The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

m \m\m\ New York City week from the Warner studio to make per¬ sonal appearances at the Strand, and so did Andrea King, who will appear in per¬ son with him. Jules Levey, Warner Theatres executive, left last week for Memphis and Oklahoma City. . . . Roy Haines, southern and western division sales manager for War¬ ners, returned last week from Atlanta and other southern exchanges. Arthur Sachson, assistant general sales manager, Warners, returned to his desk last week after being laid up since Febru¬ ary due to a serious spinal ailment. Edward Stevenson, RKO fashion de¬ signer, arrived last week from the coast. Crosstown Mabel Drew, 20th Century-Fox radio department, returned to the office last fortnight after a brief illness. Practically every media that would reach New York homes were used by the adver¬ tising, publicity, exploitation, and radio departments under Hal Horne’s direction for the Roxy campaign on 20th CenturyFox’s “A Royal Scandal.” Beginning with a series of teaser ads, the newspaper ad¬ vance ad campaign, planned and carried through by Charles Schlaifer, assistant director, advertising publicity exploita¬ tion, continued for weeks until a few days prior to opening. In addition, a large number of national and fan magazine ads were planned to advertise the film at the same time. A comprehensive outdoor and transportation systems snipe campaign was executed under the direction of Rodney Bush, while radio was made a powerful ally, this phase of the campaign being handled by Harry Brand’s studio publicity department. The publicity department under Jules Fields garnered more than 100 newspaper breaks. Rounding out the campaign was a tieup effected with a hat designer, in which a series of glamorous hats based on fashions in the film were designed and displayed. Captain Frank Liberman, former mem¬ ber of Mort Blumenstock’s field staff at Warners, after visiting here, last week returned to Camp Crowder, Mo. Edward K. ‘Ted’ O’Shea, MGM eastern sales manager, on May 10 celebrates his silvery anniversary with the company. On Jan. 3 O’Shea celebrated his silver wed¬ ding anniversary. . . . Alan F. Cummings, in charge of MGM exchange operations, last week was in Milwaukee and Chicago. Carl Hollenstein, traveling auditor for Warners left last week for the company’s Continental European headquarters in Paris. . . . Helmut Dantine arrived last With James E. Sautier, as chairman, and Carter Blake, as honorary chairman, a committee of radio, stage artists was set up last week to organize the profession for the 1945 campaign of the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York and its four great rescue and relief and welfare agencies. A luncheon meeting was held on May 4 in order to make plans for an in¬ tensive drive among radio and stage people. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, producers of “Colonel Blimp” and “The Silver Fleet,” left last week for a brief Canadian visit before returning to England. Before leaving Manhattan, the British pro¬ ducers completed a series of interviews for a leading femme role in their next film, “A Matter of Life and Death.” Astor Pictures Corporation will handle world-wide distribution for the first Louis Jordan musical, “Caldonia,” it was an¬ nounced last week. The deal was made through Berle Adams, manager, Louis Jor¬ dan Productions, and the picture will be released immediately. Loew’s Mayfair is bulding up outside contacts for bond selling. Many hotels have designated Mrs. Leonard and her staff as official issuing agents. A factory in the garment center has also agreed to buy all its bonds at this theatre. Ben Grauer, noted Blue Network com¬ mentator, last week accepted the post as associate chairman of special events for the borough of Manhattan for the Seventh War Loan. A1 Zimbalist is special events chairman. Grauer will be in charge of special radio and stage events for the borough, according to George Ritch, bor¬ ough chairman. Century Circuit is the latest to feature a special Seventh War Loan Bulletin. The latest has a complete breakdown of the forthcoming bond campaign activities, in¬ cluding the holiday and special events RALPH MAW, Metro Buffalo branch manager, recently promoted to district manager, with headquarters at Minneapolis, will have Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Milwaukee under his supervision. slated for the Century Circuit bond drives. Mike Siegel, Brooklyn public relations chairman, edits The Century Bulletin. Nostrand, Century Circuit, Brooklyn, from April 9 to May 1 sold 1,500 bonds. Seating capacity of the theatre is 995, and the maturity value of the bonds sold is over $200,000. Phil Williams, advertising director, The March of Time, returned last week from a two weeks’ business trip to the following 20th Century-Fox branches: Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, Dallas, and Memphis. A testimonial dinner was given Gil¬ bert B. J. Frawley, well-known executive of Paramount, by members of the New York Athletic Club last week on the oc¬ casion of his retirement as president of the club after serving for two one-year terms. The toastmaster, Supreme Court Judge James B. M. McNally, presented Frawley, on behalf of the members of the club, with an order for the first tele¬ vision set to be manufactured for public sale by the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc., after priorities are lifted. Judge McNally, on behalf of the Metropolitan Association of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, presented Frawley with the Sportsmanship Award “for ser¬ vices in the advancement of sports and friendship during 1943 and 1944.” The presentation marked the first time that this award has been given by the Amateur Athletic Union to anyone except a cham¬ pion. Federal Judge Murray Hurlbert, United States District Court, presented Frawley with a certificate of life mem¬ bership in the Amateur Athletic Union. NED DEPINET, RKO President, returned to New York recently after a vacation under the sunny skies of Arizona, and was greeted at the station by RKO execut'ves. Seen are left, left to right: Harry Michalson, S. Barrett McCormick, Mrs. and Ned Depinet, Frank Drumm Harry Gittleson, Walter Branson, William Clark, Rutgers Neilson, and M. G. Poller. At right, he is shown being greeted by the trade press, left to right: Tom Kennedy, Mori Krushen, Jack Harrison, . ru i c , JerauJd' Mel Konecoff, THE EXHIBITOR; George Morris, Depine Charles E. Lewis, R W. Baremore, Terry Ramsaye, Frank Leyendecker, M Livingston, Herman Schleier, and Floyd Stone. In the interview, Depinet wi extremely optimistic about the future. the exhibitor May 9, 1945