Boxoffice-March.06.1948

: March
Z^cjec44tiae.
West: Argyle Nelson, production manager
for SRO, returned from Sweden, where he
checked on studio facilities preparatory to
launching production there of "A Doll's
House." Another SRO visitor is Jenia Reissar,
European talent head, who is huddling
with studio toppers anent castings for>that
picture.
West: Paul Raibourn, Paramount vicepresident;
Stanley Shuford. advertising manager;
Ben Washer, New York publicity chief;
Sid Mesibow, assistant exploitation manager;
Rudy Mpntgelas. Paramount account executive
with the Buchanan agency; and others
are due in early next week from Manhattan.
They will confer with studio chiefs concerning
campaigns for several forthcoming
West: James R. Grainger. Republic sales
chief, planed in from Gotham for several
weeks of studio conferences with President
Herbert Yates and other company brass.
West: N. Peter Rathvon, RKO Radio
president, in from four-week stay in New
a
York and Washington. Another studio arrival
was William Pereira, producer, returning
from London, where he set up plans for
British filming of "The Captain Was a Lady"
in association with J. Arthur Rank. He was
generous in his praise of English production
techniques and the industry's manpower
and skill.
East: Spyros Skouras, president of 20th
Century-Fox, returned to New York after a
brief stay at the studio, during which he
gandered new product and huddled with
Darryl F. Zanuck and Joseph M. Schenck.
East: Morton A. Spring, Loew's Intema-
-lonal Corp. vice-president, back to his eastern
office after two weeks of production
huddles at Metro.
East: Albert Margolies, public relations
director for Transatlantic Pictures, the Alfred
Hitchcock-Sidney Bernstein unit which
1.'. producing two films for Warner release.
Margolies headed for New York, accompanied
by Joan Chandler, leading lady in Transatlantic's
"Rope," to tee off a publicity and
exploitation
campaign.
West: Gregor Rabinovitch, Columbia producer,
arrived from Italy for conferences
with company officials regarding future filmmaking
activity in that country. He recently
completed "The Eternal Melody" In Rome.
West: Neil Agnew, president of SRO, came
In from New York to confer with studio officials
and architects who are laying out
plans for the new home office headquarters
to be constructed In Beverly Hills.
East: Edward A. Golden, United Artists
producer, checks out for Gotham next week
for huddles with UA officials on advertising
schedules for his new picture, now before
the cameras.
'^nJCUfei^/U
East: Producer-Director Frank Capra will
check out early next month to attend special
trade showings of "State of the Union," which
he made for Metro release, in important distribution
centers, including Chicago, New
York, Philadelphia and other key areas. He
is making the trip at the request of William
F. Rodgers, Metro distribution chief.
South: Robert L. Lippert, Screen Guild distribution
chief, checked in from San Francisco
for home office sessions. Returning
from the east was F. A. Bateman, general
sales manager. Who attended a board of directors
meeting in Chicago and held sales
huddles in Nashville, New Orleans and Dallas.
East: William Fadiman, executive aide to
Dore Schary at RKO, left for New York for
a two-week survey of current plays and conferences
with homeoffice officials. He is in
charge of stories and writers.
East: Alfred Hitchcock and Sidney L. Bernstein,
partners in Transatlantic Pictures, will
head for England late in April to prepare for
the filming of their second subject for Warner
release. The property wiU hit the cameras
in June with Ingrid Bergman in the
starring spot. Checking out for New York
after a Warner studio visit was Norman
Moray, short subjects sales chief, who conferred
with Harry and Jack Warner and Gordon
HoUingshead, shorts production supervisor,
on the 1948-49 program.
PCC Reserves Used to Put
Third Appeal Over Quota
HOLLYWOOD—Even though the Permanent
Charities committee's recent third annual
United Appeal drive failed to reach the
allotted quota of $1,312,190, that amount will
be paid to 193 specified charitable agencies
to fulfill the industry's commitment 100 per
cent, it was revealed by Edward Arnold, campaign
chairman.
Tabulation of contributions at the final
report meeting disclosed the goal was only
90 per cent reached, but the PCC directorate
immediately authorized the transfer of the
balance from reserve funds in order to put
the campaign over the top. The reserves
had been tabled last year when they were
rejected by the Red Cross and the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis following
the second annual United Appeal. The
fourth yearly drive, Arnold said, will begin
early next fall.
Two-Reeler Being Edited
For Florida Railroad
HOLLYWOOD—After previewing the film
in Tampa, Fla.. for officials of the Seaboard
Airline railroad, Carl Dudley, head of Dudley
Pictures Corp., returned to complete final
editing of "New Horizons," a two-reel 16mm
subject in color, turned out for that firm.
The reel traces the resources, industrial
growth, vacation spots and other attractions
of Florida and the southeastern U.S.
Jerry Fairbanks Productions began camera
work on "Power of Flight." sponsored film for
Eastern Airlines, with Barbara Wooddell and
James Bannon topping the cast.
Filmiles By-Passed
In Tenny Bed Quiz
HOLLYWOOD—Motion pictures were almost
completely by-passed in the recently
concluded Red quiz conducted locally by
State Senator Jack Tenney and his California
committee on un-Americanism.
Tenney's investigation was devoted primarily
to the legitimate stage and included
an examination of several personalities identified
with the Actors Laboratory, including
Rose Hobart, J. Edward Bromberg and
Roman Bohnen. None gave a direct answer
to the question as to whether they were
members of the Communist party.
In another phase of the probe, the committee
queried Florence Eldridge, actress-wife of
Fredric March, who denied any Communist
affiliation. Ira Gershwin, lyric writer, entered
a similar denial.
Although Tenney made no official pronouncement
when the hearings were concluded,
it was generally believed no further
effort would be made by his group, at this
time at least, to look more closely into the
political beliefs and ideologies of studio executives
and workers.
PCCITO Supports Lewis Bill
LOS ANGELES— Support of the Lewis bill,
to outlaw payment of theatre fees to .^scap,
is urged by the Pacific Coast Conference of
Independent Theatre Owners, which dispatched
a telegram to Rep. Earl R. Lewis
endorsing his proposed legislation and
pledging cooperation in seeking
its
of the measure by Congress.
To Film Life of Bard
HOLLWOOD — To the list of upcoming
biographical films is added '"The Life of William
Shakespeare," which P. J. Wolfson,
former Paramount producer-WTiter. plans to
turn out independently for an unannounced
release. It will hit the cameras early next
year. Filming will be done in both the U.S.
and England.
Lloyd Nolan to Freelance
HOLL"YWOOD — Terminating an eightyear
association. Lloyd Nolan has secured a
release from the balance of his 20th-Fox
acting ticket and will freelance following
completion of his current chore in "The
Street With No Name."
EL Lines Up 'Judgment'
HOLL'YWOOD—Eagle Lion added another
property to its release schedule by arranging
to distribute "Judgment in the Wilderness,"
to be produced by William Moss Pictures, Inc.
Based on an original by Morton Grant,
"Judgment" is slated to roll in May.
Ellen Drew to Freelance
HOLLYWOOD — Planning to freelance,
Ellen Drew has secured a release from the
balance of her Columbia acting ticket. Her
last assignment was in the Glenn Ford
starrer. "The Man Prom Colorado." not yet
released.
50
BOXOFnCE :
6. 1948