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

NEW DYNAMO 7 SIDELIGHTS T HE “Young Mr. Lincoln” premiere special of New Dynamo, printed as a separate edition, is by this time in the hands of important exhibitors in your territory. In that special, printed in Springfield, 111., we endeavored to incorporate all the news, comments and other matter of direct concern and interest to your exhibitors. We tried to cover the premiere with their interests in view. That it was one of the finest spectacles sponsored by any motion picture company is now a known fact. It was an exploitation stunt done in such good taste that a great state and a great his- toric city gladly co-operated to the limit. 9 I N New York late this week, Mr. Wobber had Drive Leader Morton A. Levy in for confer- ences on the 1939 drive. Numerous suggestions regarding method of competition were submitted to the sales chief. All of these were given his personal consideration and were carefully ana- lyzed with the national needs in mind. When the first issue of the Drive publication reaches you, you will get all the facts—officially. Whatever you hear in the meantime—for rumors, usually wrong, always will crop out from the busy-bodies —mobilize your forces for what should be the most interesting, exciting and lucrative Kent Drive in company history. 9 T HE first Latin-American convention sponsored by this corporation was in full swing at Rio de Janeiro this week. A cablegram from Rio, Thursday, stated both President S. R. Kent and Overseas Sales Director Walter J. Hutchinson had arrived there that morning. Mr. Kent’s ad- dress is awaited with keen interest by the entire industry here. His words will reflect the future activity of the industry in South America. That the Latin-American market has been neglected by American distributors is a fact known to all. This company is taking the initiative in further devel- opment of relations with South and Central Amer- ican countries. 9 J UDGING from pledges and reports pouring into this department from domestic and overseas branches indicates 1939-40 business should show a minimum of 20 percent increase over that of 1938-39. Domestically, that should not be diffi- cult to effect. In substantiation of this predic- tion there are many factors, all known to you. For one thing, the releases for the first 20 weeks of the K-7 season are far stronger than those available during the corresponding weeks of 1938. Dig into the K-7 release schedule for that period, published in the Studio Special supplement of New Dynamo—and compare it with the releases for the first 20 weeks of the K-6 season. You’ll be convinced. Beating this season’s weekly “take” by 20 percent, domestically, is far from our goal. It will have to be much better than that to justify the increase made in K-7 production investment over that represented by the K-6 output. W HEN the exploitation plans for “Second Fid- dle,” “Susannah of the Mounties” and other later K-6 releases are carried out, the company’s total investment in national advertising of this season’s specials will be something like 60 per- cent in excess of the original amount set aside for that purpose at the outset of the 1938-39 year. Just think over that statement—and its significance. The “Tail Spin” flying stunt cost more than $25,000. The Kentucky Derby broad- cast for “Rose of Washington Square” cost well over $50,000. The world premiere of “Young Mr. Lincoln” and its broadcasting, etc., cost the company around $50,000. The “Second Fiddle” world broadcast will involve another $25,000. And these figures, of course, are exclusive of moneys spent on co-operative advertisements in local newspapers, trade paper advertising, press books, R IGHT here we want to express our gratitude to Clyde W. Eckhardt in particular and to his Chicago branch personnel in general, for the magnificent co-operation extended this writer in getting out the “Young Mr. Lincoln” special. The mailing was supervised by Clyde’s able assistant, A. A. Van Dyke. Several times every year we have occasion to call upon the Chicago exchange’s personnel for assistance—and always it is given wholeheartedly and efficiently. We want to par- ticularly express our gratitude, also, to Mr. Eck- hardt’s secretary, Selma Hackman, and Adsales Manager Arnold Monette. But everybody pitched in— a nd helped, so to all, again, thanks very much. It’s co-operation like this that makes our task a pleasurable one. A ND it is not in the spirit of gratitude that we make this statement, but rather from per- sonal knowledge of what is happening in the do- mestic field: The branch that can beat Chicago is the one that is going to finish in first place on total delivery for the 52-week period of this season. Des Moines is still hopeful and its next six weeks will be corkers. But, we happen to know that this week will see Chicago over quota. And we happen to know, too, that Clyde Eckhardt Anniversary Month—July—will see the .branch’s every existing record for delivery definitely an- nihilated. That potential July record will make Chicago no easy prey for any 1938-39 total de- livery championship seeker. Just a tip from an unbiased observer. Romantic u Young Mr. Lincoln” TIMELY OBSERVATIONS S PECTACULAR exploitation methods are needed to attract people these days. This certainly was profitably and advan- tageously emphasized at the now historic world premiere of “Young Mr. Lincoln” in Springfield, 111. There will never be any- thing like it again. This was absolute tops. But the company hopes that the fine example set by the New York advertising forces will be followed by adsales managers in every territory. This is a great mass entertainment that demands the whole- hearted co-operation of the adsales forces in every territory— and it is to be hoped that they make much better use of this opportunity than they have made of past ones. Come on, Mr. Adsales Manager, snap into this job! 9 B RIGHTEST side of the week’s box office business reports came from the situation presented by the theatres in the resort spots. Generally, these all celebrated Memorial Day with very good business. Receipts were higher than during the Memorial Day period of last year and of 1937, according to a comparison with official figures for that season. In these resort situations, for instance, “Rose of Washington Square” reportedly did 30 per- cent more business than did the same attraction in city theatres. Reason for this was, unquestionably, the generally fine weather drove millions from the cities to the resorts over the past week- end, taking in Memorial Day. F ILM exchanges are going in for athletic activity on an elab- orate plane, judging from the correspondence we have re- ceived from the offices. Dallas, for instance, has organized a base- ball team. A picture of the squad is published elsewhere in this issue. There is nothing in the world that keeps the mind so alert and creates fine feeling than athletic activity. Manager H. R. Beiersdorf of the Dallas exchange is very proud of this baseball team and writes that it has “every chance of winning the cham- pionship.” Here’s hoping, Dallas. 