20th Century-Fox Dynamo (June 3, 1939)

6 NEW DYNAMO -W > \ Always—At Your Service! THAT RIO CONVENTION! Down in Rio this week this company was making history. The first South American sales convention this corporation has sponsored has aroused international interest. This is the first big American company to announce an expansion of activity in Latin America. And it is backing that announce- ment with action. Mr. Kent is there, personally outlining the company plans. Keep your eyes on Latin America. And our representatives down there mean business. More than ever their presence in the distribution picture will be felt. Published In The United States Every Week In The Interest Of Sales Promotion By The Distribution Department Of 20TH CENTURY—FOX FILM CORPORATION SIDNEY R. KENT, President HERMAN WOBBER, General Manager of Distribution The Latest SHOP TALK Comment T HIS entire edition is being written, set up and printed in Springfield, 111. It is Me- morial Day morning. The stars from Hollywood have just reached town. Soon they’ll be making a personal appearance at the Lincoln theatre. Thou- sands are pouring into this usu- ally quiet town—every hour, by train, in automobiles, busses, etc. It’s a great day. Too bad the field force couldn’t be here. But it is well represented. Roger Ferri Editor 44Y OUNG MR - LINCOLN” is definitely our and exhib- itors’ lap, to use a trade term. Make no mistake about that. Darryl Zanuck and the studio have given us the most precious film property of the season. We say “most precious,” because what it does in the way of busi- ness will reflect the volume of support it gets in its presenta- tion. The studio has every right to expect field force and exhib- itors to go the limit on “Young Mr. Lincoln.” Here is a motion picture that is just what this business needs. Exhibitors can be thankful for it. We definitely are. • 'T'HTS company’s advertising' and publicity forces, under the supervision of Charles E. McCarthy, have done a remark- able job in introducing “Young Mr. Lincoln.” That world pre- miere was one of the greatest events sponsored by this indus- try. It was outstanding because of the popular support it aroused.. It was a wonderful tribute to creative showman- ship. It was an achievement of which the publicity department can be proud. “Young Mr. Lin- coln” was dramatically intro- duced in a manner befitting an entertainment of its possibili- ties and greatness. It is up to you to see that that effort is not in vain—that it is followed through in every single situa- tion. • C OPIES of the “Young Mr. Lincoln” special of New Dy- namo are being forwarded di- rect to thousands of exhibitors in the United States and Can- ada—and abroad. This is being- done because the audience ap- peal of this story is universal. These copies will reach every important theatre operator by this week-end. By Tuesday every important account on the Continent will have received a copy, for a batch is being dis- patched across the Atlantic via the Pan - American’s Atlantic Clipper. • pHIL LONGDON, alert Char- •*- lotte branch manager, pens an interesting letter regarding the obstacles tossed in the way of that office. He refers to the infantile paralysis that has hit the territory, that has closed many houses, kept attendance at operating houses to a mini- mum. But the Charlotte per- sonnel, though its hands are tied insofar as the situation is concerned, is not idle. It is working harder than ever—and with a smile and firm determi- nation to get every possible dol- lar. How well it is succeeding is indicated by the fact that last week Charlotte was one of two branches that exceeded total de- livery quota. Congratulations, Charlotte. a YY7E ducked and climbed our ” way through the new Chi- cago exchange building that will be ready for occupancy about July 10. We were most impressed with the thought given to efficiency of personnel movement when the new struc- ture was conceived. Devices have been installed in the build- ing that will, unquestionably, mean greater efficiency in every department. There will be no running up and down stairs, etc. All such inter-department communication will be taken care of by a tube system. Ar- rangement of offices has been laid out in accordance to inter- department contact. Clyde Eck- hardt is boasting it will be the finest exchange building of its kind in the country. Having seen all of them, even though the Chicago structure is far from complete, one must agree with