflect an image of the fixture. As to the blending of lighting colors in the au- ditorium, this will depend largely on what decorative effect is desired or required by the shape or treatment of the walls and ceiling. In some cases, the desired effect is produced by using several circuits of white mixed with several circuits of colors. Here the problem is to adjust light output so as to get the overall color tune desired — that is, without one color tending to wash out another. THE DIMMER INSTALLATION The dimmer equipment, be it of resistor- bank or transformer type, must be so de- signed and installed that it will readily accommodate the entire lighting load and provide for smooth blending of the colors. The dimmer equipment should be so ar- ranged that each color can be dimmed or lighted easily and smoothly by an individual color master switch, and all the various colors be dimmed or lighted together by means of a grand master switch. This is especially important where an indirect light- ing system is used during the projection pe- riod. (Figuring the lighting circuit require- ments and safe load margin of the dimmer equipment was discussed in the December 13th issue of Better Theatres.) CEILING CONSIDERATIONS Whenever the ceiling is divided by beams and the panels have decoration, these areas should be . more brightly illuminated in order to stand out. If the panels are boxed in with deep beams, the light fixture should be located at the center, and where several small panels are to be covered by one light fixture, all fixtures should be located on the beams rather than in the panels. This arrangement will prevent dark ceiling areas in the shadows of the beams. The same precautions hold true in the case of fixtures installed on side walls having deep pilasters. Wben indirect bowls are hung fairly close together, or far from the ceiling, they should be of the upward focusing type, while the broader bowls are more efficient when used singly or when set fairly wide apart and close to the ceiling. However, when the light bowls are too flat in shape they may waste considerable light by spilling it beyond the reflecting area. Bowls of the side open top type should not be used over or under a low-hanging balcony, as the exposed lamps will cause glare and can be easily seen by the patrons. that, to remove stains of long standing from restroom bowls, a weak •(5%) solution of oxalic acid is effec- tive? Do not leave the acid on too long, as the finish might become weakened. Let it stand in the bowl a few seconds, brush the stained parts or rub with paper toweling. Flush out several times with clear water to re- move all traces of the acid. Be sure to protect your hands. that freezing of exposed water or drainage piping can be prevented by covering it with a thick hair felt made especially for this purpose? If need be, box in the pipes with boards at least I inch thick, with the joints and outer surfaces well tarred so that they will be waterproof. For the insulation, fill the box with either mica (expanded) granules or loose rock- wool. At least 3 inches of this insula- tion should be around the pipes — and more, if possible. that rubber washers will soon deteriorate? Use one of special com- position, with the dull side toward the pipe supplying the water. If the faucet seems too tight, a drop of light oil in the socket will help tighten the nut and thus loosen the faucet itself. Maintenance Needs a Boss! in the daily operation of a theatre a well organized system of maintenance and checkup cuts down troubles, but it doesn't assure trouble-free operation if things are done without telling a responsible person just what was done, and how it was done — not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing. As an example, trouble developed in a certain theatre one day and a service man was called from a great distance to repair a motor-generator. On arriving at the thea- tre, the service man was told that the motor- generator worked all right the day before, but at the opening of the next day's run no light could be got on the screen. This was explained as a total mystery, since they had had an electrician systematically and period- ically checking the electrical work, just to avoid such trouble. When the starter was turned on in the generator room near the projection booth. 34 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17. 1948 for better projection! RICHARDSON'S BLUEBOOKof PROJECTION SEVENTH EDITION In the Seventh Edition, this famous stand- ard textbook on motion picture projection and sound reproduction brings to all per- sons concerned with the screening cf 35-mm. film, up-to-the-minute guidance. The Seventh Edition is new in its method of presenting the subject, new in organiza- tion of material, new in much of operat- ing data. Additionally, the Seventh Edition contains four chapters on Theatre Tele- vision, prepared for the practical instruc- tion of motion picture projectionists. The chapters on sound now include one devoted to control-track and stereophonic reproduc- tion. And supplementing the regular text are 20 charts for handy reference in locat- ing and correcting sound system defects. Each chapter is preceded by a list of study questions with cross-reference to the text so that the answers may be readily found. The text is thoroughly indexed for easy access to all instructions. $7.25 POSTPAID Quigley Bookshop Rockefeller Center New York 20 the generator ran just the opposite from the way the arrow on the set pointed. The rfifety switch, fuses and connections were checked and there were no indications that anyone had tampered with the inside. After some time it was finally decided that some- one must have reversed the leads at the connections in the safety switch. The leads were reversed by a hit-or-miss method until he generator ran the right way, and there was current at the arc. Someone had tampered with the connec- tions, it seemed, but the manager and the projectionist were emphatic in stating that this was impossible, as the projection room was always locked after the last show and no one could have entered without their knowing it. Then the porter was called and the real story came out. When the porter had gone to the basement for his cleaning material he had seen the maintenance man installing new lugs on the wiring in a line current switch. In reconnecting these wires with the new lugs, the leads were reversed. Nobody knew of this extra switch on the motor- generator feed line except the porter and the maintenance man ! On checking the location of this extra switch, it was found that some time in the past a motor-generator set was located there, and when the new motor-generator was installed near the projection room, the motor feed wires were continued from this switch. The manager was advised to re- move this switch. TOO CARELESS WITH KEYS At another theatre, a generator developed a knocking noise about halfway through the show and it was apparent that it would not last to the end of the performance. A call was made for a service man to drive over right away in order to prevent an entire breakdown. On checking the gen- erator, a large oil-bearing job in the base- ment, it was quickly found that the bear- ings were running hot and being gradually ground away. It was obvious that someone had put in dirty oil, or oil with some kind of an abrasive mixed with it, as a can was found nearby with such material sticking to it. In order to keep the show going, two men had to keep pouring fresh clean oil continuously into the bearing housings until the show was over and new bearings could be installed. There was a door with a lock to this generator room, but the manager, not being around the theatre in the early mornings, gave the key to an employee with instruc- tions to open or lock this door whenever any maintenance had to be done. That par- ticular morning, before the trouble devel- oped, the door was found unlocked. After this happening, the manager promised either to keep the key himself, or to have the pro- jectionist take care of it. New 1948 Models NATIONAL \ IN-CAR SPEAKERS • STREAMLINED DESIGN OF STAINLESS STEEL OR ALUMINUM • GE SPEAKERS WITH ALUMINUM VOICE COILS , • GE STRESS-PROOF CABLE &MtiHy Sq&h .... IN-CAR HEATING UNITS FOR COLDER MONTHS DRIVE-IN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. INC. 2110 SUPERIOR AVE. CLEVELAND 14, OHIO • CH 5373 FREE AND EASY Some advertisements offer litera- ture on the product advertised, and often a coupon is included as a convenient means of procuring it. For information on classes of products, use the Better Theatres Catalog Bureau through which literature may be obtained. Ad- dress Better Theatres, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 3S Invitation to your Patrons Theatre Chairs BY HEYWOOD- WAKE FIELD Theatre Seating Division 666 Lake Shore Drive Chicago II, ///. Complete, Easy Accounting System For Theatres $2.00 postpaid Every exhibitor will appreciate the completeness and convenience of this easy accounting system. En- ables you to keep an accurate and up-to-the-minute record of every phase of the business of your theatre. Send your order to — QUICLEY BOOKSHOP ROCKEFELLER CENTER, NEW YORK BETTER ACOUSTICS FOR BETTER SOUND (Continued from page 21) effects possessed by these panels, such "tran- sients" are a very short duration, however, (They seldom exceed one or two periods, as observed by the author. In order to check this, a crystal pickup was fastened to such a damped vibrating panel. The output of the pickup was connected through an amplifier to an oscilloscope and a high- speed level recorder. After acoustically exciting the panel into vibration and then suddenly removing the source of sound, no transients of any duration greater than two periods were observed, even for frequen- cies as low as 50 cycles. The panel under test was approximately 3 feet wide and 6 feet long, and consisted of ^-inch plywood backed by 2 inches of rockwool.). Such a construction, when used in con- nection with commercial sound absorbents, will provide an approximately flat rever- beration characteristic, or else one, only a little raised at the low-frequency range. This reduction of low-frequency reverbera- tion is desirable from the point of view of high intelligibility. No less important than the avoidance of excess low-frequency reverberation in a theatre is the prevention of echoes and sound concentrations in the room. Such undesirable effects are most often caused by insufficiently treated rear walls, and particularly by insufficiently treated con- cave rear walls. There is no construction more objectionable in a theatre, no feature more destructive to the quality of speech and music, than such a concave wall. A friend of the writer's, in conversation, once employed a jingle in this respect which may be worth repeating: A concave rear wall like an empty bowl Has naught to offer, hut a hollow toll The rear wall of the Academy Awards auditorium in Hollywood was made to consist of convex sections, treated with 3 inches of rockwool, and covered with glass cloth arranged in 2-inch folds for better appearance. In this respect, it may be mentioned that this wall was originally concave and gave rise to a strong echo near the front of the house. After acquisition of the theatre by the Academy, the wall was remodeled in the manner just indicated above, with the result that the echo was completely eliminated — at the expense of two rows of seats. These two extra rows of seats, of course, frequently represent an inducement towards making the rear wall concave and especially highly absorbent. Still, for best hearing conditions, a convex rear wall, made absorbent by rockwool, is more desirable. The reason lies in the many focused re- flections from a concave, even though high- ly absorbent, surface. The term highly absorbent surface is indeed relative. A surface of 75% absorption at 100 cycles is probably the maximum that can eco- nomically be achieved ; even so, the pressure reflectivity from such a surface amounts to 50' Even if the wall were made of rockwool 1 foot thick, so that its energy absorptivity would come to 99%, the pres- sure reflectivity would be 10%. If the intensely focusing effect of concave sur- faces is considered, it is readily understood that even for "highly absorbent" concave rear walls, some objectionable sound con- centrations may be expected at low fre- quencies. LOW NOISE LEVEL The volume range of the sound on the film is, or could easily be made to be, larger if it were not for the audience noise-level in the theatre. The findings of William Mueller of Warner Bros. Studios ("Audi- ence Noise as a Limitation to the Permissi- ble Volume Range of Dialogue in Sound Motion Pictures" SMPE Journal, July 1940, page 48) show, for instance, that the difference between comfortable listening level in a theatre and the audience noise- level therein amounts to approximately 30 decibels. Good film recording, however, can provide a volume range on the film con- siderably in excess of that. A high noise level in a theatre, therefore, as occasioned by a noisy ventilating system, infiltration of street-rumble, etc., will do more than re- duce intelligibility — it will reduce whatever dramatic effect is contained in the limited volume range on the film. VENTILATING SYSTEM NOISE It may be well to recommend a noise- level specification for motion picture the- atre ventilating systems which reads : "The noise-level of the ventilating sys- tem, when measured in any seat in an empty theatre, shall not exceed 30 decibels above threshold, as measured, for instance, ivith a General Radio Company Sound- The World's Theatre A new book celebrating the arts of the motion picture, and exemplifying as well the book maker's art, has been produced and issued to his friends and customers by Harry Strong, president of the Strong Elec- tric Corporation, of Toledo, manufacturers of projection arc lamps, rectifiers and re- flectors. One of a series of annual creations by Mr. Strong, the new volume, entitled "Your Album of World Cinemas," features drawings of theatres in 27 foreign countries, with brief accounts of their operating poli- cies, sources of film product shown, etc. It is handsomely bound in embossed grained blue covers. 34 BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 Level Meter set on the 40-deribel equal loudness contour characteristic." PROJECTION ROOM NOISE It is desirable, of course, to reduce the noise from the projection room into the auditorium as much as possible. Double panes of J^-inch window glass at the ob- servation windows, and a single sheet of 1-inch optical glass at the projection ports, are recommended. In addition, acoustic treatment, preferably of a fireproof nature, should be installed in the projection room to lower the noise-level therein. When rock or glass wool treatment is used in the projection room, the use of tightly woven covered membranes is rec- ommended so that the fine glass or mineral fibres will not shake loose from the treat- ment to cause trouble with the precision bearings of the projection equipment or introduce noise into the sound by adhering to film. Often, too, acoustic treatment in the foyer or lobby of the theatre is found de- sirable. Rockwool treatment behind the screen is recommended to reduce backstage reverberation. LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM The Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences de- voted the greater portion of May and June of last year to the testing, both indoors and in the open, of various new theatre speaker systems. The job of correlating the various measurements of . frequency characteristic, directional response, dis- tortion, etc., of the systems, is, of course, a difficult undertaking, particularly if such measurements are to be, in turn, correlated with listening tests. It is fairly obvious, however, that a desirable speaker system should exhibit a uniform frequency charac- teristic, as well as uniform directional re- sponse ; likewise, the distortion should be low and the power-handling capacity adequate. Thus it is that in providing for the best possible acoustical conditions in the con- struction of new theatres, attention should be drawn to the following factors: 1. The use of vibrating wood panels to reduce low-frequency reverberation. 2. The omission of a concave rear wall even when made highly absorbent. 3. Acoustical treatment where necessary in the building to assure a low noise level in the auditorium. Then, in the selection of sound equip- ment, only the latest type of loudspeaker system should be chosen. The author is a member of the Hollywood engineering staff of the RCA Victor Division of the Radio Corporation of America, and the author of "Applied Architectural Acoustics," recently published by Chemical Publishing Com- pany, Brooklyn, N. Y. IT'S BETTER DESIGNED BECAUSE IT WAS AND BUILT BY PROJECT S P E C I A L I S OR ;ts n) 07 jo m f)py PROJECTOR Yet it costs less to own and operate because it gives you business-building projection qual- ity and long, dependable, trouble- free service. AND FOR LIFELIKE SOUND IT'S ALSO MOTIOCRAPH MOTIOGR APH, INC, CHICAGO, ILL. PRODUCING THE BETTER PROJECTORS FOR OVER 50 YEARS ROJECTOR PARTS • Sett IZetutU ^UPE^ en slightly worn parts with recislon parts. Guaranteed iterchangeable. Obtainable ependent Theatre Equipment erywhere. 'Service LaVezzi Machine Works 4 635 WEST LAKE STREET • CHICAGO 4 4, ILLINOIS BETTER THEATRES, JANUARY 17, 1948 FOR FOREIGN EXHIBITORS Westrex service for theatres around the world The Westrex Corporation serves nearly 5000 motion picture theatres through- out the world* through more than 100 branch offices and service points. These offices furnish sound, projec- tion and arc lamp equipment, plus theatre accessories and supplies of all types from the industry's leading manu- facturers. Featured in this all-star line- up are new Westrex Sound Systems, Century Projectors and Ashcraft Arc Lamps. Expert inspection and maintenance service covering sound and projection equipment of all makes is also avail- able through these offices. For further details, contact the Westrex subsidiary nearest you. WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY (ANDEAN) Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru WESTERN ELECTRIC CO., INC., OF ARGENTINA Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF ASIA China, Hongkong, Malay Union, Nether- lands East Indies, Philippines, Siam WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LTD. WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF BRAZIL WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY (CARIBBEAN) Barbados, Colombia, Cuba, Guianas, Lee- ward Islands, Panama and Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Venezuela, Wind- ward Islands WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY A/S Denmark WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY (FRANCE) Algeria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Morocco, Tunisia WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF INDIA Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF ITALY WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD. England, Eire WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF MEXICO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY (NEAR EAST) Egypt and the Near East, South Africa NEDERLANDSCHE WESTERN ELECTRIC N/V Netherlands WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. (NEW ZEALAND) LTD. WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF SPAIN Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain SWEDISH WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY A/B ALPINE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY Switzerland *OuUido the United States, Canada and Newfoundland. Westrex Corporation 111 EIGHTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 11, N. Y. Formerly WESTERN ELECTRIC EXPORT CORPORATION A DEPARTMENT ON PROJECTION fir SOUND REPRODUCTION EQUIPMENT & METHODS FOR THEATRE OWNERS, MANAGERS AND THEIR STAFFS "No other art or industry in the world narrows down its success to quite such a needle's eye as that through which the motion picture has to pass — an optical aperture — in the continuous miracle of the screen by a man and his machine, the projectionist and his projector." — TERRY RAMSAYE Conducted by GEORGE F. MILLER Chief projectionist and head of maintenance, St. Cloud Amusement Corporation, New Jersey; business manager, Local 365, IATSE & MPMO Simple Figuring of Arc Capacity and Screen Size THE RELATIONSHIP of ight sources, auditorium dimensions and 707 That Hagen Girl Nov. 1/47 708 Escape Me Never Nov. 22/47 709 Anthony Advene (R) Dee. 13/47 710 Jezebel (R) Dee. 13/4? 712 A Slight Case of Murder (R).Dec. 13/47 711 My Wild Irish Rose Dec. 27/47 714 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Jan. 24/48- 713 Always Together Jan. 10/48 My Girl Tisa Feb. 7/48 I Became ■ Criminal Mar. 13/48 Adventures of Robin Hood (R)... Not Set Winter Meeting Not Set To the Victor Not Set Silver River Not Set PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION. JANUARY 17, 1948 4023 THE RELEASE CHART Index to Reviews, Advance Synopses and Service Data in PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Release dates and running time are furnished as soon as avail- able. Advance dates are tentative and subject to change. Run- ning times are the official times supplied by the distributor. All page numbers on this chart refer to pages in the PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION of MOTION PICTURE HERALD. For Legion of Decency Rating, Audience Classification and Managers' Round Table Exploitation, see Service Data page numbers in last column. Title Company ADVENTURE Island (color) Para. Adventures of Robin Hood (color) (Reissue) WB Albuquerque (color) Para. Alias a Gentleman MGM All My Sons Univ. Along the Oregon Trail (color) Rep. Always Together WB Anthony Adverse (Reissue) WB An Ideal Husband (color) (Brit.) 20th-Fox Arch of Triumph UA Arnelo Affair, The MGM t BACHELOR and the Bobby Soxer, The (Block I) RKO Bad Men of Missouri (Reissue) WB Bambi (Reissue) (color) RKO Bandits of Dark Canyon Rep. Banjo (Block 5) RKO Bells of San Angelo (color) Rep. Betrayed (Reissue) Mono. Big Town Para. Big Town After Dark Para. Bill and Coo (color) Rep. Bishop's Wife, The RKO Black Bart (color) Univ. Black Gold (color) (Allied Artists) Mono. Black Hills EL Blackmail Rep. Black Narcissus (Brit.) (color) Univ. Blonde Savage EL Blondie's Anniversary Col. Blondie in the Dough Col. f Body and Soul UA Border Feud EL Border G-Man (Reissue) RKO Bowery Buckaroos Mono. Boy I What a Girl I SG Bride Goes Wild, The MGM f Brute Force Univ. Buckaroo from Powder River Col. Bulldog Drummond at Bay Col. Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Col. Burning Cross, The Screen Guild Bury Me Dead EL Bush Pilot Screen Guild Bush Christmas Univ. t CALCUTTA Para. Call It Murder (Reissue) SG Captain Boycott (Brit.) Univ. Captain from Castile (color) 20th-Fox Captive Heart, The (British) Univ. Caravan (Brit.) EL Carnegie Hall UA Casbah Univ. Case of the Baby Sitter, The Screen Guild Cass Timberlane MGM Check Your Guns EL t Cheyenne WB Short Subjects Chart with Synopsis Index can be found or* page 4022, issue of January 17, 1948. Feature product listed by Company on page 4023, issue of January 17, 1948. For complete listing of 1946-47 Features by Company, see Product Digest, pages 3808-3809, issue of August 30, 1947. (T) before a date in the list below is the tradeshow date; release dates are given as soon as available. (f) indicates a Box Office Champion. r- REVIEWED — > M.P. Product Advance Service Prod. Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Number Stars Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page 4702 Rory Calhoun-Rhonda Fleming Oct. I0,"47 67m Aug. 16/47 3782 3759 3909 Errol Flynn-Olivia de Havilland Not Set 102m Jan. I7,'48 4019 Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton Feb. 20/48 3956 Wallace Beery-Tom Drake Mar.,'48 3717 Edw. G. Robinson-Arlene Francis Not Set 4010 651 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Aug. 30,'47 64 m Sept. I3,'47 3829 3818 713 Joyce Reynolds-Robt. Hutton Jan. I0,"48 78m Dec. 20,'47 3982 3956 709 Fredric March-Olivia de Havilland Dec. I3,'47 1 16m Nov. I,'47 3907 Paulette Goddard-Michael Wilding Not Set 96m Jan. I7,'48 4017 4000 Ingrid Bergman-Charles Boyer Not Set 3487 803 John Hodiak-George Murphy Sept., '47 87 m Feb. I5,'47 3473 3459 3633 801 Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Temple Sept. I,'47 95m June 7/47 3665 3363 3909 704 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman Oct. 4,'47 71m Oct. 4/47 3861 Disney Feature Carton Feb. 2,'48 70m Dec. 6/47 3966 752 Allan Lane-Bob Steele Dec. 15/47 59m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 725 Sharyn Moffett-Jacqueline White May 15/47 68m Apr. 19/47 3586 3539 642 Roy Rogers-Dale Evans May 15/47 78m May 31/47 3654 3488 3783 4706 Kim Hunter-Dean Jagger Dec. 27/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3956 4622 Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke May 23/47 60m Feb. 22/47 3486 2776 4706 Phillip Reed-Hillary Brooke Dec. 12/47 69m Nov. 22/47 3941 3931 401 1 Bird Picture Not Set 61m Dec. 27/47 4000 852 Cary Grant-Loretta Young Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea Not Set Not Set 110m Nov. 22/47 3941 3702 4000 " 401 1 2 Anthony Quinn Katherine DeMille Aug. 16/47 92m June 28/47 3701 3631 3983 851 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 25/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3818 4011 617 ^/illiam Marshall-Adele Mara July 24/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3771 3759 Deborah Kerr-Sabu-David Farrar Dec.,'47 90m July 12/47 3725 807 Leif Erickson-Gale Sherwood Nov. 22/47 62m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3933 913 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Dec. 18/47 39 i9 911 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Oct. 16/47 69 m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 401 1 John Garfield-Lilli Palmer Nov./47 104m Aug. 16/47 3781 401 1> 752 Al "Lash" LaRue-"Fuzzy" St. John May 10/47 55m May 24/47 3643 882 Laraine Johnson-Ray Whitley Nov. 14/47 61m Jan. 10/48 4009 625 Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall Nov. 22/47 66m Oct. 25/47 3894 3782 X-2 Tim Moore-Elwood Smith Van Johnson-June Allyson Sept. 20/47 Mar.,'48 69m Feb. 8/47 3458 4021 620 Burt Lancaster-Hume Cronyn Aug.,'47 98m June 28/47 3702 3611 3877 961 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Oct. 14/47 55m Dec. 6/47 3966 3830 820 Ron Randall-Anita Louise May 15/47 70m Nov. 29/47 3955 3587 821 Ron Randall-Pat O'Moore Sept. 4/47 65 m Nov. 1/47 3906 3782 4704 Hank Daniels-Virginia Patton Oct. 11/47 78m July 26/47 3746 803 Mark Daniels-June Lockhart Oct. 18/47 71m Sept. 27/47 3850 3818 4616 Rochelle Hudson-Jack LaRue June 7/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3539 Chips Rafferty-Helen Grieve Dec.,'47 76m Nov. 29/47 3953 401 \ 4612 Alan Ladd-William Bendix May 30/47 83m Apr. 26/47 3598 2884 3851 S-2 Humphrey Bogart-Richard Whorf Sept. 13/47 74m Nov. 29/47 3956 Stewart Granger-Kathleen Ryan Jan.,'48 92m Nov. 29/47 3953 401 i soi Tyrone Power-Jean Peters Jan.,'48 140m Nov. 29/47 3953 3562 401 1 Michael Redgrave-Rachel Kempson Not Set 86m Apr. 26/47 3597 106 Stewart Granger-Jean Kent Sept. 30/47 80m Sept. 13/47 3829 Marsha Hunt-William Prince Aug. 8/47 134m Mar. 1/47 3501 3877 Yvonne de Carlo-Tony Martin Not Set 4010 4618 .Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 26/47 40m Sept. 20/47 3841 3689 Spencer Tracy-Lana Turner Jan.,'48 120m Nov. 15/47 3930 3759 3983 535 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 18/47 55m Nov. 15/47 3930 622 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman June 14/47 100m Apr. 26/47 3597 2939 3747 4024 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 194 — REVIEWED vi. r Product Advance i>ervtct Title Prod. Running Herald Digest Synopsis Datf Company Number Stan Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page CI CL 0 ju r\i Lasn i_at\ue-Ai ruzzy or. John Uec. 1 o, *r/ OOm nfl« A 'Al uec. 0, *r/ J TOO 3R7A 0 0/0 l hinotfi Pmn In a vninesc ixiny, i ns mono. ozo Roland Winters-Louise Currie Uec. o, n/ oom uec. zu, **■/ OTOZ OOOU Al\ 1 1 *rU 1 1 III ijl illad l_ • C UA George Raft- George Brent Oct.,'47 7 urn 1N0V. 0, tf 70 1 ft uc ui 1 1 1 o Jauuic K^o no. A77 o/ / Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Inn a 9Q 'Al o j m Inlvf *>A 'Al juty ZO, *r/ 3 /*tt 0007 11 A Groucho Marx-Carmen Miranda M«w Srt 'A7 May ou, *tf June, '47 09m Tim Maw OA. 'Al m ay Z*r, t-/ Aug. 23/47 00*r 1 J / 73 Corpse Came C.O.D., The Col. 839 George Brent-Joan Blondell 87m 3794 3562 3795 Corsican Brothers (R.) EL 733 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Ruth Warrick Dec.,'47 1 10m Dec. 27/47 4000 Crime Doctor's Gamble, The Col. 915 Warner Baxter-Micheline Cheirel Nov. 27/47 66m Dec. 13/47 3973 3919 40M Crimson Key, The (Wur+zel) 20th-Fox 722 Kent Taylor-Doris Dowlmg July/47 Aug. I5,'47 76m July 5/47 3714 3679 Crossfire (Block 1) RKO 802 Robert Young-Robert Mitchum 86m June 28/47 3701 3983 Cry Wolf WB 625 Errol Flynn-Barbara Stanwyck Aug. 16/47 84m July 5/47 3713 3138 3933 Cynthia MGM 726 Elizabeth Taylor-George Murphy July/47 98m May 17/47 3629 3611 3933 DAISY Kenyon 20th-Fox 731 Joan Crawford-Dana Andrews Not Set 99m Nov. 29/47 3953 3876 3983 Dangerous Venture UA William Boyd-Andy Clyde May 23/47 59m Feb. 22/47 3487 Dangerous Years (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 804 William Halop-Ann E. Todd Not Set 61m Dec. 20/47 3981 4011 Danger Street Para. 4623 Jane Withers-Robert Lowery June 20/47 66m Mar. 15/47 3526 2972 Dark Delusion MGM 724 Lucille Bremer-James Craig June/47 90m Apr. 12/47 3573 3459 f Dark Passage WB 703 Humphrey Bogert-Lauren Bacall Sept. 27/47 106m Sept. 6/47 3817 3599 3933 t Dear Ruth Para. 4616 Joan Caulfield-William Holden July 18/47 95m May 31/47 3653 3909 Deep Valley WB 701 Ida Lupino-Dane Clark Sept. 1/47 104m Aug. 2/47 3757 3717 3909 Desert Fury (color) Para. 4617 John Hodiak-Lizabeth Scott Aug. 15/47 95m Aug. 2/47 3757 361 1 3909 Desire Me MGM 807 Greer Garson-Robert Mitchum Oct.,'47 91m Sept. 27/47 3849 3287 3983 Desperate (Block 6) RKO 728 Steve Brodie-Audrey Long June, '47 73m May 17/47 3629 3599 Devil Ship Dick Tracy's Dilemma Col. 923 Richard Lane-Louise Campbell Dec. 1 1/47 62m Jan. 17/48 4019 3943 (Block 6) RKO 729 Ralph Byrd-Lyle Latell July/47 Nov. 12/47 60m May 17/47 3630 3599 Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (BI.2) RKO 809 Boris Karloff-Ralph Byrd 65m Oct. 4/47 3861 Dishonored Lady UA Hedy LaMarr-Dennis O'Keefe May 16/47 85m Apr. 26/47 3597 3747 Double Life, A Univ. Ronald Colman-Signe Hasso Not Set 103m Jan. 3/48 4001 3956 Down to Earth (colorj Col. 930 Rita Hayworth-Larry Parks Oct. 31/47 101m Aug. 2/47 3757 3126 3933 Dragnet, The Screen Guild 4703 Henry Wilcoxson-Mary Brian Oct. 25/47 71m July 12/47 3725 Driftwood Rep. 621 Ruth Warrick-Walter Brennan Sept. 15/47 88m Nov. 8/47 3917 3850 Drums Along the Moha *k (R.) 20th-Fox 741 Claudette Colbert-Henry Fonda Oct. 10/47 103m Oct. 25/47 3895 t Duel in the Sun (color) Selznick Jennifer Jones-Joseph Cotten Apr. 17/47 135m Jan. 1 1/47 3409 3363 3933 EACH Dawn 1 Die (Reissue) WB 705 James Cagney-George Raft Oct. 4/47 84m Sept. 13/47 3830 Egg and 1, The Univ. Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray May/47 108m Mar. 29/47 3549 3312 3909 Emperor Waltz (color) Para. Bing Crosby-Joan Fontaine Not Set 361 1 Escape Me Never WB 708 Errol Flynn-lda Lupino Nov. 22/47 1 04m Nov. 1/47 3905 3876 4011 Exile, The Univ. 630 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. -Maria Montez Nov./47 92m Oct. 25/47 3893 3865 3983 Exposed Rep. 629 Adele Mara-Robert Scott Sept. 8/47 59m Sept. 20/47 3841 3830 FABULOUS Texan Rep. Fiesta (color) MGM Fighting Vigilantes, The EL Flame, The Rep. Flashing Guns Mono. t Forever Amber (Spcl.) (col.) 20th-Fox For the Love of Rusty Col. For You I Die FC t Foxes of Harrow, The 20th-Fox Frieda (British) Univ. Fugitive, The (Special) RKO Fun and Fancy Free (color) (Spl.) RKO Fun on a Weekend UA 624 William Elliott-John Carroll Nov. 9/47 95m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 3983 727 Esther Williams-Ricardo Montalban July/47 Nov. 15/47 104m June 14/47 3677 361 1 3851 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John 61m Nov. 22/47 3942 3919 628 John Carroll -Vera Ralston Nov. 24/47 97m Jan. 17/48 4018 3931 673 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Sept. 20/47 59m Aug. 30/47 3806 3759 733 Linda Darnell-Cornel Wilde Oct. 22/47 140m Oct. 18/47 3885 3475 3933 812 Ted Donaldson-Ann Doran May 1/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3830 Cathy Downs-Paul Langton-Mischa Auer Dec.,'47 77m Dec. 20/47 3982 3972 729 Rex Harrison-Maureen O'Hara Oct. 1/47 1 19m Sept. 27/47 3849 3830 3983 624 David Farrar-Glynis Johns Sept./47 97m Aug. 23/47 3793 863 Henry Fonda-Dolores Del Rio Nov. 3/47 104m Nov. 8/47 3917 3895 891 Disney Feature Cartoon Sept. 27/47 73m Aug. 23/47 3793 3631 3983 Eddie Bracken-Priscilla Lane May 15/47 93m Apr. 19/47 3586 3503 3703 GANGSTER. The (Allied Artists) Mono. 3 Gas House Kids Go West EL 711 Gas House Kids in Hollywood EL 712 Gay Ranchero (color) Rep. 644 Gentleman After Dark (R.) EL 740 Gentleman's Agreement 20th-Fox .... Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The 20th-Fox 715 Ghost Town Renegades EL 754 Glamour Girl Col. .... Golden Earrings Para. 4703 Good News (color) MGM 810 Grapes of Wrath, The (R.) 20th-Fox 745 Great Expectations (Brit.) Univ. .... Green for Danger (British) EL 802 t Green Dolphin Street MGM 811 Gunfighters (color) Col. 838 Gun Law (Reissue) RKO 881 Gun Talk Mono. 674 Barry Sullivan-Belita Nov. 22/47 83m Oct. 4/47 Emory Parnell-Chili Williams July 12/47 62m July 19/47 Carl Switzer-Rudy Wissler Aug. 23/47 63m Sept. 6/47 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee Jan. 1/48 72m Jan. 17/48 Brian Donlevy-Miriam Hopkins Nov. 8/47 76m Nov. 29/47 Gregory Peck-Dorothy McGuire Not Set I 18m Nov. 15/47 Gene Tierney-Rex Harrison May/47 104m May 24/47 Al "Lash" LaRue-AI "Fuzzy" St. John July 26/47 57m Aug. 2/47 Gene Krupa Orch.-J. Leonard Jan. 16/48 .... Marlene Dietrich-Ray Milland Oct. 31/47 1 00m Aug. June Allyson-Peter Lawford Dec/47 85m Dec. Henry Fonda-Charley Grapewin Dec.,'47 128m Dec. John Mills-Valerie Hobson July/47 I 18m Mar. Sally Gray-Trevor Howard Oct. 4/47 93m July Lana Turner-Van Heflin (T) Nov. 5/47 141 m Oct. Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton July/47 87m June George O'Brien-Rita Oehmen Oct. 3/47 60m Jan. Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Dec. 20/47 58m Jan. 30/47 6/47 6/47 29/47 26/47 25/47 14/47 10/48 17/48 3861 3735 3818 4018 3957 3929 3641 3758 3805 3965 3966 3549 3746 3894 3677 4010 4019 3666 3931 3818 3563 3702 3992 3850 361 1 3587 3587 3919 3747 401 I 3983 3783 401 1 401 I 3983 HAL ROACH Come dy Carnival (color) UA Frances Rafferty-Walter Abel Aug. 29/47 1 12m Aug. 30/47 3805 3877 Hard Boiled Mahoney Mono. 616 Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall May 10/47 63 m Nov. 29/47 3958 3488 Hat Box Mystery, The Screen Guild 4617 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 12/47 44m Aug. 30/47 3806 3866 Heading for Heaven EL Stuart Erwin-Glenda Farrell Dec. 6/47 71m Dec. 20/47 3982 Heartaches EL 704 Sheila Ryan-Chill Wills June 28/47 71m July 5/47 3714 3702 Heaven Only Knows UA Robert Cummings-Brian Donlevy Sept.,'47 98m Aug. 2/47 3758 3933 Her Husband's Affairs Col. 929 Franchot Tone-Lucille Ball Nov. 12/47 86m July 26/47 Mar. 15/47 3745 3735 3933 t High Barbaree MGM 721 Van Johnson-June Allyson May/47 June 21/47 91m 3525 3238 3851 High Conquest Mono. 620 Anna Lee-Warren Douglas 79m Mar. 15/47 3525 3435 High Tide Mono. 4701 Lee Tracy-Don Castle Oct. 11/47 72m Aug. 9/47 3769 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 17, 1948 4025 — KEVIEWEU THIe High Wall Hollywood Barn Dance Homestretch, The (color) Honeymoon (Block 5) Hoppy's Holiday f Hucksters, The Hungry Hill (British) I COVER Big Town I Love Trouble If You Knew Susie If Winter Comes Company MGM Screen Guild 20th-Fox RKO UA MGM Univ. Para. Col. RKO MGM I Know Where I'm Going (Brit.) Univ. In Old Mexico (Reissue) SG Indian Summer RKO Intermezzo (Reissue) Selznick Intrigue UA Invisible Wall, The IWurtzel) 20th-Fox It Had to Be You Col. f It Happened in Brooklyn MGM Ivy Univ. I Walk Alone Para. f I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? (color) 20th-Fox JEZEBEL (Reissue) WB Jewels of Brandenburg (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Jiggs and Maggie in Society Mono. Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad Mono. Joe Palooka in the Knockout Mono. Jungle Book The (color) (R) FC Jungle Flight Para. KEEPER of the Bees Key Witness Killer at Large Killer Dill Killer McCoy Kilroy Was Here King of the Bandits Kiss of Death LAST Days of Boot Hill Last of the Redmen, The Last Round-Up, The Law Comes to Gunsight, Lawless Valley (Reissue) Letter from an Unknown Woman, A t Life With Father (color) Linda, Be Good Little Miss Broadway Living in a Big Way Lone Wolf in London Long Night, The (Special Lost Moment, The Louisiana Love and Learn Love from a Stranger Lured MAD Wednesday Col. Col. EL Screen Guild MGM Mono. Mono. 20th-Fox Col. (color) Col. Col. The Mono. RKO Univ. WB EL Col. MGM Col. ) RKO Univ. Mono. WB EL UA UA (■formerly Sin of Harold Diddlebock) Magic Town (Special) RKO Main Street Kid, The Rep. Man About Town (French) RKO Man from Texas EL Man in Iron Mask (R.) EL Man of Evil UA Marauders, The UA Mark of Zorro, The (Reissue) 20th-Fox Marshal of Cripple Creek Rep. Mary Lou Col. Meet Me at Dawn (British) 20th-Fox Merton of the Movies MGM Millerson Case, The Col. Miracle in Harlem SG t Miracle on 34th Street 20th-Fox Monsieur Verdoux UA Moss Rose 20th-Fox f Mother Wore Tights (color) 20th-Fox Mourning Becomes Electra RKO Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Selznick 7 My Favorite Brunette Para. My Girl Tisa WB My Wild Irish Rose (color) WB trod. Number 470i 713 721 728 4624 HCI6 732 718 616 4708 723 716 4704 4709 4702 4625 803 905 717 4702 809 621 624 725 964 837 981 672 884 702 815 725 917 861 4703 620 806 862 864 735 740 667 721 805 817 X-3 718 724 4609 71 1 Start Robert Taylor-Audrey Totter Ernest Tubb-Lori Talbott Cornel Wilde-Maureen O'Hara Shirley Temple-Guy Madison William Boyd-Andy Clyde Clark Gable-Deborah Kerr Margaret Lockwood-Dennis Prince Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke Franchot Tone-Janet Blair Eddie Cantor-Joan Davis Walter Pidgeon-Deborah Kerr Wendy Hiller-Roger Livesey William Boyd-George Hayes Alexander Knox-Ann Sothern Leslie Howard-lngrid Bergman George Raft-June Havoc Don Castle-Virginia Christine Ginger Rogers-Cornel Wilde Frank Sinatra-Kathryn Grayson Joan Fontaine-Patric Knowles Liza both Scott-Burt Lancaster June Haver-Mark Stevens 710 Bette Davis-Henry Fonda Richard Travis-Micheline Cheirel Joe Yule-Renie Riano Joe Kirkwood, Jr.-Elyse Knox Leon Errol-Elyse Knox Sabu Robert Lowery-Ann Savage Harry Davenport-Michael Duane John Beal-Trudy Marshall Robert Lowery-Anabel Shaw Stuart Erwin-Anne Gwynne Mickey Rooney-Brian Donlevy Jackie Cooper-Jackie Coogan Gilbert Roland-Angela Green Victor Mature-Brian Donlevy Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Jon Hall-Evelyn Ankers Gene Autry-Jean Heather Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton George O'Brien-Kay Sutton Tradeshow or Release Date Feb.,'48 June 2 1 ,'47 May,'47 May I7,'47 July 1 8/47 Aug.,'47 Not Set July 25,'47 Jan.,'48 Not Set Jan.,'48 Not Set Feb. 7,'48 Not Set Oct.,'47 Dec.,'47 Oct. I5,'47 Dec.,'47 Apr.,'47 June, '47 Jan. 16/48 Aug.,'47 Dec. I3,'47 May,'47 Jan. I0,'48 Jan. 3 1, '48 Oct. I8,'47 Feb.,'48 Aug. 22,'47 July 10/47 Oct. 9/47 May 31/47 Aug. 2/47 Dec.,'47 July 19/47 Nov. 8/47 Sept., '47 Nov. 20/47 Aug.,'47 Nov. 5/47 May 24/47 Jan. 30/48 Joan Fontaine-Louis Jourdan Not Set Irene Dunne-William Powell (Spcl.) Sept. 13/47 Elyse Knox-Marie Wilson Dec. 20/47 Jean Porter-John Shelton June 19/47 Gene Kelly-Marie MacDonald June/47 Gerald Mohr-Nancy Saunders Nov. 13/47 Henry Fonda-Barbara Bel Geddes Aug. 6/47 Robert Cummings-Susan Hayward Dec.,'47 Jimmie Davis-Margaret Lindsay Nov. 1/47 Jack Carson-Martha Vickers May 3/47 John Hodiak-Sylvia Sidney Nov. 15/47 George Sanders-Lucille Ball Sept., '47 Harold Lloyd-Raymond Walburn Oct.,'47 James Stewart-Jane Wyman Oct. 12/47 Al Pearee-Arlene Harris Jan. 1/48 Maurice Chevalier-Francois Perier Special James Craig-Johnnie Johnston Dec. 27/47 Louis Hayward-Joan Bennett Nov. 8/47 James Mason-Phyllis Calvert Jan.,'48 William Boyd-Andy Clyde July/47 Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell Oct. 10/47 Alian Lane-Bobby Blake Aug. 15/47 Frankie Carle Orch.-R. Lowery Jan. 23/48 William Eythe-Stanley Holloway July/47 Red Skelton-Virginia O'Brien Oct.,'47 Warner Baxter-Nancy Saunder? May 29/47 Stepin Fetchit Jan. 24/48 Maureen O'Hara-John Payne June/47 Charles Chaplin-Martha Rave Oct.,'47 Victor Mature-Peggy Cummins June/47 Betty Grable-Dan Dailey, Jr. Sept.,'47 Rosalind Russell-Michael Redgrave Not Set Cary Grant-Myrna Loy Not Set Bob Hope-Dorothv Lamour Apr. 4/47 Lilli Palmer-Sam Wanamaker Feb. 7/48 Dennis Morgan-Andrea King Dec. 27/47 Running Time 99m 72m 96m 74m 60m 1 15m 92m 63m 94m 99 m 91m 60m 70m 90m 73m 98m 103m 99m 98m 93m 64m 66m 72m 1 15m M. P. Herald Issue Dec. 20/47 June 7/47 Apr. 26/47 Apr. 19/47 May 17/47 June 28/47 Oct. 18/47 Mar. 1/47 Jan. 17/48 Dec. 27/47 Aug. 9/47 Jan. 10/48 Sept. 20/47 Dec. 27/47 Oct. 18/47 Oct. 25/47 Mar. 8/47 June 14/47 Dec. 20/47 Product Advance iservta Digest Synopsis Data Page Page Page 3972 4011 3655 3909 3488 3851 3539 3877 3981 3665 3597 3585 3630 3701 3885 3502 4018 3993 3769 4009 3841 3994 3885 3893 3513 3677 3981 104m June 14/47 3678 3574 3877 3459 3980 3475 3972 3865 3907 4011 3983 3747 3909 4011 3933 3238 3919 3563 Nov. 1/47 Apr. 12/47 Aug. 30/47 Dec. 20/47 3907 3573 3805 3992 3895 4001 17- o/m Mar. 1/47 3 1 £0 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3679 3909 67m Aug. 9/47 3769 63m June 7/47 3665 3655 71m June 14/47 3678 3666 104m Nov. 1/47 3907 68m July 5/47 3713 361 1 66m Nov. 29/47 3954 3809 99m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 3909 56m Dec. 13/47 3973 3895 77m Nov. 29/47 3955 3574 77m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 3850 56m June 7/47 3665 3587 60m Jan. 10/48 4009 3943 1 18m Aug. 16/47 3781 3475 3909 67m Nov. 1/47 3906 3895 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3666 103m June 7/47 3666 3983 68m Nov. 29/47 3954 3895 40I I 97m May 31/47 3654 3909 89m Oct. 25/47 3894 40I I 85m Aug. 16/47 3781 377 1 83m Mar. 29/47 3550 81m Nov. 8/47 3917 3907 102m July 19/47 3733 3575 3933 89m Mar. 1/47 3503 2870 3633 103m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 3933 3972 89m Oct. 25/47 3893 3895 1 10 m Nov. 29/47 3956 3992 63m July 19/47 3734 93m Oct. 25/47 3895 58m Aug. 23/47 3794 3759 3992 99 m Jan. 25/47 3434 82m July 19/47 3734 3655 40II 72m Nov. 29/47 3954 3587 71m 39I9 96m May 10/47 362 i 3933 123m Apr. 19/47 3585 82m May 24/47 3641 3550 3783 107m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 40I I 170m Nov. 22/47 3941 39I9 40I0 87m Feb. 22/47 3485 3388 3703 40I0 101m Dec. 13/47 3973 3599 40 ii 4026 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 1 7, I948 - - REVIEWED Tlfle Company NAKED City, The Univ. News Hounds Mono. Nicholas Nickleby (British) Univ. Nightmare Alley 20th-Fox Night Song (Block 2) RKO Night Unto Night WB Ninotchka (R.) MGM Northwest Outpost Rep. Univ. Rep. ODD Man Out (British) Oklahoma Badlands On the Old Spanish Trail (col.) Rep. Open Secret EL Other Love, The UA Out of the Blue EL Out of the Past (Block 2) RKO Overland Trail Mono. PACIFIC Adventure Col. Painted Desert (Reissue) RKO Panhandle (Allied Artists) Mono. Paradine Case, The Selznick Perilous Waters Mono, (formerly In Self Defense) f Perils of Pauline (color) Para. Phantom Valley Col. Philo Vance Returns EL Philo Vance's Secret Mission EL Pioneer Justice EL Pirate, The (color) MGM Pirates of Monterey (color) Univ. Possessed WB Prairie, The SG Prairie Express Mono. Prairie Raiders Col. Pretender, The Rep. Prince of Thieves, The Col. RAILROADED EL Red River UA Red Stallion (color) EL Relentless (color) Col. Repeat Performance EL Return of the La^h EL Return of Rin Tin Tin, The (col.) EL Ride the Pink Horse Univ. Riders of the Lone Star Col. Ridin' Down the Trail Mono. Riff Raff ( Block I ) RKO River Lady (color) Univ. Road to the Big House, The SG Road to Rio Para. Robin Hood of Monterey Mono. Robin Hood of Texas Rep. Rocky Mono. Romance of Rosy Ridge MGM Roosevelt Story, The (Special) UA Rose of Santa Rosa Col. Rose of the Rio Grande (Reissue) Mono. Roses Are Red (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Rustlers of Devil's Canyon Rep. SADDLE Pais Rep. Saigon Para. Second Chance (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Secret Beyond the Door, The Univ. t Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The . (color) (Special) RKO Senator Was Indiscreet, The Univ. Sepia Cinderella SG Seven Keys to Baldpate (Bl. I) RKO Shadow Valley EL Silver River WB Singapore Univ. Six-Gun Law Col. Slave Girl (color) Univ. Sleep, My Love UA Slight Case of Murder, A (R) WB Slippy McGee Rep. Smart Politics Mono. (formerly The Old Gray Mayor) Smoky River Serenade Col. Smugglers, The EL Something in the Wind Univ. Song of the Drifter Mono. Song of Love MGM Song of My Heart (Allied Artists) Mono. Prod. Number Start .... Barry Fitzgerald-Dorothy Hart 622 Leo Gorcey-Christine Mclntyre .... Derek Bond-Cedric Hardwicke 730 Tyrone Power-Joan Blondell 806 Dana Andrews-Merle Oberon .... Viveca Lindfors-Ronald Reagan 812 Greta Garbo-Melvyn Douglas 615 Nelson Eddy-llona Massey 617 James Mason-Robert Newton 753 Allan "Rocky" Lane-Mildred Coles 648 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee .... John Ireland-Jane Randolph .... Barbara Stanwyck-David Niven 801 George Brent-Virginia Mayo 810 Robert Mitchum-Jane Greer 4751 Johnny Mack Brown-Virginia Belmont 835 Ron Randell-Muriel Steinbeck 883 George O'Brien-Laraine Johnson 5 Rod Cameron-Cathy Downs Gregory Peck-Ann Todd 4707 Don Castle-Audrey Long 4615 Betty Hutton-John Lund .... Charles Starrett-Virginia Hunter 708 William Wright-Terry Austin 709 Alan Curtis-Sheila Ryan 753 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John .... Judy Garland-Gene Kelly 632 Maria Montez-Rod Cameron 624 Joan Crawford-Van Heflin 4705 Alan Baxter-Lenore Aubert 678 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton 868 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnetts 620 Albert Dekker-Catherine Craig .... Jon Hall-Patricia Morison 710 John Ireland-Sheila Ryan .... John Wayne-Montgomery Clift 107 Robert Paige-Ted Donaldson .... Robert Young-Marguerite Chapman 105 Joan Leslie-Louis Hayward 755 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John 804 Donald Woods-Bobby Blake 625 Robt. Montgomery-Wanda Hendr'rx 870 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette 685 Jimmy Wakely-Beverly John 803 Pat O'Brien-Anne Jeffreys .... Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea 4706 John Shelton-Ann Doran 4707 Bing Crosby-Bob Hope 623 Gilbert Roland-Evelyn Brent 68E Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts 4705 Roddy McDowall-Edgar Barrier 729 Van Johnson-Thomas Mitchell .... Documentary 951 Eduardo Noreiga-Patricia White .... Movita-John Carroll-A. Moreno 734 Don Castle-Peggy Knudsen 666 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake 684 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts .... Alan Ladd-Veronica Lake 726 Kent Taylor-Louise Currie .... Joan Bennett-Michael Redgrave 851 Danny Kaye-Virginia Mayo .... William Powell-Ella Raines X-l Billy Daniels-Sheila Guyse 804 Phillip Terry-Jacqueline White 852 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates .... Errol Flynn-Ann Sheridan 622 Fred MacMurray-Ava Gardner .... Chas. Starrett-Smiley Burnett 623 Yvonne DeCarlo-George Brent .... Claudette Colbert-Rob't Cummings 712 Edw. G. Robinson-Jane Bryan 701 Donald Barry-Dale Evans 627 June Preisser-Freddie Stewart 851 Paul Campbell-Ruth Terry 811 Michael Redgrave-Jean Kent 621 Deanna Durbin-John Dall 686 Jimmy Wakely-'Cannonball" Taylor 804 Katharine Hepburn-Robert Walker 4 Frank Sundstrom-Audrey Long July 4,'47 Feb. 19/48 June I4,'47 Aug. 30,'47 June 28,'47 Not Set Not Set July 26,'47 Jan. I0,'48 Oct. 25,'47 May 29,'47 Aug. 1 6, "47 Jan.,'48 Sept. 25/47 Not Set Aug. 16/47 Not Set May 30/47 Oct. 1 1/47 Nov. 1/47 Oct.,'47 Aug. 14/47 Oct. 4/47 Sept. 15/47 Not Set Dec. 27/47 Dec. 25/47 Sept. 6/47 July 15/47 Jan. 17/48 Aug./47 Nov.,'47 Dec. 25/47 Feb. 28/48 Not Set July 1/47 June 15/47 Mar. 12/48 Sept./47 Dec/47 Sept. 1/47 Jan./48 Oct. 18/47 Oct. 1/47 Nov. 29/47 Not Set Sept.,'47 Jan. 9/48 Aug./47 Jan.,'48 Dec. 13/47 Jan. 15/48 Jan. 3/48 Aug. 2 1 ,'47 Jan. 3 1 ,'48 Sept./47 Jan. 10/48 Oct.,'47 Jan. 17/48 M. P. Advance if TV%C9 T 'vmA Mmw fir Runnlna Herald Digest Data IxcliruSe uaiz Time rage Page Pa of rage BvS 1 C JL Not Set '***••*** ' ' * * 40 1 0 Sept. 13/47 com June 2 1 , 47 3689 Dec/47 94m Nov. 15/47 3930 Oct. 18/47 1 Mm Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3873 3830 3983 Nov. 10/47 lUzm Nov. 15, 47 3930 37I7 Not Set ■ 3735 Dec.,'47 1 lUm kl 'At Nov. 22, 47 3942 401 1 June 25/47 o 1 V | m k A ... 17 1 A 7 May 1 7, 47 3629 3933 June, 47 1 1 Cm 1 1 bm reb. Id, 47 "}A 77 3473 3783 Jan. 29/48 402 1 Oct. 15/47 75 m Nov. 1/47 3906 Feb.,'48 70m Jan. 17/48 40I8 July 1 1 , 47 vom A r i a 7 Apr. o, 4/ 7 C L I 3550 385 1 Oct. 1 1/47 O "7 o / m Aug. 3U, 4/ 7 O f\L Ami 401 1 Nov. 13/47 V / m Nov. li, 4/ 3V4Z ■ ' ' _ 3875 401 1 Feb. 7/48 400 1 July/47 95m Nov. 29/47 3958 3689 Dec. 19/47 59m Jan. 10/48 4009 Mar. 7/48 3943 Not Set 132 m Jan. 3/48 400 1 3666 Jan. 24/48 66 m Nov. 1/47 3906 96m May 3 1 ,'47 3653 64m Apr. 26/47 3598 58m Sept. 6/47 3817 56m July 5/47 3714 77m Nov. 22/47 3942 108m May 31/47 3653 80m 55m Nov. 29/47 3955 54m Nov. 29/47 3955 69m Aug. 23/47 3794 72m Jan. 17/48 4018 71m 81m 93 m 93m 53 m 67m I0lm 55m 53m 80m 72 m 1 00m 55m 71m 105 m 80m 60m 66m 58m 62m 99m 110m 81m 70m 68m 58m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 July 26/47 Jan. 17/48 May 31/47 Nov. 15/47 Nov. 8/47 Sept. 20/47 Nov. 29/47 Nov. 29/47 June 14/47 Nov. I .'47 Nov. 15/47 Sept. 13/47 Sept. 13/47 July 5/47 July 12/47 Jan. 17/48 Nov. 8/47 July 19/47 72m June 21/47 July 26/47 Jan. 10/48 July 19/47 Dec. 13/47 Aug. 2/47 June 14/47 Nov. 29/47 3746 4017 3655 3930 3918 3841 3958 3955 3678 3906 3929 3829 3829 37i3 3725 4019 3918 3735 3689 3745 4009 3733 3973 3758 3679 3954 3631 4021 3422 3475 3631 3865 3127 3078 3919 3809 3587 3759 3943 3809 3575 3475 3475 3907 3527 3735 3850 3666 4010 3876 3818 3759 3735 3931 3611 3931 3679 3631 3666 3735 3956 361 1 3956 3795 401 1 4011 3819 3983 3851 3877 4011 401 1 3983 4021 79m Aug. 16/47 3782 3851 4000 80m July 19/47 3734 3631 3933 97m Jan. 17/48 4017 3992 85m Dec. 13/47 3980 3943 3907 67m Nov. 29/47 3958 3759 4010 89m July 26/47 3746 3735 3877 3972 l!8m July 26/47 3745 3679 3983 85m Nov. 8/47 3917 3717 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 17, 1948 4027 lUiVlEWtD ritte Song of the Thin Man Son of Rusty, The Col. South of Pago Pago (R.) EL So Well Remembered (British) (Block 2) RKO Spirit of West Point FC Sport of Kings Col. Springtime in the Sierras Rep. Stepchild EL Stork Bites Man UA Stranger from Ponca City Col. Summer Holiday (color) MGM Sweet Genevieve Col. Swing the Western Way Col. Swordsman, The (color) Col. Prod. Company Number MGM 801 813 807 811 646 703 869 9is 853 Trudeihow or Start Release Date William Powell-Myrna Loy Sept.,'47 Ted Donaldson-Tom Powers Aug. 7,'47 Victor McLaglen-Jon Hall Dec.,"47 John Mills-Martha Scott Nov. 12/47 Felix Blanchard-Glenn Davis Oct. 1/47 Paul Campbell-Gloria Henry June 26/47 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee July 15/47 Brenda Joyce-Donald Woods June 7/47 Jackie Cooper-Gene Roberts June 21/47 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette July 3/47 Mickey Rooney-Gloria DeHaven Not Set Jean Porter-Jimmy Lydon Oct. 23/47 Jack Leonard-Mary Dugan June 26/47 Larry Parks-Ellen Drew Jan. ,'48 M. P. Product Advance Hervtct Running Herald Digest \"Vnnhsis o y r*\j y lis Data Time Issue Page Page Page 86m July 26/47 3745 3877 69m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 97m Dec. 27/47 4000 1 14m Nov. 1/47 3905 3631 77m Oct. 11/47 3874 3983 68m 3655 75m July 26/47 3746 3689 70m June 14/47 3678 3631 67m Aug. 16/47 3782 3679 56m Nov. 29/47 3955 3679 3599 68m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 4011 66m Nov. 29/47 3958 3655 81m Oct. 25/47 3894 3771 TAP Roots (color) Univ. Tawny Pipit (British) Univ. Tender Years, The 20th-Fox Tenth Avenue Angel MGM That Hagen Girl WB That's My Gal (color) Rep. That's My Man Rep. They Won't Believe Me (Bl. 6) RKO Thief of Baghdad (color) (R.) FC This Happy Breed (British) (col.) Univ. This Time for Keeps (color) MGM Three Daring Daughters (color) MGM (formerly The Birds and the Bees) Thunder in the Valley (color) 20th-Fox (formerly Bob, Son of Battle) Thunder Mountain (Bl. 6) RKO Time Out of Mind Univ. T-Men EL Tobacco Road (Reissue) 20th-Fox Too Many Winners EL To the Ends of the Earth Col. To the Victor WB Trail of the Mounties SG Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The WB Trespasser, The Rep. Trouble in Sundown (Reissue) RKO Trouble with Women, The Para. Two Blondes and a Redhead Col. t Two Mrs. Carrolls, The WB Tycoon (color) RKO .... Van Heflin-Susan Hayward Not Set ... Bernard Miles-Rosamund John Not Set 803 Joe E, Brown-Noreen Nash Jan. ,'48 .... Margaret O'Brien-George Murphy (T) Jan. 13/48 707 Ronald Reagan-Shirley Temple Nov. 1/47 609 Lynn Roberts-Donald Barry May 15/47 613 Don Ameche-Catherine McLeod June 1/47 726 Robert Young-Susan Hayward July/47 .... Sabu Feb.,'48 .... Robert Newton-Celia Johnson Not Set 808 Esther Williams-Jimmy Durante Nov.,'47 Jeanette MacDonald-Jose Iturbi Mar.,'48 720 Peggy Ann Garner-Lon McCallister Not Set 730 Tim Holt-Richard Martin June/47 614 Phyllis Calvert-Robert Hutton May/47 .... Dennis O'Keefe-Mary Meade Dec. 15/47 744 Gene Tierney-Charley Grapewifi Dec.,'47 716 Hugh Beaumont-Trudy Marshall May 24/47 .... Dick Powell-Signe Hasso Feb.,'48 .... Dennis Morgan-Viveca Lindfors Not Set 4708 Russell Hayden-Jennifer.Holt Dec. 20/47 714 Humphrey Bogart-Walte'r Huston Jan. 24/48 619 Dale Evans-Warren Douglas July 3/47 885 George O'Brien-Rosalind Keith Mar. 2/48 4614 Ray Milland-Teresa Wright June 27/47 919 Jean Porter-Jimmy Lloyd Nov. 6/47 621 Barbara Stanwyck-Humphrey Bogart May 24/47 866 John Wayne-Laraine Day Not Set 4010 81m Sept. 13/47 3829 81m Dec. 6/47 3965 4011 74m Jan. 17/48 4017 3031 83m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 66m May 31/47 3655 3434 104m Apr. 12/47 3573 3563 95m May 17/47 3630 3599 38.19 106m Dec. 20/47 3992 1 15m Apr. 19/47 3586 106m Oct. 11/47 3873 3865 3983 103m June 14/47 4677 60m May 7/47 88m Mar. 22/47 91m Dec. 20/47 84m Dec. 6/47 60m June 7/47 42 m 126m Jan. 10/48 71m July 19/47 60m Jan. 17/48 80m May 17/47 70m Nov. 29/47 99m Apr. 5/47 126m Dec. 6/47 3630 3537 3981 3966 3599 3539 3599 3527 3577 4011 3666 3587 4010 4021 3931 4009 4000 3734 3717 4019 3629 361 i 3877 3954 3895 4011 3561 3539 3851 3965 3956 4011 t UNCONOUERED (color) Para. 4705 Under Colorado Skies (color) Rep. 652 Under the Tonto Rim (Block 1) RKO 805 Unfaithful, The WB 623 Unfinished Dance (color) MGM 802 Unsuspected, The WB 706 Upturned Glass, The (British) Univ. 631 Up in Central Park Univ. t VARIETY Girl Para. 4618 Vigilantes Return, The (color) Univ. 618 Voice of the Turtle, The WB WALLFLOWER WB Web, The Univ. 615 Web of Danger Rep. 616 When a Girl's Beautiful Col. 827 Where the North Begins SG 4707 Where There's Life Para. 4704 Whiplash WB Whispering City (British) EL 805 Wild Frontier, The Rep. 751 Wild Harvest Para. 4701 Wild Horse Mesa (Block 2) RKO 808 Winter Meeting WB Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap Univ. 628 Woman from Tangier, The Col. Woman in White, The WB Woman on the Beach (Bl. 6) RKO 727 Woman's Vengeance, A Univ. Women in the Night FC Wreck of the Hesperus, The Col. Wyoming Rep. 618 t YEARLING. The (color) MGM 717 Gary Cooper-Paulette Goddard Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Ann Sheridan-Zachary Scott Margaret O'Brien-Cyd Charisse Joan CaulfJeld-Claude Rains James Mason-Rosamund John Deanna Durbin-Dick Haymes Mary Hatcher-DeForest Kelley Jon Hall-Margaret Lindsay Eleanor Parker-Ronald Reagan Joyce Reynolds-Robert Hutton Edmond O'Brien-Ella Raines Adele Mara-Bill Kennedy Stephen Dunne-Adele Jergens Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Bob Hope-Signe Hasso Dane Clark-Alexis Smith Helmut Dantine-Mary Anderson Allan Lane-Jack Holt Alan Ladd-Dorothy Lamour Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Bette Davis-Jim Davis Bud Abbott-Lou Costello Adele Jergens-Stephen Dunne Alexis Smith-Sydney Greenstreet Joan Bennett-Robert Ryan Charles Boyer-Rachel Kempson Tala Birell-William Henry Willard Parker-Patricia White William Elliott-Vera Ralston Gregory Peck-Jane Wyman (T) Nov. 7/47 Dec. 15/47 Aug. 1/47 July 5/47 Sept.,'47 Oct. 11/47 Nov.,'47 Not Set Aug. 29/47 July/47 Not Set Not Set June/47 June 10/47 Sept. 25/47 Dec. 13/47 Nov. 2 1 ,'47 Not Set Nov. 15/47 Oct. 1/47 Sept. 26/47 Nov. 13/47 Not Set Oct.,'47 Feb. 12/48 Not Set June/47 Jan.,'48 Jan.,'48 Feb. 5/48 Aug. 1/47 May/47 146m 65m 61m 109m 1 00m 103m 87m Sept. 27/47 Dec. 20/47 June 14/47 May 3 1 ,'47 Aug. 2/47 Sept. 20/47 Nov. 1/47 3849 3982 3678 3654 3757 3841 3905 93m July 19/47 3733 67m May 31/47 3654 103m Dec. 27/47 3993 87m May 31/47 3655 58m June 7/47 3665 68m Sept. 27/47 3850 42m 75m Oct. 11/47 3873 89m Sept. 6/47 3817 59m Oct. 1 1/47 3874 92m Aug. 9/47 3769 60m Nov. 22/47 3942 78 m Oct. 4/47 3861 71m 96m 90m May 24/47 Dec. 27/47 Jan. 17/48 3643 3993 4018 84m Aug. 2/47 3758 128m Nov. 30/46 3333 3809 3949 3666 3574 3240 3818 4010 3599 3611 3831 3876 3611 3631 3809 3919 3865 3717 3759 3931 4021 4021 3575 3599 3972 3992 4021 2883 3933 3819 3983 3909 385D 3851 401! 3933 3933 3795 3819 FEATURE PRODUCT, LISTED BY COMPANY IN ORDER OF RELEASE, ON PAGE 4023 4028 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948 Through him . . •West meets East ACROSS his "front page" the world parades . . . before the eyes of movie- goers on Main Street. There, West and East do meet — through the high- ly specialized efforts of the newsreel editor. He sifts the facts and foibles of the world . . . and presents in one short reel the significant, the human, and the odd — the news that helps the world to know itself. To his objectivity . . . his sense of the newsworthy . . . his feeling for concise and graphic storytelling . . . the newsreel owes its unique place in American journalism. Yet the newsreel editor would be the first to give due credit to his staff of cameramen . . . and to the Eastman motion picture films which help them cover the news — and help him present it so effectively. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER 4, N. Y. J. F. BRULATOUR, INC., DISTRIBUTORS FORT LEE • CHICAGO • HOLLYWOOD savage pursuit... defiant love... from the high Sierras to the murderous desert... COLUMBIA PICTURES presents ROBERT MARGUERITE YOUNG * CHAPMAN WILLARD PARKER • AKIM TAMIROFF Barton MacltNE ■ Mike MAZURK1 • Robert BARRAT • Clem B EVANS Screenplay by Winston Miller Directed by GEORGE SHERMAN • Produced by EUGENE B. RODNEY Copy MOTION PICTURE HERALD REVIEWS (In Product Digest) My Girl Tiwi Albuquerque Cell Norths.de 777 To the Ends of the Eerth You Were Meant for Me Angels Alley Main Street Kid) Stage to Mete City (/;/ News Section) Naked City OP "The local admission tax problem is a terrific threat to theatre operation 99 — Oscar Doob, Loew's '"Give exhibitors access to good pictures rather than monopoly-produced mass prod- uct in controlled market" -Justice Department to Supreme Court ATOMIC SHOWMANSHIP AT OAK RIDGE — A Herald Feature BOX OFFICE CHAMPIONS VOL. 170, SO. 4; JAXUARY 24, 2948 Entered as second-class matter, January 12, 1931, at the Post Office, at New York City, U.S.A., under the act of March 3, 1879. Pub- it, hed weekly by Quigley Publishing Co., Inc., at 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Subscription prices: $5.00 a year in the Americas, $10.00 a year Foreign. Single copy, 25 cents. AH contents copyright 1948 by Quigley Publishing Company. ft MAY WE LET DOWN OUR HAIR AND TALK FRANKLY! M-G-M has more current pictures in the box-office leadlines than any other company. For instance: GREEN DOLPHIN STREET spectacular audience hit is hold-over champ. (Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Donna Reed, Richard Hart) itinued) CASS TIMBERLANE positively sensational in all early dates. For instance, it's M-G-M's 5-year high in Tulsa! (Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Zachary Scott) GOOD NEWS spreads Technicolor joy across the nation. Good news everywhere! (June Allyson, Peter Lawford) HIGH WALL is hair-raising! Audiences thrilled at Capitol, N.Y. World Premiere and all first bookings. (Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter, Herbert Marshall) KILLER McCOY is a socko entertainment delighting the folks from coast to coast. (Mickey Rooney, Brian Donlevy, Ann Blyth) Yes, the bald facts are that with these fine current entertainments and a terrific line-up of Big Ones coming, here's the new industry slogan — oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo coo o 0 o B Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo oooooooooooo M G M GREAT IN '48 NEW GOLD STRIKE IN CALIFORNIA! Bd |/ BONANZA 3-THEATRE WORLD PREMIERE UNDER WAY IN LOS ANGELES NOW! The RECORD ACCLAIM for BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR!" — N. Y. Film Critics' Award 'GENTLEMAN' AGREEMENT" is matched only by its "The very best picture of the year!" — Harold V. Cohen, Pittsburgh Post Gazette "A masterpiece! The cinema at its mightiest!"— KoW Krug, Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph "Most exciting drama of year!" — Philip K. Seheuer, Los Angeles Times BOXOFFICE RECORD in New York (11th week), Chicago (11th week), Pittsburgh, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles! "Greatest picture this year!" — Harrison Carroll, L. A. Herald-Express "Darryl Zanuck had better clear the 20th Century- Fox shelves for the raft of Oscars this production merits." — George Bourfce, Miami Herald "'Gentleman's Agreement' is a rare combination of intelligence, integrity, courage, and enter- tainment!" — Dorothy Raymer, Miami Daily Newt "One of the finest films of this or any year." — Judge May, Jacksonville Times-Union CENTURY-FOX MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARTIN QU1GLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher TERRY RAMSAYE, Editor Vol. 170, No. 4 OP January 24, 1948 WHO ASKED THEM? ANEW and high mark among fhe presumptions of the bureaucratic ideologists of Washington was reached this week in the Department of Justice preliminary appeal brief in the anti-trust case, a document exchanged with the defendants. It is a declaration aimed at addressing the United States Supreme Court, observing that the conduct of the defendants in the past "gives little hope that they will in the future encourage production of the wide variety of films needed to satisfy the wide variety of tastes possessed by the potential American film audience, rather than a standardized mass product adapted to profitable exhibit in a controlled market. . . . The content now is controlled by the prejudices and the moral attitudes of those who control. . . ." It would be difficult to conceive a more gratuitous line of observation. The case at bar, entitled the United States vs. Paramount et al., in equity 87-273, filed July 20, 1938, was concerned with the enforcement of the anti-trust statutes as pertaining to the trade practices of the defendants as business institutions. The matter of the "wide variety of tastes", or of some "potential American film audience", was not declared at issue or taken to court. Further, "control of the content" and "the moral attitudes of those who control" distribution are not covered by any of the law, or issues of fact, before the court. The Department of Justice is merely lippy about matters that are none of its business. Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial. a ■ ■ INSPIRED TIME COCKY, know-it-all and arrogant Time, the rewrite news magazine, in the course of a disquisition compiled of composite rumors, promulgates the assertion that "Forever Amber" was "among the big money-makers of 1947". Obviously the piece is more informative pertaining to the Time school of journalism than it is informing about the state of the motion picture. Incidentally the same issue, January 19, in its corres- pondence columns presents part of a letter from Mr. Spyros Skouras, president of Twentieth Century- Fox Film Corporation, in which he takes issue with a prior outgiving of Time headed "Greek Gift", which had charged that he had planned and executed a dual career for "Amber" consisting of, first, a version bound to get the publicity of condemnation by the Legion of Decency, and, second, then a purified version to play out remaining engagements. The editor's note following the letter says: "Time indeed guessed wrong." "Guessed wrong" is a decidedly confessional phrase for an editor to apply, in naif candour, to the processes of production of his publication. The same fantastically informative issue relates that Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer has cut its payroll 40 per cent, "wiping out one entire echelon of executives". Sounds devastating, if true. Also, how many make an echelon? Who says? Who counted? Additionally Time, in all its ^resumption of penetrating inside information, fails to make record of the fact that the executives of Twentieth Century- Fox consider that the worst mishap among the ill-fortunes of "Amber" was the extremely adverse report on the picture made by Life, a publication in the Time family. It is often manifest that Time's writers enjoy a patronizing superciliousness in dealing with . the motion picture. It is denoted in the issue under examination with the line: "One frightened Hollywoodenhead said that the last Academy Award winner, 'The Best Years of Our Lives', could not have been made now (one of the villains was a banker)." The mani- festation pertains to their common sophomoric pleasure in the coinage, "Hollywoodenhead". Also, there is a straining at a point ignoring the fact that there was no villain, in that the banker concerned merely objected to the somewhat radical notion of a departmental head, played by Fredric March, that G. I. Joes should get loans without collateral. That is the aspect which got the picture talked about in Washington. It seems probable that the whole expression was a concoction to surround the toy word. Exemplification of the merry order of inconsistency is afforded in two paragraphs of the offering: I — "Hollywood's way out seemed to be escape movies and relatively inexpensive little formula pictures about domestic life that Hollywood knew would pay off. ..." 2 — Somewhat later, it is observed: "In the end the real victims of the panic might well be the movie- goers, who would probably get poorer fare for their money." The deduction is, you will note, that the fare will be poorer, in Time's eyes, but that the customers will like it. Time's writer thinks that is bad. CRITIC A-WONDERINC THE other day Mr. Ashton Stevens, the distinguished dramatic critic of the Chicago Herald-American, was feeling aglow and comfortable after dinner at FritzePs caravanserie and took his pen in hand to speak with enthusiasm about television. He saw it "perchance doing to the motion picture what it had done to vaudeville and even to the legitimate, unless ..." The "unless" is an undefined alliance. Meanwhile, Mr. Stevens considers: "When television enters my home, rendering no longer necessary for attendance on a show, the top hat, the white tie, the ebony stick, the Rolls- Royce and the Annie Oakley ... an entire photoplay at my fireside. ..." Mr. Stevens' plea of the first nighter and his nostalgia ignores quite the fact that some millions are able to go to a show without top hat, white tie and ebony stick, requiring only the price of the seats, and a bag of popcorn to share with the girl. The theatre with its decor, plush seats and deep carpet supplies the grandeurs. They generally have no fire- side a>nd, further, they are looking for some place to go. Our esteemed contemporary in Chicago may be assured that the motion picture, the people's theatre, will not be found drowsing when television gets so it can say something competitively entertaining. — Terry Ramsaye »m»mn»»n»»m»tnmnmnmm»uwwuuw«mHW»»nnw tttxa THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Revenge EVER SINCE the industry stopped produc- ing those handy slides which asked women in the audience to kindly remove their hats, the men in the theatre audiences have been having trouble. Seems that the women just aren't going to take off their hats without those slides to remind them. A man down in Tulsa the other day got good and mad at the hatted woman sitting in front of him. He had tapped her politely on the shoulder and pleasantly requested her to remove the thing. She wouldn't. And then, she told police and the police told the newspapers, the man grabbed the hat from her head, threw it in the aisle, got out of his seat and stomped all over it and stalked from the theatres. By Force Montevideo Bureau THE URUGUAYAN Parliament in 1941 passed a bill making it compulsory that a lo- cally produced newsreel on national items be shown with every full length feature. That bill could never be enforced owing to the lack of necessary equipment and laboratories and the impossibility of acquiring those necessities. Lately, however, two regular national newsreels have come into existence, both drawing large crowds into the newsreel theatres. The local press is now urging the enforcement of the law and a government subsidy for the newsreels in the form of yearly awards which would be distributed to the best productions. At the same time, large scale loans on easy terms are requested for the production of full length pictures. At present only one or two features a year are produced here. Dispute THERE'S a fight brewing in New Jersey. There, recently, the New Jersey Poll, an in- dependent public opinion research organiza- tion of Princeton, sent all Jersey newspapers the results of its poll on the question of mo- tion pictures and children. The poll, for re- lease January 15, was summed up this way: "Three out of every five New Jersey resi- dents who believe movies influence the lives of children are of the opinion that the influ- ence is bad." Well, sir, the New Jersey chapter of the Theatre Owners of America got up in arms about that and sent telegrams to all the editors and challenged those con- clusions on four points : not setting forth a valid basis for such a conclusion, not setting forth the category of citizens who were polled, not setting forth the questionnaire to which the answers were responsive, and, in short, "the conclusions merely constitute an MOTION PICTURE HERALD for January 24, 1948 ADMISSION tax an orphan on the political battlefield Page 13 URGES control of export films; MPAA project set Page 16 DIVORCEMENT only remedy, U. S. brief says- — again Page 17 W. G. RILEY uncloaked as Mr. X behind Del Giudice Page 29 LIBERATED screen flourishes in Italy — by Martin Quigley, Jr. Page 22 BOX OFFICE Champions for the month of December Page 23 WHO SAYS it must take millions or noth- ing?