The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

THE EXHIBITOR 7 With Five Days To Co Trade Anticipates Greatest Returns For 7th War Loan Effort New York — With five days to go before the start of the Seventh War Loan on May 14, and with field meetings continuing, the trade’s participation in the big 14 billion push continued at a steady pace last week. Reports to national headquarters indicated that all records of the Sixth War Loan would be surpassed. Return Those Trailers NEW YORK — The national Seventh War Loan committee last week em¬ phasized that theatres should return trailers to National Screen Service exchanges in their territories as soon as they are finished with them. This is a must because the trailers have to be shipped to other territories according to a national replay plan. If the trailers are not returned, it means that other houses in other parts of the country will not be able to get them. GOV'T MUST GIVE DATA IN DECREE ACTION New York — The Government was or¬ dered last week by Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard to give the distributor-defend¬ ants by June 1 as much information as possible in answer to their interrogatories in the New York equity suit, scheduled for trial on Oct. 8, and all of the informa¬ tion by July 1. The distributors had objected to the Gov¬ ernment’s stand that it would be impos¬ sible to supply information as to probable witnesses and their probable testimony until 30 days before the trial opened. Har¬ old Lasser, anti-trust division, Depart¬ ment of Justice, said that interviews with prospective witnesses for the trial had been going on for the past month and a half in all parts of the country by Department of Justice attorneys. C. C. Moskowitz 'Drafted' New York — Charles C. Moskowitz vicepresident, Loew’s, Inc., was last week ‘drafted’ to serve as chairman of the New York War Activities Committee. Prior to the election it was announced that Fred Schwartz was resigning as chairman to take up his duties with the OWI, and has been assigned to a European post. Sam Rinzler, who has served for sev¬ eral years with Schwartz as co-chairman, will continue in a similar capacity with chairman Moskowitz. The committee paid tribute to the work done by Schwartz and Rinzler in piloting the New York War Activities Committee. William White, Skouras Theatres, was chosen to fill Schwartz’s place on steer¬ ing sub-committee. The Season’s Hit: The Service Kit MGM Promotions Effective New York — The promotions of Rudolph Berger from MGM district manager to southern sales manager, with headquarters in New Orleans, and branch managers Herman Ripps, Ralph Maw, Henry A. Friedel, and John S. Allen to district man¬ agers became effective on May 7. Berger, before assuming his new post in New Orleans, spent time at the home office con¬ ferring with executives. The promotions of Gerald E. McGlynn to Omaha branch manager, Jack B. Mundstuk to Buffalo manager, Harry Rosenblatt to New Haven manager, and John G. Kemptgen to Milwaukee manager also became effective on May 7. Skouras Promises Peak Returns Hollywood — Aimed to shatter all pre¬ vious records, $100,000,000 in ‘E’ bond sales was the unprecedented quota established last week for the southern California mo¬ tion picture theatres at the Seventh War Loan pre-campaign strategy meeting in the Ambassador Hotel, attended by more than 500 circuit and independent showmen. Proposed by Charles P. Skouras, hon¬ orary national chairman for the industry directly charged with the drive for the 11 western states, and Gus Metzger, south¬ ern California theatres’ chairman, the Seventh War Loan quota was cited as the greatest theatres’ bond sales goal on rec¬ ord, topping both the 49 millions of the Fifth and the 72 millions in ‘E’ bonds of the Sixth War Loans. For the 11 west¬ ern states comprising 4,500 film theatres, Skouras revealed the industry goal will be one billion dollars in ‘E’ bonds, repre¬ senting 25 per cent of the Treasury De¬ partment’s national ‘E’ bonds goal. Campaign Kits Sent to Theatres New York — ‘Showmen’s Seventh’ War Loan campaign kits are on their way to every theatre in the United States, it was announced last week. The kit contains everything essential for the showman to put on an all-out ad¬ vertising, publicity, and exploitation bond¬ selling campaign. Some 55 separate items which the theatre can use locally are in the kit. Additional material will be sent to exhibitors from time to time during the drive, thus keeping the sales ammunition up to the minute. Other theatre displays, including a flashy banner, pennants, and badges, are available from National Screen Service exchanges at nominal cost. Lapel buttons, to be given each bond buyer, may be purchased at National Screen Service ex¬ changes at the nominal cost of $3 per thousand. Still another theatre display, a bunting flag, may be ordered at a nominal price direct from the manufacturer, Hollywood Advertising Company. Connors Organizes Distributor Setup New York— Tom J. Connors, national distributor chairman Showmen’s Seventh War Loan, last week announced that Harry Ballance, southern division manager for 20th Century -Fox, has accepted the appointment of southern area distributor chairman for the drive. The distributors’ organizational setup corresponds to that of the exhibitors di¬ vision, which includes four main areas with a coordinator serving each area. The nation’s 31 exchanges are now zoned by areas, as follows: Coast, Herman Wobber, chairman, six exchanges; Mid¬ west, John E. Flynn, chairman, 11 ex¬ changes; southern, H. G. Ballance, chair¬ man, six exchanges: Atlanta, Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Char¬ lotte; and eastern, E. K. O’Shea, chairman, eight exchanges: New Haven, Philadel¬ phia, Washington, Boston, Albany, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and New York. Coast Holds Exhibitor Sessions Hollywood — Two groups of leaders will meet with theatremen in all key cities of northern California preparatory to the launching of the Seventh War Loan in this region, it was revealed by Charles P. Skouras, national honorary chairman, last week. San Francisco exhibitors held the fist of this series of pre-campaign meet¬ ings. A second general meeting of exhib¬ itors was held in Oakland, and was fol¬ lowed by other key cities in northern Cal¬ ifornia. Skouras called upon the exhibitors to have every theatre in the area pledged to the drive and to achieve 100 per cent in bond premieres and Free Movie Day pos¬ sibilities, and urged them strongly to in¬ crease issuing and subissuing agents throughout their territory. Mutual Network Aiding Campaign New York — Four special war bond shows to be broadcast over a coast-to-coast net¬ work on 250 stations of the Mutual Broad¬ casting System have been set to give addi¬ tional impetus to the forthcoming Seventh War Loan, it was announced last week. These broadcasts will be exclusively de¬ voted to stimulating the sale of bonds both in the New York area and in outlying territories throughout the country. The initial broadcast in the series will be launched on May 12 between 4.30 and 5.00 EWT, and will be repeated at regular intervals. Atlanta Group Pledges Support Atlanta — More than 35 members of the ‘Showmen’s Seventh’ War Loan advisory committee pledged themselves personally to carry the message of urgency for the campaign to every theatre manager and owner in Georgia at a special meeting and luncheon here called by William K. Jenkings, Georgia exhibitor chairman last week. The pledges followed an appeal by Jenkins to enlist the entire support of the approximately 350 motion picture houses in the state. For Up to the Minute News On What Pictures Are Being Released, Consult the National Release Date Guide. May 9, 1945