Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

Pacjc 6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 7, 1939 Pictured above are those who attended a special meeting of Universal sales executives held at the home office this week. Left to right are F. |. A. McCarthy, Eastern Sales Manager; H. D. Graham, Atlanta; James Jordan, home office; Nate J. Blumberg, Universal President; Pete Dana, Kansas City; A. J. Herman, New York; Dave Miller, Cleveland; Leo Abrams, Short subjects sales manager; E. T. Gomersall, Chicago; A. J. O'Keefe, Los Angeles; Dave Levy, Big "U," New York; William A. Scully, general sales manager; Joseph H. Seidelman, foreign sales manager; and William J. Heineman, Western sales manager. No Salary Cuts at Universal Scully Talks At Meeting of Sales Heads; Plans Campaigns For Reissnes None of Universal's personnel will suffer salary cuts, although the war in Europe has seriously aft'ected foreign grosses, declared W. A. Scully, general sales manager, at a sales conference at the home office this week. The^> meeting laad been called to dis D All/f 1ll|I?n PCTC 0 cuss current sales problems, f Vf lfllflEiJ\ UC 1 J L Amons; the subjects discussed was _^ „ ^ ^_ ^ the selling plan for the neu DCirACll AmTDC version of "All Quiet on the West 1\LiLC/iJIj Xjl I LlVj ern Front". A new version of "The Road Back" was also m« n J I U II J screened for the sales executives May rfOdUCe 111 llOllyWOOd Sculb' told the meeting that the RAraiicA n( War company must depend largely on DCCdUbC 01 TT ar its domestic business that every effort must be made to increase this. He also told those at the meeting that they must operate their branches economically. He and F. J. A. McCarthy, eastern sales manager, left for Dallas on Wednesday to close a product deal with the Interstate Circuit of Texas. WOULD KEEP DARK Tri-States Seeks Writ to Bar Goldberg Opening Omaha — A petition has been filed in Federal Court here by Tri-State Theatre Corp. of Des Moines, Iowa, seeking to restrain Ralph D. Goldberg, circuit owner, from opening the State Theatre. According to the petition, the downtown sector is alreadj^ overseated, with all three houses operting within three blocks of each other in the main business section. It further charges that the State and Omaha are so close to each other that were the darkened State opened the Omaha would lose $15,000 a month in grosses. Duals Reported On Way In S-W Philly Houses Philadeli)hia — Although direct Hollywood — Unless there is a radical change in the war situation, indications are that Erich Pommer will be forced to produce in Hollywood, the European producer said. He is here conferring with his partner, Charles Laughton. Overtures have come from RKO Radio and Paramount for further pictures from Mayflower Productions. "St. Martin's Lane," a Mayflower picture starring Laughton will be released by Paramount in Januar\'. "The Admirable Crichton" had also been planned for production by Mai'flower for release by Paramount, but the European situation has caused its postponement. Here for about ten days, Pommer expects to make distribution arrangements for future Ma\-flower productions. Cincy Branch Wins MGM Sales Contest Cincinnati — MGN's 1938-39 sales and billing contest has been won by the company's Cincy office, according to E. M. Booth, manager. The branch led the 32 others. Two weeks' salary for bookers and salesmen, and one week's for the entire personnel are included in the awards. Members confirmation was not forthcoming, i of the branch were guests at a it was reported here this week Victory dinner held Friday, with that duals_would be inaugurated in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh some S-W neighborhood houscN. branches as hosts. UA To Release 20 Pictures; Twelve Have Been Completed Selznick and Wanger May Halt Production Goldwyn Will increase Commitment Although about 32 pictures had been promised for the 1939-40 season. United Artists will probably release no more than 20, of which 12 have already been completed. It had been originally planned that l.'nited Artists would^J" " have a record number of pictures j UA, LAYOFFS OR SALARY CUTS Silverstone Says Execs Have Reduced Own Pay for the current season Tiie status of the various producers at the present time is somewhat in doubt. Goldw\n was originally scheduled to make onljtwo pictures for UA release this season, but having patched up his sciuabble with the company at least temporarily, it is now believed that he will make at least three more. Hal Roach has three finished and will probably make two more. Selznick has released one picture and will make one more but it is believed that he will shut down the studio for four months and now resume production in time for 1939-40 release. Wanger has released two pictures and has a third in production and it is believed that he, too, may shut down on production for some lime. Alexander Korda, while he has completed three pictures, is, of course, crippled by the war and will make no more. Edward Small's program of seven pictures has been curtailed. He has released one picture and no more are in production, although one is contemplated. Charlie Chaplin is still working on "The Great Dictator" but nothing has been done on the Douglas Fairbanks picture. David Loew's first UA picture won't be ready until next season and Sol Lesser is now readying "Our Town" for production. Murray Silverstone, chief of world wide operation for LIA, is now on the Coast conferring with the various producers on their forthcoming product. ACCEPT INVITATIONS Notables Serve on Variety Award Board Thirty-three newspaper writers, authors and news commentators have accepted invitations to be members of the National Humanitarian Award Committee of the V'ariety Clubs of America, according to Eugene L. Connelly, chairman of the group which will select the person to receive the second Varietv Humanitarian Award for 1939. The award for 1939 will be made at the Sixth Annual Convention of the Variety Clubs of .\merica to be held in Dallas early next year. Father Flanagan of Boystown, who received the first award, will serve on the committee to make the 1939 award. There will be no salary cuts and no discharges in the sales stafTs of the United Artists organization, it was learned this week from a letter sent to UA branch managers by Murray Silverstone, chief of world wide operations. At the same time he stated that a group of senior executives had voluntarily accepted substantial pay cuts but that except for that "I hope that not one penny of the earnings of the men and women of United Artists will be affected." The American distributing company must stand on its own as a result of the loss of a substantial part of foreign markets, he said. He urged that the branch managers exercise the strictest economy and sell the company's pictures "harder and better than ^hev've ever been sold before." Buffalo MPTO Meeting Buffalo — A general meeting of the Buflfalo MPTO has been called for Monday, Oct. 9, at 2 p. m. in the Variety Club rooms, 193 Delaware avenue, by A. C. Hayman, president. Ed Kuykendall, MPTO.\ prexy, is scheduled to address the body concerning contractual obligations to the Distributors. Edw. Maertz, Pioneer Exhib, Dies at 56 Milwaukee — Edward F. Maertz, 56, pioneer Milwaukee exhibitor and president of the ITPA of Wisconsin, is dead here. In the exhibition business for 26 years, Maertz operated the Comfort and Zenith theatres. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. WB Close Most Deals Warner Bros, has closed product deals with practically every major circuit, according to Grad Sears. Monogram Reports $78,000 Profit .\ meeting of Monogram's Board of r)irectors this week heard that the company had made a profit of $78,0()0 in the last eight months. The directors also named Steve Broidy, Boston Franchise holder to the Board and reelected W. Ray John--ton as president.