— by Red Kann Page 24 ATOMIC researchers at Oak Ridge like movies, too Page 25 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on indus- try personnel across country Page 28 TOTAL of 239 American films shown in Mexico during 1947 Page 40 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS From Readers Late Review Hollywood Scene In the Newsreels Managers' Round Table Picture Grosses Page 42 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 43 Page 49 Short Product at First Runs ' Page 39 What the Picture Did for Me Page 38 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 4029 Reissue Reviews Page 4031 Advance Synopses Page 4031 Short Subjects Page 4031 The Release Chart Page 4032 interpretation, without giving the public the benefit of the factual basis from which the set of inferences were drawn." The poll declared that New Jersey residents felt mo- tion pictures "put bad ideas into children's minds that they imitate" and that "present- day movie offerings lead children to juvenile delinquency." New Look A BLOCK BIG theatre, restaurant and office building of modern design will be go- ing up on Broadway in about a year — on the block bounded by Broadway, Seventh Ave- nue, Fifty-first and Fifty-second Streets, a total of 16,000 square feet and assessed at $2,500,000. To make way for the ultra- modern 13-story aluminum, glass and marble building a lot of buildings are going to be pulled down. These include the Republic theatre, formerly the Warner, where talking motion pictures were introduced with "The Jazz Singer" in 1927 and the well-known Roseland ballroom. Also to be cut down are a swarm of shooting galleries, penny arcades and billiard halls, many offices of theatrical agents, a restaurant or two and a jewelry store. Herbert J. Freezer, president of a shirt manufacturing company which bears his name, is the owner of the projected building. He's leased the block for 90 years, paying $9,000,000 for the first 30 years. It hasn't been decided who'll get the theatre. Money's Worth IF YOU FEEL you're not getting your money's worth when you buy your way in- to a theatre, you might go down to Louis- ville and attend one of Allen Bradley's Sat- urday Night Surprise Parties. He's re- cently remodeled his suburban Ritz and has invited his patrons to come in on a Satur- day night at 7 o'clock and hang around un- til 12:30. You do that and here's what you'll get: two features, one Western fea- ture, five cartoons, and sufficient comedies to balance the program. Mr. Bradley re- ports a full house every Saturday night. Who, Us? Washington Bureau AS TOUCHY as Hollywood is about taxes, you'd think he would have known better. But Friday, House Ways and Means Com- mittee Chairman Knutson asked the Secre- tary of the Treasury whether he had any comment on the fact that "it's been fre- quently remarked that the President's tax program was hatched in Hollywood." The Secretary replied that he thought such a statement was "ridiculous." To which Mr. Knu'tson said that Representative Helen Gahagan Douglas— an actress turned Con- gresswoman — claimed that she had long ago introduced a tax bill similar to the Presi- dent's. The controversy ended when Repre- sentative Forand, a Democrat from Rhode Island, observed that it was only fair to say that "Mrs. Douglas is a member of Congress even though she does come from Holly- wood." »nmmm»mnmm»»uwuwwiu»»»Mn»»nffitt NHn»»»»»»tnnnn»»»miim»»mnmmi»n»8m' MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 »mn»8{»{»»m»>m»mnm»»»»mtmmnmm»m>mmnmmntmmmmmnntm»^ "Don't Grab" Washington Bureau JAMES C. PETRILLO, president of the American Federation of Musicians, testified before the House Labor Committee Wednes- day that any new contracts with radio net- works would include provisions for FM and television programs. He immediately hedged on this statement, however, when Repre- sentative Carroll D. Kearns remarked in a pleased voice, "that's the best news I've heard yet." Petrillo broke in with, "don't grab so fast." Asked if he had not "held a gun" on Hollywood producers in inserting the restrictive television clause in contracts between the AFM and Hollywood, Petrillo answered that he had not, he had merely thought it would be unfair for networks to buy Hollywood pictures for television use. Mr. Kearns sided with him, saying it had been proved conclusively that there was no collusion on the part of the picture producers and that the Committee would not go into the matter any further. Criticism IF YOU WANT to follow the pattern of the Frenchmen, it's all right to deliver a raspberry to a badly produced play even if you are a salaried critic. Monday night, ac- cording to the Associated Press, the critic for Le Parisien Libere was sitting in his seat watching Sacha C-uitry act in his own play, "The Limping Devil," and this critic didn't like it and he whistled — the European equiv- alent of a raspberry. When the theatre man- agement tried to put the critic out, his fellow critics rose in a body to his defense and said if he goes we go. Everybody stayed — be- lieve it or not. Political Reissue MGM'S REISSUE of "Ninotchka," a satire on Soviet bureaucracy, has been doing all right at the box offices. But it's been doing even better as a political football, being kicked around by the Daily Worker, which characterizes it as a "nine-year-old film slan- der against the Soviet Union," and being de- fended in the editorial columns of the New York Herald Tribune, which doesn't think much of the Worker as a film critic. Said the Tribune in its January 21 issue: "The release of a celluloid comedy has not ordi- narily, in this country, been regarded as a. political event; but when the Daily Worker (which knows so much more about politics than most of us) salutes the current revival of a Greta Garbo film under the headline: ' "Ninotchka" — Look Thomas I'm Dancing' one realizes how ignorant we all are of the finer points of psychological warfare." The W orker, of course, is referring to J. Parnell Thomas, chairman of the House Un-Ameri- can Activities Committee, and his investiga- tion of Hollywood. The Communist organ goes on: "The idea (of reissuing the pic- ture) is to keep Thomas and the other Fas- cists placated until Metro gets their newest anti-Soviet splurge." Replies the Tribune : "Art has its own revenge. That 'little mouse of thought,' so terrifying to totalitarians, is not half so terrifying as the still lighter touch of humor. Otherwise, the Daily Worker would not be half so worked up. 'Ninotchka' happens to be very funny, as well as skillful." Rich, Full Life WHEN the Columbus-Phenix City Minis- terial Alliance wanted Columbus, Ga., mo- tion picture theatres closed on Sundays, Solicitor General Edward Wohlwender, Jr., spoke up for the Chattahoochee Judicial Cir- cuit and opined that if he closed the theatres he would have to "close down everything that is not a necessity of life." That he didn't want to do. And those Sunday shows have been helping the city. W. C. Pease, Jr., president of the Consolidated Community Chest in Columbus, stepped into the argu- ment with some facts and figures, pointing out that Sunday shows had netted $6,298.80 for the Chest during 1947. "I am informed these contributions comprise approximately 75 per cent of the net revenues of the thea- tres on Sunday," Mr. Pease said, in ex- pousing the Sunday show cause. In Sioux Center, la., the story was dif- ferent. There, by a majority vote of 61, the 2,000 citizens of the center decided against continuing Sunday shows. Opposition to the shows had been voiced by the Ministerial Association which charged that "the theatre is definitely opposed to our spiritual wel- fare." "Rightful Share 99 Hollywood Bureau THE SOCIETY of Independent Motion Picture Producers will undertake a vigorous drive to "restore freedom of enterprise and to gain a rightful share of the box office income" that organization's executive com- mittee announced Wednesday. "The inde- pendent producer was never closer to a free market for his picture, or in a better position to receive the full support his pictures de- serve from the public," the announcement said. PEOPLE Spyros P. Skouras, president of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, left New York Tuesday for England to discuss with J. Arthur Rank the proposed merger of the Gaumont-British and Odeon circuits. He said he planned no discussions on the British ad valorem film tax. David O. Selznick has been appointed chairman of the Freedom Train Com- mittee of Los Angeles by Mayor Fletch- er Bowron. Herman M. Levy, general counsel of the Theatre Owners of America, has been appointed a member of the Committee on Review of the Code of the American Ar- bitration Association. Thomas Hodge, with the British Informa- tion Service in the United States since 1942, has been named the director of the Films & Publications Division of that organization with headquarters in New York. Harold Auten, handling the runs of J. Arthur Rank's "Henry V" and Ameri- can representative for Greater Union Theatres of Australia, was presented the Order of Orange Nassau with Swords, Degree of Commander, by the Nether- lands Government in Washington last Saturday. R. Norton Henry, State Department for- eign service officer, last Friday in Wash- ington was appointed film adviser to the Department, succeeding George Canty. Max Milder, managing director of War- ner Brothers Pictures, Ltd., of London, arrived in New York on the Queen Mary • last Friday for home office and studio conferences. Ben Goetz, head of MGM's production activities in England, will leave London next Wednesday for New York for con- ferences with home office and studio ex- ecutives. Crawford H. Greenwalt was named presi- dent of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Com- pany on Monday. He replaces Walter S. Carpenter, Jr., resigned, who has been elected chairman of the board. Ralph Cramblet, United Artists branch manager in Minneapolis, was appointed midwestern district manager for the com- pany by J. J. Unger, general sales man- ager, Tuesday. His headquarters will be in Chicago. Edward Stoller will succeed Mr. Cramblet in Minneapolis. Alf Sjoberg, Swedish director whose credits include the prize-winning "Tor- ment" has been signed by David O. Selznick to direct Ibsen's "A Doll's House" to be produced in Sweden. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Quigpubco, New York", Martin Quigley,' President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building; Chicago, Editorial and Advertising, 120 South LaSalle Street, Telephone Andover 6449, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative'; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4' Golden Square. Corre- spondents in 'the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 9 THIS WEEK the Camera reports: VICE-REGAL greetings to Mary Pickford, right, at the opening, in the Elgin theatre, Ottawa, Canada, of her latest, "Sleep, My Love". Miss Pickford is met at the vice-regal box by His Excellency,. Viscount Alexander, Canadian Governor General; Lady Alexander, and, at the right, rear, Prime Minister W. L. MacKenzie King. DEAL IN VIDEO. Jerry Fairbanks, left, signs for production and supervision of NBC's television film program. Sid Strotz, right, NBC executive vice-president for the Pacific Coast, and Hal Bock, NBC Hollywood television director, watch the proceeding in Hollywood. By the Herald GUEST. Alida Valli, center, last week was tendered a reception at the Radio City Music Hall, New York, housing the Selznick picture starring her in "The Paradine Case". With her are G. S. Eyssell, left, the theatre's managing director, and Leo Carroll, featured player in the film. THE WARNER PATHE NEWS ROOSTER, Bill, as he arrived in Los Angeles the other day to make his screen debut. Winner over 8,000 other beauties in an Oklahoma City contest, the new trademark is, at the age of one year, the "ideal camera subject". He crows — after some urging. And he stays motionless for as long as one minute. ic MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 LOUIS GROEN, Motion Pic- ture Export Association managing director in Hol- land, is marking 25 years in the industry. He began as the first Holland manager for the old Fox Film Corporation. LONDON FAREWELL for Max Milder, Warner managing director, prior to his departure for the United States. His hosts were officials of As- sociated British Cinemas. In left to right order are Robert Clark, ABC direc- tor; Mr. Milder; Sir Philip Warter, ABC board chairman; Dr. E. M. G. Fletcher, solicitor of Warner Brothers Pictures, Ltd., and William Maloney, O.B.E. Mr. Milder's American journey was to include conferences at the New York home offices and at the Hollywood studio with Jack L. Warner, vice- president in charge of production. TWIN PREMIERE, in two adjacent theatres. The occasion was the advent of David O. Selznick's "The Paradine Case". Mr. Selznick took over Westwood Village, laid a red carpet between the Bruin and Westwood Village theatres and erected a connecting canopy. Some 2,000 assorted celebrities attended; the other thousands jammed against police lines. IN NEW YORK, as Jack Wrather, Texas oil man and independent producer for Allied Artists, met the press at the offices of Monogram International. In left to right order are Mr. Wrather; Norton Ritchey, Monogram International president, and Bonita Granville, actress and Mr. Wrather's wife. Mr. Wrather said Hollywood's economies will result in better pictures. Such pictures need ideas, not extravagance, he said. Mr. Wrather next will make "Strike It Rich", on a budget of $650,000 to $750,000, he said. It will be in Cinecolor. By the Herald MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 l>»llt»l»»lillllllllllllllt>i|||||||||i)||llltllllllll!llll>lllllll!IIIIIHIIIIIIllllll!l THE FIGHTING is on stage, officially. The scene is at the Century Circuit's Patio theatre, Brooklyn, where the New York Daily News ran its first elimination bouts in the annual Golden Gloves boxing tournament. The circuit donated the house in the interests of the Flatbush Boys Club. By the Herald ROBERT PRESNELL, SR., partner with John Reinhardt in the new ARPI Productions, as he saw the trade press in the New York offices of Film Classics, releasing his product. Tighter script writing and shooting schedules are answers to increased Hollywood production costs, he said. AS CLEVELAND exhibitors saw "Sleep, My Love" and drank cocktails with producer Buddy Rogers at the Hotel Statler. Left to right, Max Lefkowich and Leo Greenburger, Community Circuit; Meyer Fine and Abe Kramer, Associated Theatres, flank Mr. Rogers; Milton Mooney, Cooperative Theatres of Ohio, and Moe Horwitz, Washington Circuit. IN NEW YORK, John Garfield, right, receives, as stand-in for producer Darryl F. Zanuck, the New York Critics Award of the Year, for 'Gentleman's Agreement", the "best picture of from Otis Guernsey, Herald Tribune film critic. 1947' NOT IN SCRIPT. The scene after the big Douglas'DC-2, "The Falcon", crashed at Burbank, Calif., while being flown from the I j Lockheed factory to ceremonies preparatory to a tour to exploit Philip Krasne's "Falcon" series. John Calvert, series star, at the controls, j * was seriously injured. Above are leading lady Rochelle Hudson, Ted McGarry and Don Hix, Falcon Productions publicity director. iHtmimiimiminmniimMmtiimttmmimmimmtittmimmiiimiiimr n MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948: ADMISSION TAX AN ORPHAN ON POLITICAL BATTLEFIELD THE TAX prospect for 1948 is more taxes. Exhibitors of the United States, having waited for two and a half years for the 20 per cent "wartime" Federal admission tax to be reduced, cannot hope for relief at least until after the November elec- tions, according to Washington political auguries. In addition, there is no end in sight of the flood of local admission taxes which spread like an epidemic last year. Leading circuit executives were forthright in describing the tax situation locally as a "serious threat" to operations. The only bright spot in the picture is in Canada, where Government officials indi- cated plans for early repeal of the Dominion 20 per cent admission tax. But even there exhibitors expect that provincial Governments will take up the slack. by J. A. OTTEN in Washington With tax-lines taking shape on Capitol Hill, one thing stands out: no one with any influence on tax legislation is talking about a cut in the Federal admission tax. There are several bills in Congress to re- duce the tax; others will be coming. Influ- ential groups have asked for repeal of the admission tax in particular; others have urged an early end to all excises. But the people who are writing the GOP and Demo- cratic tax programs for this last session of the 80th Congress agrees that any such step stands very little chance of enactment. One reason above all others is responsible 1948 is an election year. Both Republicans and Democrats have to do their tax cutting where it will get them the most votes — and the exhibitor does not bulk very large at the polls. Administration Tax Reluctance Clear Last week and early this week the House Ways and Means Committee held hearings on the so-called Knutson bill, the touchstone of Republican tax thinking. During these hearings Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snyder hinted that President Truman would veto this measure and urged instead the Ad- ministration-backed Dingell bill, which would provide a $40 per capita tax credit. The House Republican leadership hopes to have the Knutson bill — or one very much like it — passed within two or three weeks. They feel confident, too, that with the vote- catching community property provision, they can override any Presidential veto. However, financial figures in Congress contend, in order to get the votes necessary to override a veto, the sum total of tax cut- ting will have to be held down, since many members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, favor keeping some budget surplus for debt reduction. To get votes in Congress, the Republicans will have to keep the community property principle. To get votes at the polls in November, they will have to keep sizeable income tax cuts and/or increased exemp- tions. When these are added together, little room is left for cuts in excise taxes. That's the way it shapes up now. Any- thing can happen in the horse-trading that goes on over any tax bill. But it still looks like the Federal admission tax is one of the horses which is the least likely to be swapped. "Documented facts" on the extent to which the 20 per cent Federal admission tax has been reducing theatre attendance throughout the country will be submitted in about three weeks to the House Ways and Means Com- mittee and the Senate Finance Committee by the Theatre Owners of America. TOA mem- ber units in every state are now collecting this data, according to Robert W. Coyne, TOA executive director. CANADA WILL END TAX MARCH 31 Toronto Bureau That the Canadian Government will va- cate the amusement tax field, thus permit- ting Provincial governments to collect taxes on admissions, was announced last Friday by the Dominion Finance Minister D. C. Abbott following several meetings with J. J. Fitzgibbons, chairman of the central ex- hibitors committee, and Government officials. The Federal 20 per cent tax is expected to be eliminated at the conclusion of the fiscal year March 31. Under the new arrangement provinces will be permitted to levy amusement taxes and could allocate portions of their revenues OFFER BILLS TO CUT FEDERAL TAX TO 10% Washington Bureau Two bills, both calling for a reduc- tion in the Federal admission tax to the pre-war rate of 10 per cent were introduced in the House of Represen- tatives early this week. The first was sponsored by Rep. Harold C. Hagen of Minnesota and the second by Rep. Gordon McDonough of California. Rep. Hagen's bill would make the cut effective June 30, 1948. Early action on either bill is considered unlikely. collected from this source to municipalities for the benefit of hospitals and civic chari- ties. Mr. Abbott's announcement followed a concerted campaign on the part of Canadian exhibitors to eliminate the wartime levy on grosses. The Government's decision is seen as pointing up a revival of Ontario's 10 per cent admission tax, eliminated before the war. Mayor R. H. Saunders of Toronto has campaigned the past several years for authority to levy a tax on amusement ad- missions. LOCAL TAXES ARE CALLED UNJUST This week theatre executives voiced their disapproval of the wave of "unjust" and "dis- criminatory" amusement taxes which con- tinue to be levied against theatres by local governments. Oscar A. Doob, general theatre executive for Loew's Theatres, said, "the admission tax situation around the country has be- come a terrific threat, and one of the more important of the many current problems" confronting exhibitors. Other executives have expressed the fear that if and when the Government should ever reduce the Federal amusement tax, mu- nicipal, city and state governments would step in with new tax plans, thus eliminating any benefit to exhibitors or to the public. This was further emphasized by Leo F. Walcott, chairman of the Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska, in a warning to exhibitors in a current bulle- tin. Quoting from a monthly magazine pub- lished by the League of Iowa Municipali- ties, he said the League termed an amuse- ment tax an ideal local tax and went on to quote the publication as claiming the Federal Government is likely to reduce or abandon this field and that "municipalities should be ready to step in" as "the yield can be sub- stantial, particularly in larger cities." Urges Taxes Be Fixed Evenly in Brackets The publication warns municipalities to fix the tax by brackets, with a graduated tax in even cents in each bracket, rather than a percentage of admission charge, as "this is easier to defend" because the tax will be on the person going to the place of amuse- ment. In a speech delivered extemporaneously before the United Theatre Owners of Illi- nois recently, State Senator C. F. Carpen- tier, legislative representative for the UTO, blamed the flood of local taxes partly on ex- (Continued on page 16, column 3) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 13 its suspensefuli COLUMBIA PICTURES presents ROBERT MARGUERITE YOUNG * CHAPMAN with WILLARD PARKER • AKIM TAMIROFF BARTON MacLANE • MIKE MAZIIRKI • ROBERT BARRAT • CLEM BEVANS Screenplay by Winston Miller Directed by GEORGE SHERMAN • Produced by EUGENE B. RODNEY encounter* • • defiant love COLOR BY Senator Urges Export Control; MPAA Plan Set Senator H. A. Smith of New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at a Washington press confer- ence last week urged that American pic- tures going abroad be subjected to closer scrutiny in an effort "to relate the kind of picture which the industry is sending abroad to our whole foreign program." His appeal preceded passage by the Senate early this week of the Mundt Bill which lacked the provision that would have aided Ameri- can companies in unfreezing some of their funds abroad. Supervise Export A program of selective export control has long been in the planning stage on the desks of Motion Picture Association execu- tives. The department actually was set up on the coast early in 1947 by Gerald Mayer, head of the MPAA's international division. However, during 1947, it limped along with a one-man staff, employing a South American expert. Lately, a second man with European background was taken on. It is understood the bureau checks scripts and advises producers on what phases may be objectionable to foreign audiences. Senator Smith had nothing but praise for the job done by the industry abroad, but said some films "showing the seamy side of America" were being exported. He stressed that his was a plea for quality ex- port, not for censorship and said the State Department soon would organize a study group to consider the problem. He also made it clear that both Congress and the State Department were concerned over the frozen fund problem faced by the communi- cations industries and especially the film industry. Predict Industry Aid The Mundt Bill might conceivably have been of some help in solving the question, but the Senators steered away from the problem in order not to delay passage of the whole measure. Nevertheless it was indicated that the State Department would continue working on the problem and that a special committee might be set up also to aid producers with their funds abroad. Senator Smith said the industry had done a "yeoman job of holding the fort" for the Government overseas information service and that he did not want the producers to be compelled to withdraw now because of the currency situation. Industry and Gov- ernment representatives have held several meetings on the problem during the past few weeks, but State Department men have complained that they have not been fur- nished sufficiently detailed data to proceed with their quest for a solution to the diffi- culties facing the industry. Equity Pictures Formed to Produce for Eagle Lion Harry H. Thomas has announced the formation of Equity Pictures, Inc., indepen- dent producing company, which plans to turn out 22 pictures during its first year, in- cluding six in color, for release through Eagle Lion. Mr. Thomas is president of the new company, and Howard Welsch, former Universal studio executive, is vice- president. Other officers are Jack Schwartz and Sid Justman, who have financial interest in the Motion Picture Centre Studio where Equity will make its headquarters. Jerry- Thomas will join the company in a produc- tion capacity. Already completed is "The Enchanted Valley," a color picture starring Alan Curtis and Anne Gwynne, and "Head- ing for Heaven," with Stuart Erwin and Glenda Farrell. Both were produced by- Mr. Schwartz and are now part of the com- pany program. On February 15, Equity will begin production of the color feature, "Jungle Girl." U-I's "All My Sons" Set For Roadshow Release Universal-International has scheduled a special roadshow release for its production of "All My Sons," to be .released April 15. In making the announcement Monday, William A. Scully, vice-president and gen- eral sales manager, said : "In order to em- phasize the quality and stature of 'All My Sons,' it is evident that to do justice to this unusual production, not only from the standpoint of distribution, but also from the exhibitor's point of view, it is necessary to highlight the release of this picture with roadshow and advance admission price en- gagements. . . . The present-day market certainly can accommodate this specialized type of distribution, particularly when the grandeur of theme in such a picture cannot be put into proper focus unless the public is especially informed about its merit." "All My Sons" is based on the Broadway stage production. Set Convention Program For Variety Clubs Edward C. May, entertainment chair- man for Variety Clubs International's twelfth annual convention, has announced the following program for the convention, to be held in Miami Beach April 12-19: April 12, get acquainted party at the Roney Plaza Hotel; April 13, Jai Alai night at Biscayne Fronton ; April 14, south seas party on Key Biscayne; April 15, trip to Tropical Park race courses, luncheon, a special Variety race, formal dance at the Roney Plaza; April 16, dog races; April 17, Aloha party. AMPA to Nominate The nominating committee of the Asso- ciated Motion Picture Advertisers, New York, Friday was to nominate : Max Young- stein for president; David Blum, vice-presi- dent; Harry Mc Williams, treasurer; Evelyn Koleman, secretary. TAXATION (Continued from page 13) hibitors because of their failure to develop good public relations with their communi- ties, city councils, state legislators and Con- gressional representatives. He said the Federal 20 per cent tax is excessive, but that there is little change in sight until ex- hibitors pay more attention to the value of legislative relations. Meanwhile, Florence Fisher Parry, col- umnist for the Pittsburgh Press, recently de- voted a full column to the city's recently im- posed amusement tax. Columnist Attacks New Pittsburgh Levy "I think the new tax is an outrage," she wrote. "Amusement tax is a misnomer. It always has been. The theatre, the symphony, the stadium, the movies, these aren't only amusements. These are therapies — the best in the world ; better than all the medicine that could be prescribed; the greatest re- plenishment the spirit could ever be given. Next thing you know we'll have a tax on laughter, on sleep — and heaven knows what other great therapies." But despite the indignation of public and industry the taxes continue. In Harrisburg, Pa., a new 10 per cent tax will be levied beginning March 11. In a series of actions voted by the City Council, the 10 per cent amusement tax was imposed, the mercantile tax was increased and city employees were granted a five per cent salary increase. In Effingham, 111., the City Council has received and is considering a proposal to tax local amusements. Submitted by the Il- linois Municipal League, the tax was sug- gested as a form of revenue that could be utilized by municipalities who have found themselves in financial straits. St. Louis Exhibitors Sue Over Municipal Tax A suit contending that St. Louis' recently enacted five per cent tax on gross receipts of theatres is invalid and asking an injunc- tion prohibiting enforcement of the ordi- nance was filed last Friday in the Circuit Court by 11 theatres and circuits. The ordinance was attacked as arbitrary, un- reasonable, discriminatory and confiscatory. The Borough Council in Boyertown, Pa., instead of passing an amusement tax as an- ticipated, passed a higher tax rate on real estate. In Wilmington, Del., A. Joseph DeFiore, owner of the Park theatre, appeared before the City Council to plead for a reduction of the annual license fee for all city theatres. Fees were raised last year from $300 to $600 annually for all theatres. Despite the opposition of theatre owners, the City Commission of Camden, N. J., is preparing to adopt a one per cent city amusement tax. To Build Near Reading Samuel Felt and Martin S. Robert will build a theatre in the borough of Temple, outside of Reading, Pa. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 DIVORCEMENT ONLY REMEDY U. S. BRIEF SAYS— AGAIN Stresses Cross - Licensing Ban; Calls Competitive Bidding No Relief The Government's long and constant de- mand for divorcement of production and dis- tribution from exhibition was reiterated again Wednesday when the Department of Justice filed with the Supreme Court its ap- peal in the U. S. vs. Paramount, et al, anti- trust suit. The Government's brief also: 1. Asked for a 10-year ban on cross- licensing while the remedy of theatre di- vestiture is being put into effect. 2. Insisted that the New York District Court should have compelled the theatre- owning defendants to sell their interests held jointly with independents, rather than allowing them to buy out the inde- pendents' interest. 3. Attacked the competitive bidding provisions of the decree as "no affirmative relief at all" and as "ineffective." 4. Urged that the Supreme Court ab- solutely prohibit the circuits from further expansion. In a relatively new role as a critic of motion pictures, the Government was con- cerned over the quality and content of motion pictures controlled by monopoly, since films are now highly regarded as a means for communication of ideas. The brief declared that past actions of the defendants "give little hope that they will in the future encourage production of the wide variety of films needed to satisfy the wide variety of tastes possessed by the potential American film audience, rather than a standardized mass product adapted to profitable exhibit in a controlled market. . . . The content now is controlled by the preju- dices and the moral attitudes of those who control the channels of distribution." Majors Attack Bidding And Divestiture Clauses This brief of the Government's and those of the defendants' were exchanged in Wash - ington Friday, January 16. Paramount, RKO, Twentieth Century- Fox and Loew's charged that the District Court erred in prohibiting them from ex- panding their theatre interests and protested that the court was wrong in stating that their interests with independents should be termi- nated and that interests of from five to 95 per cent in independent theatres were illegal. They saw no reason for divestiture, no rea- son for competitive bidding. Universal, in addition to challenging the competitive bidding provisions, is seeking exemption from almost all of the provisions of the decree, contending that it has never NOW CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FILES, TOO The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief Monday with the Supreme Court asserting that "monopolistic trends" of the motion picture industry are a threat to the freedom, of the press. The court was asked to compel Paramount and the other majors to give up their owner- ship of theatres. Claiming that the First Amendment of the Constitution, in protecting freedom of the press, now must be held to protect the right of the public "to enjoy the benefits of maximum diversification" and "competition of ideas in the pro- duction and the exhibiting of motion pictures", the Union's brief charges that the producers "have, in effect, established an economic dictatorship over one of the world's three greatest media for the dissemination of ideas and materials of persuasion and pub- lic opinion". Among the signers of the brief were Wendell Berge, for- mer Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Anti-Trust Division, who initiated the anti-trust suit against the industry. been guilty of participation in any combina- tion or conspiracy. On or before February 2 both sides must file their replies to each other with the Su- preme Court. Arguments before the high court are scheduled to get under way February 9. American Theatres Association has filed its brief on competitive bidding with the Supreme Court. Appealing from the deci- sion of the New York District Court, ATA attacked the order as "an invalid exercise of the court's power" which, if enforced, will result in "irreparable injury to appellant in- terveners and all other exhibitors." Arbitration Budgets Renewed Pending Appeal Decision Appropriations for the continuance of the industry's arbitration system will be con- tinued from February 1, the end of the system's fiscal year, pending a decision from the Supreme Court on the New York Dis- trict Court's order in the Paramount, et al, anti-trust suit dissolving the system. The system has been budgeted at $300,000 an- nually, supplied by the majors, exclusive of salaries for the members of the arbitration appeals board. File New Suits In Chicago Chicago Bureau As Jackson Park Theatre attorneys moved to cite the major distributors in con- tempt for violating the Jackson Park decree, a new anti-trust action based on the decree was brought against 16 major production and distributing firms. The new action was filed in U. S. District Court here Tuesday by Saul Meltzer, own- er of the Rivoli and Rockne theatres, who is seeking $900,000 in treble damages. He charges he was damaged by booking and pricing practices outlawed by the decree. Specifically, he charges the defendant com- panies gave precedence to features in thea- tres owned or controlled by them and al- lowed neighborhood houses to play pictures only after lengthy Loop runs. Friday Jackson Park attorneys asked Fed- eral Judge Michael Igoe to order the major distributors to show cause why they should not be cited for contempt. Attorneys for the distributors were to appear in court Thursday to show cause why they should not be cited. Court Notified of Malco Trust Suit Settlement An order stating that the $3,378,000 suit against M. A. Lightman, Paul and W. F. Zerilla and Malco Theatres and eight ma- jor film companies had been settled by agreement was filed in Federal Court at Memphis January 14. The anti-trust ac- tion had been filed by a group of neighbor- hood theatres in August, 1946, charging the defendants with operating a monopoly of distribution in Memphis. It is under- stood the case was settled for $200,000. Court Upholds 20th-Fox In Salinas Case Federal Judge John Bright ruled in the New York District Court Tuesday that only parties to the decree in the Paramount, et al, anti-trust suit can bring court action on alleged violation of the decree and so upheld a motion by Twentieth Century-Fox and National Theatres that the New Salinas Theatre Corp., Calif., is not qualified to ini- tiate action against the defendant companies. New Salinas had filed action last fall charg- ing that National's construction of a theatre at Watsonville, Calif., constituted expansion of theatre interests and was therefore in vio- lation of the decree. 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V, <& SS 8- » SS 9 SS « ss « >»»*•»*«*•»« ii s ss * SS .■■, . ''.''; ii 3 ii S; s s Si Si -Si si is -ii Si ii> 8. jV/G/ir SOAK MAKES BOX OFFICE MUSIC WITH Pictorial n eview BOX OFFICE MUSIC comes nat- urally through Pictorial Review advertising. Here's synchronized selling power . . . ads exactly timed to opening dates in each of our ten great markets. The local impact of this local entertainment news moves Pictorial Review's 6,500,000 families to box offices throughout the nation. Remember, among na- tional magazines, only Pictorial Review tells these families what's playing where— right in their own home town. That's box office music —box office magic every time! Pictorial n eview Covering over 6,500,000 families in 10 major markets through the Sunday issues of: New York Journal-American Baltimore American Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph Detroit Times Los Angeles Examiner Chicago Herald-American San Francisco Examiner ^Milwaukee Sentinel Seattle Post-Intelligencer Boston Advertiser (♦Milwaukee Sentinel represented for Pictorial Review only) II II 111 II III II III II HI II HI H III II III || A HEARST PUBLICATION REPRESENTED NATIONALLY BY HEARST ADVERTISING SERVICE British Reported Ready to Freeze Reissue Money London Bureau Plans to freeze remittances on American reissues and on all other films imported by England prior to the imposition of the ad valorem duty last August, are reported to have been prepared by the British Govern- ment. If and when the anticipated financial crisis arrives, the freeze is expected to go into ef- fect immediately. Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has officially indicated that if emergency financial aid is not made available to England the nation will find itself caught up in an economic catastrophe by April. Despite this warning, the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association is planning an all- out exhibitor campaign to tell the British public, through the medium of the nation's screens, the extent to which exhibitors have been harmed by the ad valorem tax. Although more cautious CEA members believe that the industry here should stay clear of politics, there is a growing feeling within the organization that "the time has passed" when Sir Stafford's edicts must be accepted without question. A CEA spokesman reported a strong feel- ing within the organization that Sir Staf- ford "let the CEA down" in allowing W. R. Fuller, CEA general secretary, to visit America only to refuse to discuss, upon his return, any alternatives to the tax. The indiscriminate use of reissues this side has been condemned as "suicidal" by Sam Eckman, Jr., MGM's chief here. Point- ing out that two major reissues are too of- ten used on one program, he said that this rapid use of tax-free films "must bring back stark austeritv in the foreseeable future." In New York and in Hollywood, mean- while, there was no weakening of the ban imposed by the Motion Picture Association on shipments to Britain. Non-MPAA members are firmly standing by the ban, also, most believing, as one of their spokesmen stated, that "it is in their best interests to do so." Increased English Admissions Protested by U. S. Interests London Bureau American distributors here are vigorously protesting a proposal that the Cinemato- graph Exhibitors Association ask the Brit- ish Government's permission to increase ad- missions. No part of the increases would be an increase in entertainment tax and no part of the increase, where American fea- tures are involved, would be remitted to the U. S. under the plan. The CEA has approached the British Treasury on the mat- ter and is now drafting a memorandum for that department's consideration. American W. C. RILEY UNCLOAKED AS MR. X BACKING DEL GIUDICE by PETER BURNUP in London The English industry's most talked about "Mr. X," the mysterious backer of Filippo Del Giudice's Pilgrim Pictures, has at last been unearthed. He is William Grimshaw Riley, 50 years old, a quiet, grey-haired cultivated industri- alist, owner of the old glass-making firm of John Walsh Wards, Ltd., and he is con- vinced that the "essential Englishry" of Mr. Del Giudice's features should survive. He refuses to say how long he has known the producer, or how he came to meet him. He admits, however, to being a friend of Sir Stafford Cripps who, he says, and so it has often been recorded, has a high opinion of Mr. Del Giudice. Mr. Riley confesses he knows nothing of the practicalities of picture making or its trading. But he is impressed with the "Englishry" of "Henry V," "The Way Ahead," "In Which We Serve," et al; he is convinced that it is an Englishman's first duty to ensure that Englishry should sur- vive; and he is impressed with the manner in which Del Giudice makes his pictures — that is as a craftsman and an artist who does not take dictation from unimaginative financial interests. His own business flourished for the same reason, Mr. Riley declares. He treats his craftsmen "as human beings and comrades." He admits now to being a director of Pilgrim Pictures and asserts he "will ensure that Del gets the finance he needs." He would not say how much money he will put at Mr. Del Giudice's disposal, but UNMASKED. Above, at left, John Boulting, producer of "The Guinea Pig" for Filippo Del Giudice's Pilgrim Pictures, confers wifh W/f- liam Grimshaw Riley, lately uncovered as the "Mr. X" who is backing Mr. Del Giudice. admits that in regard to "The Guinea Pig" his risk is limited to a £30,000 ($120,000) guarantee. Mr. Riley is a native of Lancashire, a graduate of Cambridge University, an engi- neer by profession. He was one of the senior engineers responsible for the con- struction of Africa's Blue Nile dam. Twen- ty-two years ago he bought Wards, then in extreme financial difficulties, and guided it to recovery. Its staple business is the man- ufacturing of glassware, and produced heavily for the services during the war. interests are protesting that the proposed in- creases are a further instance of discrimina- tory action against them. The increases are calculated to produce, an additional £300,000 ($1,200,000) weekly for exhibitors. Visual Education Dealers Will Meet Next August The 1948 convention and trade show of the National Association of Visual Educa- tion Dealers will be held August 8-11 at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago. Audio- visual users of all types, including repre- sentatives from the fields of education, re- ligion and business, have been invited to attend. Ernie Ryan, Davenport, la., presi- dent of the Ryan Visual Aids Service, is chairman of NAVED's convention com- mittee. A 200-seat preview theatre will be set up during the convention in which a continuous program of new educational and informational films will be shown. The trade show will comprise about 95 booths with exhibits of audio-visual equipment of all kinds, including projection equipment, records, slide and opaque projections. MGM Sales Executives Meeting with Ferguson William R. Ferguson, exploitation head for MGM, Tuesday in Cincinnati opened the first of a series of five meetings with field sales, executives and promotion men under his supervision. Each meeting will last two days and departmental activities and policies for promoting and publicizing the new season's product will be discussed. The Cincinnati meeting, Tuesday and Wednesday, was held at the Netherland Plaza for the men in the central division. The second session was held Thursday and Friday at the Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, for the midwestern division. After these meetings Mr. Ferguson was to return to New York and set up the other three meetings. Duff Cooper Joins Korda Sir Alfred Duff Cooper, until recently British Ambassador to France, has joined Sir Alexander Korda as chairman of Lon- don Film Productions, a French company now in process of incorporation in Paris. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 21 A LIBERATED SCREEN FLOURISHES IN ITALY ITALIAN THANKS by MARTIN QUIGLEY, JR. DURING the three years since the Libera- tion of the Italians, their films have won more international acclaim than was dreamed of by the Mussolini Government in its twenty years of effort to make the motion picture an effective tool of Fascism. This achievement of Italian producers in the post-war period is the more remarkable because they have had so little with which to work. The results are a living repudia- tion of government direction of a film in- dustry. In the early days of the feature film Ital- ian productions were outstanding. "Quo Vadis?" (1912) and "Cabiria" (1913) were films that gained a high place for the Italian motion picture industry in the in- ternational market. In the hands of gov- ernment favorites and in the interests of propaganda under Mussolini most of the Italian artistic traditions were lost to the screen. Propaganda Instrument Mussolini believed, as did Lenin, that the film was the most important instrument of propaganda for a totalitarian govern- ment. However, Fascist film making led merely to one failure after another, despite availability of adequate technical facilities and financial resources including Cinecitta, at the time the best-equipped studio on the Continent. In order to make comparison with the Fascist films less easy, Mussolini first restricted and then stopped the dis- tribution of American pictures. Other dic- tators, before and after "II Duce," have the same formula. When the Allies reached Rome in 1944 the Italian industry was destroyed, tntto distrutto, as they put it. Much of the equip- ment had been carted away by the Germans and die-hard Fascists. Many of those con- nected with the industry who stayed behind feared for their freedom or even for their lives under the new rule. When it became clear that there was to be no real purge of the small, play-along Fascists, film makers of every political persuasion including also Communist, Christian Democrat, Liberal and Monarchist went to work. Some equipment was taken from hiding places; raw stock of dubious quality was purchased on the black market. Won Critical Applause The first important post-Fascist film, and in some ways the most remarkable to date, was "Open City" ("Citta Aperta"). It was made on a low budget and was not highly regarded by the producing company, Minerva, headed by Anthony Mosco, a Greek who had settled in Italy many years ago and who had been interned during the war by the Fascist Government. Making clear that "Open City" was not an isolated example, two fine Italian films reached the international market in 1947 — "To Live in Peace" ("Vivere in Pace") and "Shoeshine" ("Sciuscia"). "To Live in Peace" is the most entertaining picture of the three. While all foreign language pictures are handicapped in English-speaking areas, these three Italian films, plus the reports of others still to be released around the world, have thrust Italy to the top of the non- English language producers. The critical attention given Italian films in this country is second only to English language pictures. It is not likely that Italian pictures will have much influence on Hollywood or Lon- don. The modern Italian pictures, the best of them, should be regarded as fine Euro- pean films of prime appeal to Europeans. It is inevitable that the problems and pres- sures of the war and the current period should heighten the marked differences in mentality between Americans and Euro- peans. American films usually center at- tention on a small number of persons who triumph over surroundings or other per- sons to reach a happy conclusion. On the other hand the Italian films generally deal with a group of characters dominated by circumstances. Future Is Uncertain The future of the Italian film undoubt- edly will be decided by the tide of political events. If the Communists take over, the world knows what to expect — a mirroring of Soviet film policy as practiced in Mos- cow and in the Balkans. If the extreme Right wins out, the results will be similar. If the Center or moderate parties — who certainly represent the majority — hold on to the government and economic conditions can be stabilized, succeeding years should be bright for a free native film industry which would avoid political domination of production, import restrictions on distribu- tion and exhibition playing time quotas. All these, as the Mussolini record shows, tend towards failure and not success in a national film industry. A few Italian producers, (with few tech- nical facilities and less money, without government assistance, have raised the prestige of the Italian industry to a point equal to or even greater than that enjoyed thirty-five years ago. The obvious lesson is that successful films are not made by government fiat. This is a lesson that might well be studied around the world. Tampa Theatre Reopens The Palace theatre in Tampa, Fla., has reopened following the completion of a $200,000 remodeling program, R. M. Daugh- erty, manager of Florida State Theatres, has announced. The interior of the theatre was completely rebuilt. merica * SO'TTOSCRIVETE PER LA R E A I IZ 2 A Z I O N E Dl UN F II M - To thank America for the food which the Friendship Trains brought to Italy, the Italian newsreel company, INCOM, will pro- duce a documentary, "Thanks, America", as a gift for the U. S. Above is the first news- paper advertisement asking for contributions to finance the production which will review what the U. S. has done for Italy. Spain May Revise System Of Film Import Licenses Washington Bureau The Spanish Government is contemplat- ing changes in its present system for grant- ing film import licenses and may substitute a tax on imported films, according to a re- port from Nathan D. Golden, motion picture consultant to the Department of Commerce. Under the present system, import licenses necessary are granted only to Spanish film producers, the number they receive depend- ing on the number and type of films they produce. The producer can use these li- censes himself or sell them. Now the Gov- ernment is considering two alternatives ; abolishing the system and substituting a tax on imported films, the money to be used to subsidize domestic producers, or awarding import licenses to anyone, but giving Span- ish producers dubbing permits in proportion to their output. Currently films from sev- eral countries get preference over U. S. films, the report points out. Two British or European films may be imported on one import license, while only one U. S. film can be imported per license. To Build Drive-ln at Camden A. M. Ellis, Philadelphia and southern New Jersey circuit operator, will build a 1,000-car drive-in outside of Camden, N. J., he has announced. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 Box Office Champions for The Month of December Hughes, Young Looking at RKO As Odium Waits Howard Hughes, the airplane manufac- turer turned picture producer, and Robert R. Young, the railroad man who needles the New York Central, are both making over- tures to purchase a controlling interest in RKO, it became known this week. The question in the RKO mind is whether either actually will go through with the deal. Both have been negotiating for a part or all of the 935,000 RKO shares held by the Atlas Corporation and controlled by Floyd Odium, president of Atlas and chairman of the RKO board. Odium Doubtful Yet it is apparent from a statement issued by Mr. Odium last Thursday that he be- lieves no one can match his courage in the field. Said he: "Under today's almost panicky conditions in the production end of the movie industry it is doubtful if any person or group of sub- stance within the industry has the combined money and nerve to meet the faith of Atlas Corporation in the future of the industry." There are approximately 4,000,000 RKO shares outstanding, but the Atlas block is large enough to insure its owner control of the company. Mr. Odium admitted in his statement that Mr. Hughes "has recently had some general and tentative conversations with me relating to the purchase of RKO stock," but, he said, "these conversations could hardly be classi- fied as negotiations." Willing to Step Out He elaborated : "Atlas Corp., since the completion of its reorganization, financing and sponsoring job more than a year ago, has been willing to step out- of its control position to the right people at the proper price, but at no time has it either offered its present holdings for sale or fixed a price that it would accept for the same, or received a firm offer." Mr. Odium's statement did not" mention Mr. Young, whose Pathe Industries owns Eagle Lion, so Monday Mr. Young issued his own statement : . "A group of private investors associated with me has been looking at both RKO and United Artists with a view toward a pos- sible investment, but to date nothing has come of it." Plans Charlotte Drive-ln Construction is scheduled to begin im- mediately on a $200,000 drive-in and amusement park to be located near Char- lotte, N.C. E. M. Loew of Loew Theatres, Boston, has left for Charlotte to complete plans for the project. It should be finished in about 90 days and will open in the spring. BODY AND SOUL (Enterprise - U. A.) Produced by Bob Roberts for Enterprise Studios. Directed by Robert Rossen. Screenplay by Abraham Polonsky. Photo- graphed by James Wong Howe. Cast: John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere, William Conrad, Joseph Pevney, Canada Lee, Lloyd Goff, Art Smith, James Burke. (Champion for the second month.) CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE (Twentieth Century - Fox) Produced by Lamarr Trotti. Directed by Henry King. Screenplay by Mr. Trotti from the novel by Samuel Shellabarger. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. Photographed by Charles Clarke and Arthur E. Arling. Cast: Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Lee J. Cobb, John Sutton, Antonio Mareno, *Thomas Gomez, Alan Mowbray. GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (MGM) Produced by Carey Wilson. Directed by Victor Saville. Screenplay by Samson Raphaelson from the novel by Elizabeth Goudge. Photographed by George Folsey. Cast: Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Donna Reed, Richard Hart, Frank Morgan, Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whiffy, Reginald Owen, Gladys Cooper. (Champion for the second month.) Eastern Directors Guild Elects Martel President The Screen Directors Guild in New York elected Gene Martel president at its third annual convention held in New York last weekend. Mr. Martel, former treasurer, is eastern test director for Paramount. He succeeds Bud Pollard, named honorary president. Other officers are: Willard Van Dyke, first vice-president; Leslie Roush, sec- ond vice-president; Jack Glenn, recording secretary ; Sidney Kaufman, corresponding secretary; Emerson Yorke, treasurer. In addition to the officers, the Guild's board of directors includes : Mr. Pollard, Al Altman, Boris Kaplan, Leo Seltzer, Marvin Rothen- berg. Sees 16mm in Bars, Cafes New Threat to Theatres Increased showings of 16mm pictures in bars and cafes constitute a new threat to the theatreowner, Edward Lachman, presi- dent of Allied Theatre Owners of New ROAD TO RIO (Paramount) Produced by Daniel Dare. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Original story and screenplay by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose. Photographed by Ernest Laszlo. Cast: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard, Frank Faylen, Joseph Vitale, Frank Puglia, Nestor Paiva, Jerry Colonna, The Andrews Sisters. THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (MGM) Produced by Joe Pasternak. Directed by Richard Thorpe. Screenplay by Gladys Lehman. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. Photographed by Karl Freund. Cast: Esther Williams, Lauritz Melchior, Jimmy Durante, Johnnie Johnston, Xavier Cugat, Dame May Whitty, Sharon McManus, Dick Simmons. UNCONQUERED (Paramount - DeMille) Produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Screenplay by Charles Bennett, Frederic M. Frank and Jesse Lasky, Jr. From a novel by Neil H. Swanson. Pho- tographed by Ray Rennahan. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. Cast: Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Howard DaSilva, Boris Karloff, Cecil Kellaway, Ward Bond. (Champion for the third month.) Jersey, told his membership at a meeting January 13 in Newark. The ATO will . compile data on the number of bars featur- ing such a service and supply the New Jer- sey Alcoholic Beverage Control with the facts. Formulative plans were made for the organization's 1948 convention which will be held at the Hollywood Hotel, West End, N. J., June 28-30. — Suggests Amusement Licenses For Bars with Television The licensing as places of amusement of New York City bars which offer television as entertainment has been proposed by Fred J. Schwartz, vice-president of Century Theatres. While Mr. Schwartz pointed out that he did not propose restricting television installations in bars, he said: "There is no doubt that the saloon or bar has a better deal from the city than the regular motion picture theatre. While licensing bars will not by any means equate the deal, it is a logical step for the Department of Licenses to take." MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 23 WHO SAYS IT MUST BE Canada Plans MILLIONS OR NOTHING? Remittance Cut A Budget-Conscious Producer Scans Hollywood Willi Pine by RED KANN The budget said, "It's not for you." And so the problem was to bring Alaska to Hol- lywood's back door for a picture called 'Alaskan Highway." Bill Pine was ex- plaining how he and h i s partner, Bill Thomas solved that one. Having once been press agents, the two Bills, who operate a successful company in Holly- wood called Pine- Thomas Produc- tions, found back- ground and experi- ence are never to be denied. Neither was their budget. "We found a road under construction about 30 miles in the mountains back of Reno. It might have been Alaska and de- cided this was it. But by the time we got ready, the snow had melted and it looked like trouble for us and the budget, which are the same thing," said Pine. "Then I turned to the special effects man, flew him up from Hollywood and explained the trouble. He fiddled around and concluded, 'Go ahead. We'll add the snow by process and no one will ever know the difference.' No one did. "We had one called. 'Seven Were Saved' — rubber raft at sea and lots of fog required. But budget ruled we couldn't afford to wait for nature to oblige. So we asked special effects about that one, too, and he told us to stop worrying. Fog, like pea soup, showed up in the picture to everyone's satis- faction, including the public's, and the in- violability of the budget preserved. "I was pretty nervous when we decided to go ahead with 'Adventure Island' in Cine- color. It was quite an undertaking for us. Color costs a lot of money and in our setup we had to be very conscious, if not self- conscious, about money. We had to be more than half safe. The outcome there was that we shot only 26,000 feet to get 6,030 in the release prints. One out of four on the screen is cutting it very fine. A lot of peo- ple in Hollywood said they were impressed. "We have to plan, and plan damned care- fully. If we need fog, we can't afford to go major by waiting until the elements pro- vide it. We become ingenious because neces- sity, which is another word for budget in our dictionary, compels us to become in- genious. Indiscretions in the use of color would have murdered us. So would have a trip to Alaska in search of a road." Pine believes the need for reasonable and thoughtful economies in production must be met squarely, unflinchingly and without equivocation by Hollywood. But he also is certain it can be done without sacrifice of quality, and that Hollywood will do it. To bring this about, Pine has a plan. Highlights and convictions, his : IT is up to the leaders in production to convince talent of the new situation. About 95 per cent of the essential talent — in all divisions — will conform. "It's largely a matter of pride and prestige anyway with the stars who draw down $250,000 per pic- ture. He or she can't keep much of it." Production must be rearranged so that cost and profit comes out of the domestic market. "Anything else is fine. But that's the gravy train which may never reach its destination." Labor costs are not prohibitive, per se. They get out of hand because of "feather- bedding," however. "The idea is to get more effective results out of current working hours and to eliminate that fourth unneces- sary man when the job requires three." Firing secretaries or cutting secretarial salaries is ridiculous. "It doesn't amount to a row of pins." On Scripts: "Get them solid. Get them right. Know what you want before you shoot. Don't build Grand Central Station if a bus terminal will do. But if you need Grand Central, remember someone has al- ready built it for you, and proceed. On Time: "It's of the essence, as usual. If scripts are right before the camera grinds, the producer and director will know — not guess — what they want. No picture will go into work with eight or 12 or 16 days of pre- pared script, allowing the rest of the sched- ule to hang in uncertainty while thousands of dollars per day are charged against the payroll. Shooting time, costliest factor of all, must be reduced, and can." On Pride [offered by Pine without preju- dice] : "Creative elements must be persuaded to forego this business of making pictures for one another and to end the economic wastage which shows up in so many ways. For instance, in the fetish of building huge sets for long shots which so often are designed to establish the scene but which dissolve in a handful of screen minutes to the action of the players anyway. Persistent re-shoot- ing of this character runs up heavy costs without compensating values on the screen." On Over-All Approach: "The producer with $2,000,000 at his disposal certainly is under no less obligation to watch where he's going than the man with $1,800,000 less. In their widely separated classifications, the re- sponsibility of both is to get value for the dollars spent. It's tougher on the $200,000 producer than the $2,000,000 but, as things stand today, both can price themselves out of business unless they do the job assigned." Toronto Bureau An agreement on measures to be adopted whereby several millions of dollars would be cut from Canadian film revenues going to American companies was reached in Ottawa between J. J. Fitzgibbons, chairman of the Canadian film industry's "dollar sav- ing" committee, and C. D. Howe, Dominion Minister of Reconstruction and Supply, it was disclosed here last Thursday following Mr. Fitzgibbon's return from the Canadian capital. Mr. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., was reported to have been assured that short subjects would be produced in the Dominion by Hollywood subsidiaries which also would undertake lo- cation work in Canada for feature-length pictures. The short subjects would revert to Canada, thus helping to relieve the dollar position here. The film industry is willing to carry out governmental suggestions for the conserva- tion of Canadian dollars, Mr. Fitzgibbons told Mr. Howe, and he was said tc have assured the official that there would be wider foreign distribution of National Film Board of Canada pictures to help raise revenue abroad. Th ree Legislatures Open; Nine Now in Session Washington Bureau Three state legislatures convened last week, bringing the total now in session to nine, according to Jack Bryson, legislative assistant to Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association. So far no ad- verse legislation is expected in any. The recently opened legislatures are Virginia, South Carolina and New Jersey. Already in session are- Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York and Mis- souri. Only two more are scheduled to hold sessions this year, according to Mr. Bryson. They are California, March 1, and Louis- iana, May 10. Marshall Plan Is Tool For Peace: Johnston The Marshall Plan is the "middle way" between the foreign policies of the extreme left and the extreme right in America, Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, last week told a luncheon meet- ing of the Los Angeles Town Hall. He said he believed Americans had chosen that way to fight for peace "with the tools of peace and the strength of the American system." The Marshall Plan, Mr. Johnston declared, "calls for a lot of self-help by Western Eu- rope and some self-denial to us. It recog- nizes that without recovery in western Eu- rope there will be no peace. The key word is rehabilitation, not relief." 24 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 ATOMIC RESEARCHERS LIKE MOVIES TOO George B. Odium FOR AN exhibitor who is at all times up to his elbows in Government documents re- quiring his signature an average of 336 times a week to get out film checks alone, George B. Odium is a man who enjoys his work. There are also, of course, end- less streams of re- ports and vouchers. As general manager of four of the six theatres at the Gov- ernment's ultra-se- cret atomic research city of Oak Ridge. Tenn., he not only has to provide the motion picture entertain- ment for the center's 40,000 people but also must keep the kaleidoscope of Government offices in Washington and Oak Ridge happy with a continual flow of daily, weekly and monthly reports of the Theatre Operations department which he runs for the Roane- Anderson Company under the supervision of the Atomic Energy Commission. Has Staff of 69 Assisted by a staff of 69, which includes office help, projectionists, cashiers, door- men and ushers, Mr. Odium runs three of his theatres — the Grove, the Ridge and the Center — on a first run, and sometimes pre- release, single feature policy, with his fourth — the Jefferson — a subsequent-run house catering to the fans of double feature and Western fare. The other two theatres at Oak Ridge are run by private concessionaires — one as a drive-in and the other on a subsequent-run policy. Each of Mr. Odium's four theatres is a modern house seating up to 1,000 and equipped with the latest in projection and sound equipment. Unlike the temporary theatres erected on Army posts during the war, the Oak Ridge houses, according to Mr. Odium, are as good if not better than many of the first run theatres in key cities. Remodeling Program Started However, he noted, the wear and tear they have undergone since they were erected is beginning to show and the first theatre is undergoing a remodeling and im- provement program which is to include the installation of new carpeting and a modern air-conditioning system and redecorating. The other three theatres will initiate sim- ilar improvement programs within the next year. For the operation of the Oak Ridge theatres Mr. Odium draws upon his long experience in the field of exhibition, both as an independent exhibitor in New York and on Long Island and as an executive with major company circuits. Prior to as- suming his present post 18 months ago he was with the Paramount home office in New York. As an independent exhibitor, Mr. Odium recalled he had a choice of film advertising media. Today, however, he is somewhat handicapped since Oak Ridge puts out only a weekly newspaper in which space for ad- vertising is severely limited. To supple- ment this local and restricted outlet he takes additional space in the nearby Knox- ville daily paper, which has a wide circula- tion among Oak Ridge workers. Community Centers For the convenience of the patronage each theatre is located in a community cen- ter which comprises shopping districts, other recreational facilities, business offices and public services, including local police and fire departments. To complete the community picture the theatres serve as churches for religious services Sunday mornings. Recently, however, funds have been provided for the construction of several chapels. Because the theatres are operated almost solely for the entertainment of Oak Ridge residents and the overhead is kept at a min- imum, admission prices are generally lower than those at theatres outside of the atomic center. With the exception of the Jeffer- son, admissions are 36 cents in the after- noons and 48 cents at night, tax included. The Jefferson, because of its subsequent run policy, has a 36-cent top price. Chil- dren's admission is nine cents at all times. All four of the theatres have a continuous run policy from noon until midnight — seven days a week. Since his audiences are representative of nearlv everv state in the union, Mr. Odium has little difficulty in selecting the type of picture to play. Unlike many small town and rural audiences Oak Ridge tastes are such that the people enjoy any good pic- ture despite its locale, the treatment or the theme. Particularly successful, Mr. Odium pointed out, was MGM's "The Beginning or the End," the story of the development of the atomic bomb. He attributed the success of this picture to the curiosity of the atomic center's workers who were anxious to see how the story, which they knew so well, was treated on the screen and to see the actual scenes of Oak Ridge which were in- cluded in the picture. Disappearing Mud "The audience enjoyed it immensely," Mr. Odium related. "But they laughed at several of the more serious scenes where the screen writers had taken advantage of literary license for dramatic effect." As an example he cited one scene in which the hero waded knee-deep through a Tennessee quagmire, notorious for its glue-like qual- ity, and emerged without a bit of the red- clay mud sticking to him. In another scene a general officer from Washington walked to the barren area vvhich was to be Oak Ridge ; stuck his cane into the ground, and laid out plans on the spot for the atomic city. "Oak Ridge workers know that the city took months of planning and careful selection," Mr. Odium said. Has Few Problems Although the operation of the four thea- tres requires a much greater attention to detail and to Government reports than the average exhibitor has time to give, the city's chief of theatre operations says his work isn't as nerve-racking as it sounds. "Where else but at Oak Ridge can an ex- hibitor operate four theatres without wor- rying about full and continued employment of his patrons who have money to spend?" "Also," he says, "Oak Ridge's climate is delightful — no snow at all this year." And the center provides him with a. house. Front of the Grove theatre. Oak Ridge, Tenn., one of the four houses managed by George 8. Odium in that hush-hush town of atomic energy research. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 2B 1 ■ All any showman wants to know about a producing organization is: (a) WHAT KIND OF PRODUCT HAS IT DELIVERED? (b) WHAT'S COMING UP? with that in mind, we offer the factual record of Allied Artists' first 15 months of production... AND PRfl«HlNmN««)N'ST0P,,0,1SK! VICTOR CHARLIE 1MB Directed by Roy Del Ruth In Cinecolor stl„,6 mm m Ducky Louie, Moroni Olsen Directed by Phil Karlson MM SULLIVAN • BEUTA MM LQRRHUS *.th Akim Tamirot! Henry wo sheW6nUonard Directed by Gordon Wiles eowtfiB TOP amsm m m Lumt! the rAu*'' and Life of Tchaikovsky Based on tne ^* ^.^tBRttW^ICtt Dnected by BtNlMIN GUZtR 1 THE HBH1EU starring Pierre Catkin NOW IN PRODUCTION! THE TENDERFOOT *FP|A TONE! ION and BIA« eD BRIAN CONST MiCt AHtRNt SET »K» ■*•"** SMART 101UI ALBANY The Palace pitted "Cass Timbeiiane" against "Captain from Castile" at the Strand. The former film was discussed by a panel of critics on "Let's Take in a Show" over WOKO, the night after it opened. "Captain from Castile" appeared set for a big gross, in the opinion of mana- ger A. O. La Flamme. "Unconquered," after a rousing first week at road show prices at the Grand, was held for a second week. . . . The Ritz booked "Christmas Eve" and a Charlie Chan feature, "The Chi- nese Ring." The Warner house played "Heaven Only Knows." . . . Colonial used extra newspaper space to advertise "I Know Where I Am Going." The Women's City Club sponsored benefit performances of it Saturday and Sunday. . . . The Theatre Owners of the Albany Exchange area, affi- liated with TOA, held a meeting in Utica. Temporary Chairman Harry Lamont ex- plained the purposes of the district unit and urged Utica area exhibitors to join. A united front in opposition to the extension of the permissive taxes for localities — which includes an amusement levy of five per cent — was advocated by Lamont. ATLANTA Thurman Rogers, Rogers' theatre, Mont- gomery; Abe Borisky, Temple theatre, Bir- mingham ; C. A. Pittman, Gadsden ; R. E. Hook, Hook's theatre circuit, Aliceville, and H. Jones, Strand, Sulligant, all were recent visitors in the city. . . . Walter Hickey, one of the real old timers on Film Row, is con- fined to the hospital. . . . New changes in theatres : R. A. Dye, the new owner of the Eagle theatre, Mounteagle, Tenn., from the former owner, G. C. Davidson; J. N. Well, new owner Hanger theatre, Hapeville, Ga., and James W. Blackwell, new owner of the Linco theatre, Lincolnton. . . . Claude Boyd, formerly with Wilkin Theatre Supply Co., has resigned from that company and is now with Neon Co. . . . J. E. McLeory, Mono- gram's Charlotte manager, has returned to his home after being confined to the hospital. . . . John R. Moffitt's sale of the State the- atre to Harry Shugart has been voided by Judge Eugene Carter. . . . Sam Marino has started in work his newsreel of Georgia to be released each week in theatres in Georgia. BALTIMORE Seven new pictures offered at the first run theatres and business swung into a fair stride with weather excellent. Century good with "Sleep My Love." Hippodrome okay with "Love From a Stranger," plus vaude- ville. Keith's very good with fine reviews with "The Senator Was Indiscreet." Stan- ley good with "I Walk Alone." Mayfair okay with "The Flame." Times and Ros- lyn very nice with "Bush Pilot," plus "Abi- lene Town." Town opened good with "The Roosevelt Story," the first performance be- ing given for March of Dimes Fund. New theatre still going good with "Captain From Castile," in its fourth week and the Little likewise with "I Know Where I'm Going." Edward A. Kimple, Sr., Astor manager, in Rome Circuit, is member of September term of the Baltimore Grand Jury. . . . Now re- covering from operation at Bon Secours Hospital is Paul Hornig, part owner of the Horn theatre and uncle of F. H. Hornier. Jr., the manager. Maryland theatre in Hick's circuit opens January 25 with stage shows. PICTURE PIONEER MARTIN G. SMITH, Ohio theatre owner, doesn't believe in the secluded life. Mr. Smith, who started his theatre career in Toledo back in 1913, is a joiner. A past president of Allied States Association, he's also been presi- ent of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Ohio — and, of course, is the perennial presi- dent of the Indepen- dent Theatre Own- ers of Ohio; chair- man of the Toledo Theatres Associa- tion ; member of the Martin G. Smith War Activities Committee ; member of the WPB advisory committee ; member of the city's selective service system. And he's currently a member of the Cornell Clubs of Toledo and New York ; of the Toledo Uni- versity of Michigan Club, of the Variety Club, the Picture Pioneers, Rotary, Elks and American Legion. In partnership with James Beidler, he op- erates the East Auditorium, Eastwood, Westwood, Park and Royal theatres. In partnership with the Skirball Brothers, he operates the Pantheon and Palace. All are in Toledo. Married, and with two children, he re- laxes sometimes — at home. He's never been to Florida, and doesn't intend to go. BOSTON Despite a heavy snow storm starting Sat- urday night and building a foot of new snow over already icy surfaces, box office receipts held up very well, with "Gentle- man's Agreement" at the Memorial, "The Pirates of Monterey," plus a stage show, at the Boston, and "Sleep, My Love" at Loew's State and Orpheum doing well above average business. "Shoe Shine" went into a successful fourth week at the Kenmore to inaugurate the new policy of showing foreign films. . . . The new staff additions at Affiliated Theatres were further clarified by Seth Field for Arthur Howard. Albert R. Daytz, formerly with the sales depart- ment of Warner Brothers' Boston office, joined Affiliated to develop new accounts throughout New England; Stanley Far- rington, formerly head booker for Republic here, was appointed to do the booking for Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire the- atres; Joseph Hochberg also joined Affili- ated to do the booking on Massachusetts and Rhode Island accounts. . . . Independ- ent Exhibitors committees met Tuesday. CINCINNATI An ultra-modern 1,500-seat theatre, to be the largest suburban house in this area, will be a unit of a $1,000,000 business center development in nearby Roselawn, promoted by Louis Wiethe, head of Wiethe Theatres, Inc., and president of Theatre Managers Corporation, which buys and books for more than 40 independent theatres in this terri- tory. A 575-car parking lot will be a part of the theatre scheme. Contract has been awarded to the F & Y Building Service, of Columbus. Potter, Tyler and Martin, of Cincinnati, are the architects for the en- tire project, which will include stores. Wiethe Theatres, Inc., now operate the Bond, Westwood, Andulus, Roselawn, Jack- son, Latonia and Ludlow, suburban houses, here and in the immediate vicinity. . . .. "Visitors" to Film Row recently included burglars who ransacked offices of Republic Pictures, Twentieth Century-Fox and Film Service. The loot was nominal at all three places. . . . The new Caemargo theatre, be- ing built by Robert Straus, is scheduled to open this month. It is the only theatre in the suburban Indian Hill section. . . . Fred Strief, active in film circles, here for several years prior to going to California to man- age a theatre, has returned to Cincinnati. His future plans have not been announced. . . . Local film theatres will again have com- petition from the Zoo Summer Opera, talent and subscriptions for which now are being lined up. . . . C. A. Metro, who recently re- opened his Westland theatre, in Portsmouth, Ohio, has again closed the house. CLEVELAND Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors As- sociation met Wednesday to hold annual election of officers. . . . M. B. Horwitz, gen- eral manager of the Washington Circuit,, and Mrs. Horwitz were in New York last week to celebrate their 25th wedding anni- versary. . . . Shea's rebuilt Auditorium,. Newark, closed more than a year, has re- opened with Dale Tysinger as manager. . . _ Jerry Steel has resumed buying and book- ing for his Apollo theatre, Oberlin. . . . Reel Film Service, operated by John and Harry Urbansky, has been named exclusive Ohio- distributor for Jam Handy industrial and training films. . . . Pioneer, Ohio, with 900 population, will have its first picture theatre as soon as William Widmer completes re- modeling of a storeroom. . . . Charles Markus succeeds Henry Brenner as man- ager of the Haltnorth theatre. . . . "The Senator Was Indiscreet" opened big at the RKO Palace. . . . Local independent thea- tres will have March of Dimes collection boxes in theatre lobbies instead of making audience collections. . . . Lima Speakers, Inc., Lima, O., is a new company formed by Horace Shock of Lima, a drive-in circuit owner and operator, to manufacture a new type of in-car speakers. Associated with Shock are Thomas M. Campbell, former RCA sound engineer, in charge of manu- facturing, and J. Stuart Cangney, well known independent distributor, is in charge- of sales and advertising. COLUMBUS Near-zero weather, first of the winter,, j kept box office figures down as theatres brought in several strong attractions. The Ohio had "High Wall," with Audrey Tot- ter appearing on the stage for three per- formances on Saturday ; the Palace brought in "The Foxes of Harrow" : the Broad played "Unconquered" at $1.25 top and the Grand played a moveover run of "The Ex- ily." Surprise of the week was the extraor- {Continued on page 30) 28 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24. 1948- ^Another Signal Honor for a Very Wonderful Motion Picture Universal -International is ex- tremely happy to announce that «A DOUBLE LIFE" will be the next at- traction at the Radio City Music Hall. It is another signal honor to add to those already paid to this wonderful motion picture by all who have seen it. "The greatest performance in Ronald Colman's long career... a powerful, fascinating attraction." — Motion Picture Daily "Designed to hit wide and popu- lar appeal." — The Exhibitor *'A polished package of class screen entertainment." — Variety "Should win loud acclaim." — Box Office "Another high spot of the season." || — The Film Daily giving NEW greatness to the Screen in % DOUBLE t) with SIGNE HASSO • EDMOND O'BRIEN AJJniversal-International Release SHELLEY WINTERS • RAY COLLINS • PHILIP LOEB Written by RUTH GORDON and GARSON KANIN Directed by GEORGE CUKOR • Produced by MICHAEL KANIN (Continued from page 28) dinarily good showing of Walt Disney's "Fantasia," which went into a third week at the World. Six Academy theatres played a week's engagement of "Black Narcissus" to fair business at 65 cents top. That fig- ure, incidentally, is one cent higher than week night admissions in downtown first runs. . . . Jack Needham, for 27 years film salesman for Twentieth Century-Fox in this territory, has retired. . . . Dues of the Vari- ety Club, Tent No. 2, have been upped from $24 per year to $48. . . . Mrs. Frances Ew- ing is new switchboard operator at Loew's. DALLAS Seen on Film Row : Jack Arthur, Cros- byton; Hiram Parks, Brownfield; John Blevins, Dublin; R. A. Weller, Brown- wood; Don Donaldson, Ft. Worth; Bill Morrow, Longview, and Leon Lewis, Ft. Worth. . . . Charles Weisenberg has sold his Grand and Gay theatres in Tulia to J. Lee Griffith, owner of Griffith Theatres in Tulia. . . . Jack Arthur is planning a new theatre in Crosbyton. . . . Al Wolfe, salesman for Warners, has resigned to enter into a drive-in business in San Antonio. . . . Al Pickens is the new booker for United Theatres Service Corp. DENVER Frank H. Ricketson, Jr., Fox Inter- mountain Theatres president, and Ralph Batschelet, manager of the Paramount, on committee of five picking outstanding Den- ver young man for Junior Chamber of Com- merce annual award. . . . Alberta Pike, pub- licity director for Denver Fox theatres, be- ing urged to run for Congresswoman from Denver. . . . Jack Bruno moved from city manager, Greeley, Colo., for Cooper Foun- dation Theatres, to city manager, Pueblo, Colo., succeeding Kenneth Mead, who takes leave of absence due to illness. . . John Schafluetzel, manager Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb., named city manager at Greeley. . . . Harvey Traylor, Upton, Pueblo, manager, named city manager Grand Junction, Colo., succeeding Vern Austin, resigned to enter private business. . . . Milt Hossfeld, re- signed film buyer for Fox Intermountain Theatres, leaves for California to take vaca- tion before reentering business. Robert Se- lig takes film buying post in addition to present job as president's assistant. . . Mar- lin Butler sells the Mora, Mora, N. M., to R. B. King. PES MOINES Tri-States Theatres reported the best at- tendance figures in recent months for one of its theatres, the Paramount, which fea- tured Horace Heidt on the stage and 'Ad- venture Island" on the screen. The twin bill drew just double normal patronage. . . . The AITO at a special meeting here last week asked its 325 member theatres not to show "The Senator Was Indiscreet." The board condemned the feature as "a reflection on the integrity of every duly elected rep- resentative of the American people." . . . Charles Peterson, proprietor of the Wind- sor and Lido at Hampton, has announced the sale of a substantial interest in the business to his son, Walter C. The elder Peterson will devote more of his time now to his other business interests in Hampton. . . . A. R. Brown of Fonda has sold his house there to R. J. Ralston and R. L. Johnson. . . . Mel Eviden, Columbia branch manager, is vacationing in California. . . . Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Blank are vacationing in Hollywood, Fla. HARTFORD Continued cold hit . box office takes in Connecticut theatres last week. Among the new opening runs in Hartford during the week were "Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" and "Sleep My Love." . . . Henry Woods, formerly a field representative for MGM, has joined the staff of Connecticut Theatre WHEN AND WHERE January 27: Board of directors of Tri-State Motion Picture Theatre Owners to meet at Hotel Chisca, Memphis, Tenn. January 29: Regional meeting of the Mo- tion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois at Hannibal, Mo. January 29: Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Virginia annual convention at the John Marshall Hotel in Richmond. January 30: Meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee at the Hotel Chisca in Memphis, Tenn. February 1-3: Annual meeting of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina at the Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, N. C. February 3-4: Theatre Owners of Texas to meet at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas to discuss affiliation with the Theatre Owners of America. February 16-18: Allied States Association board of directors' meeting at the Hotel Statler, Washington, D. C. February 17-19: Meeting of trustees of the Pacific Coast Conference of Indepen- dent Theatre Owners in Seattle. April 6-8: Annual convention of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent The- atre Owners at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. April 12-17: International Variety Clubs 1948 convention at the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. Candy Co., in New Haven. . . . Joe Boyle, manager of Loew's Poli Broadway, Nor- wich, Conn., is marking his 20th year with Loew organization. . . . The State Fire Safety Code, as it refers to hotels, heating and cooking facilities, and outside stairways, went into effect last week. INDIANAPOLIS Three holdovers on the bill here last week held up surprisingly well for the win- ter's first severe cold wave. "The Road to Rio" garnered $12,000, about average, in its second week at the Indiana; "My Wild Irish Rose," $11,000 at the Circle and "Good News" $9,000 at Loew's. "Road to Rio" and "My Wild Irish Rose" went into moveovers. . . . The Indiana Outdoor Thea- tre Corp., Louisville, has applied for a per- mit to build a $78,000 drive-in on U. S. 40 near Cumberland, east of here. . . . Albert Bezel and Sol Cohen of Productions, Inc., Chicago, were here this week looking for a Film Row site for an exchange center, with office and screening rooms for smaller pro- ducers. . . . Fred Wagoner has resigned from the Paramount sales staff to operate the Gem theatre at Plymouth, recently ac- quired from E. C. Reis. . . . Rubin Cham- bers and Gene Miller have opened the new Jewel theatre at Jamestown. . . . Y & W has taken over management of the Grand, Louisville. . . . Pete Rosen, Universal dis- trict manager and Ted Mendelssohn, local exchange manager, called on circuit heads in southern Indiana and Kentucky this week. KANSAS CITY Attendance has come back measurably in some spots since New Year's Day, but still lags in many portions of the territory. The cold wave of January 15 put a temporary crimp in attendance, as usual. . . . Robert M. Shelton was elected vice-president of Commonwealth Amusement Corp., succeed-, ing O. K. Mason. . . . Jack Bronagel, for the past year booker for the Durwood cir- cuit, has resigned; his duties have been taken over by Stanley Durwood, vice-presi- dent, assisted by Mrs. Alice Wolf, who had assisted Mr. Bronagel. . . . The board of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association, meeting January 15, approved lease of quar- ters at 211 West ISth Street. Quarters will open February 1. . . . The Roxy, after a week of "Caravan" and "Blonde Savage," is running "Second Chorus" and "The Road to Hollywood," which depicts Bing Crosby's long rise to fame. LOS ANGELES Jack Lowry, formerly assistant manager of the downtown Music Hall theatre, is now manager of the Beverly Hills theatre. . . . Matthew Trotter goes from the Holly- wood Music Hall to the downtown Music Hall to replace Cliff Chellew, who is on a leave of absence. . . . Maurice Rosen, as- sistant manager at the Hollywood Music Hall, has been made manager. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Reidy Faulds, Des Moines, Iowa, theatre owners and theatre supply dealers, were on the Row visiting. . . . Dorothy Jos- lin is the new bookers' stenographer at Warners. . . . Joe Moritz sold his Victor the- atre to I. Rosenblum. . . . Ernie Block, the- atre operator in Sabetha, Kansas, and Mrs. Block were seen on Film Row. . . . Jack W. Sonenshine, Embassy Pictures Ex- (Continued on page 32) 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 MR. EDWIN BALMER MISS FLORENCE SOMERS MR. THORNTON DELEHANTY and the entire REDBOOK organization for selecting Argosy Pictures' 'THE FUGITIVE'' as "the outstanding picture of the past year/' and for giving the MOTION PICTURE AWARD OF 1947 to JOHN FORD for the exceptional work he has done in the production and direction of motion pictures. PRESIDENT, ARGOSY PICTURES CORPORATION (Continued from page 30) change, has left for Salt Lake City to su- pervise the opening of the new office. . . . Harold N. Schwarz, of the Tower Pictures Company in Dallas, was seen on the Row. LOUISVILLE The McGary brother of Hardinsburg, Ky., will build a new theatre there. They oper- ate the Lyric in Hardinsburg. . . . The Grand, a Negro theatre here, has been sold to Ementee Theatres, Cincinnati. . . . E. J. Steiner's new Town theatre, Sneadsville, Tenn., opened January 14. . . . Increases in admissions and a moveup of the time for changing prices between afternoon and night shows have been put into effect by the ma- jority of Louisville's first runs. Former prices were 40 cents in the afternoon until 6 p.m., with 60 cents top for nights. The new prices are 45 cents in the afternoon un- til five and 65 cents thereafter. . . . Film Row visitors : Gene Lutes, Frankfort ; George Bauers, Springfield; E. T. Den- ton, Owingsville ; C. O. Humston, Law- renceburg; George Jaeggers, Seymour; W. P. McGary, Hardinsburg; E. L. Ornstein, Marengo ; Don Steinkamp, French Lick, and Sam Giltner, New Washington. . . . Gene Autry's one-night stand here drew 10,000 people. . . . Following a flood of holdovers and reissues in recent weeks, new product again dominated the local scene. Loew's had "Sleep My Love" with "Stork Bites Man." The Strand had "The Flame" and "Under Colorado Skies." The Rialto had "Daisy Kenyon" and the National played "Carnegie Hall." "My Wild Irish Rose" is still holding its own at the Mary Anderson where it is in its fourth week. "Road to Rio" is in a third week at the Brown. MEMPHIS Freezing temperatures, with a heavy snow, has slowed down first run theatre at- tendance. All business activity was severe- ly hampered by winter's icy blasts. Loew's Palace had "Sleep My Love." Loew's State showed "Heaven Only Knows." Malco had "Unconquered." Warner showed "Her Husband's Affairs." Strand and Ritz showed double features. . . . M. A. Lightman, president of Malco Theatres, Inc., and his wife are on a 10-day ocean voyage out of New Orleans. . . . Mid-south exhibitors shopping and booking on Film Row includ- ed: Moses Sliman, Luxora; Jack Steger, Tunica; Bill Kroeger, Portageville ; Gor- don Hutchins, Corning; C. J. Collier, Rule- ville ; Emma Cox, Osceola; W. B. McFar- land, Hornersville ; J. C. Mohrstadt, Camp- bell; P. E. Morris, Indianola; K. H. Kin- ney, Hughes ; J. W. Seay, Caldwell ; J. F. Adams, Coldwater ; J. R. Adams, Boone- ville ; W. L. Moxley, Blytheville ; Roy Coch- ran, North Little Rock; J. C. Bonds, Jr., Hernando, and Fitz Farres, Clarksdale. MIAMI Chick Lewis, national officer of Variety Clubs of America, administered the oath of office to George C. Hoover, general mana- ger of Paramount, as chief barker of Miami Variety Club. Other officers were also in- stalled at dinner in the Alcazar Hotel club- rooms. . . . "Captain From Castile" is play- ing at the Capitol midnight show, while "Night Song" visits the Paramount on Sat- urday night. . . . No foreign product was shown in Miami this weekend. . . . Wednes- day the Troupers Club of Wometco, held a farewell party at Variety Club headquarters for Labe Mel and Virginia Kruger, both members of the board of directors of the Troupers. . . . "To the Ends of the Earth" had screening Saturday night at the May- fair theatre. . . . "Gentleman's Agreement" was held over at the Cameo for an additional week, making a total of three weeks. . . . From 5-8 p.m., the Utilities Commission asked that theatre marquees be dark, due to a fuel shortage, when the cold snap hit Mi- ami. . . . Harvey Fleishman, district Wo- metco manager for neighborhood theatres, was abed for a week with blood poisoning. . . . "I Walk Alone" is showing at the Sheridan, Paramount and Beach theatres. . . . "The Bishop's Wife" is doing well all over Miami. . . . "Road to Rio" is at the Olympia. . . . "Fugitive," at the Embassy and Variety theatres, is drawing well. NEW ORLEANS Joy Theatres, Inc., opened their new house, the Joy, in Magnolia, Ark., January 15. . . The Teche theatre in Breaux Bridge has been closed and the Rex in Provencal will be closed for the remainder of the win- ter season. . . . W. W. Page, Jr., who oper- ates theatres in De Ridder and Ferriday, has taken over operation of the Miriam in Pleasant Hill. . . . Exhibitors on Film Row : I. A. Funderburg, Jonesboro ; William Jen- kins, DeRidder; O. J. Gaudet, Port Allen; Ernest Delahaye, Maringouin; Truet Scar- bough, Ruston; Charles A. Phillips, Tones- ville; L. W. Watts, Oil City; Harold Wright, Cotton Valley, and Charles Laman- tia, Hammond. . . . "The Fabulous Texan" was at the Saenger. "Sleep My Love" was at Loew's. The Joy had "Heaven Only Knows" and RKO's two houses, the Or- pheum and Liberty, were showing "Out of the Past." "Henry V" opened at the Poche for a week's run. The Center offered "Green Dolphin Street." . . . W. W. Page opened the Vernon theatre in Leesville January 17. . . . The new owner of the Mabon in Pickens, Miss., is L. E. Ginn. OMAHA Box office receipts dipped more sharply than the weather after the record New Year start. . . . M. P. King is the new owner of the Shelby theatre, Shelby, Neb. . . . D. N. Bayless has closed doors on the Northboro theatre, Northboro, la. . . . J. J. Sparks, formerly with RKO, is new head shipper for Film Transport, which handles shipping now for Eagle Lion. . . . The Muzu theatre at Fonda, la., has been purchased by Bob Johnson, former exhibitor at Shelby and Logan, la. . . . Norman Pyle is MGM's new promotional representative for Omaha and Des Moines, replacing Gene Rich. . . . Business locally hit the top of a 10-year rise with a $5,695,744,800 total in 1947. Of 15 business indexes only two showed a declines. . . . Borge Iversen, formerly of Rock Island, 111., is now in charge of pub- licity for the R. D. Goldberg Theatres and is new manager of the State. PHILADELPHIA New governors will be elected at the 10th annual luncheon meeting of Eastern Penn- sylvania Allied at the Broadwood Hotel January 27, at which time general manager Sidney E. Samueison will deliver an annual report. . . . A. M. Ellis, independent circuit head, was elected to the board of directors of the Allied Jewish Appeal. . . . John Sites named manager of the Elton and Strand in Steelton, Pa., succeeding Bob Miller, who left for California. . . . Harry Adelman joined New Jersey Messenger, film delivery service, to take charge of the office headed by his father, Meyer Adelman. . . . Keeney interests reopening the Plaza, Reading, as a screen theatre with occasional bookings of stage shows. . . . Nat Rosen, 20th Cen- tury-Fox salesman, was promoted to assis- tant to division manager Harold Minsky. . . . Oscar Neufeld, Clark Film manager, in the Jewish Hospital. . . . An outbreak of scarlet fever forced the closing of schools, churches and theatres in Slatington, Pa. . . . K. Katz closed the Viola, which he pur- chased from David Moliver, and will reopen the house with a new name after alterations. ... A permit for improvements at the front of Scah's Astor, Reading, Pa., was issued at City Hall. . . . The Arcadia, Slatington, Pa., a former B. M. Hoeflich operation, is now being handled by J. Humphries. . . . Morston Theatres, combine of Stanley Adelman and Mort Magill, have taken over the operation of the Spruce, formerly run by Lou Foxman, and the Palace in Atlantic City, N. J., a former Murray Diamond operation. SAN FRANCISCO Fox theatre, Visalia, has received a per- mit from the city engineers' office for n $1,500 lobby remodeling job. . . . Name of the Moulin Rouge in Oakland has been changed to Red Mill — a translation. . . . Clarence Wasserman and D. S. Wasserman recently sold four lots in Tulare, including the State theatre, for an estimated $88,000. Purchasers were Harry Karl and Sarah Karl Miller. . . . Jerry Zigmond, Paramount Theatres boss, still bedded with a severe case of poison oak. ... A wishing well has been set up in the lobby of the Golden Gate theatre by the Variety Club, for donations to the club's fund for blind babies. . . . Harry Hunsaker has left SRO to purchase the Hunsaker Motor Co., in Chico, Calif., owned by his nephew. Hunsaker, who was local manager for Selznick, has not been replaced yet. . . . The Kinema theatre, (Continued on opposite page) 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 Fresno, was held up this week. The bandit •escaped with $51. . . . Al Laurice has sold his Menlo and Park theatres at Menlo Park to L. S. Harhm, owner of Westside The- atres. SEATTLE Holdovers led Seattle's film fare again this week. Entering its fourth week at the -Roosevelt was ''Good News," the first MGM film ever to play at that house. "Road to Rio," at the Paramount, and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," at the Music Hall, each finished their third weeks. Other films playing as holdovers were "The Private Life of Henry VIII," at the Varsity, and "It Had to be You," at the Palomar, each in week number two. . . . The general meet- ing of the Pacific Conference of Independ- ent Theatre Owners, originally scheduled for this week, was postponed until the middle of February. . . . Sterling Theatres announced two changes in managerial posts : Dave Bloom is the new manager at the Ma- drona; Robert Lee is now manager at the Palomar. The Circle theatre, also on the Sterling Circuit, has inaugurated a new policy of showing a Spanish film on each Wednesday of every week. . . . The new Magnolia theatre, now under construction, will open early in spring. It will seat about 900. . . . Recent visitors to Film Row : W. A. Cochrane, Snoqualmie; Walter Gra- ham, Shelton; Art Zabel, Olympia; Mel Sohn, Kirkland, and Frank Willard, Ta- coma. ST. LOUIS The good news was "Captain from Cas- tile" at the Fox and the third week of "Good News" at Loew's Orpheum. The "Road to Rio" and "'My Wild Irish Rose" keep rolling along, just like the river. The river, incidentally, broke into the entertain- ment business with Federal Barge Lines running the towboats, Helena and Kokoda, in what is termed the first New Orleans- St. Louis race since the Robert E. Lee's. ... A power failure on January 14 knocked out a large section of the north side and darkened the Tower, Lindell, Norside, Salisbury, Hiway and Bremen theatres for 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Seeing the street lights, hotels and homes dark, patrons understood. In another casualty, burglars broke into the Pauline Theatre and took $198 in currency. . . . Barney Rosenthal, Monogram manager, announces "Black Gold" at the Fox on February 17, and completion of a Monogram-St. Louis Amusement Company deal. Fred Souttar, Fox Midwest district manager, will attend Los Angeles meetings the first week of Feb- ruary. TORONTO Eight of the nine first runs in Toronto held over programs for the week, the excep- tion being "Sleep, My Love," which bowed in at the Uptown theatre with Mary Pick- ford present in her native city for the open- ing of her first production. The other at- tractions lined up as follows: "The Bach- elor and the Bobby-Soxer," fourth week at both the Tivoli and Eglinton; "Road to Rio," third week at Shea's theatre; "The Se- cret Life of Walter Mitty," third week at the Imperial ; "Green Dolphin Street," third week at Loew's, and a reissue double bill headed by "Drums Along the Mohawk," second week at the Capitol and Victoria. . . . The International Cinema was holding over its "Raider," a British feature, for a second week, too. . . . An important devel- opment of the week in the Canadian film industry was the opening of the Audio Pic- tures studio on the Lake Shore Road near Toronto with Arthur Gottlieb in the role of host. . . . The big function of the week was the anniversary dinner of the Famous Play- ers' 25- Year Club when a score of veteran employes were admitted to membership. . . . The appointment of Harry Kaufman, former general manager of Canadian Monogram, as eastern manager of Cardinal Films, Ltd., has been confirmed by president Harry J. Allen. ... 28 employes of the Canadian head office and Toronto branch of MGM of Canada were honored with the presenta- tion of emblems for long service. . . . The Canadian Picture Pioneers held their seventh annual meeting and frolic January 22 at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto. . . . Neighborhood theatres are emphasizing their low admission prices for the first time in many years. VANCOUVER Most of Vancouver's first runs have raised admissions from five to 10 cents to meet increased overhead. The rising cost of operation have increased vastly in the last two years, circuit and independent theatre men report. . . . As usual at this time of the year colds and flu are taking their toll of theatre staffs. Hardly a house is unaffected and this plays havoc with op- erations. . . . Vancouver first run theatres were heading for a big week until the winter fogs came to town in midweek, "Road to Rio" on second week at Capitol the leader, with James Mason in the "Up- turned Glass" in the second slot, "Desert Fury" at Orpheum above average, "Cap- tain Boycott" had a tough time on its sec- ond week at the Day-Date. Plaza and Park, a revival of "The Thief of Bagdad" at the International did nicely for three days, but fell down badly for the tail end of the engagement. . . . It's the guess of many theatre men that film business in 1948 will be off from 15 to 20 per cent in this section, and that only outstanding pictures will do business. . . . Al Davidson, at pres- ent manager of the Plaza Victoria, will be in charge of the new Odeon 1,500-seat unit in the Capitol city, which is expected to be open by March. . . . Walter Hopp has been appointed assistant manager of the Capitol theatre under Charles Doctor. Don Beisel is a new addition to the Strand staff. WASHINGTON Washington theatre business was good this week, with "Unconquered" at Loew's Pal- ace held for a second week, and the follow- ing new pictures opening at the downtown houses: "I Walk Alone," at Warner; "The Flame," at the Metropolitan; "Intrigue," at Loew's Capitol; and "Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap," at RKO Keith's. Carry-over for the week was "Killer McCoy," at Loew's Columbia. . . . The Pix theatre brought back to the downtown scene "The Best Years of Our Lives" starting on January 16, for 'a week's run. . . . The "art" theatres have been doing well with their recent book- ings, with "Great Mr. Handel" at the Little and "I Know Where I'm Going" at the Hippodrome, both held for a fourth week. . . . Margaret Truman launched the Wash- ington March of Dimes campaign in front of the Loew's Capitol theatre. . . . New members of Variety Club Tent No. 11 are Harry A. Simons, Loew's; Charles W. Trippe, Station WINX; Jack White, Mor- gan Baer's orchestra ; and the following as- sociate members elected by the board of governors : Albert D. Blitz and Morris Kraft. . . . Al Sherman, Film Classics, was speaker at the Washington Film Council's first luncheon of the year. He spoke on "Opening New Channels for Distribution." Dismiss Conspiracy Charge Against Three Companies Conspiracy charges against RKO, Uni- versal and Warner Brothers Pictures Dis- tributing Corporation were dismissed Janu- ary 17 in Buffalo by Federal Court Judge Harold T. Burke. They were the second, third and fourth companies to be dismissed in a $300,000 damage suit brought against 12 companies by Bordonaro Brothers, Olean, N. Y., who charge a conspiracy to prevent their Palace theatre from obtaining first run features. Charges against the Big U Film Exchange, Inc., had been dis- missed earlier. Charges against RKO and Universal were dismissed because they are the parent corporations, respectively, of RKO Radio Pictures and Universal Film Exchanges, Inc. Charges against Warners were dismissed on the grounds that the evi- dence showed that at no time had the plain- tiffs sought to purchase Warner product. Vermont Back in Old Post Boris Vermont, who recently completed a special assignment for Twentieth Century- Fox, including the production of a series of shorts, "The World Today," will return to his former post as head of the company's foreign versions department. Edward Leg- gewie, who held the post during Mr. Ver- mont's leave of absence, will be promoted to a new assignment in Eufope. "Double Life" for Music Hall Universal - International's "A Double Life," starring Ronald Colman, has been booked in the Radio City Music Hall, New York, to follow "The Paradine Case." MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 33 LATE FEATURE REVIEW The Naked City Universal - Mark Hellinger Prod. — A Gem Set in New York Films backgrounded in New York have been made time without number, but it took the late Mark Hellinger to catch its many moods, its changing face, its racing pace and its exciting dynamics as, perhaps, no previous attraction has ever succeeded. As a native-born son who has spent most of his days here, this reviewer begs leave to set himself up as an authority, for this once at any rate, in staking such a claim on behalf of "The Naked City." Hellinger is on the narrative track, intro- ducing the personalities identified with the making of this story about the routine of * 1 J J* the Police Department's famed and efficient tjtUCL'V' TOIT Homicide Department. Where Homicide is •/ J concerned, the murder of a beautiful, girl is # all in a day's work. The case goes to Barry It W M\£>lf /? w O Ml & Fitzgerald, police lieutenant, and from him ^ * k-Jm llv*v»* MJXJMIKZ to his various assistants, notably Don Washington Bureau THow'they work from a jigsaw puzzle base A voluntary film production code, similar with practically nothing to guide or to help to that of the American industry, designed them in running down clues until the pieces fit to eliminate censorship by the future Ger- Pfrfectly comprises the story provided by Mai- man Government is being contemplated by vin Wald and developed by him and Albert t, t,., t-i i a • , • • „ Maltz into a tight and arresting script translated the. FlIm Producers Association in the into scenes of never-flagging interest under United States zone of Germany, a War De- magnificent direction by Jules Dassin. partment spokesman said last week. It turns out to be a case of infatuation by a In addition t0 reporting that Code discus- well known society doctor for the murdered . ,,, ■ j ,inr t-n model, leading from there to jewel robberies cussions had been carried on, the War De- and death when thieves fall out. The principals partment also disclosed the repeal of two include House Jameson as the doctor gone Nazi statutes, dealing with motion pictures, wrong; Howard Duff, as one of the brains of h the Allied Control Council, the gang, and Ted De Corsia as the trigger J ~. . . man on whom the finale drops in a gun bat- 0ne concerned the vestment of censor - tie which sends him to his death from a tower ship of German and imported films in the of the Williamsburg Bridge. Ministry of Propaganda. The other set up But what makes "The Naked City" a saga a provisionai fiim chamber for the purpose of the real New York is the manner of its , , . ,,r ^ development. This might have been just an- of carrying out censorship. War Depart- other crime story, but it isn't. From the broad ment officials stressed that the repeal of both canvas of the city's steel and slums, as well as statutes was necessary to eliminate any fu- its less shabby side, the penetrating camera of ture cenSorship by a German Government. William Daniels has caught a brilliant assort- rrT r , . ~ ment of authentic atmospheres which go to iH- zu Loewenstem, Motion Picture make New York what it is. A film of this Herald correspondent in Germany, has been authority could only have come through as this active in promoting a U.S.-German zone mo- does by drawing on the real thing. Thus, "The fion pjcture code based on fa American in- Naked City was made almost entirely in the , , , . , . , . , city of its tellincr dustry s model, ever since hts return to In it, Fitzgerald does some of his best work Germany from New York one year ago. He as the wise and seasoned hunter of criminals. faac{ been in this country from Germany for The professional cast surrounding him is ex- fl numlyeY 0f years.'] cellent, yet one of the strengths of this attrac- ' y _ tion is drawn from the unprofessional bit play- < ers passing in parade in the normal flow and Read© IRS His Appeal ebb ©f the metropolis at work and at play. I C U. A * X Dl/£\ Hellinger has described this as just one story m OUlt ACjainST KK.W about a city of 8,000,000 people. It goes on all The New. York Circuit Court of Aopeals the time, he says, and, of course, it does, the . ... , , , , , ■ difference is that it has not been told as this in Albany h*s declared the 1942 contract attraction succeeds in doing. between Long Park, Inc., one of the Walter Jules Buck was associate producer. Reade theatre companies, and RKO Service Reviewed at home office. Reviezve/s Rating : Corporation "illegal, void and unenforceable." Excellent. Red Kann. The appeal was from a decision last July by Release date, February, 194S. Running time, 96 min. .v. a n , tn- • • nr i u pca No. 12860. General audience classification. the Appellate Division. Twelve houses m Lt. Dan Muldoon Barry Fitzgerald Trenton and New Brunswick, N. J., of Frank Ntles Howard Duff . . ' . , , Jimmy Halloran Don Taylor which Mr. Reade is part owner, are involved. Ruth Morrison Dorothy Hart Garzah Ted De Corsia House Jameson, Anne Sargent, Tom Pedi, Enid Mar- Cllm Trancl+ Plnorf key, Frank Conroy, Adelaide Klein, Grover Burgess I Hill 11011511 rilltSU $2,500 on 20 Counts Lightman Buys Into Flexer Film Transit, Inc., Memphis, was fined M. A. Lightman announced last week that a total of $2,500 in Memphis Federal Court he and his theatre associates, Herb Kohn Tuesday after entering a plea of nolo con- arid Edward Sapinsley, had taken over a tendre to a 20-count criminal information minor interest in Dave Flexer's Tennessee charging violation of Interstate Commerce and Mississippi theatres. Mr. Lightman will Commission regulations. A fine of $1,000 book and buy for these theatres, which in- was assessed on the first 19 counts, including elude the Ritz and the Peabody theatres in two charging that the. company engaged Memphis. physically disqualified persons as drivers. 7 Companies Had Quarter Sales Of $149,155,000 Washington Bureau Total sales of seven film companies in the third quarter of 1947 were $149,155,000, slightly lower than the $156,713,000 in the second quarter of 1947 and the $151,605,- 000 for the third quarter of 1946, according to a report of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The figures for RKO, one of the seven, were not included in the printed copy of the SEC report since they were obtained after the report went to the printer. Universal was the only company to gain from the second quarter of 1947 to the third quarter, while Columbia and RKO sales dropped most sharply. Warner Brothers and Paramount did not report. Following is a breakdown of the figures for the seven companies : Columbia: 1947, third quarter, $6,475,- 000; second quarter, $9,080,000 (third quarter, 1946, $5,574,000). Loew's: 1947, third quarter, $42,750,000; second quarter, $43,371,000; (third quarter, 1946, $45,600,- 000). Both 1947 figures are for a 12- week period. Monogram: 1947, third quarter, $2,176,000; second quarter, $2,241,000; (third quarter, 1946, $1,770,000). Repub- lic: 1947, third quarter, $7,524,000; second quarter, $7,569,000; (third quarter, 1946, $6,370,000). Twentieth Century- Fox: 1947, third quarter, $44,689,000; second quarter, $46,- 587,000; (third quarter, 1946, $50,245,- 000). Universal: 1947, third quarter, $16,- 634,000; second quarter, $16,608,000 (third quarter, 1946, $12,083,000). The gross income of Columbia's foreign subsidiaries reported amounted to $4,889,- 000 for the second quarter of 1947; $4,275,- 000 for the first quarter of 1947, and $4,- 069,000 for the second quarter of 1946. RKO reported earnings of subsidiaries not consolidated operating in foreign coun- tries as $3,606,000 for the third quarter of of 1947; $4,098,000 for the second quarter of 1947; and $3,915,000 for the third quar- ter of 1946. Theatre circuits reported were : Consoli- dated Amusement Company, Ltd.: 1947, third quarter, $1,196,000; second quarter, $1,194,000; (third quarter, 1946, $1,324,- 000). Loew's Boston Theatres Co.: 1947, third quarter, $432,000; second quarter, $527,000; (third quarter, 1946, $460,000). Virginia Theatre Group To Meet January 29 The Virginia Motion Picture Theatre As- sociation will hold its mid-winter convention January 29 at the John Marshall Hotel in Richmond. Robert Coyne, executive direc- tor of Theatre Owners of America, and Her- man Levy, TOA counsel, will be the princi- pal speakers. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Production Swings Up With 23 Now Shooting by WILLIAM R. WEAVER Hollywood Editor That long heralded and widely despaired of upturn in production finally put in its ap- pearance last week, with the number of pic- tures on the shooting stages rising from a meagre 18 to a promiseful 23, start of eight new films being offset by completion of but three. Actually, the upturn is a good deal more significant than the bare statistics indicate, for the new undertakings assay a far richer content, and represent far more in terms of budget and in promise for the 1948 box office, than the product which has been flowing through the cameras during the lat- ter months of 1947. Studios Show Signs of Restocking Backlogs The reasons why this should be the case are about as varied as the product put into work this week, and anyone's at liberty to select his own explanation. But the fact of prime import is that studios have begun to take steps in the direction of restocking the backlogs with material comparable in many if not all respects to the pre-British tax product on which the distributors have been drawing heavily for revenue sustainers. MGM, having undergone an extensive readjustment in the executive department and elsewhere, started shooting "Julia Misbehaves," with Greer Gar son, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Elizabeth Taylor, Cesar Romero, Dame May Whitty and Mary Boland in principal roles. It's quite a while sinoe the weekly report in this col- umn has contained a cast of similar impres- siveness. Everett Riskin is producing the picture, with Jack Conway handling the direction. Warner Brothers started three pictures, one of them a Technicolor job about which much has been printed and more doubtless will be. It is "Rope," a Trans- atlantic Pictures project, which Alfred Hitchcock is directing, and it has James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger and Jean Chandler in the cast. The project first attracted special news attention when it was reported that Hitch- cock had devised a plan for shooting it in 10 days, despite its $l,000,000-plus budget and other specifications usually indicative of protracted schedules. Meticulous rehears- als, time-sequence procedure and sliding sets were among the means to be employed in shortening camera and crew time. Shooting to Take Six to Eight Weeks Although all of these expedients are con- tinuingly in effect, it was reckoned at week- end that the shooting would take six or eight weeks, which would appear to augur betterment rather than sacrifice of screen quality. Warner producer Jerry Wald, who deals only in top level material, started cameras turning on "John Loves Mary," with Ron- ald Reagan, of the current "Voice of the Turtle," Jack Carson and Patricia Neal in principal assignments. David Butler is di- recting. Producer Saul Elkins and director Sherry Shourds went to work on the third Warner property, "The Fighting Terror," with Wayne Morris, another of the "Voice of the Turtle" cast, Lois Maxwell and Mary Stuart. Paramount, where the economizing which is general throughout the community has been less perceptibly reflected than else- where, also started two pictures. "Sorry, Wrong Number," is a Hal B. Wallis production, directed by Anatole Lit- vak, with Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancas- ter and Ann Richards in top roles. Producer Richard Maibaum launched a Mitchell Leisen production, "Abigail, Dear Heart," with Claude Rains, Macdonald Carey and Wanda Hendrix. Eronel Productions, a new organization set up by some young men who've made their marks in the exploitation and public- ity sector of Hollywood, started "The Ar- gyle Secret," with William Gargan, Mar- jorie Lord, Ralph Byrd and John Banner. Co-producers are Alan H. Posner and Sam X. Abarbanel, and Cyril Endfield is direct- ing. The Eronel pictures are for Film Classics release. Sidney Salkow Making "Avenger" for UP A Sidney Salkow is producing and direct- ing "The Avenger," for UPA Films, Inc., with Roger de la Rosa, Ralph Morgan, Si- grid Gurie, Duncan Renaldo, David Leonard and Trevor Bardette heading the pictures cast. Students of the production scene, who seldom agree upon anything, ascribe the long lull and the sudden upswing to a vari- ety of causes. Perhaps the most favored of these is the refashioning of scripts to eliminate the more costly variety of sets and accoutrements, a process requiring considerable time and, frequently, complete substitution of story properties. In the same category, of course, are included such matters as renegotiations of player and di- rector commitments, shifting of assign- ments, and divers related changes of plan in the interests of determined budget reduc- tions by the companies. Various Reasons Ascribed For Production Rise Observers undisposed to assess full re- sponsibility for the lull to this readjuse- ment process mention the realistic imprac- ticability of revising salary contracts down- ward while everybody's working as a fac- tor also bearing upon the matter. Still other self-appointed experts on how and why the studios do what they do refer, without much conviction, to the superficial- ly constructive effect of the production- saving on the corporate statements of the companies covering the final quarter of 1947. Studio heads, however, having main- tained official silence on the subject of the long lull, are not talking for publication about the resumption of top calibre produc- tion. STARTED FILM CLASSICS The Argyle Secrets (Eronel) MGM Julia Misbehaves PARAMOUNT Abigail, Dear Heart Sorry, Wrong Num- ber (Wallis) UPA FILMS, INC. The Avenger WARNER BROTHERS John Loves Mary The Fighting Terror Rope (Transatlantic) COMPLETED 20TH CENTURY-FOX The Iron Curtain Walls of Jericho UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL Man Eater of Ka- raoan (M on t v Shaff) SHOOTING COLUMBIA Let's Fall in Love Loves of Carmen EAGLE LION The Spiritualist MGM A Date With Judy Easter Parade PARAMOUNT A Foreign Affair REPUBLIC Moonrise (Feldman- Grant) The Timber Trail The Gallant Legion RKO RADIO Mr. Joseph Young of Africa (Arko) 20TH CENTURY- FOX The Street With No Name Apartment for Peggy The Chair for Martin Rome UNIVERSAL- INTERNATIONAL- Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid WARNERS Key Largo MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 35 IN NEWSREELS RKO RADIO TRADE PICTURES, Inc. SHOWINGS IF YOU WESTERN KNEW SUSIE HERITAGE ALBANY Fox Projection Room 1052 Broadwoy Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. ATLANTA RKO Projection Room 195 Luckie St. N.W. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. BOSTON RKO Projection Room 122 Arlington St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2-.30 P.M. BUFFALO Fox Projection Room 290 Franklin St. Thurs. 1 /29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. CHARLOTTE Fox Projection Room 308 So. Church St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. CHICAGO RKO Projection Room 1300 So. Wabash Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. CINCINNATI RKO Projection Room 12 E. 6th St. Thurs. 1/29 8:00 P.M. Thurs. 1/29 9:30 P.M. CLEVELAND Fox Projection Room 2219 Payne Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. DALLAS Paramount Projection Rm. 412 So. Harwood St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. DENVER Paramount Projection Rm. 2100 Stout St. Thurs. 1/29 2:00 P.M. Thurs. 1/29 3:30 P.M. DES MOINES Fox Projection Room 1300 High St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. DETROIT Blumenthal Projection Rm. 9110 Cos? Ave Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. INDIANAPOLIS Paramount Projection Rm. 1 16 W. Michigan St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. KANSAS CITY Paramount Projection Rm. 1802 Wyandote Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M.. Thurs. 1 /29 2:30 P.M. 1 f\C A Kl ACI EC LOS ANvcLt) p 1/ /"\ PcAior'tinn D fin m K i\ \J rro|etiiQM ivwwm 1 QAfl. C Vormanf A VP 1 7wv J. V ci ilium « » c . Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. MEMPHIS l VI CIV! r nu Fox Projection Room 1 «M VOn(c nvCi Thurs. 1/29 1 ft ftft A II 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. MILWAUKEE Warner Projection Room 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. MINNEAPOLIS Fox Projection Room 1015 Currie Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. NEW HAVEN Fox Projection Room 40 Whiting St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. NEW ORLEANS Fox Projection Room 200 So. Liberty St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. NEW YORK Normandie Theatre Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. 53rd & Park Ave. . RKO Projection Room Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. 630 Ninth Ave. OKLAHOMA CITY Fox Projection Room ION. Lee St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. OMAHA Fox Projection Room 1502 Davenport St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. PHILADELPHIA RKO Projection Room 250 N. 13 St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. PITTSBURGH RKO Projection Room 1809-13 Blvd. of Allies Thurs. 1/29 1:30 P.M. Thurs. 1/29 3:00 P.M. PORTLAND Star Preview Room 929 N.W. 19th Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. ST. LOUIS RKO Projection Room 3143 Olive St. Thurs. 1/29 11:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. SALT LAKE CITY Fox Projection Room 216 E. 1st South St. Thurs. 1/29 1:15 P.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:40 P.M. SAN FRANCISCO RKO Projection Room 215 Hyde St. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. SEATTLE B. F. Shearer Projection Rm 2318 Second Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. SIOUX FALLS Hollywood Theatre 212 No. Philips Ave. Thurs. 1/29 10:00 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 11:30 A.M. WASHINGTON Fox Projection Room 932 New Jersey Ave. Thurs. 1/29 RKO 10:30 A.M. Thurs. 1/29 2:30 P.M. MOVIETONE NEWS — Vol. 31, No. 5— U. S. Senate probes trading. . . . Burma independence. ...U.S. submarines for Turkey. . . . Chennault takes Chinese bride. . . . Silver Skates. . . . Match of Dimes. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 31, No. .- — Benjamin Franklin's birthday celebrated in Philadelphia. . . Gas explosion in Chicago. . . . Plane crashes in Maryland. . . . New York State Rangers feed hungry deer. . . . Mary Pickford visits Canada. . . . Chimps in Belgium. . . . Ski jumping. . . . Speed skating at Newburgh, N. Y. . . . Yachting in Aus- tralia. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 239— Ship burns at sea. . . . Chennault wed. . . . Stassen makes grain charges. . . . Silver Skates. . . . March of Dimes drive. NEWS OF THE DAY— VoL 19, No. 240— Spotlight on Eisenhower. . . Boston fire. . . . Milk ship for Europe. . . . Bradley honored. . . . Chimps. . . . Skiing dare-devils. . . . Skating. . . . Zoom diving. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 42— Silver skates. . . . Anti-Royalist riots in Rome. . . . Dimes drive. . . . Chennault and bride. . . . Montgomery mission to Ethiopia. . . . Air Policy Commission reports. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 43— Turf opener. . . . Eisenhower honored. . . . Baruch on foreign aid. . . . Winter Olympics. . . . Danger rides the hickory board. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 30, No. 109— Burning ship. . . . March of Dimes. . . . Submarines to Turkey. . . . British airliner crash. . . . Chennault and bride. . . . New sweater fashions. . . . Wrestling in Madrid. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 30, No. 110— Fighting in Greece. . . Eisenhower urges Europe aid. . . . Chicago explosion. . . . Boston fire. . . . Dimes drive. . . . Death mars Illinois ski meet. WARNER PATHE NEWS— Not, 44— March of Dimes. . . . "Sweater girls" in Florida. . . . Stassen's grain charges. . . . Chennault weds. . . . Spinsters plan leap-year traps. . . . Basketball. . . . Daniel Webster commemoration. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 45— Turmoil in Pales- tine. . . . Eisenhower in Philadelphia. . . . Friendship idea catches on. . . . Blast levels Chicago building. . . . Florida season. . . . Olympics. . . . Skiers meet. TELENEWS DIGEST— Vol. 2, No. 3— The Connolly disaster. . . . Blast in Chicago. . . . War in Greece. . . . Sympathy meetings -for Greek rebels. . . . Nazi guards stand trial. . . . U. S. aid pact signed. . . . Strikes in France. . . . Microphone man demonstrates techniques. . . . Schmeling tries comeback. . . . Shark fishing in Australia. Audio Opens New Toronto Studio by W. M. GLADISH in Toronto Executives from Canada and the United States attended on January 17 when Audio Pictures, Ltd., Toronto, formally opened its new studio, a 20,000 square foot structure complete with up-to-date equipment. According to Arthur Gottlieb, president, Audio Pictures, Ltd., plans to launch its pro- duction program with two features yearly, using Hollywood stars, the company's own technicians and Canadian backgrounds. The timeliness of the opening was stressed at a party given by Mr. Gottlieb. The Canadian industry, through J. J. Fitzgib- bons of Famous Players Canadian Corpora- tion, has just agreed in principle with the Dominion Government on a plan to stimu- late domestic production of certain types of pictures, possibly through subsidiary units of Hollywood companies, in an effort to ease the country's dollar crisis. The audio plant now is ready for devel- opment. While it does not compare in ex- panse with major American studios, it is well furnished in all detail. An area has been established for a 100-foot sound stage, 22 feet in height. There are dressing, make- up, script, recording and rehearsal rooms as well as three screening theatres, an art department, animation section, commissary. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 Cinecolor Sales Up to $2,262,147 Hollywood Bureau Cinecolor Corporation, Burbank, set a new sales record of $2,262,147 for the fiscal year October 1. 1946, to September 27, 1947. This amounts to a 65 per cent in- crease over sales for the previous fiscal year, when sales totaled $850,949. According to the company's third annual report, released Monday, Cinecolor's net profit for the 1946-47 year amounted to $305,780 after dividend payment. Due to the increased volume of business, Cinecolor was able to reduce its price on re- lease printing by one-half cent per foot on July 14. 1947, the report states. The com- pany also absorbed an 11.17 per cent cost of living wage increase last year, William T. Crespinel. Cinecolor president, pointed out. Legi jion of Decency Condemns French Film, "Volpone" The French feature, ''Volpone,'- has been condemned by the Legion of Decency, the organization announced this week, because "despite pretense of moral purposes, this film portrays vice attractively and ridicules virtue. It contains blasphemous references to religious practices and indecent and sug- gestive scenes." This week the Legion also reviewed six other features, approving of all but two. "Bandits of Dark Canyon" and "The Gay Ranchero" were placed in Class A-I, unobjectionable for general patronage. "Heading for Heaven" and "The Smugglers" were placed in Class A-II, unobjectionable for adults. In Class B, objectionable in part, were "Always To- gether," because of "light treatment of marriage" and because it "reflects the ac- ceptability of divorce," and "If Winter Comes," because it "reflects the acceptabil- ity of divorce." Carolina Theatre Owners Expect 500 at Convention Mrs. Pauline Griffith, secretary of the Theatre Owners of North and South Caro- lina, has announced that more than 500 are expected to attend the annual convention of that organization in Charlotte at the Hotel Charlotte, February 1 to 3. This is the first meeting of the group since the organi- zation joined the Theatre Owners of Ameri- ca several months ago. Herman Levy, gen- eral counsel for TOA, will be one of the principal speakers. Universal Sets Dividend Universal Pictures January 15 declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share on the company's four and one-quarter per cent cumulative preferred stock, payable March 1 to stockholders of record Febru- ary 16. Urge Continued Building Curbs Washington Bureau The continuation of existing curbs on theatre and other amusement construction is strongly favored by the administration. Congressional committees now studying the extension of the present rent and hous- ing law, which expires February 29, will be told by Tighe Woods, housing expedit- er, and other housing officials, that there is still a shortage of building materials and that so long as such a shortage exists re- strictions on building materials for non- housing projects will ease the situation. Some House committeemen, however, have stated that a check will be made to see how large a part of the nation's con- struction program is made up of entertain- ment projects. Selznick, Peck to Make Red Cross Film Appeal David O. Selznick's organization will produce this year's Red Cross motion pic- ture appeal for funds, it was announced Monday by Howard Bonham, vice-president in charge of public relations for the Red Cross. Gregory Peck will star in the short. All concerned will donate their services for the film, to be shown during March. PARAMOUNT TRADE SHOW Monday, Feb. 2nd ALAN LADD VERONICA LAKE in SAIGON Douglas Dick • Wally Casseli Luther Adler • Morris Carnovsky Mikhail Rasumny Produced by P. J. Wolfson Directed by Leslie Fenton Screenplay by P. J. Wolfson and Arthur Sheekman Based on a slory by Julian Zimel CITY PLACE TIME ALBANY FOX PROJ. ROOM, 1052 Broadway 2:30 P.M. ATLANTA PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 154 Walton St., N.W 2:30 P.M. BOSTON PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 58 Berkeley Street 2:30 P.M. BUFFALO PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 464 Franklin Street 7/ A.M. CHARLOTTE PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 305 So. Church Street JO A.M. CHICAGO PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1306 So. Michigan Ave 77 A.M. CINCINNATI PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1214 Central Parkway 2:30 P.M. CLEVELAND PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1735 E. 23rd Street 3:75 P.M. DALLAS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 412 So. Harwood Street 70:30 A.M. DENVER PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2100 Stout Street 3 P.M. DES MOINES PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1125 High Street 2:30 P.M. DETROIT PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 479 Ledyard Avenue 70 A.M. INDIANAPOLIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 116 W. Michigan Street 77 A.M. JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA THEATRES SCREEN ROOM, 128 Forsyth St 8 P.M. KANSAS CITY PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1800 Wyandotte St 70:30 A.M. LOS ANGELES BOULEVARD THEATRE, Washington & Vermont Sts 77 A.M. MEMPHIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 362 So. Second Street 2:30 P.M. MILWAUKEE PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1121 N. Eighth Street 77 A.M. MINNEAPOLIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1201 Currie Avenue 70:30 A.M. NEW HAVEN PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 82 State Street 70:30 A.M. NEW ORLEANS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 215 So. Liberty St 70 A.M. NEW YORK CITY FOX PROJ. ROOM, 345 West 44th Street 70:30 A.M. OKLAHOMA CITY. ..PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 701 W. Grand Ave 70:30 A.M. OMAHA PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1704 Davenport St 70:30 A.M. PHILADELPHIA PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 248 No. 12th Street 2 P.M. PITTSBURGH PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1727 Blvd. of Allies 77 A.M. PORTLAND PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 909 No. West 19th Ave 2 P.M. ST. LOUIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2949 Olive St 70:30 A.M. SALT LAKE CITY PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 270 E. 1st South St 3:30 P.M. SAN FRANCISCO PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 205 Golden Gate Ave 70:30 A.M. SEATTLE PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2330 First Avenue 2 P.M. WASHINGTON PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 306 H Street, N.W 2:30 P.M. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 37 ^WHAT THE PICTURE Dill FOR ME^ Columbia IT HAD TO BE YOU: Ginger Rogers, Cornel Wilde — This one seemed to be generally liked, but a few walked out on it. For one thing, it got off to a slow start, but it picked up at the finish. It is very ap- parent that there isn't so much loose money laying around. Also there seems to be an undercurrent that we cannot lay our fingers on. Whether it is the cost of living or the recent exposure of Communist infil- tration in Hollywood, the fact remains that there seems to be so little interest displayed as to when the really bigger pictures are coming to play. It is so directly opposite to what it was when business was on top. It is puzzling why this is so. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. JOHNNY O'CLOCK : Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes— Adult entertainment. That is one strike against us before we play it. Business was not good. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Dennis O'Keefe, Marguerite Chapman— Strictly program fan fare. We did fair. Played it single bill on a weekend.— Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. Eagle Lion CARAVAN: Stewart Granger, Jean Kent— I would say this was very good for a love story. Some of my customers wanted to know when I was going to show Stewart Granger again. Jean Kent was well liked here, too. Better than average draw. Played Sunday, Jan. 4. — L. Brazil, Jr., New Theatre, Bear- den, Ark. LAW OF THE LASH: Al LaRue, Mary Scott— Our usual weekend Western fan fare. They look for it and they get it. It seemed to fill the bill O.K.— Har- land Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. RIDERS OF RED ROCK: Buster Crabbe, Al "Fuz- zy" St. John — Fair Western. We need more of these short Westerns. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flo- maton, Ala. Monogram NEWS HOUNDS: Leo Gorcey, Christine Mclntyre — This was timely and lots of laughs. Comments were good. Better than average draw. Played Monday, Tuesday. — L. Brazil, Jr., New Theatre, Bearden, Ark. SARGE GOES TO COLLEGE: Aian rtaie, jr., June Preisser — Very good of its type. Used on a double feature to satisfactory results. Alan Hale, Jr., is very good. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Paramount PERFECT MARRIAGE, THE: Loretta Young, Da- vid Niven — First night was poor, but they really turned out the second night. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. PERILS OF PAULINE: Betty Hutton, John Lund — It hurt to have a checker on this, because we really packed them in. Play it. Hope you don't have to pay too much. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST: Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy — This didn't go over very big. Weather was against us. It wasn't a big attraction in any of our situations. — Harland Rankin, Erie Theatre, Wheatley, Ont., Can. WELCOME STRANGER: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald — And welcome, too, for we did some good business on this one. While not as good as "Going My Way," it had all that it takes for general public appeal. This pair supplemented each other. I hope they keep together for other pictures. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. RKO Radio HONEYMOON: Shirley Temple, Guy Madison— We will never forget our Shirley in the good old days. We could even borrow from our banker before her pictures were played. This hasn't the same punch, but it is still a nice picture with laughs. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. . . . the original exhibitors' reports department, established October 14, 1916. In it theatremen serve one another with information about the box office performance of product — providing a service of the exhibitor for the exhibitor. ADDRESS REPORTS: What the Picture Did for Me, Motion Picture Herald. Rockefeller Center, New York 20. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: James Stewart, Don- na Reed — This was supposed to be a special. It was just a fair Sunday and Monday feature that did nothing special at the box office. Played Jan. 4, S. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. SINBAD THE SAILOR: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Maureen O'Hara — Business was not so good the first night, but came back strong the second. Audience reaction very good. Played Sunday, Monday, Dec. 28, 29.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. Republic BELLS OF SAN ANGELO: Roy Rogers, Dale Ev- ans— Good Western. This was substituted two days before playdate for "Old Spanish Trail." The leader on this was so short we couldn't even show the five inches of title that was left. Republic prints are worse than all other companies combined. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. CALENDAR GIRL: Jane Frazee, William Marshall — Fair musical. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flo- maton, Ala. MY PAL TRIGGER: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans— We single billed this. Had icy roads. — Harland Ran- kin, Erie Theatre, Wheatley, Ont., Can. VIGILANTES OF BOOMTOWN: Allan Lane, Bob- by Blake — This is the best of the new Red Ryder fea- tures. Comedy mixed with the other elements put it over here. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 9, 10. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. Twentieth Century- Fox BOOMERANG: Dana Andrews, Jane Wy man— This was a gripping drama. It was well acted and inter- esting all the way. Used on top half of double bill to good business. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 9, 10. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. CRIMSON KEY, THE: Kent Taylor, Doris Dowling — Used on top spot of weekend double bill. This was O.K. for our trade. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A DOG: Carole Landis, Allyn Joslyn — Played this mighty late, but it was a good program picture. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Universal BRUTE FORCE: Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn— This did much better than average business for us. but it was not the type of entertainment we approve. Too much violence and brutality. The criminals were glorified and the law put in the wrong light. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Jan. 7, 8.— A. C. Edwards, Win- ema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patron- age. BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello — Very good Abbott and Costello picture. Business above average with this. Beverly Simmons is very good. Why haven't we seen her more often? — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. IVY: Joan Fontaine, Patric Knowles— Not_ the type of picture for the small situation, but business was not bad for midweek. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 31, Jan. 1.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. VIGILANTES RETURN, THE: Jon Hall, Margaret Lindsay — Used on weekend double bill to good business. O.K. for any locality where Westerns are popular. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. WHEN THE DALTONS RODE: Randolph Scott, Kay Francis — Excellent reissue for Saturday showing, or any other day. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Wa rner Bros. BIG SLEEP, THE: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Ba- call — We played this at all our theatres and didn't do business. I thought it was perfect, but they didn't go for it. — Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. STALLION ROAD: Zachary Scott, Alexis Smith— This didn't take so well. These pictures don't have the box office appeal they have in the United States. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. Short Features Columbia GET ALONG LITTLE ZOMBIES: All Star Come- dies— More laughs in this than in any comedy in months. Play it.— S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. OUT WEST: All Star Comedies— Good Stooge come- dy. My people keep asking me when Curly will be back.— S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer FOOTBALL THRILLS No. 10: Pete Smith Special- ties— Excellent— S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flo- maton, Ala. Plan "Monster Carnival" For Actors' Benefits A "monster carnival, bazaar and fair all rolled into one" is planned for the benefit of the Actors' Fund of America and the Motion Picture Relief Fund, it was announced this week. James Sauter, head of the United Theatrical War Activities Committee during the war, has been appointed general man- ager of the project. The affair will be held next November, opening the day after Thanksgiving in the 71st Regiment Armory, New York. The principals hope to realize $1,000,000 during the 10-day run of the carnival. Stars from all entertainment fields will participate. Kansas -Missouri Theatres Want Local News Items The board of directors of Kansas-Missouri Theatres Association voted January 15 at the Kansas City meeting to request newsreel companies to put more cameramen in the field to increase the coverage of local news. The board also approved the lease of the organization's new headquarters at Kansas City and will set up legislative committees in Congressional districts of Kansas and western Missouri. 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, I94& Cite Importance Of Story Values "There is increasing evidence . . . that the shopping habits of movie-goers are changing and that people now go to the movies not to see movie stars . . . but to see movies which appeal by reason of their story values," wrote William H. Mooring, motion picture writer for a syndicate of Catholic newspapers, last weekend. Mr. Mooring was analyzing the results of the sixteenth money-making stars poll conducted by Motion Picture Herald and Fame. "Hollywood producers would be smart to study this year's annual poll," Mr. Mooring said, and went on to point out that Bing Crosby was again elected by exhibitors to the number one position — the place he has held for the past four years. "Theatre man- agements whether they operate the big cir- cuit theatres or smaller neighborhood houses," the writer went on, "report that Bing has the edge over all the others. Bing is not a glamour boy. He is a family man, not overly handsome even with his toupee. He has none of that stuff Hollywood movie people call 'sex appeal'. "Why is he tops?" Mr. Mooring con- tinued. "Could it be because the screenplays in which he appears rarely fail to make the grade as family entertainment and have never been known, to pander to low tastes ?" Short Product in First Run Houses CAPITOL: Bowling Tricks MGM Cradle of a Nation MGM Feature: If Winter Comes MGM CRITERION: Ski-Demons Columbia Feature: T-Men Eagle Lion GLOBE: Now That Summer Is Gone Warner Bros. Feature: Body and Soul United Artists PA LACE: Switzerland Today RKO Radio Feature: Tycoon RKO Radio PARAMOUNT: Unusual Occupations, No. 2 Paramount Monfteyshines Paramount It Could Happen to You Paramount Super Lulu Paramount Feature: I Walk Alone Paramount ROX1T: A Flight to the Finish. . .20th Cent.-Fox Jungle Closeups 20th Cent.-Fox Feature: An Ideal Husband 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND: Fishing the Florida Keys Warner Bros. Stars in the Night Warner Bros. Horse Fly Fleas Warner Bros* Feature: My Wild Irish Rose Warner Bros. WARNER: Action in Sports. . . . .Warner Bros. Two Gophers trom Texas Warner Bros. Feature: The Voice of the Turtle Warner Bros. WINTER GARDEN: Carlos Molina & Orch. Universal Feature; The Secret Beyond the Door. .. .Universal Make Action Pictures for World Sale, Says Votion The good, fast action picture that can be produced at a low cost and stands to make a lot of money in the grass-roots areas of the United States and Europe should be the aim of both the American and the British produ- cers, according to Jack Votion, former RKO production head in Europe, who arrived in this country last week. He disclosed plans to produce six low-budget films in England, "providing the Bank of England is willing to shell out a percentage of the profits in dollars." The pictures, costing about $300,- 000 each, would be in series form and would have as their here Dick Turpin, a modern- day Robin Hood. The first would go into production in June. Instead of making cost- ly pictures abroad, the Americans should concentrate on using real people to produce films like the Italian "To Live in Peace," Mr.' Votion said. Mark Tenth Anniversary To commemorate the tenth anniversary of its operation the Brizilian Gloria circuit has issued a booklet, giving the history and op- erational background of the company. The brochure is rich with illustrations and de- tailed in its descriptions. The circuit was established in 1937. HIGH TENSION DRAMA! favefo/^on! Breath/ess Suspense/ Jake a Short Cut to BIG Grosses.1 J MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 39 239 U. S. FILMS IN MEXICO IN 1947 by LUIS BECERRA CELIS in Mexico City There were 382 features released in Mexi- co during 1947, including foreign and domes- tic product. The U. S. released 239 here — a new high ; there were 62 Mexican pic- tures, 36 from the Argentine, 23 English, 11 French, six Spanish, three Chilean and one each from Cuba and Italy. V Twentieth Century-Fox will produce at least one picture here, perhaps more, ac- cording to Santiago Reachi, president of Posa Films, who has recently returned from a Hollywood visit. V The recently concluded commercial treaty between Mexico and Spain may mean that the almost 60 "frozen" films — Mexican films that have not been released for various rea- sons— can now be taken off the shelf. The increasing popularity of Mexican pictures in Spain raises the hope here that many of those 60 may be sent to Spain and some profit at last realized on them. V Jesus Grovas, president of Producciones Grovas, prominent producer-distributor, has been reelected president of the National As- sociation of Producers and Distributors of Mexican Motion Pictures. V Production was to begin January 12 on the color remake of "Alia en el Rancho Grande," the 1935 feature which first inter- ested foreign countries in Mexican pictures. V Congress has unanimously passed the bill creating the National Cinematographic Commission, composed of employees, em- ployers and Government representatives, for the encouragement of the local industry. V At least 70 features will be produced in Mexico during 1948, according to estimates of the National Association of Producers and Distributors of Mexican Motion Pic- tures. This number includes pictures made in Mexico by foreign interests. V Loan, discounts and credits amounting to $2,676,487 were made to the industry during 1947 by the Banco Cinematografico, the film trade's own bank. GERMANY by HUBERTUS ZU LOEWENSTEIN in Berlin Production Notes : Neue Deutsche Filmges., Munich, has announced three fea- tures for early release this year. . . . Camera Film, with studios in Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, has scheduled 10 features for pro- duction in 1948. In addition, it is planning a screen version of an almanac, which is explained as a novel kind of motion picture magazine, which will invite contributions from all authors. . . . Comedia-Film, Munich, has begun production at the Bavaria Ate- liers, of the feature, "The Gentleman from Another Star," with Heinz Ruhmann in the title role. . . . The studios of Wiener Theatre in der Josephstadt, Vienna, have started pro- duction on "Ich fur Dich." V The following American pictures are being dubbed by Film Studio in Berlin Tempelhot for early release: "Suspicion," "Ziegfeld Girl," "Jane Eyre," "Random Harvest," "The Story of Louis Pasteur," "Woman of the Year," "OurVines Have Tender Grapes," "Our Town," "Destry Rides Again," "The Sea Hawk" and "The Green Years." BELGIUM by AN TYS in Brussels A "Center for Catholic Action in the Field of Motion Pictures" has been founded here. Its aims are to promote the use of films in education and to induce school children "to react in Christian and specifically Catholic lines." V E-G De Meyst will produce and direct "Passeurs d'Or" in the Sonart Studios in Brussels. The story concerns a group of smugglers in a village on the French-Bel- gian frontier. V "Gone With the Wind" has ended an 11- week run in Brussels' largest theatre, the Metropole, seating 2,795. The picture was to move over for simultaneous screenings to the Cameo, seating 760. and Queen's, seating 1,020. SWITZERLAND by KURT EMMENEGGER in Zurich Praesens Film, long the sole feature pro- duction company in Switzerland, has in- creased its capital from 1,000,000 to 2,000,- 000 francs. Producers of "Marie Louise" and "The Last Chance," Praesens has just finished "Die Gezeichneten" ("The Marked"), the second feature made in 1947. _ V A new production company . has been founded in Zurich by Willy Wachtl, well known theatre owner, and Gunther Stapen- horst, the German producer. They are pre- paring a picture under the direction of the Austrian director, Gustav Ucicky. V The Institut Federal de Cinematographic Scientifique has been founded in Geneva with E. J. Sallaz, a member of the Interna- tional Association for scientific films, as president. This institute, however, is not an official institute of Switzerland, being merely a private one. It is influenced by the Institut de Cinematographic de Paris, whose director is the French producer, of scientific films, Jean Painleve. Rectors of the Swiss universities have protested calling this institute a federal in- stitute since the rectors and scientists of Switzerland are contemplating founding their own association for scientific films. V "The Spiral Staircase" and "The Best Years of Our Lives" both played for 10 weeks in Zurich. V As in the past year, an international film festival will be held this year in Locarno. It will probably be held in June, or earlier. AUSTRALIA by FRANK O'CONNELL in Sydney West Australia now has a Films Censor- ship Act passed in conformity with the uni- form censorship legislation provisions agreed to by the various states at a Premiers' con- ference held in 1946. The clause which would make it an offense for an exhibitor to permit a child under 16 years of age in a theatre where a film not classed for general exhibition was playing, was -withdrawn be- cause of exhibitor hostility. The act pro- vides for censorship of advertising matter. Also, every advertisement must give the cen- sor's classification and before exhibiting a film the classification must be flashed on the screen. Films unsuitable for children must not be shown before 5 :30 P. M. on Satur- days, holidays or week days during school holidays. Provisions of the act are similar to those in Tasmania and Victoria and the bill now before the Queensland Parliament. It is expected that the bill to be introduced in New South Wales will parallel these measures. NEW ZEALAND by R. A. USMAR in Wellington Holiday business here was cut severely during the holiday season because of the poliomyelitis epidemic which commenced in Auckland in November. Board of Health officials have ordered that no child under 16 be admitted to New Zealand theatres. This order, of course, has the effect of keeping out large numbers of parents and it is safe to say that grosses everywhere have been down at least 50 per cent. So far the epidemic has been confined almost entirely to the Auckland area. Planning Three Drive-ins The Tri-State Drive-In Theatres, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., has a drive-in under con- struction at Joplin, Mo., and is planning building one in North Kansas City and an- other in the south part of Kansas City, to be opened later this year. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 Ascap Deadline March 15 as Bill Reaches House Acting on the recommendation of officials of Theatre Owners of America, the Ameri- can Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has extended to March 15 the date on which its new increased theatre li- censing rates will go into effect. The origi- nal deadline, set last November, was Febru- ary 1. In Washington, Allied States' threat to seek Congressional and legal action to curb Ascap's licensing activities took shape this week when Representative Earl R. Lewis, chairman of the House Judiciary sub-com- mittee on Patents and Copyrights, intro- duced a bill to force Ascap to deal exclusive- ly with the film producers and to relieve exhibitors of all licenses or other royalty payments. Ascap's decision to grant exhibitors 45 days was taken at a board meeting and com- municated to Robert W. Coyne, executive secretary of TOA. The extension was de- cided on with the realization that negotia- tions between the two organizations could not be completed by February 1. Mr. Coyne, expressing gratification at the Ascap move, said he hoped the additional time would bring about ''a complete meeting of the minds." It is understood the negotiations embody the preparation by Ascap officials of a modi- fied formula, with rates substantially lower than announced by Ascap last summer. The Lewis bill provides "that "disposition by the owner or distributor of a copyrighted motion picture of the right to exhibit such film for profit shall include the right to re- produce and publicly perform any and all copyrighted material contained in the film, including copyrighted music recorded there- on or on discs, wire or other devices accom- panying and synchronized with such film." A similar Allied-sponsored bill was intro- duced in Congress some years ago. Allied has filed with the Department of Justice charges that Ascap is violating the Federal consent decree under which it op- erates by excessive rates charged for per- piece licensing and by failure to list musical compositions in films. TWO AREAS ANALYZED Statistical summaries- of the Philadelphia and St. Louis directories, compiled by the Mot/on Picture Association in its census of U. S. theatres, have been released. PHILADELPHIA EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Seating Theatres in operation 796 674,652 Circuit-operated theatres* ..473 473,947 Closed theatres 34 26,800 Non-circuit theatres 357 227,505.. Totals 830 701,452 Totals 830 701,452 Construct Film Service Building in Denver Central Shipping and Inspection Bureau, a member of National Film Service, Inc., is constructing a film service building on film row in Denver, Colorado, William J. Clark, executive vice-president of NFS, an- nounced last week. The building will have inspection, storage, shipping, mounting and other facilities and is expected to be ready for service February 1, 1948. It will house 12 vaults and space for 24 more if required. The cost of the building is approximately $60,000, Mr. Clark said. Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings: Cufflv- No. of Cufflu- Number Cumu- Average lative Theatres /olive of (ative Seats Per Population* * Towns Totoi Operating Total Seats Total Theatre 1,000,000 and over I (Phila- .. 199 .. 194,189 976 delphia ) 250,000-100,001 5 6 69 268 76,825 271,014 1,113 100,000- 50,001 9 15 90 358 104,330 375,344 1,159 50,000- 25,001 5 20 26 384 29,153 404,497 1,121 25,000- 10,001 42 62 84 468 79,592 484,089 947 10-000- 5,001 72 134 105 573 73,717 557,806 702 5,000- 2,501 83 217 91 664 59,261 617,067 651 2,500 and under 126 343 132 796 57,585 674,652 436 t A circuit is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. # % There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 250-001-1,000,000. ST. LOUIS EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Seating Theatres in operation* 575 336,215 Circuit-operated theatres* . . 274 211,694 Closed theatres** 23 9,529 Non-circuit theatres 324 134,050 Totals 598 345,744 Totals 598 345,744 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings11 Population* * 1,000,000-500,001 100,000- 50,001 50,000- 25,001 25,000- 10,001 10,000- 5,001 5,000- 2,501 2,500 and under Towns 1 (St. Louis) (E. St. Louis) 2 (Springfield) 4 20 39 56 236 Ciimu- No. of Cumu- Number Cumu- Average 'afive Theatres lative of lative Seats Per Total Operating Total Seats Total Theatre 94 93.588 996 3 18 1 12 16,305 109,893 906 7 20 132 16,095 125,988 805 27 52 184 41,063 167,051 790 66 74 258 51,189 218,240 692 122 73 331 38,945 257,185 533 358 244 575 79,030 336,215 324 * Excluding two drive-in theatres, total capacity 1,300 automobiles. ** Excluding one drive-in theatre, capacity 577 automobiles. % A circuit is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. tt % There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 1,001-500,000. Urge Production Code For Television Washington Bureau Television came in for Congressional criticism last week and was urged to adopt the same kind of voluntary, self-enforced production code as the motion picture in- dustry at a hearing of the House Labor Committee hearing on the relation between television and the American Federation of Musicians. The advice to adopt a code of standards was given to J. R. Poppele, president of the Television Broadcasters Association, by Representative Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (R. Pa.), who pointed out that a recent tele- cast had presented a play showing a Senator accepting graft. In reply, Mr. Poppele said that in the future it might be desirable to film productions to permit editing. Since Mr. Poppele himself is not a tele- vision licensee, he said he was not qualified to discuss the AFM ban on live musicians for television broadcasts now in effect. Further witnesses will be called to clarify the point for the committee. Crosby Author of Article In "L'Observatore" Bing Crosby has the distinction of being the first motion picture star to be the writer of an article printed in L'Observa- tore Romano, Vatican City daily news- paper founded 88 years ago. The item was published in the January 8, 1948, issue of the newspaper under the title Parole da Hollywood, "Words from Hollywood," with a subtitle Cinema e Spirito, "Motion Pictures and the Spirit." Mr. Crosby con- trasted the life of an actor or actress and one who gave his life for spiritual activity. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 41 LETTERS FROM READERS U. A. Sets Deal EXHIBITOR COMMENTS For $6,000,000 ON AD VANCED PRICES British Product To the Editor of the Herald: I have just finished playing "Forever Am- ber" and cannot help but comment on same from die angle of a small town exhibitor. First of all, it is a nice, average program picture in Technicolor. Nothing objection- able about it, and while they have taken most of the "spice" out of it, it still is a nice story. But here's my "gripe". It is one of those $1.20 shows, an advance of 75 cents over our regular 45-cent admis- sion charge. Patrons naturally expect something out of the ordinary and the fact is that they don't get it. They just get Lin- da Darnell and Cornel Wilde in a Techni- color two-hour and 20-minute show. It can- not be compared with "Sea of Grass," or even to that oldie, "To Each His Own." From the box office angle we took an awful licking. We lost money and with the checker to pay, so did the film company. Had 20th-Fox seen fit to release this pic- ture and show it at regular admission prices, we would have done at least $400 in business and given our patrons a treat and made our- selves some money as well as a nice return for the producer. "Forever Amber" at regu- lar prices would do "The Egg and I" and "The Yearling" business. We are through playing these advanced admission specials, as our experience in our town with "Duel in the Sun," "Best Years of Our Lives," and now "Forever Amber" at $1.20 leaves a bad taste in our patrons' mouths, and they do not make us any money. We have "Life With Father" contracted for but will kick it around for a year or so until Warners realize, with us, that the $1.20 suck- ers in a small town are wised-up on these alleged super-dupers. We have been an exhibitor in this town for 27 years and think we know whereof we speak. — L. E. MA- HONEY, Columbus Theatre, Columbus, N. D. AUSTRIAN EXHIBITORS PLEAD FOR ASSISTANCE To the Editor of the Herald : We'd like to apologize if, in our very first letter to your organization, we already are asking a favor. Since, however, we are not in a position to help ourselves, we feel it proper to seek support from a friendly (to us) organization in the field. Since you may know, more than 50 per cent of all theatres in Vienna, lower Aus- tria and Burgenland (a province) were de- stroyed because of the war. Some were damaged, others plundered. About one-half of these were put back into business partly from our own funds, partly through the help of colleagues. The re-establishment of those theatres that are not yet reopened is very difficult because of shortages. Production in Austria still is paralyzed and imports are impossible because of the shortage of foreign currency. In this difficult situation we are approach- ing you with the request to support and to give your help to your colleagues who have been robbed of their homes and possessions by the war. The way we see this help is this. We thought you could let us have used, but still workable, projectors or other equipment (furniture) seats and other ma- terial of a technical nature, which is being little or not at all used in your operations, either for later payment or for nothing. Perhaps there are other suitable forms in which you could give a helping hand to your bombed-out colleagues. It is understood that such an action would benefit only politically clean colleagues. Hop- ing that you will give favorable considera- tion to our request. — The Association of Austrian Theatre Owners, Vienna, Austria. THE WHY OF FEMININE BOX OFFICE INFLUENCE The other day the editor of the Herald, discussing the 10 Best Money Makers of the year and the predominance of male stars, made comment on the preponderance of feminine influence at the box office. In con- sequence of which, we have the following letter from an astute student of the art and industry: To the Editor of the Herald: There may be contributory causes to this end, other than the attraction of males for women, (a) There are more females than males in the census, (b) There are more single females than males, and audiences are made up more of single than married folks, (c) The Messrs. Gable and Crosby- happen to be better actors than existing fe- male stars and have been given better parts, (d) There have always been in the theatre more male than female stars, and at one time females were not allowed to act. It's just an old "male custom." — B. A. AUGHINBAUGH, Ohio Slide & Film Exchange, Columbus, Ohio. Report Progress in Foundation Finance "Definite progress" in determining ways and means for financing the Motion Pic- ture Foundation was reported last week by S. H. Fabian and Leonard Goldenson, co- chairmen of the Foundation's special finance committee, as they concluded a meeting in New York January 14. The committee plans to meet at three-week in- tervals until a full financial program has been drawn up. The Foundation's Rocky Mountain area met at Salt Lake to discuss plans for raising money. London Bureau Arthur W. Kelly, vice-president of United Artists, who was to have arrived in the U. S. from England at midweek, is bringing with him a $5,000,000 British production pro- gram, approved by the British government and calling for the formation of an exclu- sively British company to produce 35 pic- tures within the next seven years with UA assistance and distribution guaranteed. A similar project, involving the same sum, which then was to have been provided by substantial British interests for UA produc- tion here, was worked out during Mr. Kel- ly's last visit to England four months ago. At the time the British Treasury refused to sanction the deal, however, on the ground that it would be an infringement of last Oc- tober's Exchange Control Act. The current plan is a revamped version of the original program and has the bless- ing of the British government. The British company would operate for seven years. It would produce five films a year, all using American scripts, producers and one Ameri- can star. He said it was his hope the home office would finalize the deal within a month. The UA vice-president cited Mr. Strom- berg's "Return of the Native," starring Hedy Lamarr, as the first picture to go into production in England under the plan. While in England Mr. Kelly closed a re- leasing deal with Gaumont-British circuit covering the remaining UA product import- ed here prior to the imposition of the film tax. He was unable, however, to make a deal with Odeon Circuit despite the fact that UA is a large stockholder in the J. Arthur Rank-controlled circuit. Fred H. Seeliger Dies Fred H. Seeliger, 66, co-owner of the Service Photographic Company, Columbus, Ohio, and pioneer local newsreel photogra- pher, died January 18 after a long illness. He retired four years ago. The company was organized by the late Mr. Seeliger and Roy Lawrence in 1914. Walter Bennin Funeral services were held January 18 in Milwaukee for Walter Bennin, 43, MGM of- fice manager there, who died January 15 of a heart attack. He joined the company in 1930. He is survived by his widow and two children. His brother, Herbert, is manager of the MGM St. Louis branch. Arthur Voegtlin Arthur Voegtlin, 90, New York theatrical producer and stage designer of the last gen- eration, and father of Jack Voglin, assistant director at the Universal-International stu- dios, died at his home in Los Angeles Mon- day of a heart ailment. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24. (948 zAn international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress WALTER BROOKS, Director QP THE office of the public relations coun- sel to the Academy of Motion Pic- ture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood, Cal., advises us that one of the first films in the series planned for industry public re- lations will concern the theatre manager. "This Theatre and You," of eight minutes duration, will actively depict the problems of the theatre manager and his importance in the community. Grant Leenhouts, pro- ducer-coordinator of the series, gives assur- ance that this important subject is being giv- en every consideration. Another correspondent, who is a good friend of ours, writes, "the local theatre man- ager is not bothered much with bad public relations of his own making. He either stands pretty well in his community, or is out of sight and little known. Anyhow, he doesn't need much explaining to his own theatre audience or local community." With these well chosen words, we are in complete agreement, except in the matter of objective. Our interest is to make sure the manager does stand well in his community, and is NOT out of sight or little known. Bad public relations, originating in Hol- lywood or New York, are often enough to make any manager want to hide, but he is nevertheless the man who can best over- come the press-agentry that comes out of film business from the studio end. He has to live with his customers, face them another day; he can't afford to run away. We stat- ed clearly, too, that one purpose in better understanding of the theatre manager's place in the community was to acquaint more managers with the dimensions of the job. There are characters in Hollywood, and elsewhere in film industry, whose curious habits and daily routine are of very little interest to the patrons of the Bijou, on Main Street. But, by the same token, there are many patrons of the Bijou who are in- terested in the duties and responsibilities of the local manager, he is their fellow towns- COOPERATION PAYS Getting out and working for cooperative newspaper ads and merchandising tieins can have a way of paying double dividends for managers who thus get a little closer to their neighborhood merchants. Of course, the advertising tiein is the primary consideration, but there are other objec- tives that become apparent as you go further. The newspaper man learns to love you for the way in which you become a space salesman without asking for your commission. The fact is that you have other compensating factors to offset being paid in cash. Then, the merchants them- selves learn to know you as a live-wire, full of ideas and with that new approach that they are always seeking but seldom finding in their own business. Last week Irving Schwartz, manager of the Allerton theatre in the Bronx, New York, was asked by his local business association to become president of their group. And we think Irving did a very smart thing; he declined to accept the high honor but asked for the nomination as vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity. Thus, giving himself official status to keep right on soliciting cooperative advertising for his theatre, and showing the merchants how to put showmanship into their mer- chandising, and vice versa. It's good for our business when the theatreman and his business neighbors get a chance to look at problems that can be solved on some common ground. man and has his proper place in community affairs. The value of any public relations program is reciprocal; there must be a mu- tual feeling of concern, with each party, in matters under consideration. Mto Looking over a campaign from the J Art-Palacio theatre, Sao Paulo, Bra- zil, on Columbia's "Thousand and One Nights," we are impressed with the fact that newspaper advertising in this South Ameri- can city compares very favorably with the best on this side of the equator. Mr. Am- brosio, of the Art-Palacio, does a job com- parable to that Nat Wise does in Cincinnati, with more actual space for a single attrac- tion. We note, especially, many wide, shal- low ads, two and three inches across the page, all very effective, but not always avail- able to the North American press. And there's no lack of good publicity stories that are well illustrated with scene mats and star stills. Never lose sight of the fact that some of our best showmanship, these days, is from overseas. We can learn something, too. c^V, c^V, c^SV. The first complete campaign book to ^1 reach this desk from a Negro theatre was submitted in the Fourth Quarter, to win a Certificate of Citation for I. K. Makover, manager of the New Albert theatre, Balti- more, Md. We are particularly glad to re- ceive this campaign and to congratulate Mr. Makover as a contender for the Awards. He faces a somewhat more difficult situa- tion than the average small theatre, and he has carried it off professionally and with all the showmanship skills that are apparent in more extravagant demonstrations. News- paper advertising in the Baltimore Afro- American is up to best Broadway standards. The theatre itself is attractive, and the presentation of "Repeat performance" a credit to the industry. We would like to see more evidence of good showmanship, such as is shown here, and of a sincere desire to provide this com- pletely professional result in many more Negro theatres. — Walter Brooks MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 43 STREET DISPLAYS GIVE BOX OFFICE BOOST Nine Chinese Oscars in the lobby of the Apollo theatre, Portuguese Macau, for "Best Years of Our Lives". Manager Shen, Owner Ho Wing Tong, with the Governor of the Colony and Tom Madar, RKO manager in Hongkong. Manager Harold Lyon, of the Des Moines theatre, used this Santa AFTER Christmas, but the sign at the right tells the story. Busy Market Street, in San Francisco, saw these special ticket booths in use a week before the world premiere of "Flame" at the de luxe State theatre. D. T. Stalcup, manager of the Martin theatre, used this novel ballyhoo on the streets of Opelika, Alabama. "Duke" is always original, and the unique c y c li s t shown above sold the fight pic- tures under a new title. Advertising boards are cylindrical, in old Vienna, so why not round sand- wich men, to exploit Metro's "The Lost Angel" in altes Wien? You can't tell whether they Ye going or coming. 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 QUICLEY AWARDS CONTENDERS The men and women listed below have submitted evidence of show- manship within the past fortnight, which justifies their names being placed on the list of outstanding shoivmen. ELMER ADAMS, JR. Hornbeck Shawnee, Okla. GEORGE BERNARD Odeon Bury, Lanes., Eng. HUGH S. BORLAND Louis Chicago, III. DENNIS BOWDEN Regal Bridlington, Eng. A. J. BROWN Empire Cardiff, Wales BILL BROWN Poli-Bijou New Haven, Conn. EDWARD N. BROWN Gayety Chicago, III. A. M. BURTON St. George's Hall Bradford, Eng. JACK CAMPBELL Essoldo Blyth, Eng. A. R. CARTER Gaumont Guernsey, Eng. LOU COHEN Loew's Poli Hartford, Conn. HAROLD DE GRAW Oneonta Oneonta, N. Y. JACK DROY Strand Vancouver, B. C. MORGAN DUVAL Palace Duncan, Okla. RICHARD FELDMAN Paramount Syracuse, N. Y. JOHN N. FENDLEY Martin Andalusia, Ala. MILDRED FITZ- GIBBONS Roosevelt Flushing, N. Y. GEO. J. FORHAN Belle Belleville, Can. ARNOLD GATES Stillman Cleveland, Ohio F. P. GLORIOD Varsity Carbondale, III. FRED GREENWAY Poli-Palace Hartford, Conn. LEO HANEY Lido Maywood, III. HANK HAROLD Palace Cleveland, Ohio AL HATOFF Globe Brooklyn, N. Y. ELMER HECHT Park, Tampa, Fla. E. HERBERT Broadway Stratford, Eng. L STANLEY HODNETT Gaumont Palace Middlesbrough, Eng. ROBT. A. HYNES Missouri St. Joseph, Mo. E. F. JOHNSON Majestic Leeds, Eng. S. H. KLEPER College New Haven, Conn. LEONARD LIGHT- STONE Hobart Woodside, N. Y. NORMAN W. LOFTHUS California Santa Barbara, Calif. J. LONGBOTTOM ©deon Chorley, Eng. ABE LUDACER Valentine Toledo, Ohio P. E. McCOY Miller Augusta, Ga. W. R. McCORMACK Elco Elkhart, Ind. RAY A. McLEOD Vogue Vancouver, B. C. D. MACKRELL Playhouse Dewsbury, Eng. LOUIS E. MAYER RKO Chicago Theatres Chicago, III. JOHN MISAVICE Forest Forest Park, III. BEN MORTENSON Fox La Porte, Ind. JOSEPH D. NEVISON Colney Philadelphia, Pa. MARTIN J. NEWMAN Gaumont Taunton, Eng. LOUIS NYE Hoosier Whiting, Ind. FRANK N. PAUL Lyric Indianapolis, Ind. HARRY PEASE Odeon W. Hartlepool, Eng. GENE PEFFLEY Ridge Gary, Ind. F. RED PERRY Liberty Cumberland, Md. MIKE PICCIRILLO Loew's Dyckman New York, N. Y. JIM PISAPIA New College College Point, N. Y. RENE POELMANS MGM Theatres Brussels, Belgium LESTER POLLOCK Loew's Rochester, N. Y. FRANK L. PRATT Paramount Portland, Ore. G. E. RATH MAN Marion, Marion, la. H. W. REISINGER Loew's, Dayton, O. REYNOLDS ROBERTS Rita Tunstull, Eng. MORRIS ROSENTHAL Loew's Poli New Haven, Conn. J. G. SAMARTANO State Providence, R. I. H. SAUNDERS Odeon Prestwich, Eng. IRVING SCHWARTZ Allerton New York, N. Y. EWAN S. SHAW Palace Gorleston, Eng. DELMAR SHERRILL Playhouse Statesville, N. C. L K. SLINGER St. George's Hall Bradford, Eng. SOL SORKIN RKO Keith's Flushing, N. Y. D. T. STALCUP Martin, Opelika, Ala. MOLLIE STICKLES Palace Meriden, Conn. ANDREW M. SUL- LIVAN, JR. Lucas Savannah, Ga. RUPERT TODD Gaumont Doncaster, Eng. HELEN WABBE Golden Gate San Francisco, Calif. LILY WATT Florida Glasgow, Scotland NATE WISE Albee Cincinnati, Ohio TOM WOLF Roxy Kansas City, Mo. Round Table € Manager Al La Flance, of the Strand theatre, Albany, N. Y., congratulated winners in an "Irish Tenor Derby" sponsored by radio, newspaper and theatre, to advertise "My Wild Irish Rose." . . . RKO Manager William Palmer introduced the use of Siamese slide translations for the run of "Best Years of Our Lives" at the Chalerm Krung theatre, Bangkok, Siam. . . . The Capitol theatre, Vancouver, B. C, staged a highly successful color contest for "Fun and Fancy Free" with the Daily Province reproducing a cartoon scene almost half a page in size for contestants to color. . . . Charlie Call, manager of Century's Bliss theatre, Long Island City, N. Y., arranged a $900 promotion deal with a local merchants' association. . . . J. N. Fendley, manager of the Martin theatre, Andalusia, Ala., used live chicks in a lobby display for "The Egg and I" that would catch the most eyes. . . . Mike Piccirillo, manager of Loew's Dyckman theatre, New York, propped up a wax figure in his promenade, all covered with bandages, and the sign "I laughed so hard at last week's Comedy Show, I fell out of my seat." . . . Four recognized photography experts with major newspapers will serve as judges in the "Magic Town" contest being held in RKO theatres. Pictures represent contestant's idea of New York as "Magic Town." 132 prizes include $2,500 in camera equipment. T T V ■ I William Newman, manager of the Olympia Cinema, Cardiff, •1 Wales, had the good fortune to have Alexis Smith, star of "The Two Mrs. Carols" as a guest at his theatre. . . . George Bernard, of the Odeon theatre, Bury, Lanes., has a 12-year-old master of ceremonies for his Children's Club matinees. . . . Ewan S. Shaw, manager of the Palace theatre, Gorleston, England, sends us the directory of the National Asso- ciation of Round Tables of Great Britain and Ireland, corresponding to our Rotary Clubs as an association of business and professional occupa- tions. . . . Woods theatre, in Chicago, advertising "Cary and the Bishop's Wife" as an experimental title change. . . . Supplementary advertising just issued provides a new series of mats on "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" based on successful use in key cities. . . . Collection of "money of the world" dating from Chinese tokens made 5,000 years ago, borrowed from the Chase National Bank as lobby display for "T-Men" at the Criterion theatre on Broadway. ... In Philadelphia, exploitation-minded Everett Callow supervising big play for "T-Men" at the Stanton thea- tre. . . . Walter Morris, president of New Amusements Corp., Knox- ville, Tenn., asking the community to name their new theatre being erected at Greenway, Tenn. . . . Cyril Mee, manager of the State and Strand theatres, Harrisonburg, Va., named chairman of Citizens Food Committee in his town. T T T QBill Reisinger, manager of Loew's Dayton theatre, sends us the best cooperative newspaper page we've ever seen, but it is a full- page plate, and there are few who can afford the art work. However, those who can, should, for such a fine result. . . . Hugh S. Borland, manager of the Louis theatre, Chicago, used a very convincing alligator, promoted from a taxidermist, as lobby display for "Untamed Fury." . . . Boyd Sparrow, manager of Loew's Indianapolis, came out with a flash ad quoting local people and their opinions of "Ninotchka." . . . Morris Rosenthal, manager of Loew's Poli, New Haven, Conn., put a juke box in his lobby and played records from "Good News" for two weeks in advance of playdates. . . . Bob Case, manager of Reade's Kingston, N. Y., theatre not only had a really pink horse to ride around for "Ride the Pink Horse" but he had the town drinking "Pink Horse Cocktails" (the better to see it with). . . . Dan Dandrea honored a local football hero with a banquet sponsored by the Exchange Club, and ceremonies at the Stanley theatre, Bridgeton, N. J. . . . Sabia Conti, manager of Reade's Oxford theatre, Plainfield, had a big display board all mounted on a truck for "Fun and Fancy Free" but when the snow came, he made a quick switch to bobsled and horses. . . . George Qualls is the new manager of Harris & Edwards' Odeon theatre, Bonne Terre, Mo. T T T ■ I Lou Cohen, of Loew's Poli, Hartford, Conn., promoted a give- J away bedroom suite in a co-op contest sponsored by a furniture store, to advertise "Sleep My Love." . . . Tom Grace, manager of the Eastwood theatre, East Hartford, had nice tieins with local merchants for "That Hagen Girl." ... As a goodwill measure, Mollie Stickles, of Loew's Poli Palace, Meriden, Conn., was host to the High School Pro- jection Club, who visited the projection booth of the theatre. . . . Mike Piccirillo, of Loew's Dyckman, says getting out of the Army didn't thrill him so much as getting a Fourth Quarter Citation in the Quigley Awards. . . . Helen Wabbe, publicity director at the RKO Golden Gate theatre, San Francisco, sending in a knockout campaign for the Louis- Walcott fight pictures. . . . And also from the Golden Gate theatre, where Mark Alling is manager, tear sheets from the San Francisco papers on the personal appearance of Robert Michum with the two-week run of "Out of the Past." . . . Dick Peffley broke all house records with "Un- conquered" at the Paramount theatre, Fremont, Ohio, and sends us a bundle of tear sheets to show his big newspaper campaign. . . . Abe Ludacer, manager of Loew's Valentine theatre, Toledo, Ohio, does it again with tear sheets of his all-out campaign for "Green Dolphin Street." MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 24, 1948 45 HERE'S HOW LEN CHANT WON THAT CITATION When Len Chant's campaign book on "The Jolson Story" was received from the New Victoria theatre, Preston, England, in December, as an entry in the Quigley Awards Competition for Showmanship, we were not so much impressed by individual contenders as by the fact that we had re- ceived so many campaigns on "The Jolson Story" from all over the world, and we thought that was our story for these pages. The flood of campaigns from the far cor- ners of the earth proved to us that this pic- ture was doing a job of friendly relations in many different countries. But when our distinguished judges sat down to the task of choosing a winner for the Overseas Citation in the Fourth Quar- ter, just ended, it was Len Chant and his campaign for "The Jolson Story" that won their unanimous approval ; one out of so many, from England, South America, Aus- tralia and New Zealand. It is no more than fair that we attempt to describe his entry for members of the Round Table, and for contenders in other lands. We must do this without illustrations, for the book itself must be kept intact for the judging of the Annual Grand Awards in March. "He who whispers down a well About the goods he has to sell Will never make as many dollars As he who climbs a tree and hollers" Len is somewhat given to such verses, so we'll use his own chapter heads, as written. He started "hollering" with a special press preview, and the seed was sown. But . . . "Just planting seeds Won't make them grow, It's tending them That makes the Show." and with the showing of the picture to the Mayor and Mayoress of Preston and all town officials, Len was off to a good start. In the theatre itself, Len took the stage with a prepared speech along these lines: "Ladies and Gentlemen, you will notice some unusual publicity in connection with our attraction for next week, which is for an express pur- pose. I have had the opportunity of seeing 'The Jolson Story,' which is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining musical films ever to be presented in this theatre. Unfor- tunately, from a Cinema manager's point of view, it has neither Box Office Title or Star Value." With that as a leadoff, Len, and his organ- ist as a helper, told his story and sold the picture, explaining all the details that would be lost to a British audience for a "foreign" subject. Throughout the town, he obtained over 150 window tieups, and in the dance halls, he had 500 couples striving for "lucky prizes" to Jolson music. In factories, with a Hammond organ, he sold "Jolson" to noon-hour audiences of from 1,000 to 3,500 workers. And, as is usual in England, the New Victoria theatre has its own cafe and restaurant, where the menu spelled "Jolson" reading down the 3-course luncheon (very good at 2 shilling 3 pence). Then came the now-famous black scottie "Jolson," who was presented to the Preston North End Club on the occasion of their football classic with Sheffield. "Jolson" (the dog, that is) took the crowd's fancy, and won word of mouth advertising that grew into a total of 30 inches of column space in the national press, to say nothing of more and more in the local papers, a total of 210 column inches in Preston's one daily and two weekly newspapers. Reviewers, begin- ning with the frank statement that they had never been devoted admirers, went all out to praise a picture as "foreign" in Preston as "The Tawny Pipit" must be in Kansas. "Come let us 'Chant' a song of joy And whittle not our praises; By tending just a little seed, The fruit from it amazes." Last but not least in Len Chant's book is a letter which reads as follows : "You may be surprised to receive this letter from your opposition. . . . But I feel we should con- gratulate you on the terrific campaign you put over. In many years, I have never seen such comprehensive coverage. You see, I have been more than interested, because I have booked the film for second run, and to cash in on your publicity, have requested my date be brought forward and my run extended. I anticipate record business, thanks mainly to your efforts. I hope I shall be in the happy position of playing more films second run to your cinema." HENRY R. ARIAS PURCHASING AGENT Foreign and Domestic Film Distribution 729 7th Ave.. N. Y. 19. N. Y.. Circle 5-4574 Serving the Industry Since 1913. Negotiations In Any Language CABLE: HENARIAS. H. Y. Sid Wolf's Lobby Display Of Toy Electric Trains Sid Wolf, assistant to Mike Piccirillo, at Loew's Dyckman theatre, New York, bor- rowed sets of Lionel electric trains to build an effective lobby display. He labeled the cars with names of coming attractions, then displayed a big sign: "Three Great Trains; the Freedom Train, the Friendship train, and Loew's Great Entertainment Train." GREATEST ASSET he management of the LYRIC THEATRE wholeheartedly and sincerely extends Seacon -ings, to a community, which it is proud e .Continuous public acceptance is the 1 of the success of any honourabl is therefore reassuring and pleasant to know that after rendering service for many yeai-B, your abiding faith in us ie still manifested ncfc. only by your patronage, but by yr.ur good will. th the approach of the New Year, we pledge anew the perpetuation of our policy of wholesome entertainment, and trust that the LYRIC THEATRE will continue to merit your Gc-od Wili The tttan&9cmei\t. . ' ' "■'^•'■->.': - J The Lyric theatre, located on Lover's Walk, in faraway Johannesburg, South Africa, sends this interesting scroll, given to patrons as a promise for the New Year, from their favorite theatre — "dedicated to community service". Current attraction, for December 31st, was "Copacabana" with a special midnight show to start the New Year right. I We'd like to hear more, from this community minded theatre, across the South Atlantic.) Manager Creates His Own "Business Exceptional" G. B. Markell, manager of the Capitol theatre, Cornwell, Ontario, submits his cam- paign for "The Farmer's Daughter" and says he found his ideas in campaigns that had been submitted in the Round Table by other exhibitors. We like to see examples of exploitation, originally reported here and put into use elsewhere by active managers who are on the prowl for ideas that are inexpensive to operate and will be new in their communities. Manager Markell made a three-sheet cut-out for his lobby, dressed his usherettes in farmer girl costumes, had many comments on attention-getting stunts that his patrons had not seen before. Profit- able results he sums up in two words : "Business exceptional." Achieved Strong Gross With Christmas Party Putting on a Christmas Party in a big theatre is no small matter, if you ask Sol Sorkin, who created one at the RKO Keith's theatre, Flushing, L. I. He approached a neighborhood jewelry concern, and promoted 3,000 toys, 3,000 Christmas candy sticks, 3,- 000 heralds advertising the party, 3,000 gift cards and cooperative newspaper advertising for the occasion. The theatre made up a special trailer and lobby display. The at- traction was so popular that it was extend- ed to the RKO Richmond Hill and the RKO Alden theatres, with the same sponsorship. 46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24. 1948 Thank You Note To Bill Hastings We know that Bill Hastings must have been pleased to receive this happy little thank-you note from the Girl Scouts Troop who went "threw" the Orpheum theatre, Denver, as one small part of Bill's constant and considerable public relations program. And we think that Round Table members, who look at the faces of these eager youngsters, and read their sincere letter of appreciation, will realize that there's no task too great, nor none too small, for the attention of a manager who seeks public approval, or who finds it as surely as Bill Hastings has demonstrated here. Campaign Earns 36 Times Extra Cost Involved When Al Floersheimer brought in the prize campaign created by manager Fred Utter, of Walter Reade's Park theatre, Mor- ristown, N. J., for "The Spirit of West Point" we noticed that the gross of the picture was set down, along with the cost of the campaign, and since Al didn't say yes and he didn't say no, as to the publication of these figures, we will announce that the exploitation expense was approximately l/36th part of the gross, which is reasonable enough. When you can multiply your in- vestment 36 times, it pays to advertise. The campaign had many facets; the foot- ball rallies that took Morristown by storm, the student contest, the trip to West Point, the Legion and Fireman's Parades, the bal- loon throwaways, football uniform give- away, and the exceptional newspaper cover- age, all added up to a showmanship job. The Park is Reade's "B" house in Morris- town, and Fred had the cooperation of Jack Raymore, under the supervision of Guy He- via, city manager for Morristown. Each evening performance of "The Spirit of West Point-' was held in honor of a local high school football team, whose teams at- tended in style. Students selected "the boy who most typifies the qualities of a West Point cadet" from the entire student body of Morristown schools, and the winner was given a free trip to West Point, properly escorted, and with appropriate ceremonies and fanfare. West Point is not far away, but the trip was made by chartered plane. So, That's the Cafch in It! RKO Chicago theatres sponsoring a Bub- ble Gum contest with 2,000 contenders from 87 Chicago districts, and semi-finals in eight theatres simultaneously. Contestants signed a pledge not to chew gum in school, or dis- pose of gum in theatres or on the sidewalk. James R/'cei, manager of the Stanley theatre. Atlantic City, N. J., receives a $350 solid gold watch as first prize winner in a recent kiddie attendance drive held in J 18 Warner Brothers theatres in the Phila- delphia zone. Ted Schlanger, Warner tone manager, makes the presentation. Brown Builds Many Tieups In the Holiday Season Bill Brown writes from Loew's Poli-Bi- jou, New Haven, to start off the New Year with his campaign on "Out of the Blue" and "Whispering City" as a double bill. Build- ing up merchant cooperation in the middle of the Christmas season is somewhat diffi- cult, so we congratulate Bill on an abund- ance of tieups. He had windows all over town, and six different "bag" tieups, with hosiery, shoe stores and specialty shops. Special postcards were sent to names select- ed from the telephone book, and special her- alds used to supplement spot broadcasting and newspaper space. Best newspaper ads were one-column wide, up to 15 inches deep. Ghost Walks with Mrs. Muir Reg Streeter managed an inexpensive bal- lyhoo for "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" at Warner's Mission theatre, Santa Barbara, Cal., by dressing two usherettes, one as Mrs. Muir in street clothes, and the other as a "ghost," completely enveloped in a sheet, parading arm-in-arm along downtown streets, with a placard on the ghostly figure to advertise the film. Only extra expense was the cost of the placard, and a sheet. Girls Club Party at "Street" Assistant Manager Sam Horwitz, of Loew's Poli, Hartford, Conn., sold more than 400 tickets to members of the Travelers Insurance Company home office "Girl's Club" for a theatre party to attend "Green Dolphin Street." New Round Table Mem ber We Icome Delmar Sherrill, assistant manager of the Playhouse theatre, Statesville, N. C, is a new member of the Round Table, who asks us to let him know by return mail "just how we'd like for him to send in his campaigns." The answer is right here, Delmar, we'd like it, sure enough. Playing "The Keeper of the Bees," Delmar dressed up a boy with bee- keeper's mask of cotton netting and paraded him for street ballyhoo, getting lots of com- ment. On the playdate, he dressed the lob- by front with three large bee hives ( not in- habited?) To advertise "Soap Box Derby" and an all-short program, Delmar strung a line around his marquee with practical "shorts" on display, each piece of men's wear with the name of one of his featured short films. Advertising Unexpectedly Costs — One Barrel G. B. Markell, manager of the Capitol theatre, Cornwall, Ontario, distributed a gag ticket "good for one free barrel, in case you burst all your seams laughing" at "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer." It was a good laugh, and brought business, also a letter from a patron who returned the cou- pon and wanted the barrel, shipped prepaid to his address. He got it, and thus created more word-of-mouth advertising. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 24, 1948 4/ A New Selling Approach REVIEW OF CURRENT PRESSBOOKS T-MEN — Eagle Lion. Terrific and True. The Screen-Searing Story of the Treasury's Tough Guys. Tense, Bare-Fisted, Hard- Hitting — a power package that puts "move" in the movies. Authenticity, News- worthiness, Shock and Power. These selling slogans will give your customers an idea. And the pressbook will give you plenty of ideas. There are ten T-Men tieups, worked out in advance for you to contact locally. As usual, they give you a strong four-day contest, and another series of three good small ads, each on a combination mat. All the advertising, and the posters, feature the smashing "T-Men" title in huge letters. Additional teaser advertising has been added to the pressbook, in the same theme. It is probably best to go all out for the mystery title, the factual background and the punch selling lines with little attention paid to cast, except for mention of Dennis O'Keefe, who has the lead role. "T-Men" ties up with banks, and that is news to the average exhibitor. You can feature money in exploitation and make money doing it. Order Mat 310 and print your own money in green ink for a merchant tieup. Trailer and radio spots are packed with action. Free transcription for radio or play-back on your speaker system. Good publicity stories are available and here the factual background will play into your hands. All the good yarns of Treasury agents and their adventures are so much publicity for the film. Look around in your town for a man to talk to Rotary or Kiwanis about Treasury Department exploits. GOLDEN EARRINGS— Paramaount. Mil- land as a vagabond lover in the arms of a "gypsy" Dietrich. Here is an unconven- tial vehicle for Marlene and a change of style that provides its own advertising values. You can promise the return of this popular star in something different. News- paper advertising is along seductive lines, with too many big ads. Who uses 800- and 1,000-line ads, anyway? But artists like to spread their work on a broad canvas and it doesn't cost them a cent. There are almost no small ads for the poor guy who uses one-column cuts and pays inch rates. He can buy two "midget" ads on one mat, No. 101, or go without. The one-column ma- terial is all measured in lines and has not been planned for country newspapers. Posters are good, especially the 6-sheet and 24-sheet, both of which will make cut- outs for lobby or marquee purposes. The two-color herald looks attractive and should be used. A radio or newspaper contest for the most complete list of titles contain- ing the word "gypsy" would be interesting, and the pressbook lists these titles for your information. Three radio transcription rec- ords are free for the asking; a scene from the picture, a spot announcement record and a chain-break record. There are book tieups and suggested teaser tack cards, personal ads, and a one-shot newspaper contest. Gypsy fortune telling gag may be colorful. A gypsy wagon would good street ballyhoo and may be faked with for- tune teller inside passing out teasers. You can also put your staff in gypsy costume. Manager Changes Bill For New Year's Eve Irving Schwartz, of the Allerton theatre, Bronx, N. Y., is first we know to handle his special New Year's Eve show in this par- ticular fashion. He closed down the house at 6 P. M. and reopened at 7 o'clock with n brand new show. A leading camera shop nearby sponsored the party and footed the bill for everything, from free noisemakers to valuable prizes given to patrons in contests held from the stage. Irving was master of ceremonies, using a traveling mike. YOU'LL GET THE BEST RESULTS WITH OUR SPECIAL TRAILERS' 3ill/hack • 1327 S. Wabash, Chicago 5 Charles E. Grace, manager of the Embassy theatre, Brooklyn, found that his eight ushers, all member* of the Cypress Hiffs Y. M. C. A., were helping with waste - paper campaigns and in Association work with youngsters. So he capitalized on a suggestion made by one of the ushers: to provide these "Embassy" jackets to wear at the "Y" and on the street. Now the boys are walking advertisements and the theatre benefits from all their good works. Passers-by stop to ask them "what's playing at the Embassy?" Manager Gives Away Gifts to Make Money Gertrude Tracy, manager of the Knicker- bocker theatre, Cleveland, Ohio, says it is over a year since she has sent anything in to the Round Table, but she wants to call attention to her very successful giveaways, all promoted with cooperating merchants, and each helping to overcome the very realistic "December Dumps." For her Christmas Party, Gertrude had 10 bicycles as gifts, with coupon tickets giv- en out by both merchant and theatre, for a drawing at the Saturday Kiddie Party. Then she obtained 10 turkeys with a cooperative restaurant and market operator and gave these away on Christmas Eve. Trailer and lobby display told the story of the coupon tickets. Finally, she sold 15 merchants on a special Christmas-New Year's greeting from the screen, and this special trailer net- ted a couple of hundred dollars profit. Now she is showing a $300 record player-radio combination, which provides the audience with half an hour of music before the per- formance begins and which, she is going to give away at Easter time, with appropriate ceremony. In the meantime, the cooperating merchant is getting the benefit of extra ad- vertising extending over several months, and the audience enjoys the music. LIQUID SEASONING costs you per bag of popcorn! — And Popsit Plus sells more corn for you . . . because only Popsit Plus gives popcorn that butter-yellow color and that better taste! SEASONING SPECIALISTS TO THt NATION 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24. 1948 PICTURE CROSSES A statistical compilation and comparison of Box Office Per- formance in first run theatres Figures directly below picture title compare estimated dollar gross with average gross and show relative percentage of all engagements tabulated. Figures opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly business based on the six months' period ending October 31, 1947. SYMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature title; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move- Over Run; (AA) Advance Admission. INDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear in Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. GOOD NEWS (MCM) Intermediate Report: Total Gross Tabulated Comparative Average Gr Over-all Performance $1,096,000 1,037,800 105.6% ATLANTA— Loew's Grand 125.0% BALTIMORE— Century 107.7% BOSTON— Orpheum 96.5% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) BOSTON— State 89.7% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol', 1st week . . . 89.4% CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 2nd week . . . 77.2% CLEVELAND— Loew's State 120.6% CLEVELAND— Loew's Ohio, MO 1st week . 101.4% KANSAS CITY— Midland 119.7% (DB) Lone Wolf in London (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 1st week .... 111.9% LOS ANGELES— Egyptian, 2nd week . . . 93.2% LOS ANGELES — Fox-Wilshire, 1st week . . 121.0% LOS ANGELES — Fox-Wilshire, 2nd week . . 93.7% LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 1st week . . . 106.2% LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles, 2nd week . . 72.4% NEW YORK— Music Hall, 1st week .... 100.8% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation NEW YORK— Music Hall, 2nd week .... 100.8% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation NEW YORK— Music Hall, 3rd week .... 102.3% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation NEW YORK— Music Hall, 4th week .... 115.9% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation NEW YORK— Music Hall, 5th week .... 100.8% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation PHILADELPHIA— Goldman, 1st week . . . 134.6% PHILADELPHIA— Goldman, 2nd week . . . 117.7% PHILADELPHIA— Goldman, 3rd week . . . 96.1% SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield. 1st week . . . 129.5% (DB) Stork Bites Man (UA) SAN FRANCISCO— Warfield. 2nd week . . . 101.0% (DB) Stork Bites Man (UA) ST. LOUIS— Loew's State, 1st week .... 145.0% (DB) The Lone Wolf in London (Col.) ST. LOUIS— Loew's State, 2nd week .... 105.0% (DB) The Lone Wolf in London (Col.) UNCONQUERED (Para.) (AA) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated $1,695,700 Comparative Average Gross 1,097,000 Over-all Performance 154.5% ATLANTA— Paramount, 1st week . ATLANTA — Paramount, 2nd week . ATLANTA — Paramount, 3rd week . BALTIMORE— Keith's, 1st week . . BALTIMORE — Keith's, 2nd week . BALTIMORE— Keith's, 3rd week . BOSTON— Fenway, 1st week . . . BOSTON— Fenway, 2nd week . . . BOSTON — Fenway, 3rd week . . . BOSTON— Paramount, 1st week . . BOSTON— Paramount, 2nd week . . BOSTON— Paramount, 3rd week . . CHICAGO— United Artists, 1st week CHICAGO— United Artists, 2nd week CHICAGO— United Artists, 3rd week CHICAGO— United Artists, 4th week CHICAGO— United Artists, 5th week CHICAGO— United Artists, 6th week CHICAGO— United Artists, 7th week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 1st week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol, 2nd week CINCINNATI— RKO Capitol. 3rd week CINCINNATI— RKO Shubert, MO 1st week CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman, 1st week CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman, 2nd week CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman. 3rd week CLEVELAND— T-oew's Stillman, 4th week DENVER— Denham, 1st week 341 258 229 327. 215, 146. 222. 166. 129. 162. 133. 96. 175. 156. 161. 156 110. 93. 84. 256. 152. 104. 100. 264. 247. 157. 61 212 1% 8% 4% 5% 5% .5% 2% 6% 6% .9% .3% 2% .3% 0% 0% 7% 1% 2% 7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 9% 0% 9% 0% DENVER— Denham, 2nd week 148.0% DENVER— Denham, 3rd week 112.0% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 1st week . . . 196.8% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 2nd week . . . 145.6% KANSAS CITY— Paramount, 3rd week . . . 94.4% LOS ANGELES— Carthay Circle, 1st week . 244.6% LOS ANGELES — Carthay Circle, 2nd week . 170.2% LOS ANGELES— Carthay Circle, 3rd week . 148.8% LOS ANGELES— Carthav Circle, 4th week . 106.3% MINNEAPOLIS— Century, 1st week .... 363.6% MINNEAPOLIS— Century, 2nd week .... 257.5% MINNEAPOLIS— Century, 3rd week .... 159.0% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 1st week 330.7% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 2nd week 272.3% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 3rd week 179.0% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 4th week 129.9% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 5th week 132.9% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 6th week 102.7% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 7th week 102.7% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 8th week 90.6% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 9th week 72.5% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 10th week 54.3% NEW YORK— Rivoli, 11th week 58.6% PHILADELPHIA— Aldine, 1st week .... 257.9% PHILADELPHIA— Aldine, 2nd week .... 234.1% PHILADELPHIA— Aldine, 3rd week .... 227.7% PITTSBURGH— Penn, 1st week 287.3% PITTSBURGH— Penn, 2nd week 160.9% PITTSBURGH— Penn, 3rd week 114.9% PITTSBURGH— Ritz, MO 1st >veek .... 145.1% PITTSBURGH— Ritz, MO 2nd week .... 112.9% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 1st week . . 253.6% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 2nd week . . 199.27c SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 3rd week . . 166.6% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 4th week . . 152.1% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 5th week . . 130.4% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 6th week • . . 108.6% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 7th week . . 90.5% SAN FRANCISCO— St. Francis, 8th week . . 65.2% SAN FRANCISCO— State, MO 1st week . . . 129.0% ST. LOUIS— Ambassador 109.0% ST. LOUIS— Missouri. MO 1st week .... 155.1% TYCOON (RKO) Intermediate Report: Total Gross Tabulated $481,100 Comparative Average Gross 451,200 Over-all Performance 106.6% BALTIMORE— Town, 1st week 96.2% BALTIMORE— Town, 2nd week 87.1% BOSTON— Memorial, 1st week 130.1% (DB) Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (RKO) BOSTON— Memorial, 2nd week 89.2% (DB) Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (RKO) BUFFALO— 20th Century, 1st week . . . 117.2% BUFFALO— 20th Centurv, 2nd week .... 103 4% CHICAGO— Palace 104 1% CINCINNATI— RKO Albee 103.2% CLEVELAND— RKO Shubert, MO 1st week . 100.0% CLEVELAND— RKO Allen, 1st week .... 141.8% CLEVELAND— RKO Allen, 2nd week . . . 109.9% CLEVELAND— RKO Allen, 3rd week .... 81 5% KANSAS CITY— Orpheum, 1st week .... 121.6% KANSAS CITY— Orpheum, 2nd week .... 90.0% LOS ANGELES— Hillstreet, 1st week .... 172.4% LOS ANGELES— Hillstreet, 2nd week . . . 103.4% LOS ANGELES— Hillstreet, 3rd week .... 68 9% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) LOS ANGELES— Pantages, 1st week .... 142.8% LOS ANGELES— Pantages, 2nd week .... 82.8% LOS ANGELES— Pantages, 3rd week .... 62.8% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) MINNEAPOLIS— RKO Orpheum, 1st week . 122 3% MINNEAPOLIS— RKO Orpheum, 2nd week 82 7% NEW YORK— Palace, 1st week . . . 107 8% NEW YORK— Palace, 2nd week . . . 1127% NEW YORK— Palace. 3rd week 102 9% OMAHA— RKO Brandeis, 1st week . . . 139 5% (DB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) OMAHA— RKO Brandeis. 2nd week ... 86 4% fDB) Two Blondes and a Redhead (Col.) ST. LOUIS — Fox 115 3% (DB) Wild Horse Mesa (RKO) To Offer Olympic Feature Here With the opening of the Winter Olym- pics in Switzerland the end of this month, Westport International Films offers a 60- minute subject" entitled "Kings of the Olympics." Acquired from the Alien Property Cus- todian, this subject is the first of two films culled from thousands of feet of film shot during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin under the direction and supervision of Leni Riefenstahl, actress friend of Hitler, Aryan by the Fuehrer's ukase, and director of Nazi propaganda films. In "Kings of the Olympics," Westport International has preserved the excellent photography, the dramatics and the sus- pense of the competition which was report- edly photographed by more than 600 cam- eramen. Part I is concerned with the track and field events, women's diving, and scull- ing. It stars such American athletes as Jesse Owens, Glenn Cunningham, Kather- ine Rawls, Marjorie Gestring and dozens of others from the 51 countries competing. Owing to the large number of events, only a few are shown in the first part. In Part II the events will include men's div- ing, soccer, polo, bicycle racing, riding competitions, pentathlon, decathlon, the marathon run, hurdles and relay races. Bill Slater, who was a sportscaster for the 1936 Olympics, is the narrator for the film, while Joseph Lerner and Max Rosen- baum edited the material. A distributor for the subjects is to be announced. The ad- vertising and publicity for the picture is be- ing handled by Monroe Greenthal, Inc., of New York.— G. H. S. 22 State Chairmen Named For Brotherhood Week Harry Brandt, national exhibitor chair- man for American Brotherhood Week of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, has received 22 acceptances from exhibitor leaders who will be state chairmen. They are : Robert J. Peratovich, Jr., Alaska ; Wil- liam E. Malin, Arkansas; I. J. Hoffman, Connecticut; Charles Niles, Iowa; Elmer C. Rhoden, Kansas; Guthrie Crows, Kentucky; E. V. Richards, Jr., Louisiana; I. M. Rap- paport and Louis Gaertner, Maryland; Ted Bolnick, Minnesota; Arthur Lehmann, Mis- sissippi; Harry C. Arthur, Missouri; Niel Morrison, New Hampshire; Milas L. Hur- ley, New Mexico; M. Lowenstein, Okla- homa; Ernesto Rufino, Philippines; Ramos Cobian, Puerto Rico ; Tracy Barham, Utah ; Frank A. Venette, Vermont; William F. Crockett, Virginia; Harold J. Fitzgerald, Wisconsin; Edward Lachman, New Jersey! Televise Olympic Pictures Paramount Station KTLA in Los An- geles will carry a complete coverage of the winter Olympic Games in Switzerland on films shot there specially for presentation on that station, starting February 3. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 49 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Ten cents per word, money-order or check with copy. Count initials, box number and address. Minimum insertion, $!. Four insertions, for the price of three. Contract rates on application. No borders or cuts. Forms close Mondays at 5 P.M. Publisher reserves the right to reject any copy. Film and trailer advertising not accepted. Classified advertising not subject to agency commission. Address copy and checks: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, Classified Dept., Rockefeller Center, New York (20) QP HELP WANTED SALESMEN WANTED TO HANDLE AS SIDE- line inexpensive premium toy novelties for children's matinees. BOX 2192, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. PERSONNEL ASSISTANT, COLLEGE GRAD- uate experienced in personnel techniques for New York theatre circuit. BOX 2191, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. WANTED: MANAGER FOR A GOOD SITUA- tion located in Illinois. Give salary expected, marital status, age, and photo with experience in first letter. BOX 2195. MOTION PICTURE HERALD WANTED: MANAGERS FOR PERMANENT THE- atre positions, available at Philadelphia, Binghamton, Albany. Salaries range $60 to $150 weekly, depending upon man's capabilities. Write NEIL HELLMAN, Paramount Theatre, 378 Clinton Ave., Albany, N. Y. USED EQUIPMENT THEATRE CHAIRS — 3,000 USED SPRING cushioned, part full upholstered back and part insert panel back, with spring edge and box-spring cushions; 1,000 veneer chairs; 800 good backs, 500 spring cushions; and hinges. Immediate delivery. Advise how many you need. Write for prices and photographs. Phone Valley 2-3445. JESSE COLE, 2565 McClellan Avenue, Detroit. Michigan. STRONG, 1 KW. LAMPHOUSES AND RECTI- fiers, rebuilt, $625; Super-Simplex mechanisms, rebuilt, $525; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, shockproot gears, rebuilt, $340; Powers, $114.50; complete booth equipment consisting of Simplex rear shutter mechan- isms, pedestals, magazines, Peerless lamphouses, rec- tifiers, lenses, RCA sound, all tecently rebuilt, $1065. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New York 19. SPARES FOR YOUR BOOTH. SIMPLEX FRONT shutter mechanisms, $79.50; Simplex double bearing mechanisms, $104.50; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, $165; Simplex single bearing movements, $4.95; double bearing movements, $29.50 ; 30 ampere rectifiers, $50; amplifiers from $29.50. All above in good condition. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New Yorkl9. THOUSANDS INVESTED LATE ARMY SUR- plus equipments, more DeVry H.I. arc sound projec- tors available, $2495; RCA MI-9050 Soundheads $325; 50, 65 & 70 Ampere High Intensity Hertner, Roth, Robins, Stabilarc Generators, panel, ballasts, starters from $395; complete rebuilt projection, sound equip- ments. Powers, Simplex, Motiograph, Century, Bren- kert for all size Theatres and Drive-ins, $995 up. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. AIR-CONDITION YOUR THEATRE THIS SUM- mer at fraction of new price. Used blower and air- washer and purifier, complete with all motors, etc., for air-cooling 1000 seat theatre. Now in operation. For details and price write GUST CONSTAN, Avon Thea- tre, Decatur. 111. REMOVAL SALE — WHY PAY INFLATED prices? Booth Shutters, 8" x 8", $7.95; 12" x 14", $10.95; Simplex rewinder sets, $6.95: U.R.C. Sound- heads, $50; guaranteed rebuilt General Ticket Reg- isters, 2 unit, $195; 3 unit, $257.50; Simplex BB Move- ments, $39.50; Simplex 2000' magazines, upper, $11.50; lower, $16.50; double film shipping cans, $2.95; Sound Projectors, 35mm, $89.50 up; 16mm, $149.50 up. Send for catalog. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. 288 ANDREWS FULL UPHOLSTERED METAL lined back, springedge cushions, excellent condition, $4.95 : 200 hardwood sectional folding chairs, 2's and 4's, $2.95; 1300 Stafford panelback, boxspring cushions, excellent, S4.25; 375 American heavy panelback, box- spring chairs, rebuilt, reupholstered. $5.25; 1200 Hey- wood- Wakefield veneer chairs, rebuilt, $3.95; 255 Hey- wood panelback reupholstered boxspring cushions, re- built. $5.95; 74 Ideal beautiful loge chairs, 22" wide, reupholstered, rebuilt, $8.95. Send for stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. POSITIONS WANTED PROJECTION, SOUND SUPERVISOR, DESIRES change, theatre circuit, twenty-four years' experience. BOX 2194, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. THEATRE MANAGER, 19 YEARS' EXPERI- ence, all type operation, available at once. Address BOX 1, 1601 Poplar St., Kansas City. Mo. THEATRE MANAGER AND EXPLOITEER. 20 years' experience. Last situation, 5 years Fox Plaza, San Diego. Excellent appearance and reference. Work preferably San Diego county. Write VINCE JOSACK, c/o Charles Burke, 921 Broadway, San Diego, Cal. PROJECTIONIST, 35 YEARS' EXPERIENCE. Small town preferred. Anywhere. CHARLES W. PACE, 5 W. 63rd St., N. Y. C. PROJECTIONIST, Al, 20 YEARS' EXPERI- ence, can do technical work. A. J. HAWK, 916 S. Sandusky Ave., Bucyrus. Ohio. EX G-I DESIRES POSITION AS MANAGER, Prefers location in Rocky Mountain States. Four years' experience. Can operate projectors. Excellent refer- ences. Theatre business the only vocation for me. Married. Contact: MR. DILLON BLACH, Yuma, Colo. NEW EQUIPMENT AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT FOR THEA- tre. 1 — 40 H.P. Motor and Compressor, 1—60 H.P. Motor and Compressor, coils, valves, controls, switches, etc. All new modern equipment, save over 50% — price $7,000. REYNOLDSBURG LOCKER SERVICE, Reynolds- burg. Ohio. BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SCREEN. RESURFACE IT yourself. Restore it to its original brilliance with Arctic Blanch, the wonder screen paint. A guaranteed product, $9.80 per gal. with instructions. Sold at lead- ing supply dealers or write NATIONAL THEATRE SCREEN REFINISHING CO., 129 Zenner St.. Buffalo 11, N. Y. 30 AMP. RECTIFIERS, $63.30 ; 2000' reels, wire welded, $2.19; Aluminum, $2.95; Reel Alarms, $4.95; Splicers, $4.95; Pyrene type extinguishers, $7.95; Bowl Heaters, $2.95; GE % HP. Motors, $22.50; 10" Exhaust Fans, $10.78; GE 6 amp. Tungars, $2.95; Flashlights, single cell, 29c; 2 cell, 79c. Send for Bargain Catalog. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. STUDIO EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION, EDITING, LABORATORY EQUIP- ment. Used and new 16-35mm Eyemo, Arriflex, Akeley, Cineyhon, Cine special cameras always in stock. Film, Disc, Tape and Wire Recorders, Moviolas, Editors, Griswold Splicers, Tripods, Booms, Lights. Write for catalog R4. CAMERA MART, 70 W. 45th St.. N. Y. FOR SALE— PROFESSIONAL ALLMETAL DE- Brie 35mm. Camera and all accessories at a real bar- gain. Cover local events and make your own titles with it. EDWARDS. 3054 Arunah Ave.. Baltimore 16, Md. LATEST SUPER PARVO DEBRIE STUDIO camera, 5 fast lenses, blimp, motor, ten 1000' maga- zines, direct focus rackover, pilot pin registration, heavy tripod, world's quietest camera, $4,975; Askania 35mm Studio Camera, synchronous motor, 3 lenses, magazines, blimp, etc., $975; Blue Seal 35mm single system recorder, complete, $295 ; Professional Jr. Tri- pods with case, $99.50; Tripod Triangles, $18.95; 35mm Soundfilm Recorder with new Galvanometer, $1,995; Three Way Sound Moviola, reconditioned, $795; New Moviola D, $279.50; 500OW Studio Spots, $89.50. Send for latest stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. NEWSREELS FOR SALE OR HIRE. MALTA NEWSREEL, 35mm, sound or silent. Newsreel of Malta before out- break of hostilities, local events from December 1946 to date. 200 to 1,000 feet. For price and further par- ticulars write to THE MALTA MOVIE NEWS, 53 St. Paul's St., Valletta, Malta. Cables 'Scerrinews. Malta'. GENERAL EQUIPMENT SPECIAL OFFERINGS COMPLETE P.A SYS- tems, 10W, $44.75; 20W, $74.95; 30W, $94.95; Semi- Permanent phononeedles, 39c; new 25W P.A. ampli- fier, built-m phonograph, $49.50; Electrovoice Micro- phones, 40% discount. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. THEATRES THEATRE WANTED, 600-1000 SEATS. SUBUR- ban, example Northern N. J., Westchester, Long Island. Send full particulars. BOX 2190, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. WANTED: REASON AB LLY PRICED THEATRE 300-400 seats, complete details desired. A. D. MUR- PHY, 331 Brewer. E. Hartford 8. Conn. WANTED FIRST FLOOR THEATRE IN NEW England town. Must show good payoff. Reply BOX F, Quechee, Vermont. BUSINESS BOOSTERS GIVEAWAY TOYS. NOVELTIES, SURPRISES, for Saturday children matinees. $30 per thousand (all 10c values). UNIVERSAL TOY CO., 40 E. 23rd St.. N. Y. COMIC BOOKS AGAIN AVAILABLE AS PREM- iums, giveaways at your kiddy shows. Large variety, latest 48-page newsstand editions. COMICS PREMIUM CO.. 412^ Greenwich St., N. Y. C. POPCORN AND SUPPLIES FOR SALE POPCORN BOXES. LOTS OF 1M OR more. Write for samples and quotations. WINNE- BAGO DISTRIBUTING CO., Oshkosh, Wis. MORE PROFITS WITH OUR HI-VOLUME South American Popcorn. Also seasoning and Popcorn Boxes. Prices on request. DORE POPCORN COM- PANY, 5913 W. North Avenue. Chicago 39, 111. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES YOUR OWN BUSINESS SHOWING TALKIES— theatreless communities — no investment — we rent 16mm sound equipments, programs, reasonable. Remarkable possibilities— earn $5O-$20O weekly. 2207 RKO BUILD- ING. N. Y. C. SCHOOLS LEARN MODERN SHOWMANSHIP. HUNDREDS have successfully advanced to better theatre positions through the Institute's time tested training in spare time, at low cost. Free information. Established 20th year. THEATRE MANAGERS INSTITUTE, Elmira, N. Y. SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHIC BLOWUPS: WRITE FOR America's lowest prices. PHOTOCRAFT DISPLAY COMPANY, 3545 Broadway. Kansas City. Mo. THEATRE BLOWUPS. BEST OUALITY SERVICE STITES PORTRAIT COMPANY, Shelbyville. Ind. BOOKS INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMAN- ac— the big book about your business — 1947-48 edition now available. Contains over 12,000 biographies of im- portant motion picture personalities. Also all indus- try statistics. Complete listing of feature pictures 1937 to date. Order your copy today. $5.00 postage in- cluded. Send remittance to QUIGLEY BOOKSHOP. 1270 Sixth Avenue. New York 20, N. Y. RICHARDSON'S BLUEBOOK OF PROJECTION. Best seller since 1911. Now in 7th edition. Revised to present last word in Sound Trouble Shooting Charts. Expert information on all phases of projec- tion and equipment. Special new section on tele- vision. Invaluable to beginner and expert. $7.25 post- paid. QUfGLEY BOOKSHOP, New York 20, N. Y. "SOUND SERVICING BULLETINS" — $3 YEAR. WESLEY TROUT, Engineer, 575, Enid, Okla. Bell & Howell Sales Set Peace-Time High Bell & Howell's 1947 net sales reached a record peace-time high, exceeding $18,- 000,000, president J. H. McNabb told the board of directors meeting January 13 in Chicago. Sales for the month of Decem- ber exceeded $2,000,000, a new monthly high. President McNabb also announced a regular quarterly dividend of $1.06*4 per share on the cumulative preferred stock, four and a quarter per cent series, and a regular quarterly dividend of I2y2 cents. on the common stock. Both dividends are payable March 1, 1948, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Feb- ruary 15, 1948. Dividends paid on com- mon stock during 1947 totaled $1.25 per share. Brandt Suit Answers Due February 2 Answers of the Brandt Circuit and the 162 defendants named in Paramount's com- plaint charging them with fraud in connec- tion with percentage picture deals and seeking recovery of $563,265 are scheduled to be filed on or before February 2 in the New York Supreme Court. 50 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS ADVANCE SYNOPSES REISSUE REVIEWS SHORT SUBJECTS THE RELEASE CHART This department deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor who is to purvey it to his own public. My Girl Tisa Warner Brothers — Top Americana Toss your hats in the air. Here's a wond erf ul demonstration of the potential of the screen, a warm and human and important picture with the flavor of a folk tale, an intelligent story that presents with sincerity and sympathy the explosiveness and the strength of a growing United States. Its freshness and originality, its smart, clean writing, its top-notch direction and, best of all, exciting performances from a top-to-bottom blue ribbon cast adds up un- questionably to delightful entertainment for vast audiences. New York, 1905, is the time and place, the city's vast foreign-born and first generation pop- ulations the heroes and heroines. Specifically. "My Girl Tisa" is concerned with the love of brash, fast-talking Mark Denek, who hopes some day to be a lawyer and a Senator, for Tisa Kepes, an immigrant working for six dollars a week in a sweat shop, hoarding her money to get passage fare to bring her father to America from the old country. But more than this, "My Girl Tisa" is an authentic study of the many peoples who came to America looking for opportunity — the good and the evil that they found in America and what they did about it. It's a period of early New York, the sweat shop labor, the gas-lit dancing schools, the political picnics given by the ward- heelers, the sidewalk and rooming house life of the city, the terribly serious and frightening business of studying for the citizenship examina- tion. The picture has rather a never-never land end- ing, but it's an acceptable one, presented with considerable grace and with the same warm hu- mor that clothes the entire picture. When Mark is kicked out of party politics because of playing the egotist a little too heart- ily, Tisa gives him the money she has been saving for her father's passage. He's to use the money for law lessons. But to get the money back from the steamship ticket agent, she unwittingly signs a contract which would force her father to work out his passage money for a period of 10 years. Mark tries to get the contract back, but only succeeds in very nearly getting Tisa deported. Only the intervention of President Teddy Roosevelt saves the situa- tion. Lilli Palmer and Sam Wanamaker play Tisa and Mark with remarkable style and authority, emerging as completely believable characters, far off the stereotype path. Akim Tamiroff as Mr. Grumbach, the penny-pinching manager of the sweat shop ; Alan Hale, as Dugan, the local politician, and Stella Adler, as Mrs. Faludi, boarding house owner, all contribute perform- ances that set high marks for character acting. Milton Sperling produced and Elliott Nugent directed from the screenplay by Allen Boretz. They and the actors were obviously hand in glove all through the production, for the feature is all of a piece, something to' remember with pleasure after you've left the theatre. Reviewed at the home office. Rev-iewer's Rating : Excellent. — Ray Lanning. Release date, February 7, 1948. Running time, 95 min. PCA No. 12523. Adult audience classification. Tisa Kepes Lilli Palmer Mark Denek Sam Wanamaker Mr. Grumbach Akim Tamiroff Dugan Alan Hale Hugo Haas, Gale Robbins, Stella Adler. Benny Baker. Sumner Getchell, Sid Tomack, John Qualen. Tom Dillon, Sidney Blackmer Fritz Feld, John Banner Call Northside 777 20th Century-Fox — Semi-Documentary Drama Plucked from a real life drama dealing with a murder, a miscarriage of justice and an even- tual exoneration, "Call Northside 777"* is an- other in the series of semi-documentary dramas from 20th Century-Fox and among its best in this category. Time and some incident, including names, bow to dramatic license or maybe it was expediency. But the widely-known story of a young Polish- American who proved to have been railroaded to Illnois State Prison in 1932 on a 99 year stretch for a crime he never committed is in evidence in its major essentials. This is an ac- count of how the city editor of the Chicago Times first set forth on the trail, relying on his news instinct for a story in a want ad offering $5,000 for information about the death of a policeman 11 years earlier. The newspaper re- porter assigned the lead at first is cynical. He interviews the woman who inserted the ad, learns of her faith in the innocence of her son and how she has scrubbed floors throughout those years saving reward money for informa- tion which might establish his innocence. As he gets into the situation further, the re- porter begins to understand the mother's faith and, eventually, becomes convinced that her son is innocent. In interesting and engrossing de- tail, the film then reveals how the slippery truth is run down and the innocent man completely exonerated. The city editor is Lee J. Cobb ; the reporter, James Stewart ; Helen Walker, his wife ; the convicted man, Richard Conte. Kasia Orza- zewski is the believing mother ; Betty Garde, the unscrupulous key witness whose false testi- mony sends Conte to prison. Like some of these, there are others unfamiliar to picture theatre audiences but top-grade in their roles. Richard Bishop, as the warden, and John Mc- Intire, as state's attorney, are among them. Where possible, which appears to have been most of the way, scenes were shot in their original locales — the Chicago Criminal Courts Building, Police Headquarters, in the Polish quarter, on "Skid Row" and "Bughouse Square" in the South Wabash and South State slum districts, and in the Stateville prison near Joliet. The outcome is a sharp degree of realism and a prime example of how resorting to the actual can enhance the make-believe. Performances are good and decidely above average in the instances of the stage players re- cruited by producer Otto Lang and director Henry Hathaway. The director, a leading ex- ponent of the technique of combining the docu- mentary flavor with the dramatic, is the man who previously has made "Kiss of Death," "13 Rue Madeleine" and "House on 92nd Street." Here, he maintains his reputation. The story base stems to the series of articles written by Chicago Times reporter James P. McGuire. Leonard Hoffman and Quentin Rey- nolds did the adaptation and, finally, Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler the script. Rez'icizvd at home office. Reviewer's Rating \ Excellent. — Red Kann. Release date. February. Running time, Ul min. PCA No. 12397. Adult audience classification. McNeal James Stewart Wiecek Richard Conte Tillie Kasia Orazewski Kelly Lee J. Cobb Helen Walker, Betty Garde, Joanne de Bergh, John Mclntire, Moroni Olsen, J. M. Kerrigan, George Tyne, Richard Bishop, Michael Chapin, E. G. Mar- shall, Walter Greaza You Were Meant for Me 20th Century-Fox — Nostalgic Musical The Dan Dailey who skyrocketed to fame as the vaudevillian in "Mother Wore Tights" proves here, promptly and convincingly, his right to a place in the top flight of screen en- tertainers. This time he portrays a band leader, one of those versatile gentlemen of jazz whom the flappers idolized in the turbulent 'twenties, and his characterization is even more strikingly authentic. Opposite him is Jeanne Crain, again the small town girl in love, and alongside is Oscar Levant this time accommodating his per- sonality to his part instead of vice versa. The picture, done in black and white, is in the same general category as "Margie," and should give the same kind of satisfaction. The period is 1929, just before, during and after the stock market break. Dailey and his band are touring the Middle West dance circuit by bus. Miss Crain falls in love with him in Bloomington, follows him to Peoria, and they marry forthwith. Two months later he loses his funds in the market debacle, the band breaks up, and they go to live with her parents until things get better. The economic strain is back- ground for an imminent separation which is pre- vented by the timely arrival of his business man- ager, Levant, and Dailey 's tardy decision to take on some manual labor while waiting for PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 24, 1948 4029 the dance business to revive. When it does, the pair go on to new heights. The story, an original screenplay by Elick Moll and Valentine Davies, is plain but solid enough to sustain a variety of musical numbers in which Dailey, working with and in front of his band, handles a group of 1929 song hits in a manner to make most of today's radio crooners ashamed of themselves. Nothing tremendous about it, but just plain good. Fred Kohlmar produced and Lloyd Bacon directed with fine appreciation of the values in hand. Previewed at the Academy Awards theatre, Los Angeles, where a lay press audience mani- fested pleased satisfaction. Rezieiver's Rating : Good. — William R. Weaver. Release date, not set. Running time, 92 min. PCA No. 12S86. General audience classification. Peggy Mayhew Jeanne Crain Chuck Arnold Dan Dailey Oscar Oscar Levant Barbara Lawrence, Selena Royle, Percy Kilbride, Her- bert Anderson To the Ends of the Earth Columbia — Documentary Type Melo- drama "Based on actual incidents from the files of the United States Treasury Department," to quote the screened preface, this Sidney Buch- man production of a story and script by Jay Richard Kennedy, who is down also as associate producer, is a combining of documentary and melodrama for the purpose of setting forth the function and procedures of the Narcotics Di- vision under Commissioner Harry J, Anslinger, who is seen as himself at the opening and close and in midcourse of the picture. The star of the melodramatic story in the foreground is Dick Powell, giving it the type of slam-bang performance he gave as the private detective in the memorable "Murder, My Sweet." Signe Hasso, in an unroma'ntic assignment opposite him, is the other name for marquee display. The film, it will be remembered, is the one which figured in the revising of the Production Code so that the illegal drug traffic could be dealt with on the screen, but the kind of exploi- tation a reckless showman might see fit to base on this circumstance would not be borne out by the extraordinarily complicated cops-and-robber tale the film delivers. Billing based on the Dick Powell style of in- defatigable crime detection appears likeliest to attract the patronage likeliest to enjoy the offer- ing. In its opening and closing stretches, as well as more or less steadily throughout when Powell is narrating as well as acting, the picture is severely documentary in character. In these in- stances it imparts the information that the Treasury Department is more active and far reaching in its operations against smugglers of opium — the only drug specifically mentioned — than is generally known, and the recent sign- ing of the United Nations covenant on the sub- ject is repeatedly stressed. The story in the foreground is perhaps the most thoroughly complicated skein of events ever contrived within the running time of one picture. In it Powell portrays Michael Bar- rows, the operative in charge of Commissioner Anslinger's San Francisco office, who observes the jettisoning of a hundred chained Chinese from a Japanese steamer outside the 12-mile limit — this is 1935 — and flies to Shanghai to in- vestigate the steamer's occupation and sponsor- ship. This is but the beginning of a chain of violent adventures in line of duty which take him to Egypt, to Havana, with culprits committing sui- cide as fast as he catches up with them, and finally back to New York Harbor, where it turns out, even more surprisingly than the fan- tastic surprises which have gone before, that a 20-year-old Chinese girl, whom everybody's been regarding as a child, is really the master mind behind the international ring of opium smug- glers which has had the U. S., England, France and Cuba completely baffled. The melodrama is in the complex tradition of the currently popular radio detective pro- gram (Pat Novak, Sam Spade, Fat Man, etc.), inclusive of the knockouts, the multiple murders, and the mysterious blonde, and it adds to these staples of ear entertainment the spectacle of en - slaved Chinese broken by forced labor and drowned en masse by way of concealing evi- dence. Without the prefatory assurance that the story is "based on actual incidents" in the file of a Federal bureau, it would be a hard story to believe. With that assurance, it's even harder to credit. Whether the total effect ot it will be to convince the public that the Treas- ury Department is doing a termendous job in the field of narcotics, or that it's not so hot if a Chinese gal sympathetically inclined toward the Japanese high command can give it the tussle this one does, probably is for time and exhibition to decide. Robert Stevenson directed. Previewed at studio. Reviewer's Rating: Good.—W. R. W. Release date, February, 1948. Running time, 107 min. PCA No. 12390. General audience classification. Michael Barrows Dick Powell Ann Grant Signe Hasso Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger Himself Maylia, Ludwig Donath, Vladimir SokolofT, Edgar Barrier, John Hoyt, Marcel Journet, Luis Van Root- en, Fritz Lieber. Vernon Steele, P'eter Virgo, Lou Krugman, Eddie Lee, Ivan Triesault Albuquerque Paramount— Color Western Shot in good Cinecolor that makes the most of the rugged and beautiful New Mexico scene- ry, this Pine-Thomas Clarion Production has most of a Western's prerequisites and, despite its occasionally slow pace, should do well. For the marquee the Randolph Scott-George "Gabby" Hayes combination is strong. Bar- bara Britton proves herself a handy girl with a gun and Lon Chaney turns in a good perform- ance as a lumbering strong man with a mini- mum of brains. Ray Enright directed with ac- cent on dramatic action. Gene Lewis and Clar- ence Upson Young wrote the screenplay. The story is better than the average Western yarn. It gives Scott a chance to engage in some hard riding, to use his fists on Lon Chaney with telling effect, to drive an ore-laden wagon down a winding mountain road with the brakes out of commission and, finally, to let his gun speak in the name of justice, doing away with most of the villains. Hayes is excellent and good for laughs. In "Albuquerque" his re- freshing antics prove to be one of the picture's mainstays. Scott .comes to town ready to work for his uncle, George Cleveland, the despotic and hard- hearted czar of Albuquerque, who operates an ore freight line. When he realizes his uncle's attitude, Scott goes to .work for a rival outfit headed by Russell Hayden and Catherine Craig. Hayes joins the partnership and from then on they spend their time dodging the traps pre- pared for them by the embittered uncle. Mean- while, Miss Britton, an agent hired by Cleve- land, has gone over to Scott's side. She warns them of a final trap, but Hayes and Scott choose to fight it out, providing the picture's action- filled climax. Seen at a New York projection room. Re- viewer's Rating : Good.— Fred Hift. Release date, February 20th, 1948. Running time, 90 min. PCA No. 12428. General audience classification. Cole Armin Randolph Scott Letty Tyler Barbara Britton Juke George "Gabby" Hayes Russell Hayden, Catherine Craig, Lon Chaney, George Cleveland, Karolvn Grimes, Russell Simpson, Bernard Nedell Angels Alley Monogram — The Bowery Boys Exhibitors accustomed to cooperating with lo- cal authorities and organizations in community interest have here a treatment of the juvenile delinquency theme which rates calling to their special attention. A picture in producer Jan Grip- po's Bowery Boy series, it lacks nothing which the followers of those pictures demand in the way of action and slick lingo, but makes the noteworthy point that the juvenile citizenry it- self can cope with juvenile delinquency more directly and expeditiously than anybody else when the will to do so is present. This time the Bowery Boys, without letdown from their accustomed pitch of rough and read}?- deportment, come smack up against the delin- quency problem when a cousin of one of them, released on parole, joins with a crook engaged principally in stealing automobiles. The boys do what they can to dissuade him, and quite a number of actionful complications follow, but they are not successful until they turn their at- tions to the racketeer himself. Finally, they rig; matters so that he is placed in the position of having stolen the cars belonging to the district attorney and other officers of the law, and when the vehicles are found at his headquarters he is taken into custody and the menace of his influ- ence eliminated. Directed by William Beaudine, from an origi- nal script by Edmond Seward, Tim Ryan and! Gerald Schnitzer, the picture is tops for the series. Previewed at the Marcal theatre, Hollywood, where it zvas well received. Revie-wer' s Rating : Good.—W. R. W. Release date, not set. Running time, 67 min. PCA No. 12786. General audience classification. Slip Leo Gorcey Sach Huntz Hall Billy Benedict, David Gorcey, Gabriel Dell, Frankie Darro, Nestor Paiva, Geneva Gray, Rosemary La Planche, John Eldredge, Mary Gordon, Richard Pax- ton The Main Street Kid Republic — Comedy Al Pearce, radio and film comedian, is the leading performer in this light, diverting com- edy. He portrays the owner of a small town printshop who has an urge to learn how to read minds. Chief supporting players are Janet Mar- tin, as his daughter, Alan Mowbray, the mind- reading expert, and Arlene Harris, the wife. Highlights of the film are humorous incidents and slapstick comedy arising when Pearce takes a phonograph course in mental telepathy. Pearse's daughter is in love with a wealthy young man who is infatuated with an ex-show girl, played by Adele Mara. She intends to marry the rich boy and get some of his money. The scheme is unveiled by Pearce, when by ac- cident he has the power of mind reading. In the happy conclusion the small town girl gets her man. Sidney Picker was the associate producer and R. G. Springsteen directed from Jerry Sack- heim's screenplay. Seen at the home office projection room. Re- viewer's Rating: Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, January 1, 1948. Running time, 64 min. PCA No. 12743. General audience classification. Otis Al Pearce Jill Janet Martin Martine Alan Mowbray Adele Mara, Arlene Harris, Emil Rameau, Byron S. Barr, Douglas Evans. Roy Barcroft. Phil Arnold, Sarah Edwards, Earle Hodgins, Dick Elliott Stage to Mesa City Eagle Lion — La Rue Western The film follows the usual Western pattern with fast riding, stagecoach holdups and various sorts of outdoor action for entertainment. "Lash" LaRue, as a U. S. Marshal, is the hero. With Al "Fuzzy" St. John as his deputy, the marshal captures a gang of crooks. "Lash" arrives on the scene after the stage- coach has been held up and the owner killed. He and "Fuzzy" help Brad Slaven and Jennifer Holt, the son and daughter of the stagecoach owner, operate the stage. The villains want to gain control because the government is about ot award a contract to carry the mail on that route. The rightful owners of the stage line get the mail contract through the assistance of (Continued on opposite page) 4030 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 ADVANCE SYNOPSES and information (Continued from preceding pagey "Lash" LaRue, and the gang and its leader, played by George Chesebro, are sent to jail. Jerry Thomas produced and Ray Taylor di- rected from the original screenplay bv Joseph | F. Poland. Seen at a New York projection room. Re- viewer's Rating : Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, not set. Running time, 52 min. PCA No. 12728. General audience classification. Cheyenne "Lash" LaRue Fuzzy Al "Fuzzy" St. John Margie Jennifer Holt George Chesebro, Brad Slaven, Marshall Reed. Terry Frost, Carl Mathews, Bob Woodward, Steve Clark, Frank Ellis, Lee Morgan REISSUE REVIEWS GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN Realart Pictures With Sir Cedric Hardwicke as "Franken- stein," and Lon Chaney, Jr., as the monster, Universal's film-chiller of six years ago was de- scribed in the March 7, 1942, issue of Motion Picture Herald as a picture which will deliver "many a scare, chill and shudder." In part the review said : "The current installment in the continued adventures of the Frankenstein mon- ster maintains a standard of performance, ef- fectiveness and quality exceeding the average for horror films by a considerable margin." The picture runs 67 minutes and is being re- leased this month by Realart Pictures. SON OF DRACULA Realart Pictures As another horror picture originally produced by Universal, "Son of Dracula" is concerned with the adventures of an American family who come under the evil rule of Lon Chaney, Jr. ; their sufferings and eventually their conquest of Chaney's evil force. When reviewed in the November 13, 1943, Motion Picture Herald the reviewer said : "For chills, thrills and spine- tingling sensations, the picture hits the mark. Others in the cast include Robert Paige and Louise Allbritton. It runs 80 minutes and is being released this month by Realart. SKITCH HENDERSON & ORCHESTRA (Columbia) Thrills of Music (9954) Fred Robbins, well-known disc jockey, is at the turntable to introduce Skitch Henderson and his orchestra. That's the take-off signal for 10 minutes of good music and rhythm, pepped up by the nimble fingers of the talented Skitch. Pretty vocalist Nancy Reed gives a good ren- dition of "It's a Good Day" and Andy Roberts does "The Gypsy." Release date, December 11, 1947 10 minutes FEUDIN' AND FIGHTIN' (Columbia) Community Sing (9655) The popular hillbilly tune "Feudin' and Fightin' " is featured in this good audience par- ticipation reel. Dick Leibert carries the tune on the organ, while the Song Spinners lead the singing of songs to be enjoyed by many. They include "Don't Blame Me," "Don't Fence Me In" and "Kate." Release date, January 8, 1948 9l/2 minutes NAVY CREW CHAMPIONS (Columbia) World of Sports (9804) This subject ought to please the sport fans. It shows the midshipmen from the U. S. Naval Academy training in their racing "shells" for the big Poughkeepsie Regatta. Sportscaster Bill Stern provides the commentary. The reel closes with the exciting race which the Navy, as un- derdog, won to become the nation's top crew. Release date, December 25, 1947 10 minutes I BECAME A CRIMINAL (Warner Bros.) PRODUCER: N. A. Bronsten. DIREC- TOR: Cavalcanti. PLAYERS: Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Griffin Jones, Rene Ray, Mary Merrall, Vida Hope. CRIME DRAMA. The law finds Clem, for- merly of the RAF, blackjacked at the wheel of a car which has killed a policeman. Finding everyday life too dull, he had joined a gang of racketeers in quest of excitement following his release from service. But when he discovered the gang was peddling dope, he protested and is framed after a clash with the leader, who has a covetous eye on his girl friend. He is sent to prison, where the gang leader's ex-girl friend visits him and helps him escape. He tracks down the members of the mob who framed him, has a showdown fight with the leader, and is able to clear his name. He re- turns to prison, and awaits a retrial. CAMPUS HONEYMOON (Republic) ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Fanchon. DI- RECTORS: Richard Sale, Herb Hendelson. PLAYERS: Lyn and Lee Wilde, Adele Mara, Richard Crane, Hal Hackett. COLLEGE DRAMA. Two veterans meet two girls while all of them are trying to gain admission to a University, which has a ruling that without a place to live they cannot enter the college. They find a place in a housing project bungalow, only to find that they are for married veterans, so they agree to pretend they are married. The deception is discovered, however, and things are complicated until the girls' uncle arrives and eventually helps them solve their problems, and the boys marry the girls. DREAMS ON ICE (Columbia) Color Favorite (9601) A reissue of a very entertaining color cartoon, a boy and his dog decide to go skating at home so they flood the room. Opening the window to freeze the water, they fall asleep and dream they are in a beautiful ice palace where dolls and animals do tricks on skates. The boy trips over his canine pet and wakes up to find his mother gazing with amazement at the flooded room. • Release date, October 30, 1947 6^2 minutes SHIVERING SHERLOCKS (Columbia) All-Star Comedy (9404) The Three Stooges can always be relied on to liven up the screen with a lot of fun. Here they try to help out a pretty blonde who has inherited an antiquated country house, occupied by a crew of killers. There is an hilarious chase through the old house, but in the end the stooges do all right for themselves. Release date. January 8, 1948 17 minutes BAGPIPE LASSIES (Paramount) Unusual Occupations (L7-2) Bagpipe music and Scottish dances are fea- tured in this short. They are performed by the Scottish Highlanders of the University of Iowa. Eighty-year-old John Adamson of Boston shows how bagpipes are made. Other occupa- tions shown include the making of dolls out of peanuts and the teaching of riding to sightless veterans. Release date, January 2, 1948 11 minutes DEVIL'S CARGO Film Classics PRODUCER: Philip N. Krasne. DIREC- TOR: John F. Link. PLAYERS: John Cal- vert, Rochelle Hudson, Roscoe Karns, Lyle Talbot, Theodore Von Eltz, Paul Marion. MURDER MYSTERY. Conroy, a playboy, is found shot to death in his penthouse, and a ne'er-do-well named Delgado tells Michael Waring, the Falcon, that he committed the crime and asks the Falcon to keep a key for him until after he is acquitted. He says he feels sure of acquittal when the police learn that the motive for the crime was Conroy's attentions to Delgado's wife, Margo. Tom Mallon, an at- torney, enters the case as Delgado's attorney, and after Delgado is found poisoned in his cell, the Falcon suspects Mallon's connection with the crime. His suspicions are correct, and the police, with the Falcon, close in on Mallon. TORNADO RANGE (Eagle Lion) PRODUCER: Jerry Thomas. DIRECTOR: Ray Taylor. PLAYERS: Eddie Dean, Ros- coe Ates, Jennifer Holt, George Chesebro, Brad Slavin, Marshall Reed, Andy Parker and His Plainsmen. WESTERN. Eddie Dean, under orders as a U. S. Land Office agent, tries to prevent a range war being started between homesteaders and ranchers when a caravan of the so-called "nest- ers" start to take over land acquired by govern- ment lease. An outlaw gang, hoping to stir up trouble and get in some looting, join the ranch- ers. Dean, through a romantic acquaintance with the daughter of the ranchers' leader, learns the plan of the outlaw mob and by convincing the ranchers of the outlaw chief's duplicity both factions turn against the gang and send them fleeing from the countryside. DANGERS OF THE CANADIAN MOUNTED (Republic) Chapter Play (792) In Alcan, on the Alaska-Canada border, Bill Sawyer, a prospector, finds an ancient Chinese junk which is believed to be part of a fleet of treasure hunting ships sent out by Genghis- Khan in the 13th Century. This ship supposedly holds the clue to a vast hidden treasure. But before Sawyer can find the clue, he is mur- dered by Mort Fowler. Mort then turns to terrorizing the road builders who would turn the country over to the homesteaders. His schemes and his murders are stopped by Chris Royal of the Canadian Mounted who defeats Mort in a number of hair-raising encounters. The treasure, large, beautifully cut diamonds, is finally found, but not until after another mur- der. Jam Bannon, Virginia Belmont, Anthony Warde, and Dorothy Granger are featured. Release date, not set. 12 chapters BRICK BRADFORD (Columbia) Chapter Play (914(1) Brick Bradford, well-known soldier of for- tune, is hired to protect the Interceptor Ray, an anti-guided missile weapon. His task takes him flying to the moon where he is captured by subjects of Queen Khana. Brick is spared from death, however, because the queen loves him. After returning to the earth, Brick and his party get into a Time Top and spin back to the 18th Century where they have to fight off natives and pirates. Finally Brick traps the villain who is after the Interceptor Ray and world peace is assured. The cast includes Kane Richmond, Rick Vallin, Linda Johnson and Pierre Watkin. Release date, December 18, 1947 15 chapters SHORT SUBJECTS PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 24, 1948 4031 THE RELEASE CHART Index to Reviews, Advance Synopses and Service Data in PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Release dates and running time are furnished as soon as avail- Short Subjects Chart with Synopsis Index can be found on able. Advance dates are tentative and subject to change. Run- page 4022, issue of January 17, 1948. ning times are the official times supplied by the distributor. Feature product listed by Company on page 4023, issue of All page numbers on this chart refer to pages in the jjanu"y l7' l948' DFo,r C™Plet<: V,%i]n* °* feature, PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION of MOTION PICTURE HERALD. 7 Company r, see Product Digest, pages 3808-3809, issue of August 30, 1947. For Legion of Decency Rating, Audience Classification and (T) before a date in the list below is the tradeshow date: Managers' Round Table Exploitation, see Service Data page release dates are given as soon as available, lumbers in last column. (f) indicates a Box Office Champion. r— REVIEWED — % M. P. Product Advance Service Prod. Tradeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stan Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page ADVENTURE Island (color) Para. 4702 Rory Calhoun-Rhonda Fleming Oct. I0,'47 67m Aug. I6,'47 3782 3759 3909 Adventures of Casanova EL 812 Arturo de Cordova-Lucille Bremer Feb. 7, '48 83m .... .... .... Adventures of Robin Hood (color) (Reissue) WB ... Errol Flynn-Olivia de Havilland Not Set 102m Jan. 17, '48 4019 Albuquerque (color) Para. 4709 Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton Feb. 20/48 90m Jan. 24/48 4030 3956 Alias a Gentleman MGM .... Wallace Beery-Tom Drake Mar.,'48 .... .... 3717 All My Sons Univ. .... Edw. G. Robinson-Arlene Francis Not Set .... .... 4010 .... Along the Oregon Trail (color) Rep. 651 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Aug. 30/47 64m Sept. 13/47 3829 3818 Always Together WB 713 Joyce Reynolds-Robt. Hutton Jan. 10/48 78m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 Angels Alley Mono. .... Leo Gorcey-Geneva Gray Not Set 67m Jan. 24/48 4030 .... .... Anthony Adverse (Reissue) WB 709 Fredric March-Olivia de Havilland Dec. 13/47 I 16m Nov. 1/47 3907 An Ideal Husband (color) (Brit.) 20th-Fox .... Paulette Goddard-Michael Wilding Not Set 96m Jan. 17/48 4017 4000 Arch of Triumph UA ... Ingrid Bergman-Charles Boyer Not Set .... 3487 Arnelo Affair, The MGM 803 John Hodialt-George Murphy Sept.,'47 87m Feb. 15/47 3473 3459 3633 * BACHELOR and the Bobby Soxer, The (Block I) RKO 801 Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Temple Sept. 1/47 95m June 7/47 3665 3363 3909 Bad Men of Missouri (Reissue) WB 704 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman Oct. 4/47 71m Oct. 4/47 3861 Bambi (Reissue) (color) RKO 892 Disney Feature Cartoon Feb. 2/48 70m Dec. 6/47 3966 .... .... Bandits of Dark Canyon Rep. 752 Allan Lane-Bob Steele Dec. 15/47 59m Dec. 20/47 3982 3956 Betrayed (Reissue) Mono. 4706 Kim Hunter-Dean Jagger Dec. 27/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3956 .... Big Town After Dark Para. 4706 Phi!lip Reed-Hillary Brooke Dec. 12/47 69m Nov. 22/47 3941 3931 4011 Bill and Coo (color) Rep Bird Picture Not Set 61m Dec. 27/47 4000 Bishop's Wife, The RKO 852 Cary Grant-Loretta Young Not Set 110m Nov. 22/47 3941 3702 4011 Black Bart (color) Univ. .... Yvonne de Carlo-Dan Duryea Not Set .... .... 4000 .... Black Gold (color) (Allied Artists) Mono. 2 Anthony 0"inn-Katherine DeMille Aug. 16/47 92m June 28/47 3701 3631 3983 Black Hills EL 851 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 25/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3818 4011 Blackmail Rep. 617 William Marshall-Adele Mara July 24/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3771 3759 Black Narcissus (Brit.) (color) Univ. Deborah Kerr-Sabu-David Farrar Dec.,'47 90m July 12/47 3725 Blonde Savage EL 807 Leif Erickson-Gale Sherwood Nov. 22/47 62m Oct. 11/47 3874 3933 Blondie's Anniversary Col. 913 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Dec. 18/47 .... .... 3919 Blondie in the Dough Col. 911 Penny Singleton-Arthur Lake Oct. 16/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3954 3830 4011 t Body and Soul UA .... John Garfield-Lilli Palmer Nov.,'47 104m Aug. 16/47 3781 4011 Border Feud EL 752 Al "Lash" LaRue-"Fuzzy" St. John May 10/47 55m May 24/47 3643 Border G-Man (Reissue) RKO 882 Laraine Johnson-Ray Whitley Nov. 14/47 61m Jan. 10/48 4009 Bowery Buckaroos Mono. 625 Leo Gorcey-Hunti Hall Nov. 22/47 66m Oct. 25/47 3894 3782 Boy I What a Girl I SG X-2 Tim Moore-Elwood Smith Sept. 20/47 69m Feb. 8/47 3458 Bride Goes Wild, The MGM .... Van Johnson-June Allyson Mar.,'48 .... .... 4021 .... \ Brute Force Univ. 620 Burt Lancaster-Hume Cronyn Aug.,'47 98m June 28/47 3702 3611 3877 Buckaroo from Powder River Col. 961 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnstte Oct. 14/47 55m Dec. 6/47 3966 3830 Bulldog Drummond at Bay Col. 820 Ron Randall-Anita Louise May 15/47 70m Nov. 29/47 3955 3587 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Col. 821 Ron Randall-Pat O'Moore Sept. 4/47 65m Nov. 1/47 3906 3782 Burning Cross, The Screen Guild 4704 Hank Daniels-Virginia Patton Oct. 11/47 78m July 26/47 3746 Bury Me Dead EL 803 Mark Daniels-June Lockhart Oct. 18/47 71m Sept. 27/47 3850 3818 Bush Pilot Screen Guild 4616 Rochelle Hudson-Jack LaRue June 7/47 60m Nov. 29/47 3955 3539 Bush Christmas Univ. 635 Chips Rafferty-Helen Grieve Dec.,'47 76m Nov. 29/47 3953 4011 t CALCUTTA Para. Call It Murder (Reissue) SG Call Northside 777 20th-Fox Campus Honeymoon Rep. Captain Boycott (Brit.) Univ. Captain from Castile (color) 20th-Fox Caravan (Brit.) EL Carnegie Hall UA Casbah Univ. Case of the Baby Sitter, The Screen Guild Cass Timberlane MGM Check Your Guns EL f Cheyenne WB 4612 Alan Ladd-William Bendix May 30/47 S-2 Humphrey Boqart-Richard Whorf Sept. 13/47 805 James Stewart-Helen Walker Feb.,'48 703 Lyn & Lee Wilde-Adele Mara Feb. 1/48 ... Stewart Granger-Kathleen Ryan Jan. ,'48 801 Tyrone Power-Jean Peters Jan. ,'48 106 Stewart Granger-Jean Kent Sept. 30/47 .... Marsha Hunt-William Prince Aug. 8/47 .... Yvonne ^e Carlo-Tony Martin Not Set 4618 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 26/47 813 Spencer Tracy-Lana Turner Jan. ,'48 535 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Oct. 18/47 622 Dennis Morgan-Jane Wyman June 14/47 83m 74m I I Im 92 m 140m 80m 134m 40m 120m 55m 1 00m Apr. 26/47 Nov. 29/47 Jan. 24/48 Nov! 29/47 Nov. 29/47 Sept. 13/47 Mar. 1/47 Sept. 20/47 Nov. 15/47 Nov. 15/47 Apr. 26/47 3598 3956 4029 3953 3953 3829 3501 3841 3930 3930 3597 2884 4031 3562 4010 3689 3759 2939 3851 401 1 401 I 3877 3983 3747 4032 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 REVIEWED Title Cheyenne Takes Over Chinese Ring, The Christmas Eve Code of the Saddle Copacabana Corpse Came C.O.D., The Corsican Brothers ( R.) Crime Doctor's Gamble, The Crimson Key, The (Wurtiel) t Crossfire (Block I ) Cry Wolf Cynthia rrou. Company Number EL 530 K_fl Ann ivi onui 626 UA o n o 677 UA Col. 839 EL 733 Col. 915 20th-Fox 722 RKO 802 WB 625 MGM 726 Tradeshow or Running Stars Release Date Time Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John Dec. 13, '47 58m Roland Winters-Louise Currie Dec. 6,'47 68m George Raft-George Brent Oct., '47 90m Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton June 28, '47 53m Groucho Marx-Carmen Miranda May 30,'47 92m George Brent-Joan Blondell June, '47 87m Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Ruth Warrick Dec.,'47 110m Warner Baxter-Micheline Cheirel Nov. 27/47 66m Kent Taylor-Doris Dowling July, '47 76m Robert Young-Robert Mitchum Aug. 15, '47 86m Errol Flynn-Barbara Stanwyck Aug. I6,'47 84m Elizabeth Taylor-George Murphy July, '47 98m M. P. Herald Issue Dec. 6,'47 Dec. 20,'47 Nov. 8,'47 July 26,'47 May 24,'47 Aug. 23,'47 Dec. 27/47 Dec. 13/47 July 5/47 June 28/47 July 5/47 May 17/47 Product Digest Page 3965 3982 3918 3749 3641 3794 4000 3973 3714 3701 3713 3629 Advance Service Synopsis Data Page 3876 3850 3689 3562 3919 3679 3138 3611 Page 4011 3983 3795 3795 401 1 3983 3933 3933 DAISY Kenyon 20th-Fox 731 Dangerous Years (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 804 Danger Street Para. 4623 Dark Delusion MGM 724 t Dark Passage WB 703 t Dear Ruth Pars. 4616 Deep Valley WB 70 1 Desert Fury (color) Para. 4617 Desire Me MGM 807 Desperate (Block 6) RKO 728 Devil Ship Col. 923 Devil's Cargo FC Dick Tracy's Dilemma (Block 6) RKO 729 Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (Bl. 2) RKO 809 Dishonored Lady UA .... Double Life, A Univ. Down to Earth (color) Col. 930 Dragnet, The Screen Guild 4703 Driftwood Rep. 621 Drums Along the Mohawk (R.) 20th-Fox 741 \ Duel in the Sun (color) Selznick .... EACH Dawn I Die (Reissue) WB 705 Emperor Waltz (color) Para. .... Escape Me Never WB 708 Exile, The Univ. 630 Exposed Rep. 629 FABULOUS Texan Rep. 624 Fiesta (color) MGM 727 Fighting Vigilantes, The EL 527 Flame, The Rep. 628 Flashing Guns Mono. 673 t Forever Amber (Spcl.) (col.) 20th-Fox 733 For the Love of Rusty Col. 812 For You I Die FC t Foxes of Harrow, The 20th-Fox 729 Frieda (British) Univ. 624 Fugitive, The (Special) RKO 863 Fun and Fancy Free (color) (Spl.) RKO 891 Fun on a Weekend UA .... GANGSTER. The (Allied Artists) Gas House Kids Go West Gas House Kids in Hollywoi Gay Ranchero (color) Gentleman After Dark (R.) Gentleman's Agreement Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Ghost of Frankenstein (R.) Ghost Town Renegades Glamour Girl Golden Earrings Good News (color) Grapes of Wrath, The (R.) Great Expectations (Brit.) Green for Danger (British) f Green Dolphin Street Gunfighters (color) Gun Law ( Reissue) Gun Talk Mono. 3 EL 71 1 i EL 712 Rep. 644 EL 740 20th-Fox 20th-Fox 715 Realart 1212 EL 754 Col. 907 Para. 4703 MGM 810 20th-Fox 745 Univ. EL 802 MGM 811 Col. 838 RKO 881 Mono. 674 Joan Crawford-Dana Andrews Not Set William Halop-Ann E. Todd Not Set Jane Withers-Robert Lowery June 20/47 Lucille Bremer-James Craig June/47 Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall Sept. 27/47 Joan Caulfield-William Holden -July 18/47 Ida Lupino-Dane Clark Sept. i/47 John Hodiak-Lizabeth Scott Aug. 15/47 Greer Garson-Robert Mitchum Oct.,'47 Steve Brodie-Audrey Long June/47 Richard Lane-Louise Campbell Dec. I 1/47 John Calvert-Rochelle Hudson Feb. ,'48 Ralph Byrd-Lyle Latell July/47 Boris Karloff-Ralph Byrd Nov. 12/47 Hedy LaMarr-Dennis O'Keefe May 16/47 Ronald Colman-Signe Hasso Not Set Rita Hayworth-Larry Parks Oct. 31/47 Henry Wilcoxson-Mary Brian Oct. 25/47 Ruth Warrick-Walter Brennan Sept. 15/47 Claudette Colbert-Henry Fonda Oct. 10/47 Jennifer Jones-Joseph Cotten Apr. 17/47 James Cagney-George Raft Oct. 4/47 Bing Crosby-Joan Fontaine Not Set Errol Flynn-lda Lupino Nov. 22/47 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.-Maria Montez Nov./47 Adele Mara-Robert Scott Sept. 8/47 William Elliott-John Carroll Nov. 9/47 Esther Williams-Ricardo Montalban July/47 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John Nov. 15/47 John Carroll -Vera Ralston Nov. 24/47 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Sept. 20/47 Linda Darnell-Cornel Wilde Oct. 22/47 Ted Donaldson-Ann Doran May 1/47 Cathy Downs-Paul Langton-Mischa Auer Dec.,'47 Rex Harrison-Maureen O'Hara Oct. 1/47 David Farrar-Glynis Johns Sept.,'47 Henry Fonda-Dolores Del Rio Nov. 3/47 Disney Feature Cartoon Sept. 27/47 Eddie Bracken-Priscilla Lane May 15/47 Barry Sullivan-Belita Nov. 22/47 Emory Parnell-Chili Williams July 12/47 Carl Switzer-Rudy Wissler Aug. 23/47 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee Jan. 1/48 Brian Donlevy-Miriam Hopkins Nov. 8/47 Gregory Peck-Dorothy McGuire Not Set Gene Tierney-Rex Harrison May,'47 Lon Chaney-Evelyn Ankers Jan. ,'48 Al "Lash" LaRue-Al "Fuzzy" St. John July 26/47 Gene Krupa Orch.-J. Leonard Jan. I6/4& Marlene Dietrich-Ray Milland Oct. 31/47 June Allyson-Peter Lawford Dec.,'47 Henry Fonda-Charley Grapewin Dec.,'47 John Mills-Valerie Hobson July/47 Sally Gray-Trevor Howard Oct. 4/47 Lana Turner-Van Heflin (T) Nov. 5/47 Randolph Scott-Barbara Britton July/47 George O'Brien-Rita Oehmen Oct. 3/47 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Dec. 20/47 1 00m 85m 128m 1 18m 93m I4lm 87m 60m 58m 99m Nov. 29/47 3953 3876 3983 61m Dec. 20/47 3981 401 1 66m Mar. 15/47 3526 2972 90m Apr. 12/47 3573 3459 106m Sept. 6/47 3817 3599 3933 95m M*v 31 '47 ivi ay v I | i / 3653 3909 104m Aug. 2/47 3757 3717 3909 95m Aug. 2/47 3757 361 1 3909 91m Sept. 27/47 3849 3287 3983 73m May 17/47 3629 3599 62m Jan. 17/48 4019 3943 4031 60m May 17/47 3630 3599 65m Oct. 4/47 3861 85m Apr. 26/47 3597 3747 103m Jan. 3/48 4001 3956 lOlm Aug. 2/47 3757 3 126 3933 71m July 12/47 3725 88m Nov. 8/47 3917 3850 103m Oct. 25/47 3895 1 JJlTl Un 1 1 '47 .Jan. i 1 1 *t / 3409 3363 3933 84m Sept. 13/47 3830 361 1 104m Nov. 1,47 3905 3876 401 1 92 m Oct. 25/47 3893 3865 3983 59m Sept. 20/47 3841 3830 95m Nov. 15/47 3930 3907 3983 104m June 14/47 3677 361 1 3851 61m Nov. 22/47 3942 3919 97m Jan. 17/48 4018 3931 59m Aug. 30/47 3806 3759 140m Oct. 18/47 3885 3475 3933 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3830 77m Dec. 20/47 3982 3972 1 19m Sept. 27/47 3849 3830 3983 97m Aug. 23/47 3793 104m Nov. 8/47 3917 . 3895 73m Aug. 23/47 3793 3631 3983 93m Apr. 19/47 3586 3503 3703 83m Oct. 4/47 3861 3666 62 m July 19/47 3735 63 m Sept. 6/47 3818 72m Jan. 17/48 4018 3931 76m Nov. 29/47 3957 1 18m Nov. 15/47 3929 3818 104m May 24/47 3641 3563 3747 67m Jan. 24/48 4031 57m Aug. 2/47 3758 3702 3992 Aug. 30/47 Dec. 6/47 Dec. 6/47 Mar. 29/47 July 26/47 Oct. 25/47 June 14/47 Jan. 10/48 Jan. 17/48 3805 3965 3966 3549 3746 3894 3677 4010 4019 3850 361 I 3587 3587 3919 401 I 3983 3783 4011 401 I 3983 ( color) Hard Boiled Mahoney Hat Box Mystery, The Heading for Heaven Heartaches Heaven Only Knows Her Husband's Affairs t High Barbaree High Conquest High Tide dy Carnival UA Frances Rafferty-Walter Abel Aug. 29/47 1 12m Aug. 30/47 3805 3877 Mono. 616 Leo Gorcey-Huntz Hall May 10/47 63m Nov. 29/47 3958 3488 Screen Guild 4617 Tom Neal-Pamela Blake July 12/47 44m Aug. 30/47 3806 3866 EL 810 Stuart Erwin-Glenda Farrell Dec. 6/47 71m Dec. 20/47 3982 EL 704 Sheila Ryan-Chill Wills June 28/47 71m July 5/47 3714 3702 UA Robert Cummings-Brian Donlevy Sept.,'47 98m Aug. 2/47 3758 3933 Col. 929 Franchot Tone-Lucille Ball Nov. 12/47 86m July 26/47 3745 3735 3933 MGM 721 Van Johnson-June Allyson May/47 June 2 1/47 91m Mar. 15/47 3525 3238 3851 Mono. 620 Anna Lee-Warren Douglas 79m Mar. 15/47 3525 3435 Mono. 4701 Lee Tracy-Don Castle Oct. 11/47 72m Aug. 9/47 3769 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION. JANUARY 24, 1948 4033 REVIEWED M, P. Product Ad vance Service trod. Tradcshow or « uniting Herald Digest Page Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stars Release Date Time Issue Page Page High Wall MGM 815 Robert Taylor-Audrey Totter Feb.,'48 99m Dec. 20/47 3981 3972 401 1 Hollywood Barn Dance Screen Guild 4701 Ernest Tubb-Lori Talbott June 21 ,'47 72m June 7/47 3665 3655 3909 Homestretch, The (color) 20th-Fox 713 Cornel ^Vilde-Maureen O'Here May, '47 Tom Ar>r 9A '47 Mpr. LO, *?/ JDY / J*rGO JOO 1 Honeymoon (Block 5) RKO 721 Shirley Temple-Guy Madison May 17/47 74m Apr. 19/47 3585 3539 3877 Hoppy's Holiday UA i i/>||* n 1 a 1 /M 1 William Boyd-Andy Clyde July I8,'47 60m May 17/47 3630 f Hucksters, The MGM 728 Clark Gable-Deborah Kerr Aug.,'47 1 15m June 28/47 3701 3574 3877 Hungry Hill (British) Univ. Margaret Lockwood-Dennis Prince Not Set 92 m Oct. 18/47 3885 1 BECAME a Criminal WB Sally Gray-Trevor Howard Mar. 13, '48 4031 1 Cover Big Town Para. 4624 Philip Reed-Hillary Brooke July 2b/47 Mm Mai I 47 3502 3459 1 Love Trouble Col. 934 Franchot Tone-Janet Blair Jan.,'48 94m Jan. 17/48 4018 3980 If You Knew Susie RKO Eddie Cantor-Joan Davis Not Set 3475 If Winter Comes MGM 814 Walter Pidgeon-Deborah Kerr Jan.,'48 99m Dec. 27/47 3993 3972 1 Know Where I'm Going (Brit.) Univ. Wendy Hiller-Roger Livesey Not Set 91m Aug. 9/47 3769 In Old Mexico (Reissue) SG HCI6 William Boyd-George Hayes Feb. 7,'48 60m Jan. 10/48 4009 Indian Summer RKO Alexander Knox-Ann Sothern Not Set 3865 Intermezzo (Reissue) Selznick Leslie Howard-lngrid Bergman Oct.,'47 70m Sept. 20/47 3841 Intrigue UA George Raft-June Havoc Dec.,'47 90m Dec. 27/47 3994 3907 4011 Invisible Wall, The (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 732 Don Castle-Virginia Christine Oct. 15/47 73m Oct. 18/47 3885 It Had to Be You Col. 931 Ginger Rogers-Cornel Wilde Dec/47 98m Oct. 25/47 3893 3983 t It Happened in Brooklyn MGM 718 Frank Sinatra-Kathryn Grayson Apr.,'47 Mar A '47 iviar. o, *r / JO 1 J ilia Ivy Univ. 616 Joan Fontaine-Patric Knowles June, '47 99m June 14/47 3677 3909 1 Wall Alone Para. 4708 i* I 1 1 f* ■ t n •■ ■ Liza be th Scott-Burt Lancaster Jan. 16/48 98 m Dec. 20/47 3981 3919 4011 r 1 Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? (color) 20th-Fox 723 June Haver-Mark Stevens Aug.,'47 104m June 14/47 3678 3563 3933 JEZEBEL (Reissue) WB 710 Bette Davis-Henry Fonda Dec. 13/47 93m Nov. 1/47 3907 Jewels of Brandenburg (Wurtzel) Richard Travis-Micheline Cheirel 20th-Fox 716 May/47 64m Apr. 12/47 3573 Jiggs and Maggie in Society Mono. 4704 Joe Yule-Renie Riano Jan. 10/48 Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad Mono. 4709 Joe Kirkwood, Jr.-Elyse Knox Feb. 7/48 4001 Joe Palooka in the Knockout Mono. 4702 Leon Errol-Elyse Knox Oct. 1 8/47 72 m Aug. 30/47 3805 Jungle Book The (color) (R) FC Sabu Feb.,'48 I 15m Dec. 20/47 3992 Jungle Flight Para. 4625 Robert Lowery-Ann Savage Aug. 22/47 67m Mar. 1/47 3502 3(26 KEEPER of the Bees Col. 803 Harry Davenport-Michael Duane July 10/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3679 3909 Key Witness Col. 905 John Beal-Trudy Marshall Oct. 9/47 67m Aug. 9/47 3769 Killer at Large EL 717 Robert Lowery-Anabel Shaw May 31/47 63m June 7/47 3665 3655 Killer Dill Sere en Guild 4702 Stuart Erwin-Anne Gwynne Aug. 2/47 7 1 m June 14, 47 1 A7ft JO/O 1 AAA JOOO Killer McCoy MGM 809 Mickey Rooney-Brian Donlevy Dec./47 104m Nov. 1/47 3907 Kilroy Was Here Mono. 621 Jackie Cooper-Jackie Coogan July 19/47 68 m July 5/47 3713 3611 King of the Bandits Mono. 624 Gilbert Roland-Angela Green Nov. 8/47 66m Nov. 29/47 3954 3809 Kiss of Death 20th-Fox 725 Victor Mature-Brian Donlevy Sept.,'47 99m Aug. 23/47 3794 3735 3909 LAST Days of Boot Hill Col. 964 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette Nov. 20/47 56m Dec. 13/47 3973 3895 Last of the Redmen, The (color) Col. 837 Jon Hall-Evelyn Ankers Aug.,'47 77m Nov. 29/47 3955 3574 Last Round-Up, The Col. 981 Gene Autry-Jean Heather Nov. 5/47 77m Oct. 1 1 .'47 3874 3850 Law Comes to Gunsight, The Mono. 672 Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton May 24/47 56m June 7/47 3665 3587 Lawless Valley (Reissue) RKO 884 George O'Brien-Kay Sutton Jan. 30/48 60m Jan. 10/48 4009 Letter from an Unknown Woman, A Univ. Joan Fontaine-Louis Jourdan Not Set 3943 t Life With Father (color) WB 702 Irene Dunne-William Powell (Spcl.) Sept. 13, '47 1 18 m Aug. 16/47 3781 3475 3909 Linda, Be Good EL 808 Elyse Knox-Marie Wilson Dec. 20/47 67m Nov. 1/47 3906 3895 Little Miss Broadway Col. 815 Jean Porter-John Shelton June 19/47 69m Nov. 29/47 3958 3666 Living in a Big Way MGM 725 Gene Kelly-Marie MacDonald June/47 103m June 7/47 3666 3983 Lone Wolf in London Col. 917 Gerald Mohr-Nancy Saunders Nov. 13/47 68m Nov. 29/47 3954 3895 4011 Long Night, The (Special) RKO OO 1 Henry' Fonda-Barbara Bel Geddes Aug. 6/47 97m k/Uv 1 1 '47 3654 3909 Lost Moment, The Univ. Robert Cummings-Susan Hayward Dec.,'47 89m Oct. 25/47 3894 401 1 Louisiana Mono. 4703 Jimmie Davis-Margaret Lindsay Nov. 1/47 85m Aug. 16/47 3781 3771 Love from a Stranger EL 806 John Hodiak-Sylvia Sidney Nov. 15/47 81m Nov. 8/47 3917 3907 Lured UA George Sanders-Lucille Ball Sept.,'47 102m July 19/47 3733 3575 3933 MAD Wednesday UA Harold Lloyd-Raymond Walburn Oct..'47 89m Mar. 1/47 3503 2870 3633 (formerly Sin of Harold Di ddlebock) Magic Town (Special) RKO 862 James Stewart-Jane Wyman Oct. 12/47 103m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 3933 Main Street Kid, The Rep. 701 Al Pearce-Arlene Harris Jan. 1/48 64m Jan. 24/48 4030 3972 Man About Town (French) RKO 864 Maurice Chevalier-Francois Perier Special 89m Oct. 25/47 3893 Man from Texas EL James Craig-Johnnie Johnston Dec. 27/47 3895 Man in Iron Mask (R.) EL 735 Louis Hayward-Joan Bennett Nov. 8/47 1 10m Nov. 29/47 3956 Man of Evil UA James Mason-Phyllis Calvert Jan.,'48 3992 Marauders, The UA William Boyd-Andy Clyde July/47 63m July 19/47 3734 Mark of Zorro, The (Reissue) 20th-Fox 740 Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell Oct. 10/47 93m Oct. 25/47 3895 Marshal of Cripple Creek Rep. 667 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake Aug. 15/47 58m Aug. 23/47 3794 3759 Mary Lou Col. 906 Frankie Carle Orch.-R. Lowery Jan. 23/48 3992 Meet Me at Dawn (British) 20th-Fox 721 William Eythe-Stanley Holloway July/47 99m Jan. 25/47 3434 Merton of the Movies MGM 805 Red Skelton-Virginia O'Brien Oct.,'47 82m July 19/47 3734 3655 401 1 Millerson Case, The Col. 817 Warner Baxter-Nancy Saunder? May 29/47 72m Nov. 29/47 3954 3587 Miracle in Harlem SG X-3 Stepin Fetchit Jan. 24/48 71m 3919 f Miracle on 34th Street 20th-Fox 718 Maureen O'Hara-John Payne June/47 96m May 10/47 362 i 3933 Monsieur Verdoux UA Charles Chaplin-Martha Raye Oct.,'47 123m Apr. 19/47 3585 Moss Rose 20th- Fox Victor Mature-Peggy Cummins June/47 82m May 24/47 3641 3550 3783 1 Mother Wore Tights (color) 20th-Fox 724 Betty Grable-Dan Dailey, Jr. Sept.,'47 107m Aug. 23/47 3793 3563 401 1 Mourning Becomes Electra RKO Rosalind Russell-Michael Redgrave Not Set 170m Nov. 22/47 3941 3919 Mr. Blandings Builds His Drea Tl House Selznick Cary Grant-Myrna Loy Not Set 4010 * My Favorite Brunette Para. 4609 Bob Hope-Dorothy Lamour Apr. 4/47 87m Feb. 22/47 3485 3388 3703 My Girl Tisa WB 715 Lilli Palmer-Sam Wanamaker Feb. 7/48 95m Jan. 24/48 4029 4010 My Wild Irish Rose (colour) WB 71 1 Dennis Morgan-Andrea King Dec. 27/47 101m Dec. 13/47 3973 3599 4011 4034 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 REVIEWED M. P. Product Ad vance Service Proa T radeshow or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Data Title Company Number Stars Release Date Time Issue Page Page Page IN/MVEU ^I'y, i ne Bcirry Fitzgerald-Dorothy Hsrt mot Oct 4fi 1 n News Hounds Mono. 622 Leo Gorcey-Christine Mclntyre Sept. I3.'47 68m June 21 .'47 3689 Nicholas Nickleby (British) Univ. 637 Derek Bond-Cedric Hardwick© Dec.,'47 94m Nov. I5,'47 3930 N igntm a re A 1 i e y 7fHk pn. 7in / 3U Tyrone P owe r- Jo© n B'o rid el 1 n»* 1 a '47 111- 1 1 '47 JO r j iRin 19R1 3 703 Kllj-ik-f ^nnn t Rlnrt 0\ ■NigriT jong ^ diqck l\ RKO 806 D 3 na Andrews-Merl© Oberon 1 NOT. IU, t/ 102m Nov 1 R '47 IN OV. 13, *T/ 7.910 JIJU 371 7 Night Unto Night WB Viuor"* 1 i nnrArt. K An mln Kot/lan - iiveca i_i nuTOrs" i\on a lu rseayon No+ 9at I1DI JOT 3735 Ninotchka (R.) MGM 812 Greta Garbo-tvlelvyn Douglas Dec. "47 1 10m Nov ?? '47 3942 401 1 Northwest Outpost Rep. 6 1 5 NJ ■ r/\n t /-J f4 \i [ I ,-\ n a Mxcau I'foijun cau y-i iona rvi a 556 y Juno 75 '47 ■June ij| ' 1 9 1 m L|.v 17 '47 I'm ay 1 / | ~ / 3629 3933 ODD Man Out (British) Univ. 6 1 7 James Mason-Koberi Nawtop Inn* '47 1 1 1m 1 I jm Fch I R '47 re u. is, t/ 1471 17ft1 3/03 Oklahoma Badlands Rep. 753 Allan "Rocky" Lane-Mildred Coles Feb. 22/48 4021 On the Old Spanish Trail (col.) Rep. 648 Roy Rogers- Jane Frazee Oct. 15. "47 75m Nov. |,'47 3906 Open Secret EL 8 1 3 John Ireland-Jane Randolph ppU 1 4 'Aft .CD. 1 t, "O 70m Ian 1 7 '4fi Jan. it, t^o 40 1 8 Other Love, The UA Barbara Stanwyck-David Niven lulu 1 1 '47 juiy 1 1 1 *t/ 96m Apr 5 '47 356 1 3550 385 1 Out of the Blue EL 80i ^7 eorge Brent-Virginia a yo Oct. 1 1 '47 87m Alio 30 '47 3806 40 1 1 Out of the Past (Block 2) RKO 8 1 0 Robert i tc h u m- J a n © ^?re©r Mrtv 1 \ '47 97m Nav ?? '47 194? J 7 Ti 3875 401 1 Overland Trail Mono. 475 1 Johnny Mack Brown-Virginia Belmont Ian ^1 '4R Jan. j 1 1 *tO 4(10 1 PACIFIC Adventure Col. 835 D D J II kJ • 1 Cx • U L Kon K a n d e 1 (■ M u riel Steinbeck lulu '47 juiy, 11 95m Nov. 29/47 1AR9 Painted Desert (Reissue) RKO 883 fioofna 'Rrion. araina tr\nnc^r Dec. 1 9 '47 59m Un 1 0 '4ft Jy lli 1 \J | " O 4009 Panhandle (Allied Artists) Mono. 5 Rod Cameron-Cathy Downs KA*r l '4ft 3943 Paradine Case, The Selznick Gregory Peck-Ann Todd Not Set 1 32m l-,n 3 '4ft Jail. 9 1 t^O 400 1 1AAA 0000 Perilous Waters Mono. 4707 Don Castle-Audrey Long Pok 14 '4ft re d. 1 T| to 66m Nov. 1/47 19DA (formerly In Self Defense) Perils of Pauline (color) Pa-' a. 4AI 5 1 3 oeTTy rnuTTon-Jonn Luna lulu 4 '47 JUiy *r, *r/ 7 0 m L|aul| '47 1 Am J03J 1A1 1 303 1 1795 3 / 73 Phantom Valley Col. Charles Starrett-Virgmia Hunter C-L 10 '4ft 402 1 Philo Vance Returns EL 709 NA/i 1 1 i 3 m NA/nght-Terry Austin |,m. 1 A '4,7 June 1 *r, *ri 64 m Anr 9A '47 JJ70 1477 Philo Vance's Secret Mission EL 7(19 / U7 Alan Curtis-Sheila Ryan A,m Oft '47 CO- jo m cani i '47 oe p". o, *t / Ifl 1 7 JO 1 / 1475 Pioneer Justice EL 7m ai Lasn Lar\u©-/M ruzzy ot. jonn luna ?ft '47 jun© zo, *t / J O ITI lulu R '47 j u ly 3, f/ 17 1 4 1A1 1 Pirate, The (color) MGM Judy Garland-Gen© Kelly INQT jOT 1RA5 30D3 Pirates of Monterey (color) Univ. 632 Maria Montez-Rod Cameron Not Set 77m Nov. 22/47 3942 3127 4011 Possessed WB 624 Joan Crawford-Van Heflin July 26,'47 108m May 31/47 3653 3078 Prairie, The SG 4705 Alan Baxter- Le nor© Aubert Un 10 '4ft 80m 39 1 9 Prairie Express Mono. 678 Johnny \ -A & c 1c Brown - Raymond H a tt o n Oct. 25 '47 55m Nov. 29 '47 3955 3809 Prairie Raiders Col. 868 Charles Starrett*Smil©y Burnstt© M*u 99 '47 54m Mrtw 79 '47 (NOV. L 7 , t / J "33 3587 Pretender, The Rep. 620 A 1 b e rr D© k ke r-Ca th e r i n © ^^ra i g Aua I A '47 ■S 0 rp Ann 71 '47 3794 3759 Prince of Thieves, The (color 1 Col. 933 Jon Ha 1 l-Pa tn ci a Krionson Jan.,'48 72m Un 17 '4ft Jan. i/,to 40 1 8 3943 RAILROADED EL 7 1 0 John 1 r e 1 3 n d - b h e 1 1 a Kyan C-n* 7c '47 7 | m Oct. 1 1 47 1R74 JO / 1 3809 Red River UA jonn vvayntj - ivi oniuu rii cry \^ iitt Not Set 3575 ri 1 f II* 111 Red Stallion (color) EL 1 0.7 Ro bert Pa ige-Ted Don a Id son Ann 1 A '47 ft 1 m 0 1 m lulu 91 '47 July id, *+/ 174 A 1475 3*7/ O 40 1 1 Relentless (color) Col. Robert Yo un g- a rg u e n te Chapman Feb. '48 "JIM Un 17 '4ft Jan. 1 / , to 4017 Repeat Performance EL Joan Lesli e- Lo uis Hayward Mj»v ^f> '47 ivi ay "t/ 93m M„ 1 '47 IVI a y J 1 , "t / 3655 1475 3819 Return of the Lash EL 755 r\ 1 Lain Lfl IN UB'AI rUUy J 1 , JUTID Oct. 1 1 '47 53m Nov. 1 5 '47 I9in J7JU 3907 Return of Rin Tin Tin, The ( col.) EL R04 DnnaU \A7-»-.Jc DnLUy RIaLa LVOndla YY OOQ b- DO D uy DISK© Nov. 1 '47 67m Nov H '47 INOV, O, T / 19 1 ft 3 7 1 O 1577 3371 / Ride the Pink Horse Univ. 625 Robt. on tgomery-NA/a nda H©ndnx Oct. '47 1 0 1 m c.„) 7f) '47 1P4I jot 1 19ft1 370 3 Riders of the Lone Star Col. 870 Ph ar tt( >+»rfo+4 Vmi Lu/ Rnrna44A vnariO) jTarreTT'orriiiey dui mbtto Ann 1 4 '47 cc„ j Dm Nov 79 '47 INOV. ^T, t / 19^ft j 730 1715 3 '33 Ridin' Down the Trail Mono. Aft 5 J i m my ^/a k©ly-B©vsrly John Oct. 4 '47 c ■> _ jjm Mow 79 '47 INOV. L 7 , ^ / 1951 3733 1S50 Riff Raff (Block 1) RKO R01 0 U J Pi+ fl Rnan Aon* cffraMC raj \J Drien-nnno jenroys Cnn( 1 c '47 ftflm Inns 14 '47 June 1 •ti tt 1A7ft 30/0 1AAA 3000 1R5 1 303 1 River Lady (color) Univ. Yuririna rto ( 3 r o.ll^n lliirv/pp 1 v uniic uc a mu uo 11 l/ui yea Not Set 401 0 Road to the Big House, The SG 470A John Sh©lton-Ann Doran Dec. 27 '47 72m Nov 1 '47 IN O V. 1, 1/ 190A 1R7A 30/0 Road to Rio Para. 4707 Ri n n |^ r /*\C r\W- Rr\ r\ H f\ T~\ a Ding ^ryiuy*DU d i i out? Dne 25 '47 1 00m Nov. 1 5 '47 3929 3818 Robin Hood of Monterey Mono. A71 0£ 3 ^7 1 1 b e rt Roland-Evelyn Brent Cnn> A '47 O 0 pT. O 1 T / 33m C,onT 1 o '47 1fl?9 1759 3/37 Robin Hood of Texas Rep. Afi5 ooo Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts l.jlw I c '47 j u 1 y 1 3, *t ' 7 1 m C-p,+ 13 '47 jepr, 1 0| ft 1ft79 3017 1715 3/33 Rocky Mono. 4705 "t / U3 f? i*\ /"J 1*1 w Mi*rirtwa .prlnar Rarnar i\ 0 O u. y ivi cuowair tu y a i uai i iti Feb. 2 1 '48 191 1 373 1 Romance of Rosy Ridge MGM 729 Van Johnson -Thomas Mitchell Aug. ,'47 105m July 5/47 3713 361 1 3877 Roosevelt Story, The (Specie 1) UA Documentary Nov., '47 80m July 12/47 3725 Rose of Santa Rosa Col. 951 Eduardo Noreiga-Patricia Whit© Dec. 25,'47 3931 Rose of the Rio Grande ( Reissue) Mono. 4710 Movlta-John Carroll-A. Moreno Feb. 28/48 60m Jan. 17/48 4019 Roses Are Red (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox 734 Don Castle-Peggy Knudsen Not Set 66m Nov. 8/47 3918 Rustlers of Devil's Canyon Rep. 666 Allan Lane-Bobby Blake July l."47 58m July 19/47 3735 3679 SADDLE Pals Rep. Saigon Para. Second Chance (Wurtzel) 20th-Fox Secret Beyond the Door, The Univ. t Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The (color) (Special) RKO Senator Was Indiscreet, The Univ. Sepia Cinderella SG Seven Keys to Baldpate (Bl. I) RKO Shadow Valley EL Silver River WB Singapore Univ. Six-Gun Law Col. Slave Girl (color) Univ. Sleep, My Love UA Slight Case of Murder, A (R) WB Slippy McGee Rep. Smart Politics Mono. (formerly The Old Gray Mayor) Smoky River Serenade Col. Smugglers, The EL Something in the Wind Univ. Song of the Drifter Mono. Song of Love MGM Song of My Heart (Allied Artists) Mono. 684 Gene Autry-Lynn Roberts Alan Ladd-Veronica Lake 726 Kent Taylor-Louise Currie . . . . Joan Bennett-Michael Redgrave 851 Danny Kaye-Virginia Mayo 633 William Powell-Ella Raines X-l Billy Daniels-Sheila Guyse 804 Phillip Terry-Jacqueline White 852 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates . . . . Errol Flynn-Ann Sheridan 622 Fred MacMurray-Ava Gardner 962 Chas. Starrett-Smiley Burnett 623 Yvonne DeCarlo-George Brent Claudette Colberf-Rob't Cummings 712 Edw. G. Robinson-Jane Bryan 701 Donald Barry-Dale Evans 627 June Preisser-Freddie Stewart 851 Paul Campbell-Ruth Terry 811 Michael Redgrave-Jean Kent 621 Deanna Durbin-John Dall 686 Jimmy Wakely-"Cannonball" Taylor 804 Katharine Hepburn-Robert Walker 4 Frank Sundstrom-Audrey Long June 15/47 72m June 21/47 3689 3631 Mar. 12/48 3666 Sept., "47 62m July 26/47 3745 3735 Dec.,'47 99m Jan. 10/48 4009 3956 Sept. 1/47 1 10m July 19/47 3733 361 1 401 1 Jan.,'48 81m Dec. 13/47 3973 3956 401 1 Oct. 18/47 70m Aug. 2/47 3758 Oct. 1/47 68m June 14/47 3679 3983 Nov. 29/47 58m Nov. 29/47 3954 Not Set 4021 Sept.,'47 79m Aug. 16/47 3782 3851 Jan. 9/48 4000 Aug.,*47 80m July 19/47 3734 3631 3933 Jan.,'48 97m Jan. 17/48 4017 3992 Dec. 13/47 85m Dec. 13/47 3980 Jan. 15/48 3943 Jan. 3/48 3907 Aug. 21/47 67m Nov. 29/47 3958 3759 Jan. 31/48 4010 Sept.,'47 89m July 26/47 3746 3735 3877 Jan. 10/48 3972 Oct., '47 1 18m July 26/47 3745 3679 3983 Jan. 17/48 85m Nov. 8/47 3917 3717 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JANUARY 24, 1948 4035 REVIEWED M. P. Product Advance Service Proa. Tradeshotv or Running Herald Digest Synopsis Page Data Title Company Number Stars Release Date Time Issue Page Page Song of the Thin Man MGM 801 William Powell-Myrna Loy Sept.,'47 86m July 26, '47 3745 3877 Son of Dracula (R-) Realart 1295 Lon Chaney-Louise Allbritton Jan. ,'48 80m Jan. 24, '48 403 1 Son of Rusty, Th© Col. 813 Ted Donaldson-Tom Powers Aug. 7,'47 69m Aug. 23, '47 3794 3735 South of Pago Pago (R.) EL Victor McLaglen-Jon Hall Dec.,"47 97m Dec. 27, '47 4000 So ^V©ll R©m©m b©r©o! ( British ) (Bock 2) RKO 807 John Mills-Martha"Scott Nov. I2,'47 1 14m Nov. I ."47 3905 363 1 Spirit of West Point FC Felix Blanchard-Glenn Davis Oct. I,'47 77m Oct. 1 1/47 3874 3983 Sport of Kings Col. 81 1 Paul Campbell-Gloria Henry June 26, '47 68m 3655 Springtime in the Sierras Reo. 646 Roy Rogers-Jane Frazee July 15, '47 75m July 26. '47 3746 3689 Stage to Mesa City EL Al "Fuzzy" St. John-Jennifer Holt Not Set 52m Jan. 24, '48 4030 Stepchild EL 703 Brenda Joyce-Donald ^V*oods June 7, '47 70m June 14 47 ■ 3678 363 1 Stork Bites Man UA Jackie Cooper-Gene Roberts June 21, "47 67m Aug. 1 6, '47 3782 3679 Strange Meeting WB Bette Davis-Jim Davis Not Set 402 1 (formerly Winter Meeting) Stranger from Ponca City Col. 869 Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette July 3, '47 56m Nov. 29,'47 3955 3679 Summer Holiday (color) MGM Mickey Rooney-Gloria DeHaven Not Set 3599 Sweet Genevieve Col. 918 Jean Porter-Jimmy Lydon Oct. 23, "47 68m Nov. 29,'47 3954 3830 401 1 Swing the Western Way Col. 853 Jack Leonard-Mary Dugan June 26, '47 66m Nov. 29, '47 3958 3655 Swordsman, The (color) Col. 932 Larry Parks-Ellen Drew Jan. ,'48 81m Oct. 25/47 3894 3771 TAP Roots (color) Univ. Van Heflin-Susan Hayward Not Set 4010 Tawny Pipit (British) Univ. Bernard Miles-Rosamund John Not Set 81m Sept. 13, '47 3829 Tender Years, The 20th-Fox 803 Joe E. Brown-Noreen Nash Jan.,'48 81m Dec. 6,'47 3965 401 1 Tenth Avenue Angel MGM 816 Margaret O'Brien-George Murphy (T) Jan. 13, '48 74m Jan. I7,'48 4017 303 1 That Hagen Girl WB 707 Ronald Reagan-Shirley Temple Nov. I,'47 83m Oct. 25,'47 3893 3983 That's My Man Rep. 613 Don Ameche-Catherine McLeod June 1 ,'47 104m Apr. !2,'47 3573 3563 They Won't Believe Me (Bl. 6) RKO 726 Robert Young-Susan Hayward July, '47 95m May I7,'47 3630 3599 3819 Thief of Baghdad (color) (R.] FC Sabu Feb.,'48 106m Dec. 20,'47 3992 This Time for Keeps (color) MGM 808 Esther Williams-Jimmy Durante Nov.,'47 106m Oct. 1 1 .'47 3873 3865 3983 Three Daring Daughters (color ) MGM (formerly The Birds and the Bees) Jeanette MacDonald-Jose Iturbi Mar.,'48 3599 Thunder in the Valley (color) 20th-Fox 720 Peggy Ann Garner-Lon McCallister Not Set 103m June 14, '47 4677 3539 (formerly Bob, Son of Battle ) Thunder Mountain (Bl. 6) RKO 730 - Tim Holt-Richard Martin June, '47 60m May 7,'47 3630 3599 T-Men EL 809 Dennis O'Keefe-Mary Meade Dec. I5,'47 91m Dec. 20, '47 3981 401 1 Tobacco Road (Reissue) 20th-Fox 744 Gene Tierney-Charley Grapewin Dec.,'47 84m Dec. 6, '47 3966 To the Ends of the Earth Col. Dick Powell-Signe Hasso Feb.,'48 107m Jan. 24, '48 4030 4010 To the Victor WB Dennis Morgan-Viveca Lindfors Not Set 4021 Tornado Range EL 854 Eddie Dean-Roscoe Ates Feb. 21, '48 56m 4031 Trail of the Mounties SG 4708 Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Dec. 20,'47 42 m 3931 Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The WB 714 Humphrey Bogart-^V*alter Huston Jan.24,'48 126m Jan. I0,'48 4009 4000 Trespasser, The Rep. 619 Dale Evans-Warren Douglas July 3,'47 71m July 1 9-47 3734 3717 Trouble in Sundown (Reissue) RKO 885 George O'Brien-Rosalind Keith Mar. 2, '48 60m Jan. 17, '48 4019 Trouble with Women, The Para. 4614 Ray Milland-Teresa Wright June 27, '47 80m May I7,'47 3629 361 1 3877 Two Blondes and a Redhead Col. 919 Jean Porter-Jimmy Lloyd Nov. 6,"47 70m Nov. 29/47 3954 3895 401 1 t Two Mrs. Carrolls, The WB 621 Barbara Stanwyck-Humphrey Bogart May 24,'47 99m Apr. 5/47 3561 3539 3851 Tycoon (color) RKO 866 John Wayne-Laraine Day Not Set 126m Dec. 6/47 3965 3956 401 1 t UNCONOUERED (color) Para. 4705 Gary Cooper-Paulette Goddard (T) Nov. 7,'47 146m Sept. 27/47 3849 3809 3933 Under Colorado Skies (color) Rep. 652 Monte Hale-Adrian Booth Dec. I5,'47 65m Dec. 20/47 3982 3949 Under the Tonto Rim (Block 1 ) RKO 805 Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Aug. I,'47 6lm June 14/47 3678 3666 Unfaithful, The WB 623 Ann Sheridan-Zacnary bcott July 5, 47 109m May 31/47 3654 3574 3819 Unfinished Dance (color) MGM 802 Margaret O'Brien-Cyd Charisse Sept.,'47 100m Aug. 2/47 3757 3240 3983 Unsuspected, The WB 706 Joan Caulfield-Claude Rains Oct. 1 1 ,'47 103m Sept. 20/47 3841 3818 3909 Upturned Glass. The (British) Univ. " 631 James Mason-Rosamund John Nov.,'47 87m Nov. 1/47 3905 Up in Central Park Univ. rioarna fl 1 1 r r\ i n _ ll i e- \t HaiifYifte Ls tr a n il d uui uiii-L'H.R I lay iiicb Not Set 1 1VI Jo 1 4010 t VARIETY Girl Para. 4618 Mary Hatcher-DeForest Kelley Aug. 29,'47 93m July 19/47 3733 3599 3851 Vigilantes Return, The (color) Univ. 618 Jon Hall-Margaret Lindsay July, '47 67m May 31/47 3654 361 1 Voice of the Turtle, The WB 716 Eleanor Parker-Ronald Reagan Feb. 21, '48 103m Dec. 27/47 3993 3831 WALLFLOWER WB Joyce Reynolds-Robert Hutton Not Set 3876 Web, The Univ. 615 Edmond O'Brien-Ella Raines June, '47 87m May 31/47 3655 361 1 3851 Web of Danger Rep. 616 Adele Mara-Bill Kennedy June I0,'47 58 m June 7/47 3665 3631 When a Girl's Beautiful Col. 827 Stephen Dunne-Adele Jergens Sept. 25,'47 68m Sept. 27/47 3850 3809 Where the North Begins SG 4707 Russell Hayden-Jennifer Holt Dec. 13, '47 42m 3919 Where There's Life Para. 4704 Bob Hope-Signe Hasso Nov. 21, '47 75m Oct. 1 1/47 3873 3865 Whiplash WB Dane Clark-Alexis Smith Not Set 3717 Whispering City (British) EL 805 Helmut Dantine-Mary Anderson Nov. 15/47 89m Sept. 6/47 3817 Wild Frontier, The Rep. 751 Allan Lane-Jack Holt Oct. 1 .'47 59m Oct. 1 1 ,'47 3874 Wild Harvest Para. 4701 Alan Ladd-Dorothy Lamour Sept. 26,'47 92m Aug. 9/47 3769 3759 401 1 Wild Horse Mesa (Block 2) RKO 808 Tim Holt-Nan Leslie Nov 13, '47 60 m Nov. 22/47 3942 3931 Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap Univ. 628 Bud Abbott-Lou Costello Oct., '47 78m Oct. 4/47 3861 3933 Woman from Tangier, The Col. Adele Jergens-Stephen Dunne Feb. 12, '48 4021 Woman in White, The WB Alexis Smith-Sydney Greenstreet Not Set 3575 Woman on the Beach (Bl. 6) RKO 727 Joan Bennett-Robert Ryan June, '47 71m May 24/47 3643 3599 3933 Woman's Vengeance, A Univ. 634 Charles Boyer-Rachel Kempson Jan.,'48 96m Dec. 27/47 3993 3972 Women in the Night FC Tala Birell-William Henry Jan.,'48 90m Jan. 17/48 4018 3992 Wreck of the Hesperus, The Col. Willard Parker-Patricia White Feb. 5,'48 4021 Wyoming Rep. 618 William Elliott-Vera Ralston Aug. I,'47 84 m Aug. 2/47 3758 3795 t YEARLING. The (color) MGM 717 Gregory Peck-Jane Wyman May.'47 128m Nov. 30/46 3333 2883 3819 You Were Meant For Me 20th-Fox 802 Jeanne Crain-Dan Dailey (T) Jan. 21, '48 92m Jan.24,'48 4029 FEATURE PRODUCT, LISTED BY COMPANY IN ORDER OF RELEASE, ON PAGE 4023 4036 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948 MOST ADVANCED TEXTBOOK ON SOUND REPRODUCTION AND PROJECTION # You will find this edition the most complete and practical treatise of its kind and a sure solution to the perplexing prob- lems of projection room routine. The book is supplemented with a comprehensive group of TROUBLE-SHOOTING CHARTS to help meet every possible emergency in the pro- jection room. It also includes a lightning-fast index system al- phabetically arranged for swift easy reference. QUICLEY BOOKSHOP ROCKEFELLER CENTER (20) • NEW YORK CITY F. H. Richardson's BLUEBOOK of PROJECTION SEVENTH EDITION — SUPPLEMENTED WITH SOUND TROUBLE CHARTS and ALPHABETICAL INDEX Over 700 pages. The only practical guide to good projection and quick trouble-shooting, ORDER TODAY • $7.25 POSTPAID TRAI LERS COST UESS SEIL TH EAT RE mmm\a\cieen \ \J pn/zfBBBY of mftnousr/ty "Trailers draw 31% of ypur Patrons" | ...says Woman's Home Companion in authoritative 1947 Mbvie Survey! \ MOTIO CTURE HERALD REVIEWS (In Product Digest) Holiday Camp Panhandle The Smugglers Campus Honeymoon Fighting Mad Slippy McGee (In News Section) Black Barf THEATRE SALES In this issue; — LEADING THE PATRONS TO PLACES TO SPEND WITH COUNTER LAYOUTS IN THE LOBBY I 20th -FOX TO SELL NEWSREEL EDITION TO TELEVISION MPAA AND BRITISH ARGUE 'SQUEEZE PLAY" ACROSS ATLANTIC HOLLYWOOD ECONOMY CUTS STORY BUYING FOREIGN PRODUCT — An Index VOL. 170, NO. 5; JANUARY 31, 1948 Entered as second-class matter, January 12, 1931, at the Post Office, at New York City, U. S. A., under the act of March 3, 1879. Pub- lished weekly by Quigley Publishing Co., Inc., at 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Subscription prices: $5.00 a year in the Ay 00 a year Foreign. Single copy, 25 cents. All contents copyright 1948 by Quigley Publishing Company. J BETWEEN L- ^jRgad Jtylnd J^gajv i WEATHER: Nothing can keep them away from M-G-M pictures STAR OF THE WEEK SPENCER TRACY He adds another great role, "Cass Timberlane," to his long list of out- standing performances. "DICKEY- BIRD SONG" IS A WINNER! Biggest music exploita- tion in years for the hit tune from "Three Dar- ing Daughters." It is expected to equal the success of M-G-M's cur- rent air-wave favorite "Pass That Peace Pipe" from "Good News." CASS TIMBERLANE "RUNNING'GREEll DOLPHIN STREET" CLOSE RACE Early Dates of Tracy -Turner Sensatioi Reveal M-G-M has First Big Hit of 1 94SI Establishing the largest M-G-M gross in 5 years at Tulsa, and rolling up remark- able totals in its first thirteen cities "Cass Timberlane" looks like another Big One of "Green Dolphin" calibre. Confirming its selection as "Picture of the Month" by Cosmopolitan Magazine and winning praise wherever it plays, "Cass" is rated by theatre managers as "Just what the public wants." (Late Flash! "Cass" first week beats "Green Dolphin" in 8 out of 13 spots!) BOX-OFFICE LINES 14 women's clubs with membership of 20 millions endorse "Green Dolphin Street" .... Pete Smith's "Bowling Tricks" launched with big promotion .... M-G-M has seven newly completed attractions in Technicolor, and an eighth in production. EDIT Because it truly represents the philos- ophy of The Friendly Company toward our own customers we hail the publica- tion by the Personal Finance Company of an essay entitled "The Customer— the most important person ever in this office." We quote briefly from it: "He is not dependent on you — you are de- pendent on him. He is not an interrup- ORIAL " tion of your work — he is the purpose of it. He is not someone to argue with or match wits against — nobody ever won an argument with a customer even though they may have thought they did. He is a person who brings us his wants. If we have sufficient imagination we will endeavor to handle them profitably to him and to ourselves." A DOUBLE TRIUMPH FO LANA TURNER America's millions who are enjoying Lani exciting work in "Green Dolphin Street" w be receptive to your announcement of Y equally sensational role in "Cass Timberlan< As the girl from the wrong side of town w yearns for life — and gets it! — she portrays character every girl dreams about and w want to see. SHOWMANSHIP IS THE HOLIDAY WRAPPING THAT MAKES FOLKS WANT TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE. THE STORY OF M-G-M's THREE DARING DAUGHTERS You'll see a NEW and more gorgeous Jeanette MacDonald in "Three Daring Daughters," M-G-M's Technicolor musical. She plays the role of a young woman who has divorced her neglectful husband and is devoting herself to a business career and to raising her three adoring daughters. On a tropical cruise to rest up from over-work the beautiful divorcee meets, falls in love with, and shortly marries world-famed pianist Jose Iturbi (Iturbi plays himself). In the meantime, however, back home in collaboration with Edward Arnold, her three daring daughters, Jane Powell, Mary Eleanor Donahue and Ann E. Todd, have plotted to effect a reconciliation between their divorced mother and dad, not realizing that this is the last thing either of them wants. When Jeanette at last brings Iturbi home, he is given the cold shoulder by the daughters. But the truth of their real dad's true nature is eventually made plain to them and the genial Iturbi finally wins them over, with the help of his piano wizardry and some harmony-establishing harmonies, esDecially boogie-woogie! M-G-M trade shows* Jeanette Jose Jane MacDONALD • ITURBI • POWELL "THREE DARING DAUGHTERS" Technicolor Musical ALBANY— TUES. 2/10—8 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1052 Broadway ATLANTA TUES. 2/10—10 A.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 197 Walton St., N.W. BOSTON— TUES. 2/10—10 A.M. M-G-M Screen Room, 46 Church Street BUFFALO — TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 290 Franklin Street CHARLOTTE— TUES. 2/10—1:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 308 South Church Street CHICAGO— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. H. C. (gel's Screen Room, 1301 South Wabash Ave. CINCINNATI— TUES. 2/10—8 P.M. RKO Screen Room, 16 East Sixth Street CLEVELAND— TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 2219 Payne Avenue DALLAS— TUES. 2/10—2:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1803 Wood Street DENVER — TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. Paramount Screen Room, 2100 Stout Street DES MOINES— TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1300 High Street DETROIT— TUES. 2/10—1:30 P.M. Max Blumenthal's Screen Room, 2310 Cass Ave. INDIANAPOLIS— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 326 North Illinois Street KANSAS CITY— TUES. 2/10—1:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1720 Wyandotte St. LOS ANGELES— Mon. 2/9—10:30 A.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 2019 So. Vermont Ave. MEMPHIS — TUES. 2/10—10 A.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 151 Vance Avenue MILWAUKEE— TUES. 2/10—1:30 P.M. Warner Screen Room, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. MINNEAPOLIS— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1015 Currie Avenue NEW HAVEN— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 40 Whiting Street NEW ORLEANS— Wed. 2/11—1:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 200 South Liberty St. NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY — Mon. 2/9—10:30 A.M. M-G-M Screen Room, 630 Ninth Avenue OKLAHOMA CITY— TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 10 North Lee Street OMAHA— TUES. 2/10—1:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 1502 Davenport St. PHILADELPHIA— TUES. 2/10—11 A.M. M-G-M Screen Room, 1233 Summer Street PITTSBURGH— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. M-G-M Screen Room, 1623 Blvd. of Allies PORTLAND— TUES. 2/10—2 P.M. B. F. Shearer Screen Room, 1947 N.W. Kearney St. ST. LOUIS— TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. S'Renco Art Theatre, 3143 Olive Street SALT LAKE CITY— TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 216 East First Street, So. SAN FRANCISCO— TUES. 2/10— 1:30 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 245 Hyde Street SEATTLE — TUES. 2/10—1 P.M. Jewel Box Preview Theatre, 2318 Second Avenue WASHINGTON— Tues. 2/10—1 P.M. 20th-Fox Screen Room, 932 New Jersey, N.W. ★ ★ ★ * ★ ★ ★ ★ A HONEY/ A LULU/ A HUMDINC with AKIM TAMIROFF M AN HALE • HUGO HAAS -GALE ROBBINS- STELLA ADLER • Screen Play by Allen Boretz • Based Upon a Play by Lucille S. Prumbs & Sara E treasure of Sierra madre MY WILD IRISH ROSE TECHNICOLOR NOW FROM NOW FROM \ Y GIRL US ART OF -NEXT FROM WARNER BROS. The year's big star-rage of the stage in his first picture! An important debut! BAKER- UNITED STATES PICTURES PROD.— NUGENT — SPER b IE TURTLE I BECAME A ROM SOON FROM THE ADVEMTURES 01 ^ZLROBIM HOOD RE-RELEASED by TECHNICOLOR / 111 The Songs, The Love, The Laughter of That Wonderful Flapper Age! WHEN THE WHOLE NATION CHARLESTONED AND SANG: "You Were Meant For Me" • "Crazy Rhythm" WANT m Ml t| with v OSCAR LEVANT • BARBARA LAWRENCE Selena Royle • Percy Kilbride • Herbert Anderson Directed by LLOYD BACON • Produced by FRED KOHLMAR Original Screen Play by Elick Moll and Valentine Davies CENTURY-FOX NOW MATCHING. THE MARVELOUS "MARGIE" BUSINESS IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES! MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARTIN OUIGLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher TERRY RAMSAYE, Editor Vol. 170, No. 5 OP January 31, 1948 WILLING to TAKE IT THE press, radio, the newsletters and the campaign atmosphere in general are heavily laden with discussions and often curious circumlocutions on the subject of taxes — of which we seem to have more than anything else and of which we seem likely to have more. So much is said about the conspicuous taxations, the sort we must make returns upon and mail checks for, and so little is said of the vast and all-pervading hidden taxes. The tax on motion picture admissions is substantially a hidden tax, in that few of the patrons are really aware that they are paying it. A tiny card in the box office window states prices and carries a line quoting the tax per admission. It is hardly any more observed than the revenue stamp on a package of cigarettes. It is, of course, not possible to escape taxations of numerous sorts if one is to live and consume products of industry. Presumably, it would be appropriate for the people to know what they are paying for what. Taxation tends ever to follow the easiest way and lurk in concealment. It might be helpful if the vendors of motion picture enter- tainment were to make it plainer and more emphatic that they are under employment by the Government as tax col- lectors, that admission is one item and taxes another. Back in August, Mr. D. G. Rauenhorst of the Murray Theatre in Slayton, Minnesota, contributed to the Herald an interest- ing discussion of devices for letting the customers know. The motion picture pays and shares in the taxes of all of the industries which contribute to its functions, and that special excise besides. One of the reasons is that it seems willing to take it. All this despite the endless proclamations of the screen's contribution to the culture, morale and whole- some entertainment of the people. ■ ■ ■ €J A slight glimpse of the intricacy of the economy of our technological age is afforded in the current experience of photo-engravers in New York who are finding difficulties with the supply of zinc and certain acids because there is a news- paper compositors' strike on the daily newspapers in Chicago. The newspapers have gone to the use of photo-reproduction of typewritten copy. The process takes acres of big page size zinc plates. The load is enough to disturb the engraving business clear across the nation. ON REAL EST ATI NC A CUTTING from the Los Angeles Times is a reminder that the press is interested in Mr. Samuel Goldwyn's recent observation that: "Exhibitors ought to know that, basically, they are in the real estate business. ..." That, also basically, more than implies that Mr. Goldwyn is in the real estate business, too, because his take must come out of the take of those far-flung real estaters. What they do with his wares in exhibition has to pay for wha* he does with the real estate he rents for production. Over in Fifty-Second Street, Sherman Billingsley occupies some real estate which he exploits with a night club, and downstairs the Rockefellers have some real estate which they farm with the world's greatest theatre, the Music Hall. Out across the land there are some vacant lots which the Ringlings rent from time to time to take fees from folks who want to come and sit around on it under a tent. There are probably in the United States about fifteen thou- sand pieces of real estate, with specialized sort of improve- ments, concerned with renting chairs in front of a screen for a couple of hours at a time. It is helpful, indeed, to learn, the while, just how simple the operation is. ■ ■ ■ CJ Even the casual observer of what goes on in television must be impressed with the fact that the promoters of this new medium are obtuse to, and apparently ignorant of, the experiences of the older media in approach to the general public and the family audience. The other night, NBC tele- vision was on the air with "Author Meets the Critic", a program derivative of radio. It was a panel discussion of a book decidedly unsuited to the immature — a discussion of the problems of a returned soldier in the postwar world and a loose-jointed society. The flashing of the book and the discussion could be considered calculated to create a market for literature distinctly not indicated for the Sunday evening fireside. Television is asking for something, and will be sur- prised when it gets it. €J In the Herald's mail comes a letter from our cor- respondent, Prince Hubertus zu Loewenstein, written at Amorbach Im Odenwald, Palais, Deutsches Reich, in which he says: "I'd like to take this opportunity of telling you about the important functions the Quigley Publications are fulfilling in Germany. They are an instrument of true democratization, and they are doing very much for the reestablishment of a healthy motion picture industry. Particularly, theatre owners are expressing their gratitude, and are telling us how much they are learning from your publications." AROMATICS DEPARTMENT: ... A smart shop on Fifth Avenue is promoting a new perfume under the promising title of "Aphrodisia". Loew's radio station is urging "Radio Girl" perfume, announced to broadcast charm even when eyes are closed. The last issue of "The Dow Diamond", the chemical company's stockholder periodical, is printed in an odoriferous ink, smelling like a cedar tree infested by birds of paradise on the loose. One step more and the technology will reach motion picture advertising. Your editor views with interest the coming day when production problems include debates with robust Mr. Lee Yeager, master pressman, the problems of split-fountains to separate and distribute through the publication the theme-scents for such diverse per- sonalities as he-man Roy Rogers and she-girl Betty Grable. A smell time is ahead. — Terry Ramsaye « THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Cost of Loving HOLDING HANDS in the dark of a thea- tre isn't strictly an American custom — it's international. A new theatre in Japan, the Musashino in Shinjuku, has recognized this and equipped its entire first balcony with "romance seats" for those who prefer parlor and equipped its entire first balcony with screen. Then, recognizing the "what the devil, it's only money" attitude of those in love, the Musashino charges 80 yen per cou- ple for nestling privileges in those seats. The more calloused are charged only 20 yen per regular seat. Deficit THINK times are rough here? Pity the film producer in Finland. According to a Commerce Department report, when a Fin- nish producer makes a picture the best he can hope for is to hold his loss to 2,000,000 marks. The report declares that production costs have risen from a pre-war 2,000,000 to about 6,000,000 marks. "The net in- come from a motion picture can, in the best case, be estimated at about 4,000,000 marks," the report says. Only about one- third of the Finnish industry is working at present, the report adds. It does not ex- plain how that one-third keeps going. Coincidence IT'S WELL KNOWN that the stork has one blind eye, that sometimes it will fly right over the hospital and light in the most unexpected places. Other day down in Fort Valley, Ga., it lit in the Peach theatre and manager L. G. Smith had to assist the bird in delivering a baby to a patron in the theatre. Completely unaware of what was going on, the audience quietly enjoyed a short subject entitled "Stork Crazy". Listen to This RADIO RECEIVING SETS, pocket- watch size, powered by sunlight ; personal sending sets also small enough to be car- ried about, facsimile newspapers with pic- tures in full color printed for you while you're munching your toast, globe-girdling color television — fantastic? Not at all. All those ideas are out of the fantasy stage and well in sight, according to Frank Stanton, president of the Columbia Broadcasting Sys- tem. In a radio address Sunday, Mr. Stan- ton stated that "such developments in the next 25 years are no more startling than what has already happened in the past 25 years of radio's life". And television. Well, MOTION PICTURE HERALD for January 31, 1948 20TH-FOX to supply daily newsreel for television Page 13 IT'S Johnston vs. Wilson in trans-Atlantic tax bout Page 16 MEMO from Hollywood, reactions on long films — by Red Kann Page 18 WHAT movies cost the patrons in terms of working hours Page 20 NOVEL market under par for the screen; 64 bought in 1947 Page 21 SHOWS picture free when the patrons won't pay for it Page 22 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT— Notes on in- dustry personnel across country Page 25 EIRE exhibitors report new admission tax ruins business Page 30 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Foreign Reviews and Index Page 34 Late Review Page 29 Hollywood Scene Page 23 In the Newsreels Page 36 Managers' Round Table Page 37 Picture Grosses Page 35 Short Product at First Runs Page 31 What the Picture Did for Me Page 32 THEATRE SALES Pages 43-52 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 4037 Advance Synopses Page 4038 Short Subjects Chart Page 4040 Short Subjects Page 4041 Service Data Page 4042 Release Chart by Companies Page 4043 The Release Chart Page 4044 television is being turned into a text book right now. Already some hospitals have worked out plans for televising medical operations by eminent surgeons for special audiences of students and scientists. "In- deed," says Mr. Stanton, "television may well become the most eloquent of all text- books right in the schoolroom itself". Exemption Dublin Bureau FEW OF EIRE'S rural cinema patrons customarily attend the theatre before 8 P. M., but since the new admission taxes have gone into effect a common announce- ment on the bills of rural cinemas reads : "Musical programme commences 5:15 P. M. Film, 8:16 P. M." This doesn't mean the patrons' habits are changing. It merely in- dicates that exhibitors are taking advantage of the tax exemption granted to cine- variety theatres which devote at least 51 per cent of their playing time to "live" artists. A few of the cinemas offer a gen- uine variety programme, but most of them merely engage a lonely pianist, or accor- dionist, to play to an empty but lighted hall for two hours before the customary open- ing time. In some localities the local dance band trio uses the two hours for rehearsals. For more on the Eire admission tax situa- tion, see page 30. Vanquished THE ANNIVERSARY of President Franklin Roosevelt's birth, January 30, was to be observed in Berlin by the first German showing of "The Roosevelt Story." It was presented under the auspices of the Berlin chapter of the American Veterans' Committee.' Proceeds from the three show- ings in the 1,800-seat Titania Palast went to the March of Dimes and the infantile paralysis funds in Germany, Britain and France. Presented through the cooperation of United Artists, the afternoon showing was for German audiences, with admissions paid in German marks which went to the Berlin Infantile Fund. The two evening performances were for dollar admissions, turned over to the March of Dimes. Pro- ceeds from a block of several hundred tickets given to the British and French Special Service Office, were turned over to the infantile paralysis funds in those coun- tries. Service THE cold wave has brought a new twist to customer relations at Sidney Lust's Hippodrome Theatre in Washington. The theatre has been doing a capacity business ever since "I Know Where I'm Going" opened late in December. With the tem- perature consistently below freezing during the last week, Manager Jim Matthews has arranged with a next-door restaurant to provide free hot coffee — not to the people in the theatre; but to those waiting outside. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 Golden Fields IN THESE DAYS of troubled and disap- pearing foreign markets, it's pleasant to learn the news about Belgium and Luxem- bourg. There are a couple of substantial markets — important markets — without any restrictions on imports and remittances. That's the official word from Nathan D. Golden in Washington, motion picture con- sultant to the Department of Commerce. He thinks that it would be well for'U. S. pro- ducers to exert as much effort as possible to supply these markets with their best pos- sible product. Mr. Golden's report points out that the two countries have had adequate dollar exchange over the past two years and he declares that there are no immediate indications of a change in the financial con- ditions. However — and there's the fly in the ointment — Mr. Golden warns that both countries are becoming critical of the quality of recent American offerings. The Luxem- bourghers, for instance, are tired of color, music-hall shows and pin-up girls and want "films which treat serious subjects," ac- cording to the report, which concludes : "Up to the present, U.S. films have covered, 99 per cent of Luxembourg requirements, but unless the quality improves, and with the strongly rising French, British, Italian and Austrian film industry, this percentage will drop to less than 60 per cent next year." According to the report, eight U. S. com- panies received $7,310,408 in rentals from Belgium in 1946. $6,168,157 being converted into dollars. Veteran Problem CHARLES CHAPLIN'S "Monsieur Ver- doux," recently blackballed by the Catholic veterans' organization, was given a friendly push into the limelight last week by an- other veterans' group, the New York Area Council of the American Veterans' Commit- tee. That committee booked the picture into New York City's Central Needle Trades High School for one Saturday per- formance and took advertisements in the New York newspapers proclaiming, "Now New York City Can See Monsieur Ver- doux'. Here's your opportunity to see this outstanding film. One Performance Only". Chalk up one more booking for UA. Castles in Jamaica A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR film indus- try in Jamaica, jointly financed by Ameri- can and British capital, a 30-sound-stage studio, a production program of 104 features a year, the "'first truly international film colony," all this and more is Kingswood Films, organized by Robert B. Cumming, a young Chicago international lawyer, and announced Monday. The projected capitalization of the corpo- ration, Mr. Cumming explains, involves 1,000,000 shares of $100 par value common. "Naturally, our financing is not complete at this time," he admits, but he sees the day, after the corporation is on a sound dividend- paying basis, when stock will be offered "to the movie-going public of America and Britain where ultimate control of anything as important as motion pictures should rest." This company, he believes, offers inde- pendent artists, producers and exhibitors an opportunity to compete on an even basis with "firmly entrenched movie monopolies both in America and abroad" and it "offers the first workable solution to problems which are now generating a minor panic within the firmly entrenched Hollywood-Rank empire and which, at the same time, threaten ruin to independent organizations competing with these groups." The new company will operate in Jamaica because Mr. Cumming believes the "island offers unique natural advantages and a prox- imity to the U. S. which will enable Kings- wood to utilize the talent and technological know-how available here." Confiscated MGM HAD SOME pretty plans about building an eight-story $2,000,000 office and theatre building in Buenos Aires, but the Argentinian Army has squashed those plans flat by expropriating the company's prop- erty. According to reports from a Herald Tribune correspondent, MGM's 100-foot frontage half a block from the famous Colon Opera House has been taken over by the Army which will build on the property, which MGM has cleared, the Army Institute for Financial Aid and Payment of Retire- ment and Military Pensions. Settling Down ETHEL BARRYMORE, who not so long ago in Hollywood was swearing that she wouldn't sign a seven-year contract with anyone, is going to settle down, in Holly- wood— or it looks that way. She's bought herself a home on the beach within commut- ing distance, and, if there is any doubt about her going Hollywood, let it be known that she's going to install a swimming pool. The press services quoted her the other day as saying, "I hate swimming pools and will probably never use it, but it seems to be the fashion for movie homes to have a pool so mine will have one too — maybe my friends can use it." PEOPLE Will H. Hays, former president of the Mo- tion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, has announced the opening of a branch office of his law firm, Hays & Hays, at 300 National Bank Building, In- dianapolis. Robert Mochrie, RKO Radio vice-presi- dent in charge of domestic distribution, twas elected chairman of the Sales Mana- gers Committee for one year, succeeding Tom Connors, at a meeting of the dis- tribution division of the Motion Picture Association last week in New York. Edward A. Golden, producer, has been ap- pointed an honorary member of the Texas Rangers, and investiture will be made when Mr. Golden is in Texas to shoot footage for "Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven." John Davis, managing director of the vari- ous J. Arthur Rank companies, has been elected to the board of directors of the Eagle Star Insurance Company, Ltd., of Great Britain. Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., son of the produc- er, will make his debut as a theatrical producer in February when he presents "Moon Over the Downs" in London in a few weeks. Martin Quigley arrived in Hollywood January 29 for a visit of several weeks. Al Suchman has returned to Eagle Lion as eastern sales manager and will assume full supervision over all sales and dis- tribution in the territory served by the company's 11 eastern branches. George M. Dorsey and Clarence Ellis of the Warner Pathe News Washington staff were elected vice-president and ex- ecutive committee member, respectively, of the White House News Photographers Association. Alfred T. Chamie has resigned as United States assistant attorney in Los Angeles to become assistant to Charles Boren, vice-president in charge of labor rela- tions for the Association of Motion Pic- ture Producers. Douglas L. Craddock, manager of the Grand theatre at Leaksville, N. C, has been selected "Man of the Year" by the Leaksville-Spray Exchange Club. Fred Steele, recently resigned from Mon- ogram in Hollywood, has been appointed Film Classics production supervisor, with headquarters at the Nassour Studios in Hollywood. Harry Hunsaker, manager for Selznick Releasing Organization in San Fran- cisco, will resign January 31 to operate the Hunsaker Motor Company at Chico, which he has purchased. MOTION PICTURE HERALD published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Ouigpubco, New York" Martin Quigley,' President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Suljivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye Editor- Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building; Chicago, Editorial and Advertising, 120 South LaSalle Street, Telephone Andover 6449, Urben Farley Advertising Representative; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square. Corre- spondents in 'the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31. 1948 9 THIS WEEK the Camera reports: "IF WINTER COMES" opened at the Capitol, New York, last week. MGM exploiteers did not arrange the tie-in. CHARLES CARPENTER, Illinois State Senator, a theatre owner, and legislative representative for the United Theatre Owners of Illinois, last week at a Springfield meeting urged exhibitors to cultivate legislators. IN NEW YORK, last week, at the annual dinner and installation of officers of the New York Film Board of Trade, at the home of Louis Nizer, film industry attorney. Left to right, informally, are Mr. Nizer, host; Clarence Eisman, the new president; Robert Fannon, secretary; Seymour Florin, sergeant-at-arms; William Murphy, second vice-president; Nat Furst, treasurer, and Saul Trauner," first vice-president. The old roster of officers attended, too. RECOGNITION AWARD, to Samuel Broidy, seated, Allied Artists president, from the National Congress of American Indians, represented by Nipo Strongheart in Hollywood ceremonies. 10 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 SUESTS, at the western premiere of MGM's "Cass Timberlane", in the Egyptian theatre, Hollywood. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Tracy are shown with Atwater Kent, right. The show benefited the John Tracy clinic for xdeaf and hard-of-hearing children. LONDON OPENING of Sir Alexander Kor- da's "Anna Karenina," at the Leicester Square Theatre. In the lobby are Mr. Korda; Spyros Skouras, president of 20th-Fox; Vivien Leigh, star; and J. Arthur Rank. Mr. Skouras this week was meeting with Mr. Rank at luncheon and perhaps elsewhere in discussions concern- ing Anglo-American film relations in general and Rank-20th-Fox relations in particular. See page 16 for more on British-American motion picture trade problems. THE ASSEMBLY ABOVE is the 1948 officer roster of the Canadian Motion Picture Pioneers. They were elected January 22, at Toronto, where the picture was made. In the front row are S. C. Sternberg, C. E. Appel, Oscar Hanson, Earl Lawson, president, L. Bishop, and William Reeves. Back row, R. W. O'Neill, Joseph Gabarrino, Charles Mavety, Ben Cronk, vice-president, M. Doyle and D. Angley. Membership is now 456 and the benevolent fund now totals $17,500. OPENING right, of the new studios of Audio Pictures, Ltd., at Toronto. The affair was attended by the trade and embellished by refreshments. At the right, Arthur Gottleib, president; Leo Jaffe, of Columbia; Hans Tiesler, vice-president, and Stewart Gillespie, executive producer. Full facilities are offered. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 J j "THE NAKED CITY". A scene from the Universal-International Mark Hellinger paean to New York. Police Lieutenant Barry Fitz- gerald, seated, listens reflectively during a homicide investigation. WITH an exceptionally good inventory, RKO will make slightly fewer pictures this year, N. Peter Rathvon, presi- dent, said in New York, Tuesday, after a trip from coast headquarters. It will make more "B's" "because there's always a market for them and we make them pretty well". Mr. Rathvon confirmed reports of endeavors of Howard Hughes to purchase RKO, but said the talks were "very preliminary". by the Herald VALLI, the new Selznick star, last week took time out from a hectic publicity schedule to visit the sales meeting of the Selznick Releas- ing Organization in New York. She is seen with Sidney Deneau, assistant general sales manager, and Milton Kusell, sales vice-president. Sales policy for "The Paradine Case" was formulated at the meeting. AS "SWITZERLAND TODAY", RKO Pathe short, was screened at, the RKO Palace, New York. Left to right, Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor, and wife; Mrs. Oscar Ziegler; Ray Connor, theatre manager; Dr. Charles Brugg- mann, Swiss Minister, and his wife. THE BALLOTS SO OUT. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards ballots are placed in the mail, after being checked by Jean Hersholt, president, and Marian Monroe, representative of Price, Waterhouse & Co., certified public accountants. March 20 is the day the winners will be announced in Hollywood. 12 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 20th-FOX TO SUPPLY DAILY NEWSREEL FOR TELEVISION Separate from Movietone News, To Be Sponsored by Reynolds Tobacco Twentieth Century-Fox made television history this week with the announcement that it had signed a pact with the National Broadcasting Company and with the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for Camel Cigarettes, providing for the delivery of a sponsored daily television newsreel, to be produced separately from the Movietone News releases for theatres. Last week, just before the 20th-Fox an- nouncement, International News Service and Telenews got started on the regular presen- tation of a weekly television newsreel in three cities. A 20-minute issue, sponsored by Chevrolet, was shown only once on each station. A daily reel is scheduled to make its appearance late in February and local New York coverage will follow. First Issue Goes on Network February 16 The first issue of the Camel-sponsored 20th-Fox reel, running about eight minutes and to be called "Movietone News — Televi- sion Edition," will go on the air Monday, February 16 over the basic eastern NBC network, consisting of stations in New York, Washington, Schenectady, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Reduced to 16mm, prints also will be flown to NBC affiliates now operat- ing in Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis and Cincinnati. During 1948, the NBC network is expected to grow and by the end of the year the television reel will be carried by some 20 stations. The contract just signed runs for 52 weeks. Under present arrange- ments, it is estimated more than 1,000,000 people will view the newsreel daily, but their number will rise sharply during the year. ' Movietone News will put out five televi- sion reels of eight minutes each a week and the two regular theatre editions. Peter Le- vathes, news and short subjects sales man- ager of 20th-Fox, will be in charge of the ambitious project. Edmund Reek will pro- duce the reel. The content of the theatri- cal and the television reels will overlap necessarily, but, as Mr. Levathes points out, "only the subjects will be the same — the treatment will be completely different." Plan to Seek Out Suitable Television News Material Movietone News does "not intend to great- ly expand its staff to take care of the added burden. "We often get in flashes and stories that are discarded because we know that they can not be used with the limited time available to us in the theatre releases," Mr. Levathes said. "Now we will go out and seek material rather than let it come to us." HOTEL GUESTS SEE TELEVISION FOR $3.00 Starting May I, guests in 100 rooms of the Hotel New Yorker in New York will be able to enjoy television on sets specially installed in their apartments, it was announced this week. As soon as equipment be- comes available, all of the hotel's 2,500 rooms will have receivers. Presently, sets only will be located in the upper 20 floors and $3.00 extra will be charged for their use. They will be connected to a central monitoring system which will bring in the programs, adjust them for clarity and send them into the rooms. The Hotel Roosevelt, New York, has had television sets operating in 40 rooms since last November. NBC puts out its own newsreel three times a week. The network said it would continue to do so, even though this may mean dupli- cation of pictures on the same station during one evening. The Sunday night reel pro- duced by the NBC crews is sponsored by General Motors. Terms of the 20th-Fox agreement with Camel and NBC were not announced, but is understood that it is based on a formula which permits increased revenue to the newsreel as additional stations are served by the producing company. Install Television Sets To Study Effects "This is television's first real chance to present a professional newsreel job on the air," Mr. Levathes said, adding that televi- sion receivers had been installed at the Movietone News laboratories to give editors and technicians a chance to study effects. Much has already been learned, he said, in- cluding such points as the need for "flat" lighting, close shots and intimate narration as well as improved printing methods. No one narrator will be featured and news will be presented in a manner that will make it both entertaining and. informative, he said. Telenews also has a newsreel for theatri- cal release which is shown in some 26 news- reel theatres. Its release day, Tuesday, is the same as that of the television reel. The con- tent of the first issue for television was iden- tical with that shown in the theatres, but future issues are intended to overlap only in case of important events. Last week's reel included a number of exclusives such as blown-up shots of the Connolly disaster at sea, coverage of the war in Greece, a war- crimes trial in Poland and magazine-type sections on radio and sports. In addition, the Telenews television re- lease had pictures of a Chicago explosion, the signing of a U. S.-French aid pact and a business strike in Paris — all items either available to or carried by the major news- reels. With the issue of the daily television reel, some difficulties are expected by Jack Tobin, editor. Detroit Used as Center for Simultaneous Release Test The effects of simultaneous release of film both on television and in the theatres was tested for five months in Detroit over WWJ- TV, the station of the Detroit News. Tele- news also owns two newsreel houses in that city. There were only a few complaints, but Telenews is servicing other theatrical fea- ture accounts and as their number increases and television widens the scope of its cover- age, Mr. Tobin expects resistance to the si- multaneous release practice to mount. The first INS-INP-Telenews films were sponsored by Chevrolet for showings over WABD, New York; WBKB, Chicago, and WWJ-TV, Detroit. Negotiations for spon- sorship over other stations are in progress. Motion pictures provided the topic also for an all-day meeting of television, film and advertising executives, sponsored by Tele- viser magazine and held at the Commodore Hotel in New York early this week. A number of speakers explored the relations between films and the television medium, highlighting the fact that television has so far been handed a bad bargain by the mo- tion picture companies, who either have re- fused to contribute product or who have provided old and bad prints. A 15-man committee was formed to look into problems facing television and to sug- gest a "fair" rate structure for the rental of features and shorts. The group will hold its first meeting in about ten days at the Commodore. The committee includes Mel- vin L. Gold, National Screen Service ; Charles J. Bash, Jr., Television Screen Pro- ductions, Inc. ; Jack Glenn, March of Time ; Robert H. Wormhoudt, Official Films, Inc.; J. E. Williams, Film Equities, Inc.; Morris T. Groen, Films of the Nation, Inc., and Edward J. Mallin, New York State Depart- ment of Commerce. Discuss Use of Films On Television Shows Topics covered included talks on "Video's 25 Uses for Films," by Tom A. Wright, re- search director for Batton, Barton, Durstine and Osborn advertising agency ; "Film Com- mercials for Video," by Chester Kulesza, of the same agency; "Filming News and Spe- cial Events," by Paul Alley, director of film program for NBC television, and "Film Rental Practices" by Judy Dupuy, executive editor of Televiser. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 !3 The ord is out al S ■ 10^ IT CAN'T MISS AT THE BOX-OFFICE. THE WORD-OF-MOUTH SHOULD BE PHENOMENAL!" SSflS An adventure drama of unforgettable impact. A picture that soars into the highest brackets of box-office material!" rilliantly handled from every direction. Should reap dollars at any box-office. It's for the gallery of greats!" vV ;vv\ ^ took the late Mark Hellinger to catch New - York's many moods, its changing face, its racing pace and its exciting dynamics as, perhaps, no previous attraction has ever succeeded!" lit NAKED CITY ! * , Exciting! Suspenseful! A prize package of entertainment! A stirring photoplay whose commercial fate should parallel in magnitude the subject matter it digests!" Really splendid entertainment for all audiences Everywhere. Could be one of the best box-office attractions of the year!" Actually filmed on the teeming streets of NEW YORK! si, BARRY FITZGERALD and Featuring HOWARD DUFF • DOROTHY HART- DON TAYLOR • Directed by JULES DASSIN • Produced by MARK HELLINGER Associate Producer: JULES BUCK • Screenplay by ALBERT MALTZ and MALVIN WALD • From a Story by MALVIN WALD . A UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL RELEASE IT'S JOHNSTON vs WILSON IN TRANS-ATLANTIC TAX BOUT British Official Stands Pat; Cripps in His Corner as MPAA Head Hits Back Although freely admitting that nothing could be gained by "trans-Atlantic contro- versy," Eric A. Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, plunged into one last Thursday, sharply criticizing Har- old Wilson, president of England's Board of Trade, for a speech on the British film tax Mr. Wilson had made in the House of Commons the previous day. "I confidently tell Hollywood," said Mr. Wilson on January 21, "if they believe they can squeeze us into modifying our attitude of modifying the ad valorem tax they back a loser." Mr. Johnston replied sharply : "He is in error in saying who is doing the squeez- ing." The argument came into sharper focus Wednesday when Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer, told the House of Commons: "The Government have made it clear that they are not pre- pared to abandon the tax or substitute any system which depends upon blocked sterling being held by American film in- terests." The American viewpoint was talked out and solidified on a high level in New York Tuesday. Then, at the MPAA's headquarters, Mr. Johnston presided at a board meeting of the Motion Picture Export Association, at which time not only the English situation, but the entire foreign field was discussed. The urgent necessity for such a meeting is revealed in the fact that the board meet- ing was to have been held Thursday in Washington, but was switched to Tuesday and New York; that the meeting was orig- inally to have been a rather leisurely all-day affair, with the MPEA executive committee meeting in the afternoon, the MPEA board at night, and then was telescoped into a single meeting with everybody present. Gloves Off in Trans-Ocean Import Duty Argument Further, for the first time in a long time, the MPAA foreign representatives were called home for the meeting, including Fay- ette Allport, from London ; Frank McCar- thy, Paris; Arnold Childhouse, Holland. It was apparent this week that the princi- pals in the tax talks were losing their benevolent air, their diplomatic language, and were descending, stripped to their fight- ing trunks, to the public arena of argument and tongue lashing. When Mr. Wilson moved the second read- ing of the Quota Bill to the House of Com- mons he reeled off a number of blunt state- MR. SKOURAS HAS LUNCH When Eric Johnston counted noses at the MPEA board meeting in New York, Tuesday, Spyros P. Skouras wasn't there. The Twentieth Century- Fox president that day was sitting down to luncheon in London with J. Arthur Rank and, most importantly, with Sir Wilfrid Eady. Although Mr. Skouras firmly and publicly an- nounced upon his arrival in London that he was not there to talk about the ad valorem tax, Sir Wilfrid talks taxes and, when he does, he represents the British Treasury. Mr. Rank is interested in taxes. Mr. Skouras, if he had been at that MPEA board meeting, would have been talking taxes, too. ments on the British tax and American em- bargo which were designed to be overheard by American interests. Among them : "Such proposals as we have hrSierto re- ceived on embargo proposals from the American industry do not seem founded on a real understanding of our position. It is possible that Hollywood faces this issue in the hope that, with the passage of time, our cinemas' needs of new American films will drive the Government to propose the duty be dropped or severely modified. "I am loath to think any deal on Holly- wood's part in making proposals to end the deadlock are based on so slender a founda- tion." Says Britain Lacks Dollars to Pay And then, so there would be no mistaking him : "We stand by the import duty. We can not continue finding dollars to meet pay- ments on film earnings here. We are pre- pared to make any reasonable arrangement to work out a scheme which would allow extra earnings to be taken out of Britain to the extent our films earn more money abroad." At this juncture, Mr. Wilson made his statements about "squeezing." That was what drew the reaction from Mr. Johnston. In Washington January 22, Mr. Johnston said that Mr. Wilson was right in talking about a squeeze, but "he is in error in saying who is doing the squeez- ing." "Through this confiscatory tax," he con- tinued angrily, "the British Government is squeezing American films out of Britain be- cause American companies could operate in Britain only at a heavy loss." He declared that Britain does not face a choice between food and films, but rather a choice between a tax that prohibits Ameri- can films and a workable alternative. He said that as far as Americn producers are concerned, the door remains wide open for working out this alternative. Says Reconversion Is "Without Fear or Panic" With that out of the way, Mr. Johnston went to New York Tuesday, told a luncheon meeting at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel of the Protestant Motion Picture Council that "Hollywood is going through travail, of course, but it is reconverting without panic and without fear," and then went to MPA headquarters to confer with top home office executives. Among them were representatives of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Pro- ducers. In Hollywood, shortly before the New York meeting, the SIMPP had this statement to make : "There can be no just or legal solution to the British tax problem without 'full consideration of the rights of independent producers. There can be no adequate solution unless implemented by the full weight of the people through the State Department." Mr. Wilson believes that eventually there will be a solution. He pointed out in the House of Commons that if the Government expected the deadlock to continue indefinite- ly the present Quota Bill would not be in- troduced. And there were other arguments on a lower level. In London Saturday, at an industry luncheon at Claridge's, Samuel Eckman, MGM's managing director for Great Britain, charged that British Ministers, "at their own choice, closed their eyes to the steps the American industry was prepared to take to reduce the outflow of dollars for American films while maintaining the supply of films desired by the British public and required by the' British cinemas." America Majors Have Few Unreleased Films Left Of all the American distributors in En- gland, MGM is in the worst predicament as far as unreleased film supplies go. It has virtually no unreleased product. Also hard hit are Paramount and Twentieth Century- Fox, although these two have some British pictures to offer. A survey made last week in London shows that there are only 20 unreleased American "A's" and 25 "B's" left in Britain. Meanwhile, Mr. Wilson has promised a Government inquiry into virtually every phase of distribution and exhibition in Britain as soon as the country's international position in terms of film trade has been clarified. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31. 1948 n MEMO from HOLLYWOOD 1947 Tax Total Producers Lack Unanimity on Overlong Films 2% AboVC 1946 By RED KANN TWO weeks ago in a piece captioned "Memo to Hollywood," the evil of the over-length film was submitted to ma- jor surgery. The argument: As to Production: The overlong film runs up costs by piling on additional shooting time which is very expensive, poaches on entertainment appeal by dissipating dramatic values. As to Exhibition : The padded attraction cuts into turnover, upsets normal operating schedules, gets audiences home later than they prefer, backs worthwhile shorts into a blind alley, tends to reduce overall apprecia- tion of the product. Hollywood executives on various levels are reacting. Their reactions range from complete disagreement to partial and com- plete agreement and attest to a keen aware- ness of the problem. There is Henry Gins- berg, vice-president in charge of production at Paramount, who takes this position : "I believe that, regardless of length, a picture is not too long if it takes that much footage to tell the story completely and entertainingly. On the other hand, the shortest film is too long if it can be edited without in any way detracting from its story or entertainment value. It is gratifying to find so many Paramount pictures listed in your articles as the most successful with tight footage." [Paramount led all others with 10. — R.K.] Dore Schary, vice-president in charge of production at RKO Radio, "agrees with much" of what was argued yet maintains "there are some generalities that may not be fair to some of the pictures named." He proceeds with : "There is validity in your comment that a short picture can help accelerate business, but I think it gets the money in faster without necessarily adding to its eventual gross. For instance, a film I made some years ago called 'I'll Be Seeing You' ran only 84 minutes. We did enormous quick business and actually wound up with a wonderful world gross, but I think we would have done the same eventual gross if the picture had .needed 110 minutes rather than 84 to tell the story. Summed up, I suppose I disagree with only your generalities and agree on certain pictures being too long." [Thanks for helping prove the point. At 84 minutes, the exhibitor was far happier.] Traveling from the serious to the humor- ous is Bryan Foy, in charge of production for Eagle Lion, who believes : "Your article has a lot of merit. Probably the majority of pictures should not be longer than 90 minutes at the most unless they are big subjects with big stars. But, with a lot of pic- tures that are too long, it shouldn't make much difference to the exhibitor. If he really needs a turnover, he can always cut out the fourth and fifth reels and, in a lot of pictures I've seen, I'm sure nobody will ever miss them." [Maybe the sixth, too, Brynie?~\ Mere length is no valid basis for challeng- ing entertainment quality or box office poten- tial, according to Roy Del Ruth, producer- director, whose "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" we felt would have improved in less footage. He maintains : "I would refuse to even consider the arbitrary establishment of a time limit, for instance, in the case of an interesting story about some fabulous personality. The important thing is how long a pictures seems to a theatregoer." [Who said anything about an arbitrary limit ?] "If the question resolves itself down to the contention that a long picture reduces the thea- treman's audience turnover, then the double bill would have darkened hundreds of houses since, theoretically, two features would cut normal turnover in half." [Since double bills continue despite length of films, the exhibitor can't give a three- hour show with a pair of two-hour features.. That's on,e of his troubles.'] Contrariwise is producer-director Fritz Lang who subscribes to this thinking: "The two-hours-and-over features result too much of the time from the simple follow-the- leader principle that accounts for a lot of other production sins. There continues a tendency to think a long picture is necessarily a better pic- ture." IN support of "king-size" films comes Sam Wood, responsible for producing and di- recting several long ones, notably "For Whom the Bell Tolls" — about three hours in its roadshow length. His view : "Chopping a picture off at a certain point be- cause it has already run 100 minutes would be a foolish procedure. Its running time should be determined by the story itself. It's just like a% news story in a newspaper. Importance and its nature determine how long it will be. "The point has been raised that the over- normal length picture squeezes out some excel- lent short subjects. Now shorts help a program, of course, but it is only on the rarest occasions that the shorts ever get a citizen to walk up to the box office and fork over his admission money. . . . That is the province of the adver- tised feature, not the incidental short." ["Chopping . . . at a certain point" was never suggested. Given the same news story, one reporter will turn in a better job in half the distance of another and emerge with a more authoritative job.] Clarence Brown, whose "Song of Love" was mentioned as unnecessarily long by this observer, feels arbitrary length of pictures would retard production progress. "If a picture runs to a more than usual length," he asserts, "it more than justifies its negative costs and other factors provided it is good entertainment all the way. On the other hand, dull and uninteresting footage is a waste and an overall drain on the exhibitor even if the picture ran only 20 minutes." [Agreed "provided, it is good entertain- ment all the way,.] This returns these assorted approaches to New York and James A. Mulvey, president of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, whose "The Best Years of Our Lives" is one of the longest and best of recent times. We're holding him for a return date. Washington Bureau General admission taxes collected during 1947 totaled $389,867,479, slightly more than two per cent higher than the record $381,- 520,217 collected in 1946, according to fig- ures released Wednesday by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. These figures cover taxes collected at legitimate theatres, sporting events and other performances including motion pictures. Film admissions are usually considered to account for 80 to 85 per cent of the total. The 12-month period reflects business for a December through November period. Tax figures for January will not be available until the end of February. General admission tax collections in De- cember, 1947, were $37,785,638 or more than $2,000,000 more than the $35,484,436 col- lected in the same month of 1946. Taxes announced for one month usually reflect collections for the previous month. Forrestal Seeks Defense Censor A peacetime "voluntary censorship" which would involve newsreels and all film pro- ducers is contemplated by Secretary James Forrestal's National Defense Establishment. Representatives of all publicity media shortly will be asked to confer with Mr. Forrestal in Washington. His press repre- sentative, Captain Robert Berry, said last week that if the conferees voted agdinst such censorship, it would be scrapped. The plan they would be asked to formulate would differ from wartime censorship. Dur- ing the war, publishers, producers or radio men were "requested" not to use certain information. The contemplated plan would put the decision with the publicity medium. The plan envisions an advisory board of media leaders. These would be briefed on military security projects. They would then decide which should be secret. A sep- arate staff of working journalists would de- cide whether particular stories belong in prohibited categories. Bordonaro Circuit Awarded $28,500 by Buffalo Court The Federal Court in Buffalo, N. Y., Wednesday found Paramount, RKO and Warner Brothers Circuit Management Corp., guilty of conspiracy in violation of the Sherman anti-trust act and awarded Bordonaro Brothers Theatres, Inc., of Olean, N. Y., $28,500 damages. The circuit charged that the film companies conspired to prevent their Palace theatre from obtain- ing first-run product. The jury found no cause for action against Warners, Universal Exchanges, 20th- Fox and Loew's. 1 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 OFFICE RUSHCRAM To ALL DEPARTMENTS Gradwell Sears From Date Jan. 23, 1948 Please note terrific cast and credits for 4 MIRACLE CAN HAPPEN, new Bogeaus picture A MIRACLE t« tremendous boxofflce name , in addition to tremens v it is the funniest picture UA has values, 13 ever handled, GS:vp Off, BENE°ICT BOGEAUS FONDA 100% 100% 100% 00% 100% 00% D°^hyFord !? D'Sr°wn * 75% F^Moran BfvCa,dwe„ V ' . 35% /E,,eneJ^.;;S^e^ % S"eenp/aybyU ■ ■ David Whorf f • . . 0"«*Sl.yK/NGWMB flUS a™ Site, „c„ ' • • ■ . • • 25% " ' 25% Released thru UHiTFr, F FENTOtl ^"EDtTH . " ART/STS . "v... ' * ' 25% * ' * ' 25% * • • 15% WHAT MOVIES COST THE PATRON IN WORK-HOURS New York Journal-American through its correspondents in the capitals overseas. The report covers a wide range, but for the special interest of the readers of The Herald figures are presented for motion pictures, and, for comparison, the single item of butter. The figures denote costs of movies and butter in terms of hours, or fractions of hours of work. U.S. Occupation T/cJ Phone Operator s/t Carpenter Coal Miner Sfore Clerk . s/9 % '/4 3/8 3/8 '/J 7/8 Bus Driver Policeman 3/8 y2 Grade Teacher % 1/2 England France Sweden Russia M B M B M B M B 7 'A 3/4 7 4 5/8 1 1 71 I '/4 3/4 7 3>/4 5/8 1 77 7 Vs 7 4 5/8 1 f " 7 '/4 3/4 7 4 5/8 % O 7 7 V'4 3/4 7 3'/4 5/8 7/8 ? " 7 Va 3/4 7 3Vi 3/8 3/4 77 3/4 «/2 7 4 5/8 % 7 Says The Journal: £r/m . . . are taken from the official government approved lists, and not he black market ...the tabulation gives the worker 'a better break' than he actually enjoys." A specimen item, shoes, in Russia cost the phone operator the carpenter, the store clerk and school teacher 110 hours, while coal miners a J policemen get theirs for 65 hours. Lawson Contempt Trial Feb. 24 Trials of 10 Hollywood writers and di- rectors indicted for contempt of Congress will begin in Washington February 24.' The first trial will be that of John Howard Law- son. The defendants last week were grant- ed an extension of time in which to file motions for dismissal. Meanwhile, another period of hearings by the House Un-American Activities Com- mittee on Communism in Hollywood may open in March or April, after the Federal Court has decided at least one of the cases. As the revised trial schedule stands this week, Dalton Trumbo will be tried March 3; Albert Maltz, March 10; Alvah Ressie, March 15; Samuel Ornitz, March 17; Her- bert Biberman, March 22; Edward Dymtryk, March 24; Adrian Scott, March 29; Ring Lardner, Jr., March 31; Lester Cole, April 5. Mr. Trumbo last week filed suit against MGM for restoration of his job under a con- tract running to February 19, 1950. He filed in Los Angeles Federal court. Mr. Trumbo claims MGM was committed to pay him $75,000 per script and assign him every four weeks if scripts were completed. Marlow Plans Drive-In The Marlow Amusement Corporation, which operates several theatres in Illinois! has announced plans for the construction of a drive-in theatre near Marion, 111. Con- struction will start early this spring and when completed in June or July it will ac- commodate 650 cars. First Hospital Camp Show Group Currently on Tour The first group of 10 Veterans Hospital Camp Shows left New York and Holly- wood last weekend to offer theatrical pres- entations at Veterans Administration Hospi- tals throughout the country. This week the shows opened at Butler, Pa; Battle Creek, M;ch.; Fayetteville, Ark.; Denver, Colo.; San Francisco; El Paso, Tex.; Alexandria, La.; Columbia, S. C. ; Norfolk, Va., and the Bronx, N. Y. These 10 companies will be on the road for six months, during which time they will cover 28,000 miles and play before 100,000 men in 101 hospitals. Fortieth Anniversary Jubilee Set by Reade Theatres In celebration of Walter Reade's fortieth year in the industry, the Walter Reade Theatres, which he heads, announced this week it will hold a "40th Anniversary Jub- ilee" in 23 of its theatres in New Jersey and New York from February 11 to March 23. The circuit has prepared a 20-page brochure for all managers outlining an ex- tensive campaign which calls for coopera- tion of public officials and merchants in each community. The jubilee's theme is "movies are still your cheapest and best form of familv entertainment." Introduce Parking Bill A bill introduced in the New York Legis- lature would require all theatres and other places of public assembly to be built in the cities in the future to provide off-street parking space for motor vehicles. The bill is part of a six-point parking program. Selznick to Offer 5 in Six Months Five pictures will be released in the tirst half of this year by the Selznick Releasing Organization, it announced Wednesday. The pictures are "Intermezzo", starring Ingrid Bergman and Leslie Howard; "The Para- dine Case", starring Alida Valli, Gregory Peck ; "Portrait of Jennie", starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten; "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House", starring Cary Grant, Melvyn Douglas and Myrna Loy, and "Duel in the Sun", starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. The last has been roadshown, and its re- lease in late spring will be at regular ad- missions. The company held an eastern division sales meeting Thursday at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh. Milton S. Kusell, vice- president in charge of domestic and Canadian sales, presided. Sidney Deneau, assistant general sales manager, attended from the home office. Among eastern sales personnel who attended were J. E. Fon- taine, Saul Kurgman, J. J. Oulahan, Thomas F. Duane, Douglas MacLeod, Schuyler Beattie, William Rosenow, Norman Silver- man, Elmer McKinley, H. F. Henderson, James Velde, John D. Keating, Leonard Mishkind and Eugene Alexander. Gaumont and Odeon Will Be Pooled, Skouras Announces J. Arthur Rank's plan to combine the Gaumont-British and Odeon circuits will result in an operational pooling arrangement and not a complete merger, Spyros P. Skouras, president of Twentieth Century- Fox Film Corporation, announced in Lon- don last Thursday. Mr. Skouras is con- ferring with Mr. Rank on the merger since Twentieth Century-Fox has a substantial interest in Gaumont-British. Under the new plan, each circuit will maintain its own financial identity, Mr. Skouras explained, but practical control, booking operations, and other features will be "streamlined" under one head, probably John Davis, man- aging director of the J. Arthur Rank Or- ganization. 7A) Fairbanks to Produce For NBC Television Jerry Fairbanks, president of Jerry Fair- banks Productions, will produce feature films of all types and lengths specifically for the National Broadcasting Company's tele- vision network, it was announced by both parties last week. The features, to be pro- duced on NBC's order, will be made speci- fically for television and will incorporate special film techniques developed by Mr. Fairbanks for television. NBC will acquire all distribution rights. Mr. Fairbanks pro- duces the "Speaking of Animals," "Popular Science" and "Unusual Occupations" short series released by Paramount. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 NOVEL MARKET UNDER PAR FOR SCREEN ; 64 BOUGHT Record 29,000 Properties Examined in East; Story Divisions Cut Sharply Although the eastern story departments of the larger companies examined a record 29,000 properties during 1947 and acquired I 14 plays, the purchase of unpublished novels fell to 64 as against 75 in 1946. The general comment was that while more than 9,000 books were published during the year, their quality as motion picture material was con- siderably below par. The economy wave in the industry during the latter part of 1947 had its effects also on the story departments. Columbia closed up its department during the year. Univer- sal-International and Goldwyn Productions followed in September. Others cut their staffs sharply, concentrating only on impor- tant material. Seek Escape Material, with No Special Messages What the studios want more than any- thing else today are escape novels, light material designed purely to entertain, bear- ing no social or political message and cost- ing less to produce. This kind of property, as one executive put it, "has become a rare commodity." The young writers of today, he says, impressed by a world in turmoil, consciously or unconsciously tend to infuse their work with political and social philoso- phies which, the studios feel, have no place on the entertainment screen. In addition, publishers still are swamped with war stories. Although there has been a trend toward this subject during the year, the producers' shelves are full of novels with this theme and none are being bought now. The result of this shortage of usable novel material is reflected in the studios' tendency to give more careful attention to originals, to dust off properties long on the shelves and to buy up old stories and plays. Out of 14 properties acquired by 20th-Fox during last year, five had been on the mar- ket for quite some time. Because of rising production costs, the studios are staying away from costume pictures. There is also less willingness to invest money in plays. i Prices Stay Level in Competitive Market While, as the natural result of the general cut-back moves, authors and their agents would tend to reduce the asking price, the cost of good novels has not declined in view of the dearth of usable material. When a book or play holds obvious promise for the screen, prices paid are as high as ever. About $1,000,000 was paid for "Brigadoon" and "Annie Get Your Gun" cost Metro $950,000. Levels generally are down 25 per cent. PUBLISHERS, PRODUCERS IN JOINT EXPLOITATION Publishers and producers this year again intend to cash in on one an- other's publicity through the almost simultaneous release of books and films. Intensification of efforts to whet the appetite of the public to first read and then see a story is ex- pected. A company in most cases buys a book in unpublished form. The regular edition comes out, but the picture usually is not produced for another eight months to a year. A month before national release the 25- cent pocket-book editions and $1 editions are marketed, with stills from the picture. During this year, Bsntam Books will put out a pocket-size edition of Sam Bishop's "The Pitfall," to be released by United Artists in the autumn. At the same time Grosset and Dunlap will bring out a $1 edition. The same timing is scheduled for RKO's "The Pearl" and other properties. The number of properties covered by the eastern story departments rose in exact pro- portion to the increase in published material in 1947. During that year some 29,000 man- uscripts were read as against 26,000 in 1946. The year also saw 9,182 books published as against 7,735 in 1946. There was an in- crease in the number of short stories bought and interest rose in radio scripts, but few were acquired. Companies reported they were holding fewer options on unfinished novels than ever before and were losing in- terest in subsidizing young writers. Among the most active companies in the east is 20th Century-Fox, which employs 25 readers and reports 15,000 properties exam- ined during the year. This includes mate- rial from England and a Europe that is slowly starting to awake from the stupor of war. The company bought four plays, all of them of old vintage, and including "Call Me Mister," which was .bought for $75,000, and "Burlesque." Among the eight books bought in the east were "The Bright Promise," "Waltz Into Darkness," "Sand" and "Twelve O'Clock High." 20th-Fox also purchased six short stories, among them "I Was Inside Stalin's Iron Spy Ring," now being shot as "Behind the Iron Curtain." Bertram Bloch is eastern story editor. Henry Klinger is associate editor. Paramount, where Alan Jackson is story editor, and John Byron reviews plays, bought 12 novels and no plays, although it reviewed about 1,000. Among the books ac- quired were "The Sealed Verdict," "The Web of Days" and "Jed Blaine's Woman." MGM under Olin H. Clark, eastern story editor, read some 2,500 properties during the year and acquired 10 novels and two plays through the New York office. Some of the books were contest winners, such as "About Lyddy Thomas" and "Raintree County." Others included "East Side, West Side" and "Command Decision." MGM has options on about 12 novels. The company does not cover any plays. RKO Purchased Nine Books and One Play There was considerable activity at RKO, where Leda Bauer is eastern story editor. Nine books, nine short stories and one play were acquired during the year. Among the books were "The Harder They Fall," "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" and "Dark Medallion." The play was "Joan of Lorraine." The department's operations were severely affected by economy cuts. Warner Brothers, under Don Moore, east- ern story editor, bought 12 properties of all kinds in New York. More than 2,000 books and plays were covered during the year, which Mr. Moore described as having been "very thin." Among the books purchased were "Bright Leaf" and "The Two Worlds of Johnny Truro." Plays included "Ladies and Gentlemen" and "Christopher Blake." Universal-International curtailed its cov- erage in September, but bought four books, seven plays and two short stories during the year. Among the books was "Gus the Great," "Tin Flute," "The Great Snow" and "Saxon Charm." The plays included "Har- vey," "Are You With It," "Song of Nor- way" and "Another Part of the Forest." Most Eagle Lion Material Is Bought at Studio Gale Heyward Barsh, working with Max Youngstein, handles story properties for Eagle Lion in New York. The company bought eight books and a short story in the east in 1947. Plays were covered, but none was acquired. Most of the purchases were made at the studio. Among the books bought were "The Blank Wall," "Beggar's Choice" and "Hollow Triumph." Columbia eliminated its story department under Janet Wood late in the year. One book, "All the King's Men," was bought. Elsa Neuberger heads a staff of four in the eastern story department of Selznick Re- leasing Organization. Coverage is restrict- ed to important manuscripts, of which about 15 a week are reviewed. Most of the pur- chasing and reading is done at the studio. The Goldwyn story department was closed officially during the year. Two books were acquired in the east during the year, "Take Three Tenses" and "Rosenna McCoy." MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 2! CUSTOMERS ALOOF; TRIES "STAIRWAY" ACAIN-FOR FREE THE citizenry of Fort Wayne, Ind., was going to see the J. Arthur Rank — Universal picture, "Stairway to Heaven," or Mrs. Helen Quimby of the Auditorium theatre was most emphatically going to know the reason why. Profitable operation — in this instance at least — was apparently a secondary consid- eration with Mrs. Quimby. Recently she had played the film at her first run Auditorium at regular admission. But the attendance was too small and the lady felt this was "something everybody should see." She booked it again from Uni- versal on a flat rental basis, held her free showing on last Friday, Saturday and Sun- day, and advertised it in Fort Wayne papers as available to all who cared to come — ad- mission free. The free showing brought a wave of criti- cism from other Indiana exhibitors who, through the Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana, charged unfair competition and con- demned it as "an immoral and unwarrantable shame on all parties concerned." At the Universal office in New York the company said it had approved the re- quests for a second booking of "Stairway to Heaven" at the Auditorium, prior to sub- sequent run engagements there, in the belief that the picture was to be shown to a private audience of church members and clergymen. Universal learned that the picture was to be shown to the public without charge only after local newspapers had advertised the event, the company said. Booking arrange- ments were made through Mrs. Quimby's representative, Harvey Cox, and the Indi- anapolis exchange. By the time the newspaper advertisements had appeared and the showing of the pic- ture had started it was too late to do any - thing about preventing its exhibition, the Universal spokesman said. Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana, in their current bulletin termed the action "the last straw in free movie competition. This is NOT a charity or benefit show. With the uncertainty that faces exhibitors today, a precedent of this kind can have serious con- sequences. When free movie competition originates in a large first run metropolitan theatre, and the product is a current release of one of the major distributors, then the exhibitor has a real provocation to be ex- asperated." Mrs. Quimby, who operates three other theatres in the Fort Wayne area, told Uni- versal sales representatives in Indianapolis that she, personally, thought so much of the picture that she felt the public should see it free of charge. Universal say it will agree, in consequence, to cancel any or all of the seven subsequent run engagements which it has already sold in the Fort Wayne territory, if the exhibi- tors involved request cancellation. At mid week none had. Monogram Negotiates Loan For New Productions Monogram Pictures has negotiated a one- year loan agreement with the Security First National Bank of California, Samuel Broidy, Monogram president, has announced. Under terms of the agreement, which runs for a period of one year and is revolving in form, the company will have available a bank credit of $3,850,000, consisting of direct loans and loans to its producers. Because of the revolving nature of the credit, the company estimates that it will have from $10,000,000 to $12,000,000 available during the current year for financing Monogram's production program and that of Allied Art- ists Productions. Experiment with New Sales Procedure in Chicago Paramount and Twentieth Century-Fox are experimenting with new sales methods in Chicago where the decree in the Jackson Park anti-trust suit has upset the Chicago system of release. Paramount is selling to each exhibitor individually and trying a variety of sales plans, having revised its clearance schedules generally. Twentieth Century-Fox is inaugurating a flexible clear- ance system in competitive negotiation and may put the same system into effect in St. Paul and Minneapolis, where exhibitors have requested "terms" for an earlier run than is ordinarily available. Two MGM Pictures to Open In Chicago in February The first MGM picture definitely set for the Chicago Loop district since the Jackson Park trust suit decision was handed down is "Killer McCoy," starring Mickey Rooney, which has been booked into the Oriental beginning February 26 for three weeks. Tentatively set is "Green Dolphin Street," which is expected to open at the Chicago theatre February 5. These are the first MGM pictures to play Chicago's Loop since "Unfinished Dance" last October. Defendants Win Delay In Jackson Park Case Distributor defendants in the Jackson Park theatre anti-trust case in Chicago last week were granted a stay until February 16 to answer charges of contempt of court in violation of the decree in the case. The decree upset the city's clearance system. Judge Michael Igoe granted the delay last week. Oral hearing will begin in Judge Igoe's court February 20. Ra th von Stock Sale Reported Washington Bureau N. Peter Rathvon, president of RKO, sold 5,000 shares of $1 par common RKO stock during November— 20 per cent of his RKO holdings at the time — according to a Securi- ties and Exchange Commission report on stock transactions during the month. Other transactions in motion picture com- pany stocks were relatively minor, accord- ing to the report. Mr. Rathvon's disposal was made in three parts, with 4,000 shares sold on November 14, 500 November 15 and 200 November 17. At the close of the month he held 20,- 000 shares of $1 par common, the report stated. Warner Brothers' vice-president, Albert Warner, is reported to have sold 6,000 shares of Warner $5 par common during the month and to have bought 4,000 shares. Mr. Warner's holdings at the end of the month are reported at 432,000 shares, and the holdings for the Albert Warner Trust at 21,000 shares. Jack Cohn, Columbia, is listed as holding 48,969 shares of Columbia common at the close of the month. Jack Cohn Trusts is reported to have sold 1,000 shares of com- mon during the month, with 25,319 shares remaining at the month's close. Maurice Newton, Paramount director, is listed as having bought 100 shares of Para- mount $1 par common and having made a gift of 90 shares. His month-end total was 18,630 shares and the total for the Maurice Newton Trust 18,380 shares. Daniel M. Shaeffer, Universal director, sold 100 shares of Universal common, with a month-end holding of 16,307 shares. Also reported in the SEC statement is a gift to charity made during October by Universal's president, Nathan J. Blumberg, of 100 shares of Universal common, leaving his holdings at the end of October reported as 28,400 shares. Quito Abolishes Censorship The Censorship Board of Quite, capital of Ecuador, was abolished January 17 by the Concejo Municipal. This means that all imported films may be played without restriction. Many previously rejected films now will be shown. Bans "Brute Force" "Brute Force" has been banned in Sas- katchewan, Canada, the censor board hand- ing down a decision that showing the pic- ture would have a deleterious effect on the enforcement of law and order. Bookers Install Officers Motion Picture Bookers, New York, in- stalled the following officers Monday night: Alex Arnswalder, president; Irv- ing Kaplan, first vice-president, and Dan Ponticelle, second vice-president. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Production Continues to Rise; 26 Are Shooting by WILLIAM R. WEAVER Holly-wood Editor The production index, which last week rose from an. all-time seasonal low of 18 features in camera stage to a promising 23, moved up again this week, reaching 26, a figure still far below mid-winter norm but nevertheless encouraging to the 30,000 resi- dents who make their living in the studios but haven't had much of it to do lately. The reversal upward of the numerical trend is in the nature of encouragement, too, for exhibitors and their customers, who have had reason enough, over the past six months, to wonder where the substantial product of the 1948 winter might be coming from. The rate at which the backlog of pre-British Tax films was being consumed by the domestic market, with its steadily shortening runs, conspicuously presaged a dearth to come unless steps were taken in time. Now some steps are being taken. Regal and Golden Start Pictures for U. A. There is encouragement of a different sort in the fact that two of the six pictures placed before the cameras during the week are for United Artists release, which appears to off- set some of the widespread rumorings to the effect that this distributing company was destined to find itself hard pressed for prod- uct with which to maintain operation. Regal Films, distributing through UA, started "The Pitfall," which Samuel Bischoff is producing and Andre de Toth directing, with Dick Powell, star of the much discussed "To the Ends of the World," Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt and Raymond Burr. Producer Robert S. Golden, also distribut- ing through UA, started "Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven," with Guy Madison and Diana Lynn ; William Castle directing. Paul Jones, who joined MGM some months ago after a career of several years at Paramount, started production of "A Southern Yankee," starring Red Skelton, who recently completed "The Fuller Brush Man" for Columbia on loanout, with Brian Donlevy and Arlene Dahl alongside. S. Sylvan Simon is the director. Producer Jerry Bresler, who joined Uni- versal-International after a long career at MGM, launched "The Judge's Wife," for starring roles in which Frederic March, last year's Academy Award winner, and Flor- ence Eldridge took a holiday from their pre- occupations with the Broadway stage. Oth- ers in the cast are Edmond O'Brien, Ger- aldine Brooks and Stanley Ridges, and Michael Gordon is directing. Monogram producer Sid Luft went to work on "Kilroy on Deck," with Jackie Cooper and Jackie Coogan continuing in the roles they played in the highly successful "Kilroy Was Here," and with Robin Chan- dler and Curt Bois heading the supporting cast. The undertaking is under the direc- tion of Frank McDonald. Sig Neufeld, producing independently for release through Film Classics, turned cam- eras on "Money Madness," with Hugh Beau- mont, Frances Rafferty, Harlin Warde and Cecil Weston; Peter Stewart directing. Independent Artists Adopt "Damn Torpedos" Policy In pleasant contrast to the undeclared and altogether informal conspiracy of silence about budgetary allocations, Independent Artists, Inc., highlighted the production news of the week with the flat declaration that the concern will spend $7,000,000 on the making of four pictures during 1948. Time was when talk like this could be heard on any street corner in Hollywood without creating comments. At this point on the calendar, with most producers who can be brought to mention budgets in any way tell- ing how they're revising them downward, the announcement practically stopped traffic. Independent Artists was organized some time ago by Rosalind Russell, Dudley Nichols and Frederick Brisson, and the company already has completed "The Velvet Touch," starring Miss Russell, which is to be released by RKO Radio. Miss Russell's next picture for her own company, to be started after she finishes a commitment for Columbia, will be "New Model," a comedy by Harry Kurnitz and Collier Young, which has been budgeted at $1,500,000. Sydney Greenstreet will be co-starred in this one. Mr. Brisson will produce. Dudley Nichols' contribution to the four- picture Independent Artists schedule will be a comedy by himself, for which he has not yet chosen a title, and which he will also produce and direct. This one, like "New Model," carries a budget of $1,500,000. John Gage, director of "The Velvet Touch," and who has been signed to an In- dependent Artists contract, will produce and direct "Madly in Love," also at $1,500,000. The fourth production, to be done in Tech- nicolor, will be selected from a number of properties the company owns. Industry Films Project Expands Its Schedule The Industry Films Project, in charge of the program of industry shorts sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has expanded its schedule to in- clude eight subjects in addition to the nine listed on page 19 of the December 20, 1947, edition of Motion Picture Herald. The additional subjects are to be : "You, the Audience," showing that repre- sentatives of all races find employment in Hollywood as screen players and craftsmen. "The Stylist," showing the influence of Hollywood as a clothing style center. "Production Problems," outlining difficul- ties always confronting the production staffs. "Moments in Music," showing how the screen has fostered appreciation of music. "The Art Director," concerning interior decoration, design and architecture. "Still Photography," dealing with still camera requirements and techniques. "The Sound Man," tracing the story of sound on the screen. "The Motion Picture Camera Man," show- ing the training of a cinematographer. STARTED FILM CLASSICS Money Madness (Neufeld) MGM A Southern Yankee MONOGRAM Kilroy on Deck UNITED ARTISTS The Pitfall (Regal) Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (Golden) UNIVERSAL-INTERN'L The Judge's Wife COMPLETED FILM CLASSICS The Argyle Secrets (Eronel) REPUBLIC The Timber Trail UPA FILMS, INC. The Avenger SHOOTING COLUMBIA Let's Fall in Love Loves of Carmen EAGLE LION The Spiritualist MGM A Date with Judy Easter Parade Julia Misbehaves PARAMOUNT A Foreign Affair Sorry, Wrong Num- ber (Wallis) Abigail, Dear Heart REPUBLIC Moonrise (Feldman- Grant) The Gallant Legion RKO RADIO Mr. Joseph Young of Africa (Arko) 20th CENTURY-FOX The Street With No Name Apartment for Peggy The Chair for Martin Rome UNIVERSAL-INTERN'L Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid WARNERS Key Largo John Loves Mary The Fighting Terror Rope (Transatlantic) hiniiiiiiniiM liiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiirr MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 23 Universalis Net Profit for Year At $3,230,017 The net profit of Universal Pictures Company, Inc., in the fiscal year ended November 1, 1947, totaled $3,230,017, com- pared with $4,565,219 in the preceding year, J. Cheever Cowdin, chairman of the board, and N. J. Blumberg, president, told stockholders Thursday in the company's multi-colored, 32-page annual report. The 1947 profit is equal to $3.11 per share on 960,498 shares of common stock outstanding at the end of the fiscal year, compared with $5.32 per share in the pre- vious year. In its report the company said that although the 1947 gross revenue increased to $64,958,405— the highest in the com- pany's history — from $53,934,865 in the pre- vious year, the net profit declined since the operating expenses of the company in- creased more than $10,000,000— or from $45,169,152 in 1946, to $58,883,164 in 1947. The comparative statement of profit and loss for the 1946 and 1947 fiscal year : 1947 1946 Fim Rentals, Accessory Sales and Theatre Admissions Domestic $42,309,728 $30,809,450 Foreign 22,648,677 23,125,415 $64,958,405 $53,934,865 Amortization of Film Costs, Royalties and Other Costs, Including Theatre Expenses. 