Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 2, 1942 THE FUM ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■TT ON THE PATRIOTIC FRONT End Cavalcade Tour; Sales Over Billion; Industry is Praised More than six thousand movie fans jammed Glendale over the week-end to welcome the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade home, with well over a billion dollars in bond sales credited to their appearances in fifteen cities across the country. Y. Frank Freeman and Edward J. Mannix returned on the special train from San Francisco, final stop on the tour, where an additional $21,614,600 was garnered as a result of the show given there. A special ceremony was held at the reception platform raised at the Glendale station for the occasion, with Kay Kyser falling naturally into the role of master of ceremonies. Kyser introduced the tired-but-pleased stars to the crowd, then brought to the platform Howard Mills, state chairman for the War Finance Committee, who read wires addressed to Kenneth Thomson, Victory Committee head, from the Secretary of the Treasury, and from Theodore R. Gamble, National War Finance Director. Wired Secretary Morgenthau : "Two of the items on my September calendar were the welcoming of the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade to Washington and later the pleasure of being present when the cavalcade returned home to California. Unfortunately I must forego the latter and let this message take the place of a personal greeting. I do want every member of the cavalcade and all others in the various branches of the motion picture industry, production, distribution and exhibition, to know that the Treasury is appreciative of the fine American spirit you have all shown in the Third War Loan. You have undoubtedly made a fine ccntribution to what now appears to have been a highly successful effort." Mr. Gamble in his wire stated : " . . . When we at the Treasury were searching for an activity that would help us spread and sustain an atmosphere of enthusiasm and interest in the greatest home front job of this war I talked with you, Eddie Alperson, Si Fabian, Oscar Doob, Francis Harmon and others representing all branches of industry. I told you then of our need and important contribution all of us in industry could make. In traditional industry {Continued on Opposite Page) 'FREE' FINALS IN N. Y. Broadway houses leading in Free Movie Day held last Monday were the Capitol and Radio City Music Hall, each of which registered around the $100,000 mark, with the Music Hall giv.ng away 3500 admissions with that many bonds sold. Other Broadway houses showed the following: Paramount, 614 sales, $36,700; Roxy, 962 sales, $38,000; Strand, 520 sales, $24,000; Hollywood, 500 sales, $25,000; Astor, 452 sales, $16,275. Indications of the excellence of the circuit sales results came from Lcew's in-town theatres reporting 4,439 sales totaling $405,619. RKO listed for its in-town theatres 1,542 bond sales for a total of $87,433. The Century chain's tabulation showed $80,864, mainiy small bond sales. The Fabian Paramount and Fcx in Brooklyn comb.ned sold 498 Donds for $14,000. The Randforce houses, with final figures unavailable, estimated sales between $73,000 and $100,000, almost entirely in E bonds. Honor Loew Employes Now in the Services Approximately 30U former branch office employes of Loew's Inc., now in military service were honored recently when Honor Roll plaques bearing their names were unveiled in the company's offices with appropriate ceremonies. Plaques are of a semi-permanent type to replace the temporary ones previously placed on office walls. Prominent local figures in civil or military life were enlisted to participate in each of the unveiling ceremonies. Employes stopped work at a pre-arranged hour and relatives of the men in service attended. Branch managers acted as hosts and conducted simple exercises to mark the unveilings. Mothers, wives and other feminine relations of the service men were given flowers and pictures were taken of families besides the Honor Roll. Prints of these pictures were given to the guests of honor and sent to their men in camp or overseas. , U. S. Army and Navy officers of high rank were speakers at several of the functions and leading exhibitors were also present at many. Loew Theatre managers participated in cities where the company operates theatres. Industry Bond Sales Third of Billion On the basis of figures that at best could be described as "incomplete," the War Activities Committee last week announced that the industry has thus far tallied bond sales of $336,703,852.25, exclusive of any receipts credited to the Airmada or the Hollywocd Bond Cavalcade. This figure is based on communiques from 43 of a total of 54 state bond chairmen around the country, and is supposed to include reports up to September 16th. Almost all of these reports, in which premieres, other special activities, and across-the-counter selling figure, were qualified by the senders as being "partial," "incomplete," or "with only a few theatres heard from." C. B. Akers, Third War Loan campaign director for L. C. Griffith, general chairman, was unwilling to estimate the possible final figure, but pointed out that with the results of the Cavalcade and the Airmada added to the exhibitor activities, there was little question but that the all-industry total would exceed two billion dollars. This was felt to be especially remarkable in view of the fact that last September, when the industry spearheaded the national campaign, sales for the entire country shot up to the then-incredible billion mark. Tree Movie Day^ is Proved Stimulant to Sales oF Small Bonds Returns from "Free Movie Day," observed Monday in theatres in all sections of the country, indicate that this industry stunt of "giving what it sells" in return for war bonds, will be the answer to the Treasury's desire to sell great quantities of small bonds. In New York City, with large ads heralding the special observance in all Greater New York theatres, an early check showed that moviegoers were keeping typists in the bond booths steadily employed. Loew's, with only 20 in-town theatres reporting, sold 502 bonds, according to Ernest Emerling. The Capitol on Broadway, with an early opening date, had 300 sold by 3 o'clock. Ninety minutes after it had opened its doors, Loew's Woodside had surrendered 29 free admissions in return for bonds. Harry Mandel, submitting figures for RKO theatres, stated that ten houses had made sales of 173 bonds. The RKO Fordham, which opened at 11 a.m., showed 85 small-bond transactions by three o'clock; while the Albee sold 18 in a little more than an hour. Other Broadway houses reported as follows : Strand, $4000 ; Music Hall, $2500 ; Roxy, $1225 ; Paramount, $5000 ; these sales were all small bonds of the "E" variety. (For final New York figures, see box, top of column 2.) Several situations around the country, where no matinee performances were given, declared that the advertising and publicity campaigns around "Free Movie Day" had awakened considerable response, and that the expectation was that many additional sales would be registered. Bob O'Donnell, Texas state bond chairman, told the War Activities Committee by telephone Monday that " 'Free Movie Day' looks like money in Uncle Sam's bank." Hot Springs Theatrewoman Helps Name Bomber Bought by Bonds Mrs. Jesse Howe, co-owner of the Strand Theatre, Hot Springs, Ark., was a member of a committee which recently christened a Billy Mitchell medium bomber bought by Garland County through the sale of $192,000 worth of war bonds. The name, "Hot Springs, Arkansas, Eagle," was not suggested by any one person, but was formed by the committee from over 150 suggestions made by citizens of the community. 'Buy Bonds' Posters in Film Columbia is doing its twenty-four sheeting on "Cover Girl," Rita Hayworth Technicolor starrer, well in advance. A series of regularsize billboards, with Rita Hayworth's full likeness urging you to buy bonds so that the boys in service can get home sooner, will be spotted in a series of location sequences in the picture. The studio sales department may use the 24-sheet full-constructed billboards for key city plugs when the picture goes into national release.