Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 2, 1943 Colorful Chicago Army Premiere Is Biggest Yet for Army Relief Chicago said it with cheers and cash — over $53,000 — when it welcomed Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army" at a red, white and blue opening last week that rolled up a higher figure for Army Emergency Relief than any other city in the country. The great Army show climaxed official Army Day in Chicago and mustered a civilian "army" of 18,000 outside the Chicago Theatre to hear an hour show put on by the 740th Military Police Battalion, preceding the program and picture inside the theatre. At 7 o'clock, the MP band began to blare forth the surging score from the Irving Berlin show and the Loop throngs strained against the cordons of city police. Military Police and roped off areas to get closer to the raised platform in front of the theatre. Street cars had been rerouted to permit the hour street show begun by Wac Cpl. Verna Nelson, formerly of the St. Louis Opera Company, singing to the excited crowd. Other Army personnel playing to the eager throngs were Cpl. Clarence "Red" Hodgson, writer of the Music Goes Round and Round; Michael Steward, radio star ; and Nip and Tuck, Negro dancers. Then the parade of dignitaries, Army and Navy gold braid, city officials, society figures arriving in jeeps driven by Wacs, rolled up State Street from Van Buren to Lake, down through the State St. Arsenal, the $3,000,000 display of Army equipment lining the big street for a mile in length. The war weapons, including tanks, guns, anti-aircraft equipment, etc., were curbed at both sides of State Street where placards on each piece of equipment bore a Welcome to "This Is the Army." Maj. Gen. Henry S. Aurand arrived accompanied by his aides, Maj. William E. Dewey and Maj. Wayne King. Admiral John Downes stepped from a jeep followed by his aide, Lieut. John D. Hughes. Mayor Edward J. Kelly rode in a jeep with Charles C. Bunker, vice-president of Marshall Field & Company and president of the State St. Council. They arrived at a theatre swollen by a sellout crowd of almost 4000 comprised chiefly of war plant workers who held tickets marked "Not For Sale" — souvenir tickets which had been issued to patriotic Chicagoans who had taken $1000 subscriptions to Army Emergency Relief. These industrial heads in turn had provided their employes with the precious pasteboards. .\s the crowds pushed into the theatre lobby, they passed through lines of Military Police standing honor guard by an elaborate display of red, white and blue flowers, and were ushered to their seats by Wacs. Then the big show began. The curtain raised to reveal a stage hung with a red, white and blue satin backdrop. Buglers on stage stirred the thrill of the coming show when down the longaisles swung soldiers of the Company .\ of the 740th to present a precision drill on stage that prompted appreciate cheers from the audience throughout their entire performance. Mayor Kelly was first to address the packed house saying : "Chicago can take intense pride in the fact that she has topped all other cities in this country in opening night funds for Army Emergency Relief. Not one dollar goes to the Warner Bros., whose act reflects great credit on the motion picture industry." Gen. Aurand explained : "Everyone of you here tonight, and the millions who follow you in seeing this picture, are contributing directly to the morale of the fighting man. By your contributions to a fund designed to care for the needy families of service men, you are relieving your Army of all worries other than combat and cleaning up toward victory." A picture of what Army Emergency Relief Col. Robert M. Gardner, executive director of Army Emergency Relief, receives a check for $53,000 from Walter Immerman (right), managing director of Balaban & Katz circuit, for opening night proceeds from "This Is the Army" at the Chicago Theatre. In the center is Harry A. Seed, Warners' mid-west district manager. is and does for the men overseas was given by Col. Robert M. Gardner, whose memories, like those of Irving Berlin, go back to the first World War. It was Admiral Downes, who reminded him on stage, that they traveled to France in the same boat in 1917. The theatre then darkened on the vast crowd, and then the show was on — "This Is the Army," first film to be shown without a stage show in the 27-year history of the Chicago Theatre. Fourteen State St. stores spotted "Welcome to 'Tliis Is the Army' " copy in their daily newspaper ads and donate window space. All radio stations joined in a spot announcement campaign and WMAQ, WGN, and WBBM, ran fifteen minute broadcasts of the Irving Berlin score. Myers publications, fourteen neighborhood