him. • VV E believe that the use of " the shuttle sheet idea of Mr. Herman Wobber brought this company several millions of extra dollars—revenue we would otherwise not have got or over- looked.” It was an executive of a major distributing company who spoke those words to your correspondent. This gentleman led a Drive for another com- pany. This campaign is wind- ing up this week. He attrib- utes the success of the Drive di- rectly to the shuttle sheet pro- cedure. He and his company are deeply indebted to Mr. Wobber for having explained the drive method of campaign- ing—a method invented by our sales chief, a method that helped push a former branch sales manager to a division managership, a method that en- abled many to be promoted to higher positions, a method that has brought many, many mil- lions of extra dollars to this company in the past six years. 0 W HEN a branch can make 300 or 400 or 500 per cent of its quota on any phase of dollar delivery, one of two things becomes obvious: (1) the quota is what it should have been, or (2) the office fell down in some weeks in the past when it should have been delivering quota! It is the office that maintans over-quota, a reason- able over-quota weekly average that is outstanding, most effi- cient. For an office to double its quota now and then is not surprising, but the result of concentration on specific weeks or of extraordinary effort or suddenly. developed. abnormal conditions. Aim high, the higher the better, but set such an aim EVERY week! SELL! BOOK! COLLECT! TN THE first 21 weeks of this 1939 chapter of the K-6 season, the Western division’s percentage of total delivery increase over the same period last year was just double the percentage of boost it is credited with for the first 43 weeks of the 1938-39 season. Divisionally, the West’s gain since the first of this year topped that of the Central group by 5.31 points which is a definite threat to the latter which continues in command on 43 weeks’ accumu- lated delivery. ‘ • l^OR THE first time in months, the Central’s divisional leader- -L ship for the season is positively jeopardized. The Centrals, however, boast a 23-weeks’ increase that tops the East’s boost for that period by just one point. Every district in the three divisions showed an increase in total delivery during the 23-week 1939 period. But on the first 43 weeks of the season, Atlantic, North- east and Mid-East lagged behind their figures for the same period of the K-5 year. • IV/f AYER’S Des Moines, which this week recovered territorial command on 43 weeks’ accumulated delivery, has effected the highest percentage of increase in revenue for that period. Of the first 12 offices with the highest 43 weeks’ total delivery in- crease, seven are Central branches, and the remaining five are affiliations of the Western division. Best exchange among the Easterners in matter of 43 weeks’ increase is Grady’s Cincinnati, but nationally the Ohioans rank 13th. Over their 1937-38 season’s period’s business, too, among the Easterners were Simon’s New Haven and Wheeler’s Washington. • of K- l a 4 OLLOWING is how the 37 branches stand in the matter of ter- ritorial percentage of increase in business for the first 43 weeks this season compared with the corresponding period of the ■5 year: Des Moines Omaha Memphis Winnipeg Chicago Charlotte St. Louis Calgary Montreal 10 Kansas 11 St. John 12 Atlanta 13 Cincinnati 14 New Orleans 15 Minneapolis 3 6 Seattle 17 New Haven IS Salt Lake 19 20 21 Los Angeles Washington Toronto 22 Frisco 23 Dallas *24 Portland *25 Milwaukee *20 Boston *27 Indianapolis *2S Oklahoma *29 Vancouver *30 Denver *31 Philadelphia *32 Detroit *33 New York *34 Pittsburgh *35 Buffalo *30 Cleveland *37 Albany ( * ) Trailing TYIVISIONALLY, the season’s best percentage of increase over the first 43 weeks of last year was earned by the Centrals, who topped the Westerners by only seven-tenths of a point. If the Centrals allow this to continue, it is only a question of a month before the West will overtake them in the matter of busi- ness increase and, possibly on accumulated delivery. Among the districts, the best gain has been made by Levy’s Prairies, whose percentage of boost is 1.8 greater than that of Ward Scott’s Midwest, for the 43 weeks. Third highest gain so far this sea- son has been hung up by Ballance’s South which led O’Loghlin’s Canada by eight-tenths of a point. Fifth was Great Lakes and sixth the Coast, The Eastern districts are lagging behind