Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

RODGERS: STOP RETREAT TALK; MGM SALES FORCES REALIGNED Aggressive, All-Industry Effort Very Important, Sales Head Declares NEW YORK — William F. Rodgers, vicepresident in charge of distribution for MGM, says there is too much talk about a recession There is no reason for it, he says, and at the same time there is no reason why business should not remain on the upgrade. “An aggressive allindustry effort to do a good job of making the public realize that motion pictures are their greatest amuse umnaM f pnnrFPS ment value wiU ac' WILLIAM F. RODGERS complish t h j s » he says. “When I say all-industry, I realize good pictures alone cannot do it.” BETTER PUBLIC RELATIONS Rodgers says it will take “better theatre merchandising, better theatre housekeeping; it will require understanding and constructive comments on the part of reviewers and critics; it will require intelligent advertising to make the public realize that for a low cost they are being brought the best product of the greatest writers in the world. “Here is an all-industry effort worthy of the best brains of the unquestioned talent we have in every department of our company. Once we establish in the public mind confidence that the merchandise we have to offer is the greatest dollar value they can buy, we will not need to worry about empty seats. “Next to keeping present patrons, our biggest job is to reach out and touch those segments of the public who for one reason or another are not regular patrons of motion picture theatres. That is why we expect to expand and place emphasis on exhibitor and public relations.” By exhibitor relations, he says, he means contacts that will keep the MGM sales organization closer to its customers to help them reach larger audiences by following through after a sale has been made. This will be one of the company’s main objectives this year, Rodgers states. FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY “As good business men,” he sums up, “we realize that in every era of abnormal prosperity, there comes a time when we must take inventory of our stock, realign our sights and prepare our approach in a different manner. We are going to do just that. We have reshuffled our sales organization to put our returning veterans in their proper positions, and we have shifted others to other work. Naturally, during the war, we found it necessary to overstaff with, many times, inexperienced people, in order that the same level of efficiency could be maintained.” Rodgers admits frankly that putting competitive bidding into effect generally will cause many irritations. Thus far the company has been experimenting with it in about 50 situations. He says he does not intend to tolerate any attempt to turn the good intentions of the court decree into selfadvantage. “Our bulwark,” he says, “has been firm Reshuffled by MGM SAMUEL J. GARDNER THOMAS A. ASPELL JR. SAM DAVIS JEROME ADAMS JACK GOLDBERG BENN H. ROSENWALD CHARLES D. LYNE JACK C. ReVILLE exhibitor relations and, through them, to the public we serve, and these will be stressed even more in the future than in the past, if that is possible.” Rodgers recently sent a wire to the field forces reminding them again that where a picture fails to come up to its sales classification it should be reclassified quickly, so that minimum terms can be changed in asking for bids. He hopes arbitration, especially on clearances, can be continued, because he does not want any of the technicalities of the decree to interfere with the company’s pleasant relations with its customers. NEW YORK — Seven MGM exchanges acquire new managers in a general realignment of sales forces made last week by William F. Rodgers, vice-president in charge of distribution. A number of the shifts are due to promotions; one was caused by a resignation, and one salesman was advanced to a branch managership. Samuel J. Gardner, who has been Los Angeles branch manager for the past two and one-half years, was promoted to assistant west coast sales manager. Gardner started with the company as a salesman at Philadelphia in 1931. His new headquarters will be in San Francisco. M. L. “MIKE" SIMONS ASPELL TO LOS ANGELES Thomas A. Aspell jr., Seattle branch manager, has gone to Los Angeles to take Gardner’s place, and Sam Davis, who has been a special representative on the coast in the reprints and importations department, has taken over the Seattle branch. Both Aspell and Davis are company veterans. The former was formerly office manager in Kansas City in 1930. He went to San Francisco a year later. The latter joined the company as assistant shipper in April 1929. Jerome Adams, who has been assistant branch manager at San Francisco, has been promoted to manager in Washington. He takes the spot made vacant when John S. Allen was made district manager for Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Adams started as a student booker in 1934. He advanced from private to captain in the army air forces during the war. Jack Goldberg, sales manager at Washington, has been made Albany branch manager. This fills the vacancy there caused when Herman Ripps was made district manager for Albany, Buffalo and New Haven. Goldberg has been with the company since June 1928, when he became a salesman at Detroit. He has had previous Albany experience. ROSENWALD TO BOSTON Benn H. Rosenwald, branch manager at Charlotte for the past eight years, has been moved to Boston as branch head. Rosenwald’s place at Charlotte has been taken by Jack C. ReVille, Oklahoma City branch manager for the past four years. ReVille was a salesman at Memphis in 1943. He has been with the company since 1929. The Oklahoma City vacancy caused by ReVille’s transfer has been filled by the promotion of Charles D. Lyne, salesman in the Dallas area, who has been with the company since 1927. M. L. “Mike” Simons, who has been named as aide to H. M. Richey, and will spend considerable time in the field in the future, also is a company veteran. He joined the company at Indianapolis as a booker 20 years ago, and since that time has been an office manager and salesman. He went to the home office 14 years ago and has edited The Distributor, employes’ magazine, which he will continue to handle. BOXOFFICE : : April 5, 1947 15