newspapers with a combined circulation of 250,000, gave front-page space to pictures from the film. W. A. Wieboldt Store at Lincoln and Belmont, large neighborhood shopping center, dressed a window on the music motif of "This Is the Army." Saks Fifth Avenue also caught the martial air for its Michigan Avenue windows. The following day, newspapers heralded the soldier show. Warren Brown, sports editor of the Chicago Sun, devoting an entire column to the production. That paper also came up with a half-page picture lay-out. The Chicago Daily Nc-ws' feature writer. Gene Morgan, did a color story that was checked into page one. The Chicago HeraldAiiiercian covered the premiere with a news story and crowd picture on the first page of the Pictorial section. The First Nighters Committee, whose work was responsible for raising the $53,000, was lieaded by Abner J. Stilwell and composed of Mitcliell McKeown, Col. James B. Kaine. Julien H. Collins, James C. Thompson, R. W. r. Purchas and James Martin. Promotion work on the Chicago opening was handled by W. K. Hollander, publicity director of B & K; Archie Herzoff, publicity director of the Chicago Theatre ; Col. Robert M. Gardner, executive director of Army Emergency Relief, Sixth Service Command ; Capt. Robert A. Cavanaugh, assistant executive director; Sgt. James Cannon and Private Max Gendel, U. S. Army : and Ted Tod and Lucia Perrigo of Warner Bros. Chicago office. Harry A. Seed is Warner Bros, district manager, Chicago office; A. J. Shumow is Chicago branch manager. Theatre-Radio Tieup Brinss Invasion News To Cottom*s Patrons Combining the motion picture and radio, showminded Bob Cottom of the Nile Theatre, Bakersfield, Calif., has developed one of the hottest ;ind timeliest ideas of the moment. The idea, that of piping news flashes into the tlieatre, was first tested with the Allied campaign in Sicily. Inspired by United Nations' successes in North Africa, Cottom, having vision and imagination, got himself in readiness for the time when Allied victorious armies would span the sea to Sicily. And when the time came, he conducted the news service announcements with extraordinary success. Having enjoyed the enthusiastic reaction of tlie movie-going public and the audience reached by radio as a result of the theatre-radio station service offered during the invasion of Sicily and the invasion of Italy, Cottom is all set to repeat the performance when invasions on other fronts occur. Reports Cottom : "When the invasion of Europe comes (Italy has already been invaded, but there is also the western front), you know what will happen : people will stay glued to their radios. To protect ourselves, we have made a tieup with Radio Station KERN which will furnish us with International News Service reports via telephone immediately upon arrival over INS wires. "The radio station will broadcast copy (to the effect that at last the invasion has occurred and that the Fo.x and Nile theatres have arranged to bring audiences the latest bulletins from the station) with every news release from the station. Assured of complete news coverage of the invasion the people may break loose from their radios at home and see a show — getting the news of the invasiou at the same time between pictures. "We tried this stunt during the invasion of Sicily without any advance buildup; it got excellent reaction from the audience. And, I m.'glit add, the radio station received fine comment from its audience. We use the house 'mike' and public address system. I'm convinced it's sure to help business when the big push starts." With Italy's capitulation and the Allies driving ahead in that country to oust the Germans, witii the Russians pushing on toward the west, and with further important and history-making developments certain to take place ere too much tmie passes, Cottom's idea should be tried by other showmen in communities served by radio stations. Show Builder Unit on View At Allied Michigan Convention MGM's Show Builder will be inspected by hundreds of exhibitors when it goes on view at the Allied Theatres of Michigan Convention and War Conference, October 4-6, at the Hotel Statler, Detroit. The Show Builder, a traveling exploitation office, is now concluding a tour through St. Louis territory and following its appearance at the convention will launch a series of visits to smaller towns and cities in Michigan. China Dishes on 'China' When he played "China," Manager Melvin Gaitskill of the Paris Theatre, Paris, Ky., tied up with a local jewelry shop for a window display of fine china dishes. He also promoted a Calox tooth powder-Loretta Young display at a five-and-dime store. Street ballyhoo consisted of a boy in a coolie outfit carrying a sign on the picture.