both Central and Western combinations on the question of 43 weeks’ business increase over 1937-38. • I N THE past 21 weeks, Scott’s Midwesterners have been boost- ing their business, although the first half of 1939 found them stronger than they have been in the past eight weeks. Second highest district boost for the first 21 weeks of 1939 has been brought in by Ballance’s South, 9.8 behind Midwest, but three- tenths ahead of the Coast which tops Levy’s Prairie by exactly one point. O’Loghlin’s Canadian boost was one point behind Moss’ Atlantics and 1.5 under the Coast. Next highest percentages of boosts must be credited Bailey’s Northeast, Roberts’ Mid-East and the Great Lakes. F ULLER’S Kansas Citians, who have their first quarter of this year to thank for their rank, lead the organization on percent- age of territorial business boost over the first 21 weeks of last year. They upped their figure almost 22 per cent, or just three points greater than the gain made in that time by Tom Young’s Memphis and 3.8 above London’s Charlotte, which again exceeded total delivery quota last week. Western branches are most nu- merous among the top 12 on boosts effected in the past 23 weeks, with a delegation of five. Central is second with four and East has three in that section. H ERE is how the 37 branches stand on percentage of gain, or drop, in accumulated 21 weeks’ total delivery this year against the same period of 1938, according to official figures furnished by the Auditing Department: 1 Kansas 2 Memphis 3 Charlotte 4 St. Louis 5 Montreal 6 Winnipeg' 7 Indianapolis 8 Cincinnati 9 Calgary 10 New Haven 11 Des Moines 12 Los Angeles 13 Washington 14 Frisco 15 Portland 16 Chicago 17 Salt Lake 18 Pittsburgh 19 Omaha 20 St. John 21 Dallas 22 Oklahoma 23 Boston 24 Atlanta 25 Minneapolis 26 Philadelphia *27 Milwaukee *28 Vancouver *29 Cleveland *30 New York *31 Toronto *32 Seattle *33 Denver *34 New Orleans *35 Buffalo *36 Albany *37 Detroit (*) Trailing Y ES, Springfield is the cap- ital of Illinois. Here’s where they’re supposed to make laws Chicago and other Illinois com- munities are supposed to en- force. Whether or not they do is none of our business, but Springfield is NOT in Clyde Eckhardt’s territory. To be sure Clyde’s down here for the festivities. But, Springfield, 111., is part of the St. Louis territory and served by Ben Reingold’s branch. • H OME office statisticians were quite puzzled when Mem- phis’ short subjects delivery showed Tom Young’s office a fortnight ago had delivered bet- ter than 500 per cent of quota during the week ending May 20. Not since Montreal deliv- ered 700 per cent of quota has any one office boasted such a figure. And Montreal turned in that freak performance during a Kent Drive chapter. • yST ELL, by the time you read " these lines our final Edu- cational Anniversary Month campaign will have passed into history. What the final figures will show time—a week or so —will determine. But, pointed out Mr. Wobber the other day, the passing of Educational Month does not relieve any- body of any obligation. No one’s job has been done, he says, until the very last foot of Educational film has been turned into cash. ivr ARIAN ANDERSON, fa- •*-*-*- mous Negro contralto, who sang at the world premiere of “Young Mr. Lincoln,” will have earned exactly $30,000 at the five recitals she will have given in two weeks starting with her engagement at Carnegie Hall, New York, last week, and end- ing with appearance at the White House before President and Mrs. Roosevelt and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Of the $30,000 she will have collected $12,000 from this com- pany. For appearing at Spring- field and on June 2 at the Coast premiere of “Young Mr. Lin- coln,” Miss Anderson will have received $6000 for each recital. That is what she got for her appearance at Carnegie Hall, at the World’s Fair on Sunday and what the Government will pay her for entertaining Their Britannic Majesties. • VT7"ESTERN Division Manager ” William J. Kupper is mak- ing a personal tour of the branches on the Coast. Not only is he working with Coast branch managers on K-7 deals, but with them he is planning the participation in the coming Kent Drive. However, Bill has another ambition; he sincerely believes that in the next nine weeks his division has an ex- ceptional chance of overtaking Gehring’s Centrals. That means Kupper is still hopeful the West will wind up the K-6 season as divisional champion. SELL-AND RIGHT!