33,834,336 28,786,337 Gross Profit $26,124,069 $25,148,528 Less: Selling and Branch Expenses: Domestic $11,133,660 $9,071,026 Foreign 6,056,470 5,212,151 General and Administrative Expenses: Domestic 2,488,167 1,808,355 Foreign 370,531 291,283 $20,048,828 $16,382,815 $6,075,241 $8,765,713 Other Income: Dividends, Interest and Dis- count earned 281,006 214,195 Adjustments in Respect of Income Taxes of Prior Years 180,183 141,830 $6,536,430 $9,121,738 Other Deductions: Interest Expense and Amor- tization of Debt Discount and Financing Expenses.. $541,724 $311,052 Participations of Certain Of- ficers and Employees in Profits 363,398 536,279 Miscel. Deductions (Net)... 22,186 79,702 $927,308 $927,033 Profit Before Income and Ex- cess Profits Taxes $5,609,122 $8,194,705 Provision for Estimated In- come and Excess Profit Taxes : Federal Income Taxes $2,135,000 $2,900,000 Federal Excess Profits Tax 350,000 Foreign Income Taxes 244,105 379,486 $2,379,105 $3,629,486 Profit on Above Basis Carried to Earned Sur- plus $3,230,017 $4,565,219 The report said the company was in LOS ANGELES TOTAL 699 A statistical summary of the Los Angeles directory, another in the series of 31 theatre directories compiled by the Motion Picture Association in its census of U. S. theatres by exchange territories, was released this week. LOS ANGELES EXCHANGE TERRITORY Number Seating Number Seating Theatres in operation 687 537,819 Circuit-operated theatrest . . . . 413 368,119 Closed theatres 12 5,494 Non-circuit theatres 286 175,194 Totals 699 543,313 Totals 699 543,313 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings: No. of Average Cumu- Theatres Cumu- Number Cumu- Seats lative Oper- ating , lative of lative Per Population} Towns with Theatres Total Total Seats Total Theatre 1,000,001 and over 1 (Los Angeles) 216 194,917 902 250,000-100,001 2 (San Diego) ( Long Beach) 3 48 264 45,500 240,417 948 100,000- 50,001 4 7 42 306 38,345 278,762 913 50,000- 25,001 14 21 79 385 74,198 352,960 939 25,000- 10.001 19 40 48 433 39,324 392,284 819 10,000- 5,001 35 75 69 502 48,788 441,072 707 5,000- 2,501 43 118 56 558 32,504 473,576 580 2,500 and under 117 235 129 687 64,243 537,819 498 * Excluding eight drive-in theatres, total capacity 4,679 automobiles. f A circuit theatre is defined as "four or more" theatres operated by the same management. J There are no cities in this exchange territory ranging in population from 250,001-1,000,000. strong financial condition despite a series of major problems. "The continued rise in wages, in the prices of supplies and mate- rials and all other expense items, made it apparent early in 1947 that our costs of product and operation had gotten out of balance with reasonably expected revenues," the report stated. Universal received $4,880,000 in remittances from Great Britain. TOA, RKO Executives Discuss 1 6mm Films Robert W. Coyne, executive director of the Theatre Owners of America, met with officers of RKO in New York last Thursday in one of a series of meetings between the TOA and 16mm film executives to reconcile the differences between exhibitors and dis- tributors of 16mm films. According to the TOA, assurances from RKO were received that their program would not be permitted to conflict with 35mm exhibition. RKO is distributing its narrow gauge product only to schools as part of the educational curri- culum, to hospitals and to theatreless towns. 1947 Dividends At Record High Washington Bureau Publicly reported dividends paid by motion picture companies during 1947 reached the all-time high of $50,718,000, the Department of Commerce disclosed last Thursday. This was nine per cent higher than the $46,714,000 reported for 1946. And, if the Commerce Department's usual estimate holds true — that its figures include only 60 per cent of all dividends paid by motion picture companies — then the total of all in- dustry dividends paid during 1947 may have topped $80,000,000, also a record high for the industry. The dividends reported for the month of December, dropped sharply, however, with $7,967,000 reported compared with the $10,- 840,000 for December, 1946, bringing pay- ments for the last two months of 1947 below those for a similar period in 1946. National Theatre Supply Managers Meet Next Week Branch managers of National Theatre Supply will meet at the Park Central Hotel in New York Monday through Thursday, February 2-5, the company has announced. The meetings will be conducted by Walter E. Green, NTS president. This will be the first general meeting of all branch chiefs since February, 1941. Kellaway Plays Leprechaun Cecil Kellaway has been cast to play the role of the leprechaun in the Fred Kohlmar production for Twentieth Century-Fox, "For Fear of Little Men." U-l Exchange Opens Universal-International's new exchange in Chicago has been completed at a cost of $400,000 and was opened this week. It is located at 1234-36 South Michigan Avenue. 24 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 ALBANY The Palace, after a fair week with "Cass Timberlane," brought in "It Had to Be You." "The Prince of Thieves" was the second feature. The Strand played "Treas- ure of Sierra Madre." "Captain from Cas- tile" played to such fine business at the Strand that it was moved to the Ritz for a second week. The Colonial extended the run of "I Know Where I'm Going." . . . Myer Schine, head of the Schine circuit, and John May, treasurer, have been in Los An- geles at the Schine-operated Ambassador Hotel. . . . Harvey English, of English Thea- tres in Hancock, will lease the house which Fred Stark is constructing in Calicoon. . . . Charles Daniels, formerly manager of a Paramount-Publix theatre in Newburgh, N. Y., is now managing the Paramount in Glens Falls, N. Y. He replaces John Ett- linger, who went to San Francisco to do publicity and advertising for the circuit. ATLANTA Atlanta visitors: H. G. Moore, Brighton; Frank P. Bryan, Green Cove Springs ; Thurman Rogers, Montgomery; Carl Floyd and Luckie Stein, owners of Floyd and Stein theatre circuit in Florida; Joe Hackel and C. J. Carter, Jacksonville; Mrs. Kate Dykes, Cave Springs ; C. A. Pittman, Gadsden ; R. E. Hook, Aliceville, and O. C. Lam, Rome. . . . Changes in theatres in Georgia this week: J. N. Wells now the new owner of the Hanger theatre, Hapeville, Ga., while James B. Blackwell has taken over the Linco theatre, Lincolnton. . . . Roy Acuff has signed a contract with Columbia to make four Westerns. . . . William K. Jenkins, president of Georgia Theatres, Inc., has opened his radio station, WSAC, in Colum- bus, Ga. This makes the fourth station for this city. . . . Mr. and Mrs. John Hatfield have taken over the Polk theatre, Eleise, Fla., from J. P. Balacich. . . . Gene Autry, screen star, played engagement of two days here to good business. BALTIMORE With below freezing temperatures hover- ing around 15 and 20 at night and a near blizzard Saturday, box offices tumbled as low as the thermometers. Judging from appear- ances only, week beginning January 22 lines up this way : Eight new pictures at seven first run houses. "If Winter Comes," good at Century; "The Gangster," with vaude- ville, good at Hippodrome; "The Tender Years" fair at the New theatre; "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" good at the Stanley; "Black Gold" fair at the Mayfair; "Relent- less" good at the Town, and "The Big Fix," plus "The Green Cockatoo," good at the Times and Roslyn. The Little held "I Know Where I'm Going" for a fifth week, and Keith's held "The Senator Was Indiscreet" for a second week. . . . Fremont closed after some damage by a small fire. Morris Olet- sky, head of Fremont Amusement Co., says house will be remodeled and reopened about February 15. . . . Barry Goldman, chairman of publicity committee, Baltimore Variety Club, and other members held meeting and arranged for plans for publication of a tab- loid newspaper for the club to be called Hey, Rube. . . . C. Elmer Nolte, Durkee Circuit, on Maryland Citizens' Advisory Committee in Maryland fuel conservation program. . . . Baltimore will have a new radio-television station with call letters WAAM if plans now underway go through and Director of Public Works approves the plans. President is Ben Cohen. BOSTON For the third consecutive week a heavy snow storm ruined weekend business. This latest storm, by far the most severe, hurt grosses the most since a state of emergency was declared and all motorists and commut- ers were ordered to stay out of the city. Holding up best under the storm handicap were "Gentleman's Agreement" at the Me- morial in its second week and "Cass Tim- berlane" at Loew's State and Orpheum. . . . WHEN AND WHERE February 1-3: Annual meeting of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina at the Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, N. C. February 3—4: Theatre Owners of Texas to meet at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas to discuss affiliation with the Theatre Owners of America. February 16-18: Allied States Association board of directors meeting at the Hotel Statler, Washington, D. C. February 17-19: Meeting of trustees of the Pacific Coast Conference of Inde- pendent Theatre Owners in Seattle. March 22-23: North Central Allied annual convention at Minneapolis. April 6-8: Annual convention of the Pacific Coast Conference of Inde- pendent Theatre Owners at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. April 12-17: International Variety Clubs 1948 convention at the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. May 7-8: Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska convention at Des Moines, la. June 23-25: Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana annual convention cruise on Lake Erie. Independent Theatre Owners of Rhode Is- land met last Wednesday for their regular monthly luncheon and business meeting. President Meyer Stanzler presided at the meeting held at the Narragansett Hotel in Providence. . . . Affiliated Theatres are en- larging their office space. Three new ac- counts were added last week to Affiliated's list: Meyer Stanzler's houses at Wakefield, R. I., and on Narragansett Pier, and the Rainbow theatre at Cranston, R. I. . . . Al Lurie, long associated with M & P Theatres and currently managing the Oriental in Mat- tapan, is resigning to go into business on his own. The Allen theatre in Dorchester is said to be one of the houses he bought. CINCINNATI The Family theatre, at nearby Milford, Ohio, suffered a damage loss of several hundred dollars when film in the rewinding machine ignited. Damage was confined to the booth, but smoke filled the auditorium. The audience left in an orderly manner. . . . Noah Schecter has been named chairman of the publicity committee of the Cincinnati Variety Club, Tent No. 3, with W. H. May- er as co-chairman. Serving on the commit- tee will be Nate Wise, E. V. Dinerman, Dick Nesbitt, E. B. Radcliffe and Albert Segal. . . . William Hitchock, operator of theatres in Sardina and Winchester, will build a new house in suburban Green Hills, where he re- cently closed his Community theatre for an indefinite period. . . . Jack Frirsch, local circuit operator, expects to open his new Hippodrome theatre here in the near future, as a first run house catering to colored pat- ronage. . . . No announcement has been made by local officials as to whether the 1,- 000-seat RKO Family, downtown unit, will reopen. The house, which played double features on a split week basis, went dark re- cently. CLEVELAND Charles Raymond, Loew division manager here for the past eight years, has been trans- ferred to Washington where he and Carter Barron will have supervision of Loew thea- tres in Washington, Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk, Harrisburg and Reading. Orville Couch of the Washington division, succeeds Raymond in Cleveland. . . . Jack Walsh, until recently MGM city sales manager, has joined Eagle Lion's sales force and has been assigned to the river territory. . . . Owner- ship of the 1,500-seat Parma theatre and the 1,800-seat Yorktown, both new houses have been merged by John D. Kalafat and associ- ates of the Parma and Ted and Albert Vermes of the Yorktown. . . . Ernest Schwartz was reelected by acclamation to serve his 15th consecutive year as president of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association. A.- E. Ptak was unanimously reelected vice president. Ted Vermes is the new treasurer. Schwartz combines the of- fices of president and sec'retary. COLUMBUS A second zero wave within a week kept prospective downtown theatre patrons around their firesides, cutting into box of- fice receipts to an appreciable degree. Only (Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 25 (Continued from preceding page) two new bills were presented, further less- ening interest. The Ohio's showing of "Kill- er McCoy" attracted the most attention. "Out of the Past" drew average business at the Palace. The latter theatre, aided by a promotional assist from radio station WBNS, attracted attention with its "Sing a Song with Vaughn" contest in anticipation of its stage date of Vaughn Monroe. The Broad had a revival of "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "A Gentleman After Dark," and the Grand continued its move- over run of "The Foxes of Harrow" and "Railroaded." The World set a new hold- over record with its fourth week of "Fan- tasia." . . . World premier of Twentieth Cen- tury-Fox's Technicolor special, "Green Grass of Wyoming," will be held May 26 at the Palace and Broad, Lancaster, Ohio, with a three-day civic celebration planned. . . . Newly elected officers of the Variety Club, Tent No. 2, were installed at a members' dinner. . . . Alhambra, Ohio State Univer- sity district house, booked its second ad- vanced price feature in a month, offering "The Best Years of Our Lives," following "Duel in the Sun." . . . John Gardner, son of Bernie Gardner, veteran Paramount salesman, is constructing a 1,000-car drive- in on the Lincoln Highway near York, Pa., to be opened in spring. DENVER John Denman, Mayan manager, wins Fox Intermountain Theatre Clayton award for topnotch theatre management for 1947. . . . Helen Spiller, Esquire manager, and staff, win for eighth consecutive time, courtesy plaque given every six months by Fox In- termountain Theatres. . . . William T. Hast- ings, Orpheum manager, named theatre chairman for Brotherhood Week of National Conference of Gentiles and Jews. . . . Robert Patrick is building a $100,000 700-seat quon- set stadium type theatre at Lakewood, Colo. As soon as it is in operation he will start a second there. He also plans to have his $70,000, 550-seater, The Denver, in opera- tion by April 1. . . . Ted Knox buys Cactus, Denver, from Robert Patrick. His brother, Ira Knox, to manage. . . . William Sombar, Paramount salesman, resigns, to sell for United Artists. . . . Milt Hossfeld has re- signed as film buyer for Fox Intermountain Theatres. . . . Al Brandon, resigned Metro salesman, lately in Dallas, returns to Denver, selling for Selected Pictures. . . . Dora Kap- lan, Universal exchange cashier, with com- pany 36 years. . . . Charles Du Ryk, branch manager, National Screen Service, has taken a leave of absence. PES MOINES Nathan Sandler has been named chief barker of Tent 15, Variety Club. Sandler replaces Gordon Halloran, Fox branch man- ager, who is being transferred to St. Louis. Replacing Sandler as assistant barker, is Mayo Beatty, Monogram manager, with L. E. Weggener, Central States general man- ager, taking Beatty's office as second assist- ant barker. . . . Evan Jacobs, veteran Fox booker, has resigned to enter business at Rockaway Beach, New York. Replacing him is Jim McCann, former MGM salesman. . . . Harold Sutphin, MGM booker, was away from his desk last week for the first time in PICTURE PIONEER Willi J. Ge "Everybody knows Bill." That's genial William J. German, president of J. E. Brula- tour, Inc., distributors to the motion picture industry of Eastman Kodak film. That's the way it's said in New York, where he has his headquarters, and all over the in- dustry. Bill has been around a long time. He started working for the Eastman company as long ago as 1906, as a cost clerk. By 1916 he was managing pro- duction and distri- bution of everything in the company except sensitized material. In 1921 he managed the G. M. Laboratories of Long Island City, and the John Haworth Company of Fort Lee. And in 1922 he joined his present company. He joined it as general manager and then in 1924 became vice-president. On Mr. Brulatour's death in 1946 he became president. Mr. German is a director of Universal Pictures, Inc., and Associated Motion Picture Industries, Inc. ; and a member of the Explorers' the Lotus, and Westchester Country Clubs, and of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. 19 years. The flu got him. . . . Richard Brown has sold the Roxy, Milton, to Wil- liam Kemp of Madison, Wis. . . . The Lone Tree theatre has been sold by G. H. Kirch- ner of Clear Lake to T. O. Maraven of Ata- lissa. . . . Boyd Roberts of Lincoln, Ark., has purchased the Grand, Wellman. ... A fire in the projection booth of the Cam- bridge, Cambridge, resulted in several hun- dred dollars damage. . . . Both "Cass Tim- berlane" and "The Swordsman" were doing above-average business at the Des Moines and Paramount, respectively, last week. HARTFORD The installation of officers of Variety Club of Connecticut, Tent 31, took place Tuesday night at the Oneco Restaurant in New Hav- en. Barney Pitkin, New Haven branch manager for RKO, has been reejected chief barker of Tent 31. ... J. George Schilke, Jr., of West Hartford, has joined his father as partner in the Schilke Realty firm of West Hartford, which is at present develop- ing a West Hartford shopping center, in- cluding a 1,100-seat motion picture theatre. Norman Roy has purchased the Lisbon thea- tre, in Lisbon, Maine. . . . Strand, Stamford, Conn., has reopened, following extensive renovations. . . . Henry Needles, Hartford district manager, Warner Theatres, and Mrs. Needles, are on a trip to South Ameri- ca. .. . Commercial Videograph Co., New England and upper New York distributor for coin-operated television and phonograph combination machines, has moved into new offices at 63 Allyn St., in Hartford. . . . 300- seat Princess theatre, Rockville, Conn., is being taken over February 1 by Russ and Jack Ordway of Hartford on a 13-year lease Frank Haiko of Hartford previously operated. INDIANAPOLIS The first severe cold wave of the winter put a crimp in first run business last week, most attractions settling at or near average. The main exception was "The Swordsman," which took a hefty $14,000 at Loew's. "Daisy Kenyon" wound up with $12,000 at the Indiana, "Magic Town" with $10,000 at the Circle. . . . The Griffith Drive-in Thea- tre Co. was incorporated here this week by Ed Robb, Jr., George Forey III and Johnny Miller. . . . Damon Frank has taken over the Photoplay theatre at Clay City, formerly operated by John Hastings. . . . Roger Scherer has closed the Wayne, at Fort Wayne, for remodeling. . . . Jack Leslie, manager of the Douglas here, was stabbed in the side by a 14-year-old boy he had put out of the theatre. KANSAS CITY Another cold wave hit Kansas City Janu- ary 22, sending temperatures to five below and keeping the people at home. . . . The March of Dimes campaign here has raised out half the hoped-for fund in a week. ... A Women's City Club audience was advised by Emily Kimbrough to ask exhibitors to pro- vide comment cards on which opinions of current films could be written and returned to the exhibitor. . . . The Roxy brought in "The Burning Cross" and "Flight to No- where." Five Commonwealth neighbor- hood theatres and the downtown Regent ran "Gone With the Wind" for three days. . . . Walter Lambader has resigned as manager here for Screen Guild and King Enterprises. . . . Selznick Releasing Organization now has headquarters on Film Row. . . . Recent visitors: Lily Welty, Hill City; Barney Waite, Eureka Springs; Chet Norg, Apple- ton City; Walter Lovran, El Dorado Springs; Bob Robinson, Grant City. LOS ANGELES Robert Rodriguez, president and general manager of the Rodriguez Producing Com- pany in Mexico City, was in town. . . . The Rancho drive-in, San Diego, was to open January 28 with "The Fabulous Texan." Sero Enterprises, Inc., are the operators, and William Oldknow will do the buying and booking. . . . Floyd Wyatt, manager of the Fox West Coast Inglewood theatre, has been transferred to the Fifth Avenue thea- tre, and William Hickman, assistant man- ager of the Academy, has been upped to manager and goes to the Inglewood. . . . Sarah Levith is the new assistant to Ida Marshall, office manager of the John Filbert Theatre Supply Co. . . . Co-Operative Thea- tres is now buying and booking for the Hitching Post, Beverly Hills; the Foot Hills Auto Theatre, Rialto, and the Lone Pine theatre in Lone Pine. LOUISVILLE With the coldest weather of the winter season hitting Louisville and most of Ken- (Continued on opposite page) 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 1 {Continued from opposite page) tucky during- recent weeks, a general let- down in box office receipts has been report- ed by the exhibitors. . . . The International Harvester Dealers of Corydon, Ind., pre- sented free family entertainment in G. M. May's Dream theatre at Corydon recently. . . . Visitors on the local scene : Louis Chowning, New Washington; Russell Phil- lips, Greensburg; M. H. Sparks, Edmon- ton; Harry Whitefield, Uniontown; Bob Enoch, Elizabethtown ; A. N. Miles, Emi- nence; Erwin W. Rau, Jr., Leitchfield; Lu- ther Knifley, Knifley; L. B. Fuqua, Eddy- ville. . . . Only four of Louisville's seven first runs presented new programs during the week. New bills were on tap at the Rialto, "Unconquered", the Mary Anderson, "Always Together" ; the National, vaude- ville with "My Dog Shep," and Loew's with "High Wall." "Daisy Kenyon," which en- joyed a good first week at the Rialto was moved to the Brown. The Scoop returned "Body and Soul." . . . Chester Demaree, Loew's, has been reelected president of Lo- cal 163, IATSE. MEMPHIS The biggest snowstorm in 56 years and some of the coldest weather in Memphis his- tory resulted in a drop off in attendance at Memphis' four major first run downtown theatres. However, "The High Wall" at Loew's State did well. . . . Cecil Vogel, man- ager of Loew's Palace, was a little gloomy about attendance at the "Pirates of Monte- rey" opening, estimating the weather cut the crowd about 50 per cent but said it was bet- ter the second day when the weather improved. The Malco, which held over "Unconquered" several days, had a satisfac- tory week in spite of weather. "Out of the Blue" opened at the Malco the end of the week. Everything considered, "Treasure of Sierra Madre" at the Warner was doing all right, J. H. McCarthy, manager, said. . . . A good attendance from the mid-south was expected at the meeting Friday in Memphis of the state exhibitors and members of the industry. Called by Orris Collins, Para- gould, Ark., president Motion Picture Thea- tre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, the meeting was to be addressed by Robert W. Coyne. MIAMI "The Bishop's Wife," still showing at the Colony, was again shown to Miami 'teen- agers gratis on Sunday afternoon, to ac- quaint them with the show. "Captain from Castile" has made good showings all this week at the Miami and Lincoln theatres. "The Senator Was Indiscreet" is at the Miami and Lincoln. . . . The newest addition to Miami theatres will open soon at 7401 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. It is called the Normandy. "The Best Years of Our Lives" opened at the Embassy and Variety for a special limited engagement, with prices cut. . . . "Cynthia" is at the Sheridan thea- tre, with "Keeper of the Bees" at the State. . . . Variety Club's Heart Fund Show will be held February 11 at the Beach theatre, with all receipts going to charities in the city. Trailers will run a week in Miami theatres before the show. . . . "Fun and Fan- cy Free" attracted crowds to the Paramount midnight show. MINNEAPOLIS The year's bitterest cold spell, with tem- peratures hitting as low as 21 below zero, virtually put theatre business on ice for the week. Box office figures were generally well under averages, although the RKO Orphe- um, with Horace Heidt's stage revue, man- aged to draw a fairly respectable gross. "Sleep My Love," which had looked for a good draw at Radio City, fared rather bad- ly, but was moved over to the Century for a second week. "Louisiana" flunked off at the Gopher and was pulled after six days. "Road to Rio" still was strong enough to earn a fourth week in the loop. . . . Ben Ber- ger's tentative negotiations for leasing the Lyceum have been stalled, according to Ted Bolnick, Berger's partner, by the latter's jaunt to Florida for six weeks. . . . Bobby Berger, son of Ben, has been transferred from assistant manager of the World, St. Paul, to the home office as an assistant book- keeper. . . . Independent exhibitors are lin- ing up opposition to the plan of Roy Secrest, operator of the neighborhood Princess, to convert the auditorium of an abandoned high school into a 1,200-seat theatre. . . . Pamphlets will be passed out in all St. Paul theatres appealing for a heavy primary vote March 9, which theatremen feel will help defeat that city's recently enacted five per cent amusement tax. . . . Suburban Rich- field has increased the annual motion picture theatre license fee from $200 to $300. NEW ORLEANS A decline in box office grosses was re- ported by downtown houses last week. The unusually cold and rainy weather which the city experienced during the past week was directly accountable for this decline. "Daisy Kenyon" was the feature presentation for the Saenger. "Cass Timberlane" was shown at Loew's State. The Joy theatre presented "Lured." "Treasure of Sierra Madre" played at both the RKO houses, the Orphe- um and Liberty. "Henry V" was held over for a second week at the Poche. The Tudor featured "Adventure Island," and the Globe's attraction was "Black Gold." "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" was offered by the Center theatre. . . . Alberta Schindler, formerly with Paramount Pictures Corp., is the new stenographer for Film Classics. . . . Visiting Film Row last week were Max Connett, who operates the Roxy theatre, Newton; Milton Guidry, Erath, and Harold Dacey, who manages theatres in Raceland and Lockport. OMAHA Box office grosses slowed to a walk. Cold and snow helped the slowing process. Elmer Heller sold the Pilger theatre, Pilger, Neb., to E. W. Lundgren of Omaha. . . . R. C. Metzger has begun a new theatre, to seat about 350, at Winner, S. D. He already owns the Ritz there. . . . Alice Neal. War- ner Brothers office manager, will celebrate 15 years with the Omaha exchange Febru- ary 15. . . . Borge Iyerson resigned as man- ager of the first run State and as publicity director. of the R. D. Goldberg houses. . . . Millard Rethwisch is remodeling the Vic- tory theatre at Tilden, Neb. . . . A. M. Seff plans to open the 610-seat Uptown theatre in Sioux City, la., in March. PHILADELPHIA A. M. Ellis Theatres' drive-in to be con- structed near the Garden State Racetrack outside of Camden, N. J., is expected to be ready early in May. There will be ramps for parking about 1,000 cars and the 18-acre site will include a large restaurant and mod- ern rest rooms. . . . D. A. McHugh is now managing Henry Friedman's Lawndale. . . . Joe Farrow, who has been with the local MGM exchange for more than 20 years, is now managing the Locust. . . . Matty Preby is no longer managing for Dave Moliver's houses. . . . Henry Rosinsky's Eureka, drop- ping matinees because of renovations, will close for an entire month to allow for ex tensive alterations. . . . Mike Shulman, form- er RKO salesman, joined Film Classics as salesman for the Scranton, Pa., territory. . . . Earle W. Sweigert, Paramount division manager, named a sectional chairman for the Red Cross Drive, which gets under way here on March 1. . . . Virginia Everly elect- ed president of the 20th Century-Fox Family Club. . . . Frank Hammerman, active in the exchanges here for the past 25 years, joined Quality Premium Distributors as branch manager handling the Philadelphia territory. . . . Park, Trenton, N. J., reopened after being rebuilt and renovated following a fire. . . . The foreign film policy announced by Warners for the Capitol has been shifted to the circuit's Princess, also in the downtown district, with February 11 listed as the start- ing date, with the Italian film, "Shoe Shine." PITTSBURGH Bill Shartin, formerly manager of the United Artists exchange here, has resigned as Eagle Lion distributor, to handle Colonial Television products in four states. . . . Sam Fineberg, chief barker of Tent No. 1, Vari- ety Clubs, has returned from a three-week vacation spent with his family in Arizona. ... In its fourth week at the J. P. Harris and Senator, "Gentleman's Agreement" did far better than average for each week. . . . The English "Black Narcissus," which has been getting excellent notices, has been snared away from the Art Cinema theatre, which usually screens all European-made (Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 27 (.Continued from preceding page) films shown here, and put into the J. P. Har- ris as a replacement for "The Swordsmen," which started out with a swell $12,000 for seven days despite very bad weather. . . . "Road to Rio" in the Stanley, and "Captain from Castile" were held for a second week and also turned in good grosses. . . . Two pictures that fell off badly were "If Winter Comes" and "Sleep, My Love." PORTLAND In spite of the increased downtown admis- sion prices, business has held to normal and above, with holdovers almost the rule. This is due both to continued fine weather and to steadily increasing population in all Pacific Northwest key cities. ... A third big week for "Captain from Castile" at the Orpheum; a third downtown week for "Irish Eyes" at Playhouse; "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" moved to Music Box for third downtown week; a second week for "Swordsman" at Paramount; "Always Together" at Parker's United Artists; "Killer McCoy" at Broad- way; "Roosevelt Story" at Gamble's Cen- tury, arid a return of "Henry V" at Parker's Guild at roadshow prices. . . . Construction has begun at Baker, Ore., on a new theatre building on the site of the former Orpheum theatre. G. P. Lilley is building and the theatre will be leased to Ted Gamble Thea- tre Enterprises for equipping and operation. SAN FRANCISCO Completion of a survey on the educational aspects of motion pictures and their influence on young people is reported by Mrs. Ruth B. Hedges, editor of National Parent -Teach- er film review sheet. Her survey stressed the need for improvement in theatre pro- grams, with community interest and activity to encourage theatremen. . . . Eddie Baron, theatre owner, remains on the Board of Per- mit Appeals. He was re-appointed by the new mayor, Elmer Robinson. . . . Hulda Mc- Ginn, legislative director for the California Theatres Association, has been appointed by Governor Warren to his Youth Welfare Committee which was to meet in Sacramen- to this week. . . . Ted Gamble, president of TOA, planed into town for a special meeting of theatremen. Gamble spoke before mem- bership of the California Theatres Associa- tion and then immediately left for the East. . . . Blumenfeld Theatre circuit, which ac- quired the Guild theatre three weeks ago from Robert L. Lippert, has returned the Market Street house to Lippert. Theatre seats 300 and has pursued a policy of reis- sues of classics. SEATTLE Two fourth-week holdovers led the city's box office parade as "Good News," first MGM film ever to be shown at the Roose- velt, went into its fifth week there, and "It Had to Be You" finished week number four at the Palomar, which announced that this film would be replaced by "Killer McCoy" soon. The roadshow engagement of "Un- conquered" prepared to end after three suc- cessful weeks, to be replaced by "Relentless." . . . The Music. Hall and Egyptian theatres held Saturday morning birthday parties to augment their showings of "Donald Duck's Birthday Party." All children attending the shows were given candy bars. ... A new film club is being sponsored by the Univer- sity of Washington. . . . Sterling Theatres has inagurated a new competition for houses in its circuit. ST. LOUIS Something new will be added to exhibi- tors' interests when Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois holds its first regional meeting at Hannibal, Mo., January 29. Up for full discussion is an agenda including the subjects of taxes — local, state and federal — road show films, Ascap demands, local checkers, percentage pictures, preferred playing times and selective buying. Fred Wehrenberg, chairman of the TOA execu- tive committee, will attend. ... A holdup man took $125 from the Circle theatre Janu- ary 24. . . . Personnel changes : Sam Garber is resigning from the Warner sales staff to enter the grocery business. Republic Pic- tures, according to word here, has officially named John Houlihan to manage its Cleve- land, O., office where he has been acting manager. Nat Steinberg will take on Houli- han's old duties as St. Louis manager. . . . George Phillips and Herman Gorelick are leaving Eagle Lion to take over Andy Dietz' interest in Screen Guild Productions of St. Louis, Inc. Dietz will devote his entire time to Cooperative Theatres and his duties as MPTO field man. TORONTO Cold' weather, with the temperature below zero, cut deeply into Toronto first run re- ceipts just when seven theatres were intro- ducing new programs after lengthy hold- overs. The margin above average business accordingly was narrow in all such cases. The Imperial had an adult picture in "Night- mare Alley," while Shea's theatre broke out with "Daisy Kenyon" after three weeks of "Road to Rio" and a British feature, "While the Sun Shines," went into the Tivoli and Eglinton after a four-week run of "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer." Loew's theatre held "Green Dolphin Street" for a fourth week, and Loew's Uptown kept "Sleep My Love" for a second week. The Capitol and Victoria had the only double bill, which was topped by "Riff Raff." . . . The Royal Alexandra, playing stage shows mostly, an- nounced the coming two-week engagement of RKO's "Mourning Becomes Electra" at $1.80 top, the highest for any of the film roadshows thus far. . . . President J. J. Fitz- gibbons, vice-president R. W. Bolstad, and James R. Nairn, of Famous Players, were in Vancouver, B. C, January 26 for the final of three regional dinners in observance of the fourth birthday of the company's 25 Year Club. . . . Charles Dentelbeck, theatre- maintenance supervisor at Famous Players' headoffice; Jack Laver, manager of Famous Players' Alhambra theatre, Toronto, and Howard Elliott, manager of the Odeon Fair- lawn, have been hospital cases. VANCOUVER Doug Calladine of the Rex theatre was elected president of Projectionists Local 348, IATSE, succeeding Bert Pollock, re- signed. Local B-72, covering British Co- lumbia doormen, cashiers, ushers and clean- ing staffs, has been chartered by IATSE. . . . First run theatre business was tops the past week, after the fogs left town. Local patrons went big for "Road to Rio" in its three-week run at Capitol. Receipts were at an all time high at the Capitol's present ad- mission prices. "Red Stallion," at Orpheum, also good, and a revival of "The Great Waltz," at Strand, is playing to capacity and holds over. "Mark of Zorro" and "Drums Along the Mohawk" gave the In- ternational Cinema an excellent week's busi- ness. "Upturned Glass," at Vogue, on its second week was very good. . . . The Canadi- an issue of Warners' newsreel is being re- leased in Vancouver in two downtown Fam- ous Player theatres, the International Cine- ma and Dominion. . . . Vancouver visitors: Dave Griesdorf, president and general man- ager of International Film Distributors; Harold Warren, Port Alberni ; Myron Mc- Leod, Powell River, and Sherla Bejay, manager of Hymie Singer's Rio theatre at Victoria. WASHINGTON Business was mild, with the only hold- overs in town being in the "art" houses. The Little and the Hippodrome both report- ed fifth week holdovers for "Great Mr. Han- del" and "I Know Where I'm Going," re- spectively. New openings included "Treas- ure of Sierra Madre," at the Warner; "Slight Case of Murder," at the Metropoli- tan; "Road to Rio," at the Palace; "Secret Beyond the Door," at the Capitol, and "Out of the Past," at RKO Keith's. Carryover for the week was "Good News," at the Co- lumbia. . . . The K-B Apex theatre booked "Brief Encounter" for a two-day play. . . . The Variety Club's 1948 committees have been meeting to map out plans for the year. Among meetings held have been Wade Pear- son's entertainment committee; W. Vincent Lougherty's women's committee; Fred Ko- god's welfare committee ; Robert Denton's luncheons, speakers and distinguished guests committee ; and Nathan D. Golden's execu- tive Committee. . . . The Variety Club will hold open house on January 31. . . . The Washington Daily News on January 21 had an entire column on the local Variety Club Tent. n MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 Mexico to Enact No Restrictions On Remittances Mexico City Bureau Exhibitors and others in the trade who feared enactment of laws restricting the sending of film remittances out of the coun- try have been relieved by the assurance of the Ministry of Finance that no such action will be taken. Mexico's dollar and general monetary stocks are satisfactory and, the Ministry believes, any such prohibitive action would amount, almost, to national economic suicide. The dwindling dollar stock is being stemmed, Ministry officials explained, by prohibitions and restrictions on imports. The Ministry further explained that re- strictions on remittances would kill the tour- ist trade, which has become an important business for Mexico — U. S. visitors alone are estimated to have spent about $125,000,000 in this country during 1948. One Ministry official went so far as to say that such re- strictions would disrupt Mexican economy, radically change the Mexican system of liv- ing, provoke a dangerous black market in dollars, and generally ruin the country eco- nomically. Paramount Named in Albany Complaint on Clearance The Capitol City Theatre Company, op- erating the Eagle theatre at Albany, N. Y, filed a clearance action against Paramount Pictures last Wednesday claiming it suf- fered "double clearance" on the Delaware theatre, a Warner neighborhood house, and the Colonial, operated by Freedman and Orson of Yonkers, N. Y. Paramount was given seven days in which to answer the complaint. New York Bill Would Permit Referendum on Ticket Tax A bill to amend the New York State law which enables municipal governments to impose special levies, including a five per cent tax on amusements, has been intro- duced at Albany by Assemblyman Orlo Brees, Republican of Endicott. It calls for a referendum when empowered city and county governing bodies vote special taxes. Governor Thomas E. Dewey, in his mes- sage to the legislature this year, recom- mended extension of the permissive taxing power to areas not now included. Philadelphia Tax Up The Philadelphia City Treasurer an- nounced this week receipts from the city amusement tax for 1947 totaled $4,447,700, compared with $3,284,699 for 1946. The tax rate was four per cent for six months of 1946 and then was raised to 10 per cent. LATE REVIEW Black Bart U niversal - International — Another Western The wide open spaces — impressive, too — pro- vide a sweeping background for a perfunctory Western melodrama shy on the sweep of its Technicolored scenery in this Yvonne de Carlo- Dan Duryea vehicle which relies on an original by Luci Ward and Jack Natteford. Duryea is liar, cheat and highwayman who is pushed further west by the law until he reaches California at the time of the Gold Rush. There, he conspires with John Mclntire to un- dermine up-and-coming Wells Fargo by rob- bing its stagecoaches of their cash until the express company's resources crack under the strain. At that point, the conspirators figure on taking over. Duryea becomes Black Bart and the plot is well on its way toward nefarious success. Then along comes Lola Montez, toast of the various continents, and it's love. Duryea de- cides to go straight with the final job just shy of completion, He, along with Jeffrey Lynn who once was his associate in banditry-at-large, is shot to death by a hidden posse. This story, routine and lacking in conviction, is told by Percy Kilbride, who also appears throughout the film as another of Duryea's one-time com- panions at law-breaking. Efforts at injecting humor are only partially successful. Dialogue is without relieving dis- tinction and performances never more than standard. But the riding is hard and expert. Miss de Carlo sings one number and dances two. Where her earlier films have demonstrated strength, it seems reasonable to assume her new one may as well. Leonard Goldstein produced. George Sher- man directed. Reviewed at the home office. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. — Red Kann. Release date, not set. Running time, 80 min. PCA No. 12678. General audience classification. Lola Montez Yvonne de Carlo Charles Boles Dan Duryea Jeffrey Lynn, Percy Kilbride, Lloyd Gough, Frank Lovejoy, John Mclntire, Dan Beddoe, Ray Walker Three Pennsylvania Cities Prepare Amusement Taxes The City Council at Harrisburg, Pa., is considering an ordinance establishing a 10 per cent amusement tax on all admissions to theatres, sports events and other places charging admission. The ordinance, which will come up for final reading February 12, would become effective March 11 and is expected to bring the city $117,000 for the remainder of this year. In Allentown, Pa., the City Council has passed a new meas- ure placing an eight per cent tax on ■ all admissions to amusement places, while the City Council at Reading, Pa., is scheduled to take final action shortly on a new ordi- nance calling for a 10 per cent tax on ticket sales for all types of amusements. Canadian Amusement Tax Receipts Show Increase Canadian amusement tax collections for the third quarter of 1947 were higher than for the corresponding period of 1946. Oc- tober collections amounted to $1,372,649; November, $1,266,079, and December, $1,150,380. Figures for the corresponding months of 1946 were $1,335,054, $1,242,254 and $1,062,349. TOA to Resume Talks on Ascap Rate Revisions The Theatre Owners of America will un- dertake a series of meetings with executives of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in a resumption of negotiations on proposals to modify the So- ciety's new formula on music tax rates. This was announced last Friday in New York following a luncheon meeting at the Metro- politan Club attended by Ted Gamble, TOA president; S. H. Fabian, chairman of the executive committee, and Robert W. Coyne, executive director. Meanwhile, following the introduction of a bill into Congress early last week by Rep- resentative Earl R. Lewis which would re- quire Ascap to deal directly with the film producers rather than exhibitors, the society is understood to have favored such a move for some time. Assertedly Ascap's preference for dealing directly with the producers was predicated on the fact that it simplified the collection of music license fees from thousands of the- atres. However, several industry spokesmen in New York feel that the exhibitor will bene- fit but little if the bill ever becomes law. One executive, terming the bill "ill-thought out," said that the measure would save exhibitors exactly nothing, "because it would cost the producers hundreds of thousands of addi- tional dollars," and "they'll simply pass that on in increased rentals." To keep TOA members informed of the history and developments in the Ascap case, Herman M. Levy, general counsel of TOA, issued a bulletin last week which pointed out that "the principal reasons the court gave for holding that Ascap had not com- plied was that a certain percentage of the Ascap repertory filing cards were improperly filled out and that some of them listed songs in the public domain. . . ." Paramount Sets Dividend The board of directors of Paramount Pictures, Inc., last Friday declared the reg- ular quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share on the common stock, payable March 24, to stockholders of record March 4. Canada Postpones Ban The Canadian Government has postponed for one month — until March 1 — the ban on structural steel imports from the United States to allow completion of theatres and other structures now in the building stage. Sell Theatre Magazine Theatre Arts magazine, the monthly pub- lication devoted to stage and screen, has been sold to another periodical, Stage. The two magazines will be merged and the first is- sue published in April. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 29 EIRE T A 5C ROSSES REPORT RUINING by T. J. M. SHEEHY in Dublin At the end of the first week of higher ad- missions, caused by the increased entertain- ment taxes which went into effect January 16, Irish cinemas reported a serious decline in attendance. For the first time in many years, Dublin was without the large queues normally waiting for seats at weekend night perform- ances. A similar fall in the box office was experienced in other Eire cities and in the country districts. Government officials hope that attendance will increase as patrons get accustomed to the new price scales, but exhibitors are con- fident that no improvement will take place as long as the new admissions tax and re- sulting higher prices remain at current levels. Exhibitors are keeping careful tally of at- tendance and will forward monthly figures to the Department of Finance, hoping to per- suade the Minister to lower the taxes at the next budget hearings. Meanwhile, friction is developing between the exhibitors and renters because the lat- ter, so far, have not -joined in the trade fight against the tax increase. The renters plead that the dispute is a domestic one in which representatives of overseas firms can hardly intervene. Present taxes, in many cases, amount to well over 100 per cent of the admission price. BELGIUM by AN TYS • in Brussels The Belgian Government is creating a commission to bring together all ministerial officials having to deal with motion pictures as an industry, an art or an educational me- dium. This commission will deal with taxes, international conventions regulating the manufacture and distribution of motion pic- tures, the interests of the Belgian film and picture industries, and with the manufacture and distribution of films for schools and else- where where they will promote education and culture. SWITZERLAND by KURT EMMENEGGER in Zurich The Swiss Film Chamber has again been given official status as the sole government department handling motion picture ques- tions for the whole of Switzerland. The Chamber was given constitutional standing January 1 for a period of only one year. Previously it had been given official stand- ing for three-year periods. However, a re- organization of the Chamber is imminent, hence the one-year period. The Chamber is not a legislative body, but only a consulta- tive one. It consists of a president, a per- manent secretary and 24 members, 12 repre- senting cultural organizations and 12 repre- senting the picture industry. All members are elected by the Federal Government. V New limits on the amount of newspaper advertising which can be taken by exhibi- tors have been decreed by Zurcher Licht- spieltheater-Verband, the local exhibitors' organization. It has ruled that advertise- ments for Sunday morning performances of cultural and documentary films must be lim- ited to the Neue Zurcher Zeitwng, the Tag- blatt der Stadt Zurch and Tages-Anzeiger, the three largest dailies. Previously, the organization had set week- ly maximums for newspaper advertising space which must be adhered to by all ex- hibitors. If one week's maximum is exceed- ed, the surplus must be subtracted from the next week's quota. V A new motion picture monthly, Interna- tional Film Review, is being published in Basle. It is written in German, French and English and is edited by Edwin Wieser, Victor Lenz and Michael Arthur. MEXICO by LUIS BECERRA CEUS in Mexico City The studios that were established at Chu- rubusco by RKO and Mexican interests headed by Emilio Azcarraga are only func- tioning part time. This is partially due to a demand by the Picture Production Workers Union that for every picture made there in English one must be made there in Spanish. The union is soon expected to modify its de- mand since the below par production means less work for union members. y An un-named English producer — rumored to be J. Arthur Rank — is making plans to establish a studio for his own services in or about this city, according to an announce- ment from Jose Angel Ceniceros, chairman of the Mexican Government's Foreign and Domestic Investments Board. He made the announcement following a long interview with President Miguel Aleman. V Mexico's Variety Club celebrated its first anniversary January 16 with a luncheon at which Mario Moreno, known as "Cantin- flas," was the principal speaker. V Francisco Somohano, Villahermosa ex- hibitor, is the new president of the National Exhibitors Association. He was elected at the bi-annual convention here which chose as his aides : Manuel Angel Fernandez and Guillermo Santibanez, vice-presidents; Edu- ardo Chavez Garcia, treasurer, and Jose A. Quiroga, secretary. V Eagle Lion has established headquarters here at Paseo de la Revorma, No. 153. V "Duel in the Sun," playing in three thea- tres simultaneously, started its sixteenth week here January 8. The picture opened September 15 in four first runs. The local Selznick office estimates that 238,672 people have seen the picture. ITALY by ARGEO SANTUCCI in Rome An additional duty of five lira (about one cent) is expected to be added soon to Italian admission fees and remain in effect until March 31, 1948. The duty will be con- tributed to the National Fund for Aid to Unemployed Workers which the Italian Government has recently decided to estab- lish. The Government has accepted this proposal to add to admissions and an order to that effect is now expected. V Dr. Giovanni De Berardinis and Rodolfo Raoul Chiodelli, have been appointed manag- ing directors of the G. D. B. Distributing Company, distributors of Monogram Pic- tures here. Dr. Vicenzo Maia has been ap- pointed member of the board of the company. V Dr. Alfredo Messineo has been appointed managing director of Stabilimenti Cinemato- grafici Cinecitta (Cinecitta Studios) by the board of directors. V According to a recently signed agreement between Italy and Jugoslavia, payment for imported and exported pictures will be made in Italian lira. All amounts for Italian pic- tures exported to Jugoslavia will be with- drawn from a special "Jugoslavian account" here. URUGUAY by PAUL BODO in Montevideo A new distributing company to handle Spanish productions in South American countries and South American productions in Spain has been established by a group of Uruguayan capitalists of Spanish descent. The company is Cinematografica de Espana y America and its general manager is Dr. Leonardo Alonso. V Estudios Filmadores Rioplatenses, a pro- ducing company formed last year, has begun shooting its first full length picture, "Esta Tierra es Mia" ("This Land Belongs to Me"). Martinez Arboleya is directing. V " Alfredo Smith has opened his new theatre, the York, here. It is the first theatre in the city to employ only women. 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 Short Product in First Run Houses MGM Receive Council Award MGM Tuesday was presented the first annual Protestant Motion Picture Council Award for the Best Picture of fne Year. The award, presented at luncheon in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, was for "The Yearling" as the best film of 1947, and was accepted by J. Robert Rubin, vice- president and counsel of Loew's, Inc Mrs. Jesse Bader, chairman of the Coun- cil, presented the award. Principal speakers were Eric A. Johnston, president rA the Motion Picture Association of America, who stressed the need of the industry for self- regulation through codification; Dr. Daniel A. Poling, editor of The Christian Herald, who presided, and others. Among those on the dais were the Right Reverend Charles K. Gilbert, Episcopal Bishop of New York ; the Right Reverend G. Bromley Oxnam, Methodist Bishop for New York; Father Patrick Masterson, di- rector of the Legion of Decency ; Howard Dietz, vice-president of MGM in charge of promotion; Francis Harmon, MPAA vice- president. Mr. Johnston also stressed Hollywood's current "travail", but said the studios are "reconverting without panic and without fear" amid "an atmosphere which is far more conducive to sound picture making than some past practices." CAPITOL: Bowling Tricks MGM Cradle of a Nation MGM Feature: If Winter Comes MGM CRITERION: Ski-Demons Columbia Short Snorts on Sports Columbia Feature: T-Men Eagle Lion GLOBE: Now That Summer Is Gone Warner Bros. Feature: Body and Soul United Artists PALACE: Pen Games RKO Radio Wide Open Spaces RKO Radio Feature: Night Song RKO Radio PARAMOUNT: Monkeyshines Paramount It Could Happen to You Paramount Super Lufu Paramount Republicans Discuss Plans For 25 Campaign Films Washington Bureau Republican Senators are pressing for their party to launch a vast film-making program. The plan, which has been recommended by the Republican Senatorial Campaign Com- mittee, will be laid before William C. Mur- phy, Jr., Republican publicity chief. No details have been decided on, but talk in Washington mentions 25 films before No- vember, with an expenditure of $50,000 to $100,000. Most of the pictures would center around the accomplishments of the 80th Congress, and there's even talk of animation of illustrated charts and graphs in color. Meanwhile, both Republican and Demo- Feature: I Walk Alone Paramount ROXT: Hitch Hikers 20th Cent.-Fox Ski-Thrills 20th Cent.-Fox Feature: You Were Meant for Me. 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND: So You Want to Hold Your Wife Vitaphone Gorilla My Dreams Vitaphone Celebration Days Vitaphone Feature: Treasure of Sierra Madre .. .Warner Bros. WARNER: Action in Sports Warner Bros. Two Gophers from Texas Warner Bros. Feature: The Voice of the Turtle Warner Bros. WINTER GARDEN: Tex Williams and His Western Cowhands Universal Feature: A Woman's Vengeance Universal cratic national committees toy with plans for large purchases of 16mm projectors to send to local groups for showings to boost political rally attendance. German, Schwalberg Head Brotherhood Week Groups William German will be chairman for the laboratory and allied groups division for American Brotherhood Week, February 22-29, and Al Schwalberg will be chairman for, independent producers and associates, J. Robert Rubin, national chairman for the amusement division, announced in New York last week. American Brotherhood Week is sponsored by the National Con- ference of Christians and Jews. WARNER BROS! TRADE SHOWINGS OF CITY # Feb. 9th, 1948 Albany Atlanta Boston Buffalo Charlotte Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Des Moines Detroit Indianapolis Kansas City Los Angeles Memphis Milwaukee Minneapolis New Haven New Orleans I New York ; Oklahoma -Omaha Philadelphia Pittsburgh Portland Salt Lake San Francisco Seattle St. Louis Washington PLACE OF SHOWING Warner Screening Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. RKO Screening Room Paramount Sc. Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Warner Screening Room RKO Screening Room Warner Screening Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Paramount Sc. Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Film Exchange BIdg. Universal Sc. Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Warner Screening Room 20th, Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Warner Th. Sc. Rm. Warner Screening Room Warner Th. Proj. Rm. 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Home Office 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Warner Screening Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Jewel Box Sc. Room 20th Century-Fox Sc. Rm. Republic Sc. Room Jewel Box Sc. Room S'renco Sc. Room Earle Th. Bldg. ADDRESS 79 N. Pearl St. 197 Walton St. N.W. 122 Arlington St. 464 Franklin Street 308 S. Church St. 1307 So. Wabash Ave. Palace Th. Bldg. E. 6th 2300 Payne Ave. 1803 Wood St. 2100 Stout St. 1300 High St. 2310 Cass Ave. 517 No. Illinois St. 1720 Wyandotte St. 2025 S. Vermont Ave. 151 Vance Ave. 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. 1000 Currie Ave. 70 College St. 200 S. Liberty St. 321 W. 44th St. 10 North Lee St. 1502 Davenport St. 230 No. 13th St. 1715 Blvd. of Allies 1947 N.W. Kearney St. 216 East 1st South 221 Golden Gate Ave. 2318 Second Ave. 3143 Olive St. 13th & E Sts. N.W. TIME 12:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. 1:30 P.M. 8:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 12:45 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 1:00 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 10:30A.M. 1:00 P.M. 10:30A.M. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 31 %HAT THE PICTURE DID FOR . . . the original exhibitors' reports department, established October 14, 1916. In it theatremen serve one another with information about the box office performance of product — providing a service of the exhibitor for the exhibitor. ADDRESS REPORTS: What the Picture Did for Me, Motion Picture Herald, Rockefeller Center, New York 20. Astor SCARF ACE: Paul Muni, George Raft— Old reissue, but a good picture. Did well with the old baby. Good for those patrons who like plenty of action and gun play. Don't pass this one up. Played Wednesday. Thursday, Dec. 24, 25.— Roy Mathews. Palace Theatre; Wilmington, N. C. Columbia CORPSE CAME C.O.D., THE: George Brent, Joan Blondell — My Sunday patrons enjoyed this murder story plus the combination of Brent and Miss Blondell. Played Jan. 11. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Thea- tre, Gray, Ga. DEAD RECKONING: Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott — Played during the coldest weather of the sea- son. Below average draw. If I could have played it on Sunday it would have outdrawn the two days we played it. Played Monday, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 13. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. DOWN TO EARTH: Rita Hay worth Larry Parks- Disappointing at the box office as well as to the pa- trons. Not nearly so good as its predecessor, "Here Comes Mr. Jordan." Played Sunday, Monday. — Ho- bart H. Gates, Garlick Theatre, Custer, S. D. LAW OF THE, CANYON: Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette — The Durango Kid series continues to be a big hit with us. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 9, 10. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Eagle Lion CODE OF THE PLAINS: Buster Crabbe, Al "Fuz- zy'' St. John — A streamlined Western that pleased everyone. We need more of this type in Gray. Bus- ter Crabbe and Al St. John make an ideal combina- tion. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 16, 17. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. RED STALLION: Robert Paige, Ted Donaldson- Perfect small town picture. The outdoor Cinecolor is especially good. Word-of-mouth advertising was the best in a long time. Played Sunday, Monday. — Robert H. Gates, Garlock Theatre, Custer, S. D. Film Classics SPIRIT OF WEST POINT: Felix Blanchard, Glenn Davis — If you're in a good football area this will click. The two stars, Blanchard and Davis, help to boost this. Good football scenes. Flayed Sunday, Jan. 4. — James C. B.alkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer THE ARNELO AFFAIR, THE: John Hodiak, George Murphy — The trailer was better than the show. It was slow moving and the story was rather weak. Drew better than expected. Strictly "B" material. Hodiak is popular here. Would make good double bill material. Played Monday, Jan. 5. — Fred J. Hutch- ings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. GOOD NEWS: June Allyson, Peter Lawford— I opened with this picture Sunday afternoon and had a line of patrons half around the city block. It is easily one of the best pictures I've ever shown. This Technicolor musical starring Peter Lawford, June Allyson and Mel Torme blended with a collegiate background has all the ingredients of a top box office picture. — Virgil Long, VonDee Theatre, Seymour, Ind. LIVING IN A BIG WAY: Gene Kelly, Marie Mac- Donald — A light comedy that delighted my Sunday patrons. Played Dec. 28. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. SONG OF LOVE: Katharine Hepburn, Paul Hen- reid — Very, very definitely for the long hairs, and our audience are not that type. I know to most of them the prolonged piano solos were just so much finger exercises that Junior used to do. or daughter. And if you sit through two hours and not recognize a single thing they are putting over, then you have "Song of Love," and you can have it. — A. E. Han- cock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. SONG OF THE THIN MAN: William Powell, Myrna Loy — So far as I am concerned the title might REPORT FROM ENGLAND G. S. Lomas, Plaza Cinema, Gloucester, England, would like American readers of What the Pic- ture Did for Me to know the English opinion of American features. His is the first contribution to this depart- ment from that country. Mr. Lomas offers this verdict on RKO's "Tarzan and the Huntress": "We played this with 'Way Out West', a Laurel and Hardy picture. What would normally be a quiet Christmas week, turned out to be the best holiday possible. Children from school came here from miles around. Ideal program for kiddies." well have been "Swan Song.' I thought this to be the poorest of all in this series. Business poor. — Hobart H. Gates, Garlock Theatre, Custer, S. D. Monogram IT HAPPENED ON FIFTH AVENUE: Don De Fore, Ann Harding— A remarkable picture that shows what Hollywood can do when it wants to. Although no big names, any exhibitor should be proud to play a feature of this type. Played Tuesday, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 6.— James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. SWEETHEART OF SIGMA CHI: Elyse Knox, Phil Regan — A lovely little program picture. Very refreshing. It should do well in most small towns. We doubled it with a Western to satisfaction. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. Paramount ADVENTURE ISLAND: Roy Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming — No good for business. Played it in adverse weather conditions. Business poor. — Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. BLAZE AT NOON: Anne Baxter, Sterling Hayden — This didn't go over at all. Sonny Tufts meant nothing in our town. Although a top picture, it proved to be a disappointment.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Thea- tre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. BLUE SKIES: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire— This pic- ture has all you can ask for in entertainment, but it didn't do business. Played too late and the weath- er was against us. — Harland Rankin, Eire Theatre, Wheatley, Ont., Can. NORTH OF THE RIO- GRANDE : William Boyd, George Hayes — We played this on a weekend to satis- faction. Cassidy films are quite popular with us. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. RKO Radio BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER, THE: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple — This is a natural for any situation. The acting is fine, and the comedy is O.K. It is entertaining. Play this and it will be sure to bring in the dough. It grossed as much as any feature we have ever had for two days. Played Saturday-Monday, Jan. 10-12.— O. Fomby, Paula Theatre, Homer, La. Small town patronage. FARMER'S DAUGHTER, THE: Loretta Young, Joseph Gotten — This was all right for our trade. Good I business and good reaction. Played Sunday, Monday, Jan. 11, 12. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Sco- | tia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. KID FROM BROOKLYN, THE: Danny Kaye, | Virginia Mayo — Played late but business above aver- age on this excellent color comedy. Danny is the funniest man on the screen to all ages around here. Flayed Saturday, Jan. 3. — Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. MY PAL WOLF: Jill Esmond, Sharyn Moffett- • j Good weekend picture. Doubled with a Western. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. NOCTURNE: George Raft, Lynn Bari— Adult en- I tertainment pictures spell no business for us. This was no exception. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. Republic DRIFTWOOD: Ruth Warrick, Walter Brennan— This is a good little action picture and, as with alt these action pictures, it did somewhere near normal ' business. It seemed to be what the public wanted. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU: Philip Dorn, Cath- erine McLeod — The story is weak, star names nil and decidedly too much music for a small town audience. Definitely too drawn out. A half hour could be cut from the running time. Acting not particularly good, either. Not worth the buildup given. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. TWILIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE: Gene Autry, | Adele Mara — A very good action-packed Western, with Gene at his best. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 16, 17. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray Ga. TWILIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE: Gene Autry, Adele Mara — This was very much below the Autry standard. Used on double bill with "Moss Rose. Business good. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 16, 17. f —A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. Screen Guild GOD'S COUNTRY: Robert Lowery, Helen Gilbert —It might have been "God's Country" on the screen, but it was murder for the colored trade. Weather was good. Played as a single with a serial. Flayed Wednesday, Thursday, Jan. 4, 5.— Roy Matthews, Pal- ace Theatre, Wilmington, N. C. NORTHWEST TRAIL: Bob Steele, Joan Woodbury rjj Coloring in this picture was good. Bob Steele did well as a Royal Mountie. Played to fair business. No good for a single bill. Weather cloudy and cold. Payed Sunday. Jan. 11.— Roy Matthews, Palace Thea- tre, Wilmington, N. C. Twentieth Century-Fox BOOMERANG: Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt— This was picked up by our newspaper as the best action picture of the year. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. FOREVER AMBER: Linda Darnel, Cornel Wilde — This was not a sensational draw, but it seemed to please the majority. I want to know why nearly all of the big road shows have a bad ending. Beautiful costumes plus Linda Darnell help make this an above (Continued on following page) 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 (.Continued from opposite page) average show. Played Monday, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 30. —James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. HOME SWEET HOMICIDE: Lynn Bari, Ran- dolph Scott — This aroused much enjoyment although the crowd was below average. This is a good family picture. More of this kind would be appreciated. Would make good double bill material, although we used it as a single. Played Monday, Dec. 28. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. KISS OF DEATH: Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy — I personally thought this was a good picture of its type as it had plenty of action and suspense, but Sat- urday's gross was. the poorest in the past year and a half. Played Friday, Saturday. — Hobart H. Gates, Garlock Theatre, Custer, S. D. MOSS ROSE: Victor Mature, Peggy Cummins— The English accent was objectionable to a good many of our customers. Business was good. Acting of all characters was splendid. Played Friday, Saturday, Jan. 16, 17 — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. 13 RUE MADELEINE: James Cagney, Annabella— Just a bit too strong for some of our customers, but Cagney still has a good following and business .was above average for midweek. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Jan. 14, 15.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Thea- tre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. WAKE UP AND DREAM: John Payne, June Haver — A lovely musical. If you have people who like musicals, this is a good bet. Didn't take in our situation. — Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell, Ont., Can. United Artists FOOL'S GOLD: William Boyd, Andy Clyde— My Western fans can't understand how an old man can always whip three or four young men. They all laughed when Hoppy rescued a man the same age and the man said to Hoppy, "Thank you, young man." I thought this to be a very entertaining Western. Flayed Friday, Saturday, Jan. 2, 3. — James C. Balk- com, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. RED HOUSE, THE: Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister — Play this picture in any situation and you won't be afraid to meet them coming out. Splen- did acting by all members of the cast, and the pho- tography and sound were above average. Played Saturday, Jan. 10.— Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Thea- tre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. Universal MAGNIFICENT DOLL: Ginger Rogers, David Ni- ven — The holiday plus Royal Tour helped to draw a packed house. However, this feature is not very good. The story is pretty thin and the action slow. It is decidedly too talky. Stars help to draw. I'd avoid this if possible. Played Thursday, Jan. 1.— Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. VIGILANTES RETURN, THE: Jon Hall, Margaret Lindsay — Nice color plus a shoot 'em up made this a good small town natural. Played Thursday, Jan. 1. —James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Warner Bros. CITY OF CONQUEST: James Cagney, Ann Sheri- dan— Although fair entertainment, Cagney doesn't seem to have the drawing power as he used to have in the past. Business only fair.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. DEEP VALLEY: Ida Lupino, Dane Clark— Well done picture of a convict with a few moments of freedom. Both stars turn in good performances. Busi- ness about average. Played Friday, Saturday. — Ho- bart H. Gates, Garlock Theatre, Custer, S. D. NEVER SAY GOODBYE: Errol Flynn, Eleanor Parker — This was a surprise hit and drew a packed house. Comments were very favorable. More of this type from Warners would be welcome instead of so many serious dramas. Patti Brady was a little brat- tish, but did her role quite well. Worth playing.' Played Friday, Jan. 9.— Fred J. Hutchings, Com- munity Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. PURSUED: Teresa Wright, Robert Mitchum— Too cold for this picture. Business was below normal. The picture and weather were against us. — Harland Rankin, Beau Theatre, Belle River, Ont., Can. Short Features Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer HENPECKED HOBOS: MGM Technicolor Car- toon. Plenty of laughs for the kids as well as the adults. As usual, George and Junior are at their best. Good print. — Roy Matthews, Palace Theatre, Wilmington, N. C. LOOKING AT LONDON: Fitzpatrick Traveltalks — Enjoyed by all the ex-service men. Nice color. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Paramount SMOOTH SAILING: Musical Parade— Nice two- reel musical that took well. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. RKO Radio DONALD'S DAY OFF: Walt Disney Cartoons- Donald Duck is always a favorite. — James C. Balk- com, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. LOUIS- WALCOTT FIGHT: If you haven't played this, you'd better do so if you want your cash box to jingle. Held over for an extra day. Played Fri- day-Sunday, Jan. 9-11. — James C. Balkcom, Jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Twentieth Century- Fox NEWS: Used for 10 years satisfactorily. No re- grets.—Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. Warner-Vitaphone HOUSE HUNTING MICE: Merrie Melodies Car- toon. Warner shorts, on the whole, are good. — Har- land Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Can. In Western Electric Post Dennis L. Smith has been appointed assistant manager of Western Electric Com- pany's Caribbean area. He will be in charge of the company's Caracas, Vene- zuela, office, supervising motion picture equipment distribution and service. He formerly was with the company in India. COLUMBIA PICTURES v ANNOUNCES THAT PRINTS OF THE FOLLOWING PICTURES % ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR EXCHANGES FOR SCREENING W4 r£CHN'c0l0R LARRY PARKS in The SWORDSMAN with ELLEN DREW GEORGE MACREADY • EDGAR BUCHANAN RAY COLLINS • MARC PLATT Original screenplay by Wilfrid H. Pettitt Directed by JOSEPH H. LEWIS • Produced by BURT KELLY ' Franchot TONE Janet BLAIR / LOVE TROUBLE JANIS CARTER • ADELE JERGENS • GLENOA FARRELL STEVEN GERAY • TOM POWERS An S. SYLVAN SIMON Production Screenplay by Roy Huggins from his novel, "The Double Take" Produced and directed by S. SYLVAN SIMON The PRINCE of THIEVES MlCOLOR starring JON HALL \fl tl with PATRICIA M0RIS0N ■ ADELE JERGENS • ALAN MOWBRAY MICHAEL DUANE • H. B. WARNER • LOWELL GILMORE Screenplay by Maurice Tombragel Directed by HOWARD BRETHERTON • Produced by SAM KATZMAN THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS with Willard PARKER • Edgar BUCHANAN • Patricia WHITE Written by Aubrey Wisberg • Suggested by a story by Edward Huebsch Based upon the poem by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW Directed by JOHN HOFFMAN • Produced by WALLACE MacDONALD MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 FOREIGN FILMS HOLD PLACE With some 190 French, Italian, Russian and German productions destined to reach the American market during 1948 through 25 companies, pictures released during 1947 still are doing good business in the still comparatively few selected spots across the country serv- ing the carriage trade. The number of art theatres is growing steadily, however, and by now this development has spread to towns outside the key areas. In 1946 some 100 houses across the nation — a large majority situated in New York and Los Angeles — catered to foreign product. During 1947 their number rose to more than 250 and is still rising. Following is a listing of foreign features, reviewed in Motion Picture Herald since June, 1947, with the American distributor named and the date and page number of the Herald review. All are in the original language with English subtitles except where indicated. FOREIGN REVIEWS A LOVER'S RETURN LE REVENANT {Westport International — French with English subtitles) Louis Jouvet, who had prominent roles in the recent "Volpone" and "Jenny Lamour," heads the cast in another importation from France. As the successful ballet producer who returns to his native city to ruin the lives of a woman who left him and the two men who attempted to murder him 20 years before, M. Jouvet gives a restrained but excellent performance, although he is somewhat handicapped by a complicated story. As a secondary theme there has been incorporated an illicit romance between the son of one of the men and a ballerina of question- able character — a romance engineered by Jouvet to bring disgrace to the boy's family. Support- ing the star are Gaby Morlay as the woman who has married another, Francois Perier, the son who brings ruin to his family, and Ludmila Tcherina as the ballerina appearing with the ballet of Monte Carlo. Christian Jaque directed. Running time, 96 minutes. Adult, audience clas- sification. Good. — G. H. S. FURY FURIA {Film Classics-W estport International. Italian with English subtitles) Italy here offers the American public a pro- duction sure to arouse controversy and resent- ment. The film has realism and exsellent per- formances, but it falls far below the mark set by such Italian pictures as "Open City" and "To Live in Peace." In chosing the delicate subject of irrepressible passion and marital infidelity, Goffredo Alessandrini, responsible for both the direction and the screenplay, has mingled art with a forthright bid to the audience's lower in- stincts, an appeal that includes scenes which have no place on the screen. The theme will arouse sharp resentment in many who come to the theatre to be entertained. Scenes wherein a married woman parades up and down for long minutes, clad only scantily and bent obviously on seduction, cannot be classed as recommendable film fare. The picture has already been cut 20 minutes. It could stand more severe trimming. The story tells of beautiful and sensuous Isa Pola, wife of Gino Gervi, a breeder of horses. Isa is in love with Rossano Brazzi, young and handsome stud-keeper. She also likes to taunt Umberto Spadaro, a dim-wit stableman, who gives the picture's best performance. When Gervi's daughter, Adriana Benetti, comes home, Gervi gets suspicious of Isa. He surprises her at home while she is with Brazzi, but the lovers are warned by Adriana who accepts Isa's shame and is banned from home, marrying Rossano. Gervi dies in an accident and Isa urges Brazzi to resume their illicit relationship. In the end she is killed by Spadaro. Running time, 90 minutes. Adult audience classification. Poor. — F. H. THE IDIOT (European Copyrights & Distribution — French with English subtitles) Based on a novel of the same title by the noted Russian novelist, Dostoievsky, this film presents an interesting story in which the char- acters use different means in their search for happiness. The central personage, the prince, portrayed by Gerard Philippe, is suffering from a mental illness. His child-like simplicity is shattered when he realizes that he cannot bring peace to others. Two women, one a young girl who is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love, and the other seeking to escape from her past, come to the prince for aid. The young girl is unhappy because the prince does not love ITALIAN Title and Distributor Date Page Anything for a Song — Superfilm ... Aug. 9, '47 23 Barber of Seville, The — Excelsior. . June 7, '47 41 Cavalleria Rusticana — Superfilm ...Jan. I7,'48 38 Elixir of Love — Film Rights Dec. 6,'47 39 Farewell, My Beautiful Naples — Saturnia Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Fury — Film Classics — Westport . . . Jan. 31/48 34 Great Dawn, The — Superfilm June 7, '47 48 King's Gesture, The — Superfilm ... .June 7, '47 41 Marco Visconti — Film Rights Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Miracle of Monte June 7, '47 41 Cassino — Simplex Co Dec. 6,'47 41 Return, Most Beloved — Grandi Film Dec. 6, '47 39 Revenge — Distinguished Dec. 6, '47 39 Schoolgirl Diary — Film Distributor. Dec. 1 3, '47 37 Shoe-Shine — Lopert Aug. 30, '47. .41 To Live in Peace — Times Film Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Tosca — Superfilm Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Two on a Vacation — Hoffberg Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Wine of Love, The — Superfilm Jan. 3 I ,'48 34 FRENCH Beauty and the Beast — Lopert Dec. 6/47 39 Blue Veil, The— Leo Cohn Jan. I7,'48 38 Cage of Nightingales, A — Lopert. June 7, '47 41 Colonel Chabert— Siritzky Aug. 30,'47 41 Devil's Story, The — Superfilm Dec. 1 3, '47 ' 37 her and the other woman finally is stabbed to death by her lover. Philippe gives a sympathetic and appealing performance and is supported by Edwige Feuillere, Marguerite Moreno and Lu- cien Coedel. Georges Lampin directed and Charles Spaak wrote the screenplay. It was produced in France in 1947 by Sacha Gordine. The English subtitles are satisfactory. Running time, 90 minutes. Adult audience classification. Good. — M.R.Y. FANNY (Siritzky International—French, with English subtitles) This film is part of a trilogy made several years before the war and consisting of "Fanny," "Caesar" and "Marius." Marcel Pagnol takes credit for both the screenplay and production. "Fanny," like most good French pictures, has a simple story and involves simple people. They reflect the best in French character and their portrayal is brilliant. They are as good, as mean, as understanding and as boisterous as any people who live their lives in restricted en- vironments as part of the French middle-class. The late Raimu is superb as the selfish and bullish, yet tender and understanding father. The performances of warm and lovable Char- pin and of the excitable Pierre Fresnay are of top caliber. Orane is due. to have an illegiti- mate child by Fresnay, the son of Raimu. Char- pin knows this and, since Pierre has sailed away, he marries the girl. Fresnay comes back and, knowing that Orane still loves him, wants Charpin to give up both her and the baby. Raimu, seeing the injustice, makes him depart. This is excellent as art theatre film material. Adult audience classification. Running time, 124 minutes. Excellent. — F. H. Titfe and Distributor Date Page Fanny — Siritzky Jan. 31,48 34 Idiot, The — European Jan. 3 1, '48 34 La Vie de Boheme — Superfilm Dec. 6, '47 39 Lover's Return, A — Westport Jan. 3 1, '48 34 Midnight in Paris — Distinguished. ..Jan. 1 7, '48 38 Murderer Lives at Number 21, The — Mage Films Aug. 30,'47 41 Panic — Tricolore Dec. 6, '47 39 Queen's Necklace, The — Siritzky. . .June 7/47 41 She Came Back at Dawn— J. Millard Aug. 30/47 41 Star Without Light— Cine Classics Aug. 9/47 23 Symphonie Fantastique — AF Film . Jan. 17/48 38 Volpone — Siritzky Jan. 17/48 38 RUSSIAN Nuremberg Trial, The — Artkino . . . June 7/47 41 Road Home, The — Artkino June 7/47 41 Russian Ballerina — Artkino Dec. 6/47 39 Vow, The — Artkino Aug. 9/47 23 INDIAN Humayun — Mehboob June 7/47 41 Shakuntala — Mayer-Burstyn Jan. 17/48 38 BELGIAN We Lived Through Buchenwald — Mage Films Aug. 30/47 41 THE WINE OF LOVE L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Superfilm — Italian with English subtitles) Another film in the experiment of bringing opera directly to the screen, "The Wine of Love" has progressed farther perhaps than any previous attempt, for the producers have not only taken Dinizetti's comic opera of a tri- cornered romance but show how an opera of the stage can be enhanced by the clever use of the camera. In this Prora Film has made full use of closSups, long distant shots, fadeouts, lights and shadows and other cinema devices, thus overcoming the disadvantages present when an opera is photographed directly from the stage. Starring in the picture is the photogenic Nelly Corradi as the village maiden toying with the hearts of Gino Sinemberghi, an inarticulate youth, and Tito Gobbi, the romantically aggres- sive army sergeant. Milton Cross, the an- nouncer, does the narrating. It was directed by Mario Costa who also wrote the screenplay with C. Castelli. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. Very good. — G. H. S. Venice Film Exposition Set for August II to 26 The Ninth International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art will be held in Venice August 11 through 26, the Department of Commerce has announced in Washington. The exhibition, which will be held in the Exposition theatre and in the Garden of Illumination Fountains on the Lido, will be presided over by Dr. Vincenzo Calvino. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 PICTURE CROSSES A statistical compilation and comparison of Box Office Per- formance in first run theatres Figures directly below picture title compare estimated dollar gross with average gross and show relative percentage of all engagements tabulated. Figures opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly business based on the six months' period ending October 31, 1947. SYMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature title; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move- Over Run; (AA) Advance Admission. INDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear in Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. THE SENATOR WAS INDISCREET (Univ.) First Report: Total Gross Tabulated $413,200 Comparative Average Gross 406,900 Over-all Performance 101.0% BALTIMORE— Keith's 121.6% BUFFALO— Lafayetfte 136.9% CHICAGO — Palace, 1st week 154.1% CHICAGO— Palace, 2nd week 104.1% DENVER— Denver 84.4% (DB) Mary Lou (CoL) DENVER— Esquire 73.5% (DB) Mary Lou (Col.) KANSAS CITY— Tower 77.8% KANSAS CITY — Uptown 91.8% LOS ANGELES— Guild, 1st week 93.3% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) LOS ANGELES— Guild, 2nd week 73.3% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) LOS ANGELES— Iris, 1st week 146.6% LOS ANGELES— Iris, 2nd week 93.3% LOS ANGELES— Iris, 3rd week 73.3% LOS ANGELES— Ritz, 1st week 154.0% LOS ANGELES— Ritz, 2nd week 110.0% LOS ANGELES— Ritz, 3rd week 85.0% LOS ANGELES— Studio, 1st week 154.9% LOS ANGELES— Studio, 2nd week 105.6% LOS ANGELES— Studio, 3rd week 84.5% LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 1st week . . 80.2% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 2nd week . . 72.9% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) LOS ANGELES— United Artists. 3rd week . . 50.0% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) NEW YORK— Criterion, 1st week 106.6% NEW YORK— Criterion, 2nd week 133.3% NEW YORK— Criterion, 3rd week 93.3% NEW YORK— Criterion, 4th week 66.6% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 1st week . . . 131.2% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 2nd week . . . 90.6% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 3rd week . . . 71.8% MY WILD IRISH ROSE (WB) Final Report: Total Gross Tabulated $951,900 Comparative Average Gross 922,500 Over-all Performance 103.1% ATLANTA— Fox 118.6% ATLANTA— Roxy, MO 1st week 114.5% BALTIMORE— Stanley, 1st week 115.6% BALTIMORE — Stanley, 2nd week 100.0% BOSTON— Metropolitan 88.6% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) BOSTON— Fenway, MO 1st week 111.1% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) BOSTON— Fenway, MO 2nd week 101.8% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) BOSTON— Paramount, MO 1st week .... 118.6% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) BOSTON— Paramount, MO 2nd week . . . 111.1% BUFFALO— Buffalo 107.5% BUFFALO— Hippodrome, MO 1st week . . . 88.5% CINCINNATI — RKO Albee, 1st week . . . 157.6% CINCINNATI— RKO Albee, 2nd week . . . 84.2% CINCINNATI — RKO Shubert, MO 1st week . 85.7% CLEVELAND— Warner's Hippodrome, 1st week 169.3% CLEVELAND— Warner's Hippodrome, 2nd week 105.8% CLEVELAND— Warner's Lake, MO 1st week 83.3% DENVER— Denver 129.8% (BD) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) DENVER— Webber 128.5% (BD) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) DENVER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 90.0% (BD) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) DENVER— Rialto, MO 2nd week 97.3% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) INDIANAPOLIS— Circle, 1st week .... 130.7% INDIANAPOLIS— Circle, 2nd week .... 88.4% INDIANAPOLIS— Keith's, MO 1st week . . 62.5% KANSAS CITY— Paramount 165.3% LOS ANGELES— Warners Downtown, 1st week 122.1% LOS ANGELES— Warners Downtown, 2nd week 96.5% LOS ANGELES— Warners Downtown, 3rd week 76.7% LOS ANGELES— Warners Hollywood, 1st week 112.6% LOS ANGELES— Warners Hollywood. 2nd week 92.7% LOS ANGELES— Warners Hollywood, 3rd week 64.9% LOS ANGELES— Warners Wiltern, 1st week . 125.9% LOS ANGELES— Warners Wiltern, 2nd week . 107.9% LOS ANGELES— Warners Wiltern, 3rd week . 70.5% MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 101.7% MINNEAPOLIS— Century, MO 1st week . . . 113.6% MINNEAPOLIS— Century, MO 2nd week . . 80.3% MINNEAPOLIS— Lyric, MO 3rd week . . . 69.0% NEW YORK— Strand, 1st week 88.0% (SA) Ink Spots and others NEW YORK— Strand, 2nd week 109.5% (SA) Ink Spots and others NEW YORK— Strand, 3rd week 80.2% (SA) Ink Spots and others NEW YORK— Strand, 4th week 76.3% (SA) Ink Spots and others OMAHA— Paramount 156.0% OMAHA— Omaha, MO 1st week 78.4% (DB) The Crimson Key OMAHA— Omaha, MO 2nd week 56.9% (DB) The Crimson Key PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 1st week . . 176.4% PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 2nd week . . 135.5% PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 3rd week . . 65.2% PITTSBURGH— Stanley, 1st week 110.4% PITTSBURGH— Stanley, 2nd week .... 92.4% PITTSBURGH— Warner, MO 1st week . . . 55.5% SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 1st week . . 127.3% SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 2nd week . . 66.0% ST. LOUIS— St. Louis, 1st week 130.4% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) ST. LOUIS— St. Louis, 2nd week 119.4% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) ST. LOUIS— St. Louis, 3rd week 81.5% (DB) The Chinese Ring (Mono.) THE SWORDSMAN (Col.) Intermediate Report: Total Gross Tabulated $395,900 Comparative Average Gross 387,000 Over-all Performance 1 02.3% BALTIMORE— Hippodrome, 1st week . . . 104.7% (SA) Vaudeville BALTIMORE— Hippodrome, 2nd week . . . 94.2% (SA) Vaudeville CHICAGO— Garrick 170.0% CINCINNATI— RKO Albee 73.3% DENVER— Denver 97.4% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) DENVER— Esquire 73.5% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) DENVER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 50.0% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) INDIANAPOLIS— Loew's 117.6% (DB) Glamour Girl (Col.) KANSAS CITY— Midland 125.7% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) NEW YORK— Capitol, 1st week 105.5% (SA) Gertrude Niesen and others NEW YORK— Capitol, 2nd week 89.4% (SA) Gertrude Niesen and others PHILADELPHIA— Boyd, 1st week .... 137.0% PHILADELPHIA— Boyd, 2nd week .... 111.8% PHILADELPHIA— Boyd, 3rd week .... 68.0% PITTSBURGH— Harris 98.4% SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 1st week . . . 100.0% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) SAN FRANCISCO— Orpheum, 2nd week . . . 84.3% (DB) Blondie's Anniversary (Col.) ST. LOUIS— Ambassador 121.2% (DB) Main Street Kid (Rep.) Observe Fiftieth Anniversary International Ticket Co., Newark, N. J., will observe its fiftieth anniversary this year. Charles Manshel, founder, is still active. Leo Brecher president, 58th Street Plaza Theatre, Inc. New York, says: "WE CONSIDER ALTEC SERVICE AS REAL FRIENDS OF SHOW BUSINESS" ^*The motion picture industry today has got to meet serious challenges to its hold on its customers. You've got to meet these challenges by improving your entertainment every way you can. Getting the most out of the sound is certainly a "must"1 today. The Altec people, over the years, have proved they are working for the best interests of the theatres." JMJC 250 West 51th Street New York 19, N. Y. Altec Service, known for its service "''over and above the contract" is a vital ingredient of your theatre 's ability to meet successfully the com- petition of other forms of entertain- ment. An Altec Service contract is the soundest long term investment an exhibitor can make today. THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION OF THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 SIS Expediter Sees No Need to Hold Building Curbs Washington Bureau Housing Expediter Tighe Woods testi- fied at rent control hearings held Monday by the Senate Banking and Currency Sub- Committee that theatre and other entertain- ment construction was, comparably, an "in- significant" part of the building picture and that he would not "feel too badly if the curbs were dropped." Officially, Mr. Woods said, he had to urge continuation of the current Federal controls on theatre and other amusement building so that his office could not be ac- cused at a later date of wrecking the hous- ing program. He is expected to repeat this stand when he submits to the sub-commit- tee a written statement later this week. Asked how he felt about the controls per- sonally, Mr. Woods admitted, however, that he did not feel very strongly one way or the other and that he could not prove the limitation had done any good at all. The chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee, Jesse P. Wolcott, who probably will have the final decision in extending the rent control law past its February 29 expiration date, has said he would favor dropping the limitation power over theatre building if it could be shown that such construction was minor. The committee was told that the housing expediter, from July 1 to January 16, had turned down 300 theatre projects worth $40,979,281, and approved 310 projects val- ued at $11,730,529. Jack Sichelman Dies Jack Sichelman, 63, assistant to Clarence Hill, manager of branch operations for Twentieth Century-Fox, died in New York January 23. He had been with the com- pany for 30 years. Frank Kerr Frank Kerr. 67 veteran British Colum- bia theatre operator and owner of the Edi- son theatre at New Westminster, died of a heart attack January 20. He was a charter member of the Vancouver branch of Cana- dian Picture Pioneers and had been in the theatre business 45 years. Harry Keller Harry Keller, 52, former Universal Pic- tures publicist, died in Jewish Hospital, Cin- cinnati, January 22. Services were held Monday in Floral Park, L. I., N. Y. Bill Cody Bill Cody, 57, star of numerous silent Westerns, died in Hollywood January 24. Services were held January 28 at Blessed Sacrament Church, Hollywood. He is sur- vived by his widow and two sons'. IN NEWS REELS MOVIETONE NEWS' — Vol. 31, No. 7— Petrillo defends musicians' union. . . . Twenty men play 400 har- monicas. . . . Supersonic rocket car. . . . Navy fliers test immersion suits in icy waters. . . . Basketball. . . . Skiing. MOVIETONE NEWS— Vol. 31, No. 8— Stassen-Pauley clash. . . . Jerusalem today. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . Chinese mass wedding. . . . Voice of America to tell the world about U. S. . . . Feller signs 1948 contract. . . . Ice-boat in Canada. . . . Bauers — a real golfing family. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 241— Petrillo testifies. . . . All-harmonica orchestra. . . . "New look" in beach mode. . . . Rehearsal for winter Olympics. . . . Jet-sled rides at 1,019 miles per hour. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 19, No. 242— Stassen vs. Pauley. . . . Tense days in Holy Land. . . . Ghandi breaks fast. . . . Mass weddings in China. . . . Voice of America. . . . Ice-boat regatta. . . . Golden Gloves. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 44— Secret Nazi papers bared. . . . Japan makes toys out of beer cans. . . . Anti-freeze sailor suit. . . . New dress styles. . . . Petrillo before Congress. . . . Figure-skating cham- pions. UNIVERSAL NEWS — Vol. 30, No. Ill— Petrillo before House committee. . . . Rocket -powered sled hits 1.019 miles per hour. . . . Play 400 harmonicas. . . . Display latest swim suits. . . . Ski school. . . . Sportsmen's show at Chicago. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 30, No. 112— Clay warns of German unrest. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . U. S. information program explained. . . . Milk ship sails. Pirate gold in Florida. ... Mass wedding in China. . . . Baseball school in Florida. . . . Ice boat regatta. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 46-Hitler Stalin plan revealed. . . . Car hits 1,019 miles per hour. . . . Swim styles. . . . Petrillo testifies. . . . Mouth- organ band. . . . Surf carnival in Australia. . . . Great American: Robert E. Lee. WARNER PATHE NEWS— No. 47— China economizes on weddings. . . . Elizabeth shares wedding gifts. . . . Convertible hat. . . . Europe to get facts on U. S. . . . Gandhi ends fast. . . . Pauli and Stassen clash. . . "Killer"-"Butch" 40 lb. thriller. TELENEWS DIGEST— Vol. 2, No. 4— Pauley an- swers Stassen. . . . Petrillo testifies. . . . "Nickle magnets" at convention. . . . Voodoo doctor trapped. . . . Waldorf entertains strange guests. . . . Pagan death rite. . . . Textile smugglers trapped. . . . Climbers scale peak in Chile. . . . Inside the Kremlin. .... Harness racing in France. . . . Chicago Bears sign Lujack. . Toreador gored in Mexico bull- fight William S. Friedberger William S. Friedberger, 38, assistant manager of Walter Reade's St. James thea- tre in Asbury Park, N. J. died January 22 when the automobile in which he was driv- ing to Florida, crashed and burned near New Brunswick, N. J. He had served four years with the Signal Corps during the war. Edward P. Strong Edward P. Strong, 64, who built up a Cleveland theatre circuit in association with Fred Desberg and Emanuel Mandelbaum, died January 21 in Hollywood, Fla., of a heart attack. His circuit is now operated by Loew's. In recent years, Mr. Strong held interests in drive-in theatres and an amusement park. Guy McRae Services for Guy McRae, Paramount em- ployee for 28 years, were held at noon January 28 in New York City. He died January 24 at New York Hospital. He had been in charge of the maintenance unit for the Paramount Building. Maury Nunes Maury Nunes, 50, independent producer for the past two years, died in Hollywood January 21. Services were held in Brook- line, Mass. Mark Reissues, Better Business Bureau Urges Kansas City Bureau A drive to persuade exhibitors here to> adhere to the Federal Trade Commission's requirement that reissues be identified as such in advertising and promotion has been reopened by the Kansas City Better Busi- ness Bureau. According to the Bureau, "complaints are again being received from patrons that some theatres showing old films fail to indicate that they are reissues or that the word 'reissued' was in such small type that it was not observed until later. "This matter was taken up with theatre managers in February, 1946, following similar complaints that patrons selected a show to attend from advertising and learned after the picture was on the screen that they had seen it several years before," the Bureau's statement, released this week, con- tinued. The Bureau reminded exhibitors and copy writers that the FTC has ruled that adver- tising matter for reissues released under new titles should set forth the old title, "clearly, definitely and distinctly". NBC's Television Plans Advanced Four Months The National Broadcasting Company's television plans for Chicago have been ad- vanced four months and the company ex- pects to be on the air by September 1, E. I. Showerman, NBC vice-president in charge of the central division, has an- nounced. The programs will be televised over WNBY, the network's midwestern television outlet. The new date supersedes an earlier plan to be on the air by the end of the year. Williams Named Acting President of AMPA Phil Williams of Fortune magazine, who had resigned as vice-president of the Asso- ciated Motion Picture Advertisers in New York, withdrew his resignation last week- end at the request of the board of directors, and will be acting president during the ab- sence of Arnold Stoltz, who was to leave New York this week for an extended visit to Hollywood. Max E. Youngstein was nominated for the presidency, but his term will not begin until May. Groen Sales Manager A picture caption in the Herald of Janu- ry 24 inadvertently referred to Louis Groen as manager of the Motion Picture Export Association in Holland. This was in error as Arnold Childhouse is the managing direc- tor there. Mr. Groen is MPEA sales man- ager in the territory. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 <±An international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress WALTER BROOKS, Director THERE'S no denying the fact. We are getting more usable material for the Round Table, and a better qual- ity of entries for the Quigley Awards, from abroad than from our domestic mar- ket. Might as well face it, but showman- ship within these United States has been running on the downside the last six months. We get more quantity, there are more contenders for the Awards; but we get less quality, because there is a distinct lack of enterprise — or inspiration? Perhaps it is coincidental that about six months back, there was a tendency to cut corners in the costs of exploitation, and per- haps, we are now just feeling the impact. Debate continues as to whether "business" is off, or whether "pictures" are off, at the source. But, certainly, showmanship is off, and, we hope, only temporarily. Current films may bring back old times. From Australia, by airmail, comes a copy of the editorial page of The Film Weekly, where argument has been raging about the relative value of ballyhoo. They miss it, too. In England, where things are diffi- cult, showmen have become skilled at doing much with little. Here, let us hope, we can swing back to showmanship. r^Sl, c^V, r^SV. Elmer Rhoden, out in Kansas City ^1 Fox Midwest theatres, and the Wo- metco circuit, down in Florida, are using a twist on the March of Time's "Presiden- tial Year" short film, recently released. They conduct a straw vote, a poll of presi- dential candidates, in the theatre, through the run of the picture, and post the cumu- lative audience vote from day to day. In the March of Time release, all potential candidates for the Presidency are seen and given a chance to speak for themselves. Following the outline of the reel, the thea- tre prepared their own straw ballots, THIS IS GOOD NEWS Bill Ferguson is conducting five field meetings of his exploitation staff for Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, starting this week in Cin- cinnati, at the Netherlands Plaza Hotel, where J. E. "Watty" Watson, Cincinnati; Harold Marshall, Indianapolis; Charles Dietz, Detroit; Charles Deardourf, Cleve- land, and Bernie Evens, Kansas City, will be present. The second meeting, at the Blackstone Hotel, in Chicago, will have Metro's ex- ploitation men, Bill Bishop, Warren Slee, Norman Pyle and Louie Orlove in at- tendance, with Metro executives of the Chicago area. Three remaining sessions will be set up on Bill Ferguson's return to the home office. Each of the meetings will last two days and will consist of a survey of exploitation plans for the immediate future in each section. More good news for exploiteers is the announcement by Max E. Youngstein that Eagle Lion will continue its policy of shar- ing with all theatres advertising and pro- motion costs: dollar for dollar, over normal house budgets on every major picture to be released by the company. Mr. Young- stein reaffirmed the policy at exploitation meetings held in Dallas for the south and west, last week. Which rates three rousing cheers in this department. which are deposited in a lobby box. In- terest is accumulative as the run progresses, and rivalry between candidates becomes lively material for a newspaper story or street ballyhoo where these returns are posted. Politics can be dangerous when you take sides, but helpful when you catch a free ride on the train of current events. jf* Phil Williams tells us a good trick ^1 that he has seen in use in his subur- ban town of Hartsdale, N. Y., to stimulate interest in a coming attraction. The high school students are encouraged in a contest to design a handbill on the picture. The kids compete with each other to create the most professional job, highlighting what they consider the salient points, sketching what they choose out of material shown to them in the pressbook. It not only teaches them something about advertising, but sells the picture to a waiting audience, at a cost of a few modest prizes. There are two ways to win patronage from school sources. One is to solicit their purchase of tickets at the boxoffice in the usual fashion ; the other is to invade the school with your own basis of cooperation. It pays oftener, and better, to meet school authorities and school pupils on their own premises, with your obvious intention to be part of their community life. Too often, "the picture show" is below the level of the public library and the local newspaper. c^Vj c^Vj c*Sl, ^1 Lou Smithgal, in our old home town ^1 theatre, the Rialto, Canton, Pa., has boosted her regular ad copy from the old one-column measure to a wide two-columns. That's better — and it won't cost any more in the long run, for you get MORE display in one inch across two columns than you do in two inches down one column. For top at- tractions, the two-column space has room enough to spread the word around, with bet- ter showmanship. Now, we urge Lou to try still another idea: Give the Sentinel some publicity mats to illustrate those long reading notices. A picture would lift the advertising value of this free space and give readers of the best-newspaper-in-four-coun- ties something to look at while picking the pictures. —Walter Brooks T" FOR TOP EXPLOITATION Not in a long time has there been an exploitation picture like Eagle Lion's "T-Men", shown on this page in a variety of ideas from key cities. The opportunity to work with banks as sponsors of advertising is unusual; the chance for cooperation with the United States Treasury is exceptional. There's money in "T-Men", as an accessory before, during and after the fact. Many managers will be printing their own green money, using a pressbook mat, and numbering the bills for free tickets. Lobby and window displays for the show- ing of "T-Men" at the Joy theatre, New Or- leans, included con- fiscated weapons and police posters, above, and the showing of counterfeit money, at left, both arranged with Treasury Depart- ment cooperation. No limit to the number of such displays possible in any town, large or small, if you contact the bank or local police officials. A fistful of brand new $1.00 bills, for sale at 50^ each, in the lobby of the Stanton theatre, Philadelphia, with no takers I The same idea is being used in other first-run cities. Everett Callow built the show- ing of "T-Men" in Philadelphia with this impressive front display at the Warner - Stanton theatre, below, as his key situation. Lobby display at the Criterion theatre, on Broad- way, New York, had clippings of new exploits of "T-Men" as a timely tiein with current events. 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 < T-Men " Tieups SHOWMEN IN ACTION Total A Truly Terrific Take Six theatre opening of "T-Men" in Los Angeles is being closely studied by theatres in every part of the country as an example of the well-rounded campaign established by Max Youngstein to set promotion standards for this picture in every situation. The six houses, top deluxe theatres of the Fox West Coast chain, were supported by the posting of 325 twenty-four sheet posters, 650 six- sheets and over 2,000 three-sheets, cover- ing the entire Los Angeles trading area. Other promotions with Bank of America and Elmer Irey's "Treasury Agent"' radio show plugged the picture. In New Orleans, promotion for the pic- ture at the Joy theatre included an impres- sive and crowd stopping display of arms and weapons. Under the law, souvenir weapons held by any ex-GI must be deactivated and registered by the Treasury's "T-Men." Ex- hibits headed "Know Your Money" and "Wanted" posters from local police head- quarters supplemented the displays and ob- tained local newspaper comment. Chicago's run of the picture, starting January 8th, has been held over indefinitely as a result of the exploitation-advertising campaign. Keynote of Everett Callow's campaign at the Warners' Stanton theatre in Philadel- phia was the stunt of offering $1 bills at 50c each to passers-by on important street cor- ners and in the lobby of the theatre. Man- ager Elmer Pickard reports the trick won widespread publicity, but not one Philadel- phian would buy a bill, refusing to believe that anybody could be such a sucker. A frosty-faced guy muttered out of the side of his mouth: "Beat it, bub, there's a cop coming !" Making Use of Old Reliable Snowbirds Mollie Stickles, of Loew's Palace theatre, Meriden, Conn., is the first this winter to report taking advantage of a snow drift by sticking an exploitation poster in it. With the stuff piled high all over town, she found plenty of places for a placard. We recall an old exploiteer who said that if you couldn't do this at least once each winter, the climate must be changing. Mollie used big laugh- ing heads as street ballyhoo, with the line "Calling All Sourpusses" to enjoy this com- edy. She also used the ballyhoo, "I Laughed My Head Off" which is always good in small situations where the budget won't stand much strain. Car Giveaway Was Good Ron Failes, manager of the Laurel thear tre, Long Beach, N. Y., wants it known that his car giveaway was something to write home about, a sensation of the winter season in that resort town. Bill Reisinger writes us four letters, all dated January 15th, and all about the per- sonal appearance of Audrey Totter at Loew's Dayton theatre on January 16. Hmmmmm ! ! ! ! T Loew's Poli theatres in New England tossing a cocktail party for Jose Iturbi in Hartford last Sunday to promote press re- sponse for "Three Darling Daughters." T Jim Barnes sends a memo to say he's transferred from Warners' Oklahoma City theatre to Warners' Forum theatre in Los Angeles, and promises to write soon. T Morgan Duval placed a 24-sheet in the lobby of the Palace theatre, Duncan, Okla- homa; caused a mild sensation in his town with a display 6 feet high and 35 feet long. T Correction ! Bill Reisinger writes us five more letters, a total of nine, about that par- sonal visit of Aubrey Totter to Loew's Dayton. Bill, you're breaking our heart. We can't all afford such luxury items. T Phil Williams, member of this club, and erstwhile Judge in both quarterly and an- nual Quigley Awards, getting a nice pro- motion in his new post with Fortune. ▼ Al Hatoff, manager of the Globe theatre, Brooklyn, used "a barrel of dough" as an eye-catcher with the sign "This is not real money, but if you want a million dollars worth of laughs, see Red Skelton." T Fred Greenway, manager of Loew's Poli- Palace, Hartford, Conn., planted a good contest idea with the local newspaper on 'What was the best Good News you ever received ?" T The "Welcome Stranger" campaign pre- sented by Alice Gorham of United Detroit Theatres at the United Artists theatre, was adjudged the best publicity campaign for 1947 by the Women's Advertising Club of Detroit. T Pearce Parkhurst, well known New En- gland theatre manager and member of the Round Table, has accepted the position as publicity director for R. S. Wallace's Tri- State theatres in Alliance, Ohio. T Harry L. Minor, manager of the Wilma theatre, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, writes in to say he is sending his first campaign to the Round Table as a contender for the Quigley Awards. T Mell Brown, manager of the Peachtree Art theatre, Atlanta, Ga., had powerful sup- port from the daily papers in publicizing the opening of "Shoe Shine." The Journal gave it a page in the Sunday magazine, plus a Monday editorial mention. Jack Randall, manager of the Strand thea- tre, Vancouver, B. C, highlites an all-out campaign for "Life With Father," using a "saturation" radio hook-up and street bally- hoo "Father" wearing magnificent mustache. T Nate Wise mounted huge cut-out letters spelling out "Tycoon" on the rising orches- tra pit at the Palace theatre, Cincinnati, which was spotted with lights as it rose into view at every performance. T Shirley Allen, publicist at the RKO Allen theatre, Cleveland, awarded a prize for her "Know Your Cleveland Tycoon" contest and tieup with Greater Cleveland Safety Coun cil, to advertise the showing of "Tycoon." T Manager Mark Ailing of RKO's Golden Gate theatre, San Francisco, holding a "New Look" contest, with a picture of La- raine Day, showing only part of her skirt, and contestants asked to guess the actual and proper length. T In case you've forgotten or overlooked the fact, M-G-M gets out a press sheet on short films, with ad mats and everything that's worth getting and using regularly. T Lou Mayer, publicity director for the RKO Palace theatre, Chicago, has landed «t longe-range advance promotion for "A Dou- ble Life" with the Pennsylvania Railroad's Chicago division 1948 safety campaign. T There's fake money around town, but it's valuable. If you happen to get a phony "T-Men" bill with the right numbers it will pass you in to see the picture at the Cri- terion theatre on Broadway. Very convinc- ing advertising dollars. ▼ Bulletin ! Four more letters from Bill Reisinger, enclosing tear-sheets of newspa- per raves on the personal appearance of you- know-who at Loew's Dayton theatre. That makes thirteen epistles in this personality marathon. ▼ Norman Lofthus, manager of Warners California theatre, Santa Barbara, using a post-card to music lovers to sell them "Song of Love" and "The Great Mr. Handel" on a double bill. T Maurice Wilson, manager of the Moor- head theatre, Moorhead, Minn., says his house is second run to Fargo, N. D.t just across the river, but he's making good with British Prestige pictures, with seats re- served for "Henry V." ▼ West Coast premiere of RKO's "Night Song" at the Golden Gate theatre, San Francisco, put over with all the excitement of a typical Hollywood opening and spon- sored by the San Francisco Call Bulletin, with ten days of heavy publicity. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 31, 1948 If TEN BEST OF THE YEAR AS SHOWMEN DO IT The austere New York Tunes refers casually to "the most fanciful exhibits of unblushing press agentry in the year just past," and includes such examples as that perpetrated by Irving Levin, San Francisco theatre manager, who mailed out live turtles to advertise his new noiseless popcorn bag, probably inspired by something he read in a Warners' Pressbook on "The Voice of the Turtle." And down in Sarasota, Florida, another manager had a young deer to ex- ploit "The Yearling," the animal becoming so enamored with the picture that it re- turned to stand in the aisle and watched every every performance on the screen. Difficult to Choose Best Among members of this association of motion picture showmen, it would be difficult to point effectively to the ten best, because there are so many more than ten, and all best for different reasons. But for the pur- poses of this page, we rise to defend those who practice press agentry the year around, for profit, and who live rather for the practi- cal result obtained than the exotic method. We are in an enviable position, for we have the opinion and judgment of the Quigley Awards competition through four quarters of 1947 to look back upon, to say nothing of pleasant memory of letters in the mail, be- fore these entries were sorted and selected and shaken down to size. Without attempting to list our choice in showmen, either alphabetically or chrono- logically, we will drift backwards through 1947, beginning with Len Chant, manager of the New Victoria, Preston, England, who surprised the judges and ourselves, winning the overseas citation for the fourth quarter with an entry which was described in these pages only last week. And that reminds us of Percival B. Singh, of the Deluxe thea- tre, Port O'Spain, Trinidad, who did an equally good job with the same picture, "The Jolson Story," to win the overseas citation for the second quarter. And Stanley Hod- nett, of the Gaumont Palace, Middlesbrough, England, who did it in the third quarter. Then, there's Willis E. Shaffer, of the Fox Atchison theatres, Atchison, Kansas, who has twice won the quarterly silver desk plaque in 1947 and who excels in his handling of advertising and publicity in the Kansas town where he has two theatres and a friendly competitor who is becoming a Round Table member, in self defense. We can't decide whether "Shaf" or Pierce Mc- Coy, of the Miller theatre, Augusta, Ga., leads in civic and community relations, but it's close, with maybe a shade the best of it for McCoy. Or, Mildred Fitzgibbons, at the Skouras Broadway theatre, Flushing, L. I., for Mildred was a close rnuner-up last quarter for top honors. Stanley Gere, manager of the Rialto thea- tre, Racine, Wisconsin, took Abbott and Costello's "Buck Privates Come Home" and turned it into a municipal holiday, best ex- ample of that order ever to reach this desk, but Stanley hasn't done it again, and it's sustained showmanship that counts towards awards. Jack Matlack, winner these many years, turned in a marvelous job with the opening of a new theatre for foreign films out in Portland, Oregon, but he doesn't hit these pages as often or as hard as he used to, from the records. Fred Perry, down in Schune's Liberty theatre, Cumberland, Md., is a specialist of the first quality, hitting regularly on all twelve cylinders. We had a laugh at the "Mitty" pictures which Bob Case had printed in the Kingston newspapers, showing the remodeling of the city of Kingston, by trick photography, in his "Mitty" dreams. And Bill Novak, who turned Winnipeg inside-out to turn in the premiere of "Welcome Stranger" for Cana- da, at the Capitol theatre. Or Lester Pol- lock, of Loew's Rochester theatre, who is consistently in front with displays to adver- tise his attractions. And Jules Landfield, out in the Melrose theatre, Melrose Park, 111., who keeps the midwest on its toes with good showmanship. Among Round Table Members Or, consider the two "Phils" — who ac- complish so much in neighborhood theatres; Phil Katz, at the Kenyon theatre, Ptits- burgh, and Phil Chaiton, at the Tuxedo the- atre, in the Bronx, who won applause* for his birthday parties and for filming his own street parades as an audience attraction. And there's Elmer Adams, down in Shawnee, Oklahoma, who is a frequent prize-winner, and Carlos Giacheri, at the Astor theatre, Turin, first to show us how professional was the job of showmanship in Italy. That's more than ten? We haven't any more than started, and there isn't space enough to list them all. Toy Train for Lobby Display Manager F. P. Gloriod of the Varsity and Rodgers theatres, Carbondale, 111., dis- covered a good idea in the use of a toy train in his lobby, to advertise a "train of coming attractions." He promoted the elec- tric train from a young boy, for passes, and the operation of the railroad was the added responsibility of regular theatre employees. Children Give Toys to Needy Gerry Savoie, manager of the Paramount theatre, Brattleboro, Vermont, had a month- long promotion plan that created plenty of good-will while providing toys for children. The American Legion put on a campaign for the needy; Gerry offered free tickets to children who would bring in their old toys to be donated to the less fortunate. Iowa Managers Win Praise For Campaign Ideas William Singer, manager of the Brandies theatre, Omaha; Harry Dearmin, manager of the Strand in Marshalltown, and Raymond Langfitt, manager of the Orpheum in Du- buque, are winners in a contest for the best campaign on "Tycoon" conducted by Har- ry Mandel in RKO Iowa theatres. Aside from the usual radio, newspaper and window tieups, each town had many origi- nal stunts applicable to their special situa- tions. In Omaha, for instance, Mr. Singer tied in with the Chamber of Commerce and the U. S. Army Engineers, honoring as "Ty- coon" General Pick of the U. S. Army En- gineers in connection with the Pick-Sloan plan to make the Missouri River navigable, which is hot news in that vicinity. In Marshalltown, Mr. Dearmin took ad- vantage of historical dates, such as "V-E" Day and "V-J" Day, to exploit "T-Day," which naturally referred to the opening of "Tycoon." All advertising carried this theme, even to "Tycoon" sandwiches and "Tycoon" sundaes, which were all over the town. In Dubuque, Mr. Langfitt tied in with a radio "Man in the Street" show to ask the question, "What's the difference be- tween a tycoon and a typhoon ?", with amus- ing answers. A smartly dressed man, for street ballyhoo, was introduced as a "Ty- coon," just for a sample. Manager Harold Perlman. of the RKO Palace theatre, Chicago, offered two mem- berships in the desirable "Dress of the Month Club" through a tieup with station WCFL in a radio contest to advertise "The Lost Moment". Pretty girls were "planted" at busy hours in front of this lobby poster to ask land answer) questions about the con- test, and to explain the club idea. All ex- pense borne by the cooperating station. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 Manager Su bm its A New Selling Approach 13 Campaigns REVIEW OF CURRENT PRESSBOOKS For Awards "MY WILD IRISH ROSE" — Warner Bros. In Color by Technicolor. In Your Wildest Dreams, You've Never Seen "Such Color, Comedy and Dancing Colleens. It's McNificent! And there's sixteen song hits to work with, including "My Wild Irish Rose" — "A Little Bit of Pteaven" and "Mother Machree" with a special record album available that will make you plenty of tieups. You can't go too strongly on music that so many millions love. Dennis Morgan has an ear for a tune and an eye for a wild Irish Rose; the ladies will be -hasing him. Posters are gay and Gaelic, especially the 24-sheet which has a lilt to it; like the 6-sheet, it sells music. News- paper mats are all okey, with plenty to choose from in three columns or less width, and some you can cut down to size. Trailer copy keys the selling approach, aimed at that big interested audience, who have been presold on these tunes since they were babes in arms. There's a cooperative news- paper ad suggested in layout form, but no special mat, unless you take the pressbook to your newspaper man and dope some- thing out. Naturally, lots of radio and other song tieups; also cooperation to be expected from Irish societies and florists, who sell wild Irish roses. Merchant tieups are numerous and you can use window cards to good advantage with many possi- bilities. Story is life of Chauncey Olcott, so you can promise everything nostalgic, romantic and authentic. (Mailman just ar- rived with a bit of the oud sod, direct from Ireland by Pan-American Airways, to ex- ploit this picture!) Cooperative Programs For February Holidays Irving Schwartz, manager of the Allerton theatre, Bronx, New York, has arranged with his local Firestone store to underwrite a special Lincoln's Birthday show, with 500 gifts to be awarded in stage contests. With this so successfully financed, he immediately went to ten other cooperatig merchants, who were anxious to get on board with the financing of a Washington's Birthday Show along the same lines. Special cartoon and comedy programs are provided, with all ex- penses paid by the merchants. Write a Harrowing Humdinger! Joe Samartano, manager of Loew's State theatre, Providence, running a limerick con- test to advertise "Sleep, My Love," in which he solicits blood curdling rhymes for his unfinished verse, containing words like "dreams", "screams," "desire" and "eerie." Should convince 'em the picture is not one to sleep through. "TYCOON" — RKO Radio Picture. In Color by Technicolor. Thrills Galore Are In Store! RKO's Story of Love and Ad- venture In the Andes! She's Romantic, He's Rugged, Together They're Dynamite! Slogans from the pressbook set the pace for this picture of love, dynamite, flames and flood. Go ahead and blast! Posters, and display materials, from 24-sheet down to the herald, are alike in style, so look them over and pick the best for your pur- pose. The 6-sheet has a lot of punch and is good for cut-outs or lobby display. Pic- ture has had the benefit of unusual pre- selling by color advertising in key cities. Newspaper mats are generally good and with more variety in styling than the dis- play material. A set of teaser ads are forceful, all in two-column width, but sold separately. There is an interesting mat, No. 402, which you can buy as a four-col- umn mat for 60c but cut it up into two separate ads or arrange it differently, with the cooperation of the composing room foreman at your newspaper office. Too many big ads, you may get by with the one-column mats that are provided so un- generously. So many theatres use smaller sizes; so few, use big ones! Tieup stills are available in National Screen Service Sets. A novel teaser puzzle mat, No. 3-X, is clever. Free transcriptions feature the voices of the cast for spot announcements. Especially recommended are good ideas developed by Iowa theatre managers in handling "Tycoon" which will be found elsewhere in this issue of the Round Table. The title is not easy to sell. Promotes Street Parade For "Red Stallion" Herschel A. Wheeler, manager of the Pace theatre, Gordon, Nebraska, says his town has only 2,100 population, but there wasn't anyone in the countryside who didn't know he was playing "Red Stallion" after a three- weeks campaign. He used 3-column ads in his local newspaper, and a reader illustrated with a scene mat, together with his monthly calendar, special bread wrappers, window displays, contest in the high school, and free tickets to everyone who came to the opening performance on a horse, the riders thus forming a free street parade. Reissue Gets Exploitation Sid Kleper, manager of Loew's College theatre, New Haven, found plenty of good exploitation in the reissue title, "You Only Live Once." He placarded 100 taxicabs, front and back, with bumper strips, and tied- in various ways to "drive safely" and "look twice before crossing streets." Among newer members of the Round Table, and eager contender for the Quigley Awards, is Edward N. Brown, manager of the Gayety theatre, in the steel mill district of South Chicago. His first campaign book carried the announcement that a complete series of 13 campaigns would be submitted in the Awards competition. With the arrival of Book No. 8, we must admit, the manager's job is not an easy one, where you follow 95 per cent of Chicago's theatres, and patronage must be won and held on a basis of show- manship and community relations. The Gayety circulates a weekly program, advertises in The Daily Calumet, a neigh- borhood newspaper, expands both media on special occasions, but it is in practical, per- sonal methods that one builds business for this 850-seat theatre. You have to fight for it, and Ed Brown's campaigns show him in there, fighting. In Book No. 2, we notice a group picture, with John F. Burnham, Quig- ley Silver Award winner for 1938, standing alongside, so there's an old strain of show- manship on these premises. It shows clearly in the results obtained. Burnham, with Chief Harry F. Clineen, of Chicago's Fire Department, were judges in a school contest for Fire Prevention Week. Ed Brown makes the most of every com- munity opportunity. He works closely with public and parochial schools, conjures up contests and prizes from civic minded local merchants. He offers plenty of give-away novelties for children (mostly obtained from Reed & Associates, Chicago) and enjoys a complete sell-out of children's performances in his neighborhood. City and State officials cooperate in making civic occasions impor- tant to both children and parents. Photo- graphs of his "hold out" crowd show a lobby jam-packed with kids, waiting to get in. Through all his campaigns is the ever- present proof that he works materials over and over again, saves money as he makes money. He has come to the conclusion that a large and special ballyhoo front is the best exploitation he can use, and in thirteen weeks he has built 40 of these fronts, each one dif- ferent from any that have been used before. He says, these 13 weeks represent the big- gest business in the history of the theatre, and we can readily see why. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JANUARY 31, 1948 41 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Ten cents per word, money-order or check with copy. Count initials, box number and address. Minimum insertion, $1. Four ESS insertions, for the price of three. Contract rates on application. No borders or cuts. Forms close Mondays at 5 P.M. Publisher fS^21 reserves the right to reject any copy. Film and trailer advertising not accepted. Classified advertising not subject to agency BmT^SJ commission. Address copy and checks: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, Classified Dept., Rockefeller Center, New York (20) I^Ji HELP WANTED SALESMEN WANTED TO HANDLE AS SIDE- line inexpensive premium toy novelties for children's matinees. BOX 2192, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. PERSONNEL ASSISTANT, COLLEGE GRAD- uate experienced in personnel techniques for New York theatre circuit. BOX 2191, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. WANTED: MANAGERS FOR PERMANENT THE- atre positions, available at Philadelphia, Binghamton, Albany. Salaries range $60 to $150 weekly, depending upon man's capabilities. Write NEIL HELLMAN, Paramount Theatre, 378 Clinton Ave., Albany, N. Y. USED EQUIPMENT THEATRE CHAIRS — 3.000 USED SPRING cushioned, part full upholstered back and part insert panel back, with spring edge and box-spring cushions; 1,000 veneer chairs; 800 good backs, 500 spring cushions; and hinges. Immediate delivery. Advise how many you need. Write for prices and photographs. Phone Valley 2-3445. JESSE COLE, 2565 McClellan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. STRONG, 1 KW. LAMPHOUSES AND RECTI- fiers, rebuilt, $625; Super-Simplex mechanisms, rebuilt, $525; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, shockprooi gears, rebuilt, $340; Powers, $114.50; complete booth equipment consisting of Simplex rear shutter mechan- isms, pedestals, magazines. Peerless lamphouses, rec- tifiers, lenses, RCA sound, all recently rebuilt, $1065. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New York 19. SPARES FOR YOUR BOOTH. SIMPLEX FRONT shutter mechanisms, $79.50; Simplex double bearing mechanisms, $104.50; Simplex rear shutter mechanisms, $165; Simplex single bearing movements, $4.95; double bearing movements, $29.50; 30 ampere rectifiers. $50; amplifiers from $29.50. All above in good condition. STAR CINEMA SUPPLY, 459 W. 46th St., New Yorkl9. THOUSANDS INVESTED LATE ARMY SUR- plus equipments, more DeVry H.I. arc sound projec- tors available, $2495; RCA MI -9050 Soundheads $325; 50, 65 & 70 Ampere High Intensity Hertner, Roth, Robins, Stabilarc Generators, panel, ballasts, starters from $395; complete rebuilt projection, sound equip- ments. Powers, Simplex, Motiograph, Century, Bren- kert for all size Theatres and Drive-Ins, $995 up. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. AIR-CONDITION YOUR THEATRE THIS SUM- mer at fraction of new price. Used blower and air- washer and purifier, complete with all motors, etc., for air-cooling 1000 seat theatre. Now in operation. For details and price write GUST CONSTAN, Avon Thea- tre, Decatur. 111. REMOVAL SALE - WHY PAY INFLATED prices? Booth Shutters, 8" x 8", $7.95; 12" x 14", $10.95; Simplex rewinder sets, $6.95; U.R.C. Sound- heads, $50; guaranteed rebuilt General Ticket Reg- isters, 2 unit, $195; 3 unit, $257.50; Simplex BB Move- ments, $39.50; Simplex 2000' magazines, upper, $11.50; lower, $16.50; double film shipping cans, $2.95: Sound Projectors, 35mm, $89.50 up; 16mm, $149.50 up. Send for catalog. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St., New York 18. 288 ANDREWS FULL UPHOLSTERED METAL lined back, springedge cushions, excellent condition, $4.95; 200 hardwood sectional folding chairs, 2's and 4's, $2.95; 1300 Stafford panelback, boxspring cushions, excellent, $4.25; 375 American heavy panelback, box- spring chairs, rebuilt, reupholstered. $5.25; 1200 Hey- wood- Wakefield veneer chairs, rebuilt, $3.95: 255 Hey- wood panelback reupholstered boxspring cushions, re- built, $5.95; 74 Ideal beautiful loge chairs, 22" wide, reupholstered, rebuilt. $8.95. Send for stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. New York State Rejects "Devil in the Flesh" The French-made feature, "Devil in the Flesh" ("Diable au Corps") which was brought to the United States by Paul Greatz in association with Universal-International, has been refused a New York State license for exhibition by the State Education De- POSITIONS WANTED THEATRE MANAGER, 19 YEARS' EXPERI- ence, all type operation, available at once. Address BOX 1, 1601 Poplar St., Kansas City. Mo. WANTED ASSISTANT THEATRE MANAGERS job. Anywhere in New England. S. B. TROIANELLO, 191 Jackson St., Lawrence, Mass. WHAT HAVE YOU TO OFFER EXECUTIVE- secretary, thoroughly familiar booking features, shorts. Capable handling theatre help, meeting public, keeping things running smoothly, with inborn love of theatre work. Have excellent position small circuit. Offer must be good and interesting. New England, preferably near Boston. BOX 2196, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. PROJECTIONIST. THOROUGHLY EXPERT enced on all types of equipment. Go anywhere. Avail- able immediately. BOX 2197, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. NEW EQUIPMENT AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT FOR THEA- tre. 1—40 H.P. Motor and Compressor, 1—60 H.P. Motor and Compressor, coils, valves, controls, switches, etc All new modern equipment, save over 50% — price $7,000. REYNOLDSBURG LOCKER SERVICE, Reynolds- burg, Ohio. BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SCREEN. RESURFACE IT yourself. Restore it to its original brilliance with Arctic Blanch, the wonder screen paint. A guaranteed product, $9.80 per gal. with instructions. Sold at lead- ing supply dealers or write NATIONAL THEATRE SCREEN REFINISHING CO., 129 Zenner St., Buffalo 11, N. Y. 30 AMP. RECTIFIERS, $63.30; 2000" reels, wire welded, $2.19; Aluminum, $2.95; Reel Alarms, $4.95; Splicers, $4.95; Pyrene type extinguishers, $7.95; Bowl Heaters, $2.95; GE % HP. Motors, $22.50; 10" Exhaust Fans, $10.78; GE 6 amp. Tungars, $2.95; Flashlights, single cell, 29c; 2 cell, 79c. Send for Bargain Catalog. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St. New York 18. STUDIO EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION. EDITING, LABORATORY EQUIP- ment. Used and new !6-35mm Eyemo, Arriflex, Akeley, Cineyhon. Cine special cameras always in stock. Film, Disc, Tape and Wire Recorders, Moviolas, Editors, Griswold Splicers, Tripods, Booms, Lights. Write for catalog R4. CAMERA MART. 70 W. 45th St.. N. Y. LATEST SUPER PARVO DEBRIE STUDIO camera. 5 fast lenses, blimp, motor, ten 1000' maga- zines, direct focus rackover, pilot pin registration, heavy tripod, world's quietest camera, $4,975; Askania 35mm Studio Camera, synchronous motor, 3 lenses, magazines, blimp, etc.. $975; Blue Seal 35mm single system recorder, complete, $295 ; Professional Jr. Tri- pods with case. $99.50: Tripod Triangles. $18.95; 35mm Soundfilm Recorder with new Galvanometer, $1,995; Three Way Sound Moviola, reconditioned, $795; New Moviola D. $279.50 ; 5000W Studio Spots, $89.50. Send for latest stocklist. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP.. 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. PHOTOGRAPHIC BLOWUPS: WRITE FOR America'!; lowest prices. PHOTOCRAFT DISPLAY COMPANY. 3545 Broadway. Kansas City. Mo. THEATRE BLOWUPS BEST QUALITY SERVICE. STTTES PORTRAIT COMPANY. Shelbyville. Ind. partment, it was announced last Friday by Dr. Ward T. Bowen, director of the mo- tion picture division. When the advance print on the picture arrived in New York from France last year, it was held up by the Collector of Customs but was admitted later on the producers' appeal to Washing- ton. The film won the Brussels Film Fes- tival award last year. GENERAL EQUIPMENT SPECIAL OFFERINGS COMPLETE P.A. SYS- tems, 10W, $44,75 ; 20W, $74.95 ; 30W, $94.95; Semi- Permanent phononeedles, 39c; new 25 W P.A. ampli- fier, built-in phonograph, $49.50; Electrovoice Micro- phones, 40% discount. S. O. S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP., 449 W. 42nd St.. New York 18. THEATRES THEATRE WANTED, 600-1000 SEATS. SUBUR- ban, example Northern N. J., Westchester, Long Island. Send full particulars. BOX 2190, MOTION PICTURE HERALD. WANTED: REASONABLLY PRICED THEATRE. 300-400 seats, complete details desired. A. D. MUR- PHY, 331 Brewer, E. Hartford 8. Conn. BUSINESS BOOSTERS GIVEAWAY TOYS. NOVELTIES. SURPRISES, for Saturday children matinees. $30 per thousand (all 10c values). UNIVERSAL TOY CO., 40 E. 23rd St., N. Y. COMIC BOOKS AGAIN AVAILABLE AS PREM- iums, giveaways at your kiddy shows. Large variety, latest 48-page newsstand editions. COMICS PREMIUM CO., 41254 Greenwich St., N. Y. C. BINGO DIE-CUT CARDS, 75 OR 100 NUMBER. $3.00 per M., Screen Dial, $20.00. PREMIUM PROD- UCTS, 354 W. 44th St., New York City 18, N. Y. POPCORN AND SUPPLIES MORE PROFITS WITH OUR HI -VOLUME South American Popcorn. Also seasoning and Popcorn Boxes. Prices on request. DORE POPCORN COM- PANY, 5913 W. North Avenue, Chicago 39. 111. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES YOUR OWN BUSINESS SHOWING TALKIES— theatreless communities — no investment — we rent 16mm sound equipments, programs, reasonable. Remarkable possibilities— earn $50-$200 weekly. 2207 RKO BUILD- ING, N. Y. C. SCHOOLS LEARN MODERN SHOWMANSHIP. HUNDREDS have successfully advanced to better theatre positions through the Institute's time tested training in spare time, at low cost. Free information. Established 20th year. THEATRE MANAGERS INSTITUTE. Elmira, N. Y. BOOKS INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMAN- ac— the big book about your business — 1947-48 edition now available. Contains over 12,000 biographies of im- portant motion picture personalities. Also all indus- try statistics. Complete listing of feature pictures 1937 to date. Order your copy today. $5.00 postage in- cluded. Send remittance to QUTGLEY BOOKSHOP. 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20. N. Y. RICHARDSON'S BLUEBOOK OF PROJECTION. Best seller since 1911. Now in 7th edition. Revised to present last word in Sound Trouble Shooting Charts. Expert information on all phases of projec- tion and equipment. Special new section on tele- vision. Invaluable to beginner and expert. $7.25 post- paid. QUIGLEY BOOKSHOP, New York 20, N. Y. Immerman Installed as Chicago Club Barker Walter Immerman, vice-president and general manager of Balaban & Katz, Chi- cago, was formally installed as new chief barker of Tent No. 26 of the Variety Club of Illinois last Friday evening at the Shera- ton Hotel. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 THE LEADING THE PATRONS TO PLACES TO SPEND SALES STRATEGIES How displays lure the loose change THE VENDER VANE SELLING STRATEGIES devices for trapping the dime along the box office trail SNARING THE LOOSE CHANCE V Wm A UNIQUE Mullin & Pinanski operation at the Allyn theatre, Hartford: the candy stand, as seen, is part ot the box office. Supplied by the firm's candy subsidiary. Standard Candy, the stand is part of the box office structure, and it has been so successful in supplying a need, that the theatre on weekends sets up a tabfe loaded with candy in the standing room area. Whereas the stand shown here is a standard counter, the stand's "annex" usually has a girl standing next to it, with a cash box. MAKING DEAD SPACE COME ALIVE ONE OF THE TWO eight-toot circular coun- ters at Warners' Hip- podrome, Cleveland, an excellent example of space utilized in the lobby of an old house. One is at each end of a fobby that extends through from Euclid to Prospect Avenues. The red leather tufted bases fit the theatre's dec- orating scheme. Set be- tween pillars and walls, they do not obstruct traffic. CATCHING THE KIDS c^STL, c^H> c^Sl, Don Jacocfcs' B. & Q. Asso- ciates circuit has been hav- ing its face lifted; that is, its theatres are being modernized. Part of that modernization is a replace- ment and a refurbishment of the candy service. Mod- ern, with wood finished in bfonde maple effect, and with overhead spotlighting, the stands are conservative in appeal and in selling — in keeping with the theatres housing them, in the house illustrated here, the stand specializes in candy. The Wareham, Wareham, Mass., seen here, was acquired by the circuit last year, sub- jected to a complete reno- vation, exterior and inte- MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 AS THEY ENTER ATTRACTIVE DESIGN E. HAROLD STONEMAN'S large Interstate Circuit of New England is not only in the candy business; it is in it in the modern selling manner. For instance, the stand above, at the Modern theatre. Brockton. The candy counter, semicircu/or, of glittering attractiveness, dazzles the customers even while they hand their tickets to the doorman. BY THE TICKET-TAKER THIS COMPLETELY self-contained and attractively designed stand, selling candy only, greets the cus- tomer ot P. J. DiModica's Buz- zards Bay theatre, at Buzzards Bay, Mass., as he gives his ticket to the doorman. Small, the stand is fitted to a very small standing room area. Because of such limitations, the cash is handled by a girl stationed at the stand's side. The success story ot the stand above is that "each customer buys a piece ot candy". 4s with most ot the E. M. Loew stands, this one carries a com- plete line of edibles to be consumed on the premises; candy ot all types, and, ot course, popcorn. WHEN E. M. LOEW a year ago set about to put his own candy business into his 50-odd theatres, he was faced with a major prob- lem: how to fit stands which would seff the product ade- quately into structures which had not been built with the extra - sa/es idea. The Loew's theatre, Hartford, above, is an example of the meeting of the challenge. Placed in the outer lobby, above a slight rise of steps, the stand, in relation to the auditorium doors and ticket box, cannot be missed. It makes the most of opportunity with glass bricking and fluorescent and recessed fighting. Although Buzzards Bay in winter, when this picture was made, is a shefi ot its prospering summerself, the theatre on a Sunday afternoon had an ample crowd, many of whom stopped en route to the auditorium to buy the snack that goes with the enjoyment ot the screen tare. THEATRE SALES, JANUARY 31, 1948 THAT'S HOW BOTTLES ARE MADE THE MACHINE MAKES BOTTLES, in a steady stream and vast quan- tity. Such machines have as many as 15 "arms", each hofding a blank mold which it dips into a furnace to gather a slug of molten glass in the manner in which a hand craftsman gathers glass at the end of his blowpipe. The scene is at the Owens - Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio. DER-VANE A DEPARTMENT PERTAINING TO MEN AND MERCHANDISE ESTABLISHED BY MOTION PICTURE HERALD IN 1941. a a ■ Hi NEW DISPENSER FOR THEATRES THE DRINCOLATOR CORPORATION is now marketing a specially designed car„- bonated beverage dispenser for theatres. It is so simple that it can be operated anywhere and it does not exceed in height the average candy stand in theatres, measuring only 26 inches in width and 27 inches in depth. It has three moving parts and has a constant flow valve which delivers the same amount of syrup and water whether a six-ounce drink or twelve-ounce drink is dispensed. Any two drinks can be sold. creased volun^ of pop corn sales automati- cally result: .rom the increased attention gained by the display. The machine is very compact and can be placed at almost any de- sired point for maximum sales results. PRONTO POP CORN SALES, INC., has announced a new kind of lighted motion pic- ture display to increase sales. The machine has a brilliantly lighted plastic cone, inside of which is a whirling continually flashing spray of popcorn. Pronto claims an in- GENERAL VENDING Machine Corpora- tion claims to have the only post-war models of bottle venders out and available on the general market. They have a supply of large capacty single-flavor venders as well as a Jumbo two-flavor bottle vender which has been available for some time. c^V. <^2V> c^V, THE SELB Manufacturing Company has a new compact refrigerated display case aimed at boosting sales of candy in theatre lobbies, which affords refrigeration and display at the same time. The front is non-fogging crystal clear glass and the unit is made en- tirely of Bonderized steel construction. , COLUMBUS M-707 THEATRE CANDY CASE W AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY NOW READY INCREASE YOUR PROFITS Increase your Theatre's profits by selling candy and other confections. Colum- bus Cases are ideal for dis- playing these extra income items. Beautiful cabinet wood base and frame invite pa- tronage— fluorescent illuminated display section focuses attention on the items on sale. Each case, a display unit by itself, combines with other Columbus Cases to make a larger department. M-707 Case is 40 in. high. 22 in. deep, 4 ft. and 6 ft. lengths. Side-sliding doors with lock, drawers and storage space below in rear. Write, wire or 'phone for immediate shipment. Additional literature on request. THE COLUMBUS SHOW CASE CO. 868 W. FIFTH AVE.. COLUMBUS 12, OHIO 'Phone University 2166 THE D. L. CLARK COMPANY, which makes the famous Clark Bar, has published a booklet "Looking Into the Candy Busi- ness." While part of it is devoted to the growth of the D. L. Clark Company, a major portion of it gives the complete story of candy, its development and candy economics, including facts regarding consumption and the importance of display methods. IN POPULARITY EVERY DAY Boston Baked Beans Chocolate Confetti Jordan Maid Almonds Chocolate Almonds Write for Samples and Prices FERRARA CANDY CO. ftf£ 2200-10 W. Taylor St., Chicago 12, Illinois Set COCONUT *r OIL i POPCORN SEASONING COLUMBUS SAL E S - M ASTER DISPLAY CASES ...has that rich golden color that makes 'em buy! For those states where colored oil is not sold — use Simko brand. A B / the makers of POPSIT PIUS! Simonin of Philadelphia 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948 HERE'S WHY Smart exhibitors know that everyone likes hot, fresh and de- licious popcorn and that for every 2V2 admission tickets, they will probably sell at least one box of corn. They also know that the Manley Popcorn Machine, with its sparkling-bright and im- maculate appearance, .will attract more attention; its many ex- clusive automatic features will handle big crowds faster and that Manley qualitv supplies (such as Corn, Boxes and Bags, Season- ing and Salt) bring the same customers back again and again. For over 25 years Manley Machines, Manley Merchandise and Methods have been making money... BIG MONEY... for suc- cessful exhibitors everywhere. You can't miss with Manley! So — why not get the facts and get started in an extra-profit busi- ness where your returns are over 400%. Mail the coupon be- low for our new 64-page booklet, "HOW TO MAKE BIG PROFITS FROM POPCORN." yy&^dACHINES learn the 3 IMP s of Profitable Popcorn Merchandising The most important "M" — the Manley Popcorn Machine combines sparkling beauty and eye appeal with mechanical perfection, trouble-free operation and large capacity. Its many exclusive features have won it outstanding popularity. Designed to make the handling of crowds easy — you'll make more money with Manley. Mwtk/ Merchandise It takes the best merchandise to win the largest profits. Manley Popcorn is quality controlled — grown from company-furnished seed — to high company standards. Pop it in Manley Popcorn Seasoning and use only Manley's Pop- corn Salt. Serve in a Manley Carton or Bag and you 11 make more money with Manley. Manley has compiled a valuable booklet explain- ing how to operate a successful popcorn business and included many proven, sales-building prac- tices accumulated during our twenty-five years of acknowledged leadership. A copy is yours for the asking. Use the handy coupon. Mail it today and make more money with Manley. 'nc. THE burch/mms. CO. BIGGEST NAME GENERAL OFflCSS: 1920 WyondofU Str«t, Karoo* City 8, Minouri IN POPCORN!1 Albion, Mich, Atlonta, Gor Boston, Maw. Chorions, t*t C; Chicago. HI. Cleveland, Ohio Dallas, Texai Derive?, Colo. Dfttrott, Mich. Ind'ar-apoiiv Ind. M*mphis, Tetm. M«xi