9 B ILL CADORET, veteran showman from Rochester, N. Y., says .what he means. No juggler of words, Billin Springfield, 111., told a flock of exhibitors from nearby cities: “If pictures like the ones that Zanuck has been making, including this wonderful film (‘Young Mr. Lincoln’) and those that are coming don’t do busi- ness, we had better suspend business for the Summer. I think the best production job this year is being done by 20th Century- Fox and we play most of the industry’s product.. I know one thing positively: no picture will do this industry more good than will ‘Young Mr. Lincoln.’ It makes me feel very glad that I’m in a business that can turn out something like this.” W E have just received the credits for “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women,” the first Cosmopolitan production for 1939-40 release. And we note that Linda Darnell is given the same bill- ing as James Ellison, Ann Sothern, John Halliday and Katherine Aldridge. This is, indeed, evidence of the ability of Miss Dar- nell, for whom this is her first screen appearance. It certainly indicates she must be coming up to Zanuck’s expectations. Inci- dentally, keep your eyes on this girl, Katharine Aldridge, too. H ERE is how the branches stand on revenue averaged weekly- on each print of Movietown News, as of May 17: 1 Los Angeles 2 Detroit 3 Buffalo 4 New Haven 5 Philadelphia 6 Seattle 7 Frisco 8 Indianapolis 1) Chicago 10 Cleveland 11 Pittsburgh 12 Cincinnati 13 Washington 14 New York 15 Boston 16 Kansas 17 Dallas 18 Albany IS) St. Louis 20 Milwaukee 21 Minneapolis 22 Denver 23 Atlanta 24 Salt Lake 25 Portland 26 Memphis 27 Des Moines 28 Oklahoma 29 Charlotte 30 New Orleans 31 Omaha HIGHLIGHTS M ORTON A. LEVY, Prairie district manager, had better watch his step. Right now he has the advantage on Messrs. O’Loughlin, Scott, Ballance, Bailey, Moss and Roberts insofar as the district managers’ race for the President’s prize is concerned. But, it may be that none of these gentlemen, including Levy, will win that prize. Why? Great Lakes, without a district manager, rates an exceptional chance of finishing first in district rating on 52 weeks’ total delivery stand- ing. And if that happens, then there will be none to receive the prize, for the district man- ager must be first, not second or third to qualify for possession of the prize. What the prize will be will be determined by Mr. Wobber. 9 W ORD from Mr. Zanuck’s quarters indicates that “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” which is slated for K-7 release, will be something different in the line of mystery entertainment. , It is no sequel to “The Hound of the Basker- villes.” Hollywood writers have conveyed such an impression, but it is not so. The K-7 “Sher- lock Holmes” special has no relation whatso- ever to “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Con- fusion among the Coast writers has resulted from the fact that once again Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will play Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively. Director A1 Werker starts production on “The Adventures of Sher- lock Holmes” within the next few days. 9 I F today you were to ask the some 65 motion picture critics and writers who attended the world premiere of “Young Mr. Lincoln” at Springfield who should get the Academy award for the best performance of 1939 the answer, unanimously, would be: Henry Fonda. The latter’s portrayal of young Lincoln will never be forgotten. It is his best performance; and on that score exhibitors agree with the critics. “Young Mr. Lincoln” plays Henry Fonda right at the top of the string of male stars when it comes to GREAT acting. It is a flawless, hu- man, understanding, natural and convincing per- formance, one of the greatest the screen has known. 9 A DOZEN salesmen are “clashing” with Pitts- burghers for first position on individual results on K-7 sales. Leading this procession is St. Louis’ Abe Eskin. The St. Louisan has been haunting the Pittsburghers from the begin- ning of the K-7 sales period. But George Moore and Austin Interrante still pace him. A year ago this week Eskin climbed into first place— and stayed there right through the K-6 season, being the first salesman to sell his every fea- ture possibility. The latter task he effected shortly after the K-6 season started. He still believes he will repeat that performance—and this writer has no doubt that he will do .so, but when or whether some other salesman will beat him to that mark is something that time will have to determine. But, one thing is. certain, individual salesmanship is the outstanding fea- ture of the present K-7 sales effort. 9 R EASON why Drive branch meetings will be held earlier this year than in the past is to furnish the branches with fresh “inside” infor- mation on Zanuck’s K-7 plans. One thing the field is agreed on and that is that in the past few years the national conventions have been held much too early. This opinion seems to pre- vail not only among our own managers and sales- men, but those working for other companies. At the coming Drive sessions, managers and sales- men will be given new slants on the K-7 lineup, material that should help them importantly in selling the 1939-40 program. O NE thing managers of National Theatres Corporation’s