Boxoffice-December.25.1948

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National Board Picks
Best Films of 1948
NEW YORK—Seven American-made pictures,
two British and one produced in Europe,
have been chosen by the National
Board of Review as the ten best 1948 on the
basis of entertainment. The pictures are:
"Gentleman's Agreement." "Sitting Pretty"
and "The Snake Pit" (20th-Foxi, "Joan of
Arc." "Tlie Bishop's 'Wife" and "I Remember
Mama" iRKOi. "Johnny Belinda" I'WBi,
"Hamlet," J. Arthur Rank film released by
U-I. "The Red Shoes," Rank film released
by EL. and "Tlie Search," produced in Europe
and released by MGM.
The 300 members of the National Board
selected the ten for the organization's 23rd
annual choice.
"Paisan," Italian-made film released in
this country by Mayer-Burstyn, was chosen
by the National Board committee on exceptional
films as the best picture of 1948 on
the basis of artistic merit and importance.
The nine other best films chosen by the
committee in order of preference are: "Day
of 'Wrath," Danish-made picture released by
George J. Schaefer Associates; "The Search."
"Treasure of the Sierra Madre" CWBi;
"Louisiana Story," Robert J. Flaherty documentary
released by Lopert Films: "Hamlet,"
"The Snake Pit," "Johnny Belinda," "Joan
of Aic" and "The Red Shoes."
The committee also selected Roberto Rosselini
as best director of the year for "Paisan";
Olivia de Havilland. star of "The Snake
Pit," for the best performance of the year
as an actress; 'Walter Huston, featured in
"Treasure of the Sierra Madre," for the best
performance of the year as an actor, and
John Huston, for the best screenplay of the
year on the basis of the same picture.
Allied Artists to Release British Film
HOLLVWOOD—"My Brother Jonathan,"
Associated British film being released in the
U.S. by Allied Artists, will go into distribution
March 15. The film toplines Michael
Denison, Dulcie Gray and Ronald Howard.
^'^
Hoblitzelle Gives
$50,000 to Texas
DALLAS — Karl Hoblitzelle, president
of Interstate Theatres and prominent
philanthropist, has
given a Christmas
present to the
state of Texas, a
$50,000 additional
donation to the
Texas Research
Foundation, which
e s t a b 1 i shed an
agricultural and
soil experiment
station two years
ago at Renner
Karl HobUtzelle
near here.
Hoblitzelle previously
has offered to give $600,000 to finance
activities leading to increased agricultural
yields in Texas if other state leaders will
provide an equal amount. Hoblitzelle was
chiefly instrumental in establishing the research
foundation at Renner, and its success
in the last two years encouraged the
new $50,000 gift.
MGM Sets Two Reprints
For Release in 1949
NEW YORK—MGM, which had four reprints
on its 1948 release schedule and experimented
with key city engagements of
several others, has set at least two more for
release during 1949, according to William B.
Zoellner, in charge of short subjects and reprints.
'The Wizard of Oz," a Technicolor feature
starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and Bert
Lahr, originally released in 1939, will be
generally released in Januai-y and "Blossoms
in the Dust," in Technicolor, starring Greer
Garson and Walter Pidgeon, originally released
in 1941, will be released later.
with
Paramount's
Full-Scale Television
Planned by Roach
HOLLYWOOD—First major film producer
to announce plans to devote himself entirely
to video is Hal Roach, veteran picture-maker,
who has terminated his production
commitment with MGM and henceforth
will confine his activities exclusively to the
television field. Under the banner of Hal
Roach Television Corp., he has already
gunned the first film in a projected series
of six scheduled for immediate filming.
Roach's full-scale entry into the new medium
was the result, the producer said, of
his conviction that "the insatiable desire to
be entertaiiied will find its greatest satisfaction
through television."
His kickoff subject, "Sadie and Sally," is
a half-hour comedy show being megged by
Les Goodwins and featuring Joy Lansing
and Lois Hall. It will be followed by "The
Brown Family," "Botsford's Beanery," "Foo
Yung," "Puddle Patch Club" and "Oirr Main
Street." All will be 30-minute films in the
comedy niche.
In addition to producing his own video
shows. Roach is making the facilities of his
Culver City studio available to advertisers
and agencies for all television production
requirements. The William Morris agency
has been designated to represent Roach in
all of his television activities.
To date the projected Roach video output
has not been channeled as to release.
Memphis Censorship Case
May Go to Supreme Court
MIAMI—The film industry, through United
Artists and Hal Roach, this week challenged
the constitutionality of the action of the
Memphis censor board—and possibly set the
stage for Supreme Court action on the whole
question of the freedom of the screen,
A two-day hearing was held before Judge
Floyd Henderson of circuit court. The judge
took the case under advisement.
Industry lawyers argued that the constitutional
rights of freedom of speech, freedom
of press and freedom of dissemination
of information had been violated when the
Memphis board informed United Artists that
the Roach comedy, "Curley," could not be
shown in Memphis because it showed white
and Negro children playing together.
On the other hand, city attorneys raised
these questions: Did United Artists and Hal
Roach have a legal right to bring suit against
the censors? They contended that they did
not because, if they were bringing suit as
producers and distributors engaged in interstate
commerce, they were not within the
jurisdiction of the board and had no right
to sue. Second, the attorneys argued that
if the plaintiffs were acting as exhibitors
they were doing so illegally and had, therefore,
no legal right to sue.
United Ai-tists and Roach have asked the
court to see the picture. They have asked
damages. They have asked an injunction.
They have asked relief for future pictures,
petitioning the court to define the powers of
the board of censors.
The case, by agreement of both sides, was
transferred from chancery to circuit court.
A fight to the Supreme Court of the United
States has been discussed by industry attorneys.
Qau
20 BOXOFFICE December 25, 1948