Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1938)

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METROPOLITAN INDEPENDENT CIRCUITS TAKE LEAD IN FILM CAMPAIGN SUPPORT PLEDGES Demand for Quiz Contest ' Booklets Swamping Headquarters Praise for the Praiseworthy New York — To Charles E. McCarthy. Robert M. Gillham and Howard Dietz, three advertising and publicity heads who have unstintingly given nights and days to drafting a wealth of copy for newspaper ads which break in about 2,000 newspapers all over the country, starting August 31, the industry owes a million thanks. This triumvirate has sweated freely to give the best of their ability to the industry drive in the hope exhibitors in every city, large and small, will benefit from the greatest undertaking ever attempted. These men have shuffled ideas, discarded them when the majority deemed it wise, and out of it all has come 11 ads which undoubtedly will bring additional business to the boxoffice. The ads, which will appear in your local newspapers in the next four weeks, are headed, "The Average Movie-Goer Speaks His Mind," “Four Walls that Hold a World," "It Could Only Happen in the Movies," "What Is Your 'Stake' in Motion Pictures," "Two Hundred Million People Can't Be Wrong," “276," "You Are Your Own Best Movie Critic," "Joe Doakes and His Girl Want the Earth . . . and They Get It!" ‘The Unseen Hand." Watch for these ads. Seven appear in a special section of this BOXOFFICE edition. See for yourself what these men have done . . . for you. —BILL ORNSTEIN. New York — Most of the independent circuits in Greater New York have pledged support to the industry campaign drive and smaller theatre operators are now falling in line, Joseph M. Seider, local regional chairman, states. Among the larger independent circuits already in are Prudential, Cinema, Century, RosenblattWelt, Rapf, Rudin & Lederer, Skouras, Fabian, Randforce, and Interboro. The first three small exhibitors to line up are Irving Dashkin of the Savoy, Jamaica, L. I.; O. S. Hathaway, Central, Goshen, N, Y., and Rudy Sanders of the Sanders, Brooklyn. Committee headquarters here have been swamped with orders for “Movie Quiz” contest booklets and have been unable to meet the demand. A total of 13,200,000 have been sold to date. Of these 6,800,000 were sold before the books reached exchanges. Local circuits have ordered as follows: Warner, 500,000; Loew’s, 825,000; Skouras, 200,000; Prudential, 90,000; Randforce, 200,000; RKO, 600,000; Netco, 35,000; the Roxy, 25,000; Cinema, 60,000. In most cases deliveries have been completed. Seider has sent a letter to approximately 70 theatres served by New York exchanges. Urging exhibitors to join, he writes; “You will never regret your participation in the greatest campaign ever undertaken to arouse public interest and to put over our slogan ‘Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment’.” Leo Abrams, chairman of the distributors’ committee, is marshalling selling forces to contact every theatre owner. Exchange managers are visiting circuit heads. Bolstering this, Greater New York community group committees formally organized throughout the area this week. The downtown Brooklyn group headed by Ben Simon of Loew’s Metropolitan and Solly Schwartz of RKO Albee, secretary, will It's One Way of Viewing It New York — Self preservation is the first rule of nature with Max A. Cohen, head of the Cinema circuit, president of Allied of New York, and a full supporter to the industry campaign. To exhibitors recently displaying signs of reticence to entering the campaign locally, he said: ”1 for one don't intend to sit around and watch this drive bring business to my competitors' boxoffices." open Brooklyn festivities with a midnight supper at the Towers Hotel, Wednesday. Representatives of Brooklyn sections of New York newspapers have been invited to attend, as well as Borough President Ingersoll, and other prominent speakers. A huge parade will take place in downtown Brooklyn, September 15. Next week 40 by 60 lobby displays containing endorsements by Ingersoll, will be released to theatres in the borough. Other community groups which have elected officers include; Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay, Albert Greene of Rugoff & Becker, chairman; Gilbert Rosenthal, Surf, secretary. Morningside Heights and Harlem, Ken Grattan, Victoria, chairman; Edward Hart, secretary. Yorkville and East Harlem, Cy Linder, Star, chairman; C. E. Harrison, Loew’s 86th St„ secretary. East New York-Brooklyn, Joseph Herman, Embassy, chairman; George Davis, Randforce district manager, vice chairman; Sid Levine, Congress, secretary. Tremont area, Morris Green, Crotona, chairman; Richard Berner, Dover, secretary. Morrissania and Mott Haven, Harry Dannenberg, Prospect, chairman; Samuel Rydell, Royal, secretary. Lower East Side, Samuel Gottlieb, Palestine, chairman; Samuel Pearlman, Apollo, secretary. Times Square publicity managers and theatre men have organized as the Broadway theatre committee. Ben Serkowich, Capitol press agent, is chairman of the publicity division. Others on the committee are Hazel Flynn, Music Hall; Homer Harman, Roxy; Jack Mclnerney, Paramount; James Dunn, Rivoli; Irving Windisch, Strand; Phil Laufer, Criterion; Oscar A. Doob, representing Loew’s, and John Dowd, for RKO. Theatre managers embraced in the setup are Ray Connor, Palace; A1 Rosen, State; Bob Weitman, Paramount; John Wright, Rivoli; Jack Fineman, Mayfair; Herman Landwehr, Capitol; Irving Lesser, Roxy, and Fred Cruise, Music Hall. Both groups meet Monday evening at the Capitol to formulate plans for an elaborate campaign. Si Fabian has accepted chairmanship of the Albany regional committee. Early next week, he will call a mass meeting of exhibitors at which he will discuss details of the industry drive. WB Empire State Managers In Albany "Drive" Meeting Albany — Full cooperation in the “Motion Pictures’ Greatest Year” campaign was urged of Warner New York state theatre managers by Joseph Bernhard, general manager of the circuit, in a meeting at company quarters here. Harry Goldberg, the chain’s national advertising director, also spoke briefly. Managers at the meeting: Andy Roy, Strand, Albany; Robert Rosenthal, Ritz, Albany; A. LaFlamme, Madison, Albany; Edward Selette, Albany, Albany; Leo Rosen, Troy, Troy; Sidney Sommer, Lincoln, Troy; Jack Swartout, American, Troy; Ralph H. Booth, New Family, Batavia; F. M. Westfall, Haven, Olean; C. L. Hollister, Babcock, Wellsville; Dalton Burgett, Capitol, Dunkirk; William Leggiero, Kenney, Elmira; Mel Conhaim, Regent, Elmira; Wally Folkins, Strand, Elmira; A1 Newhall, Majestic, Hornell; A1 Beckerich, Palace, Jamestown, and O. J. Macris, Diana, Medina. Charles A. Smakwitz and Ralph E. Crabill, district managers; Max Friedman, zone booker; Joe Weinstein, short booker; Jules Curley, advertising manager; James P. Faughnan, contact manager, and James Wotton, sound engineer. 18 BOXOFFICE :: August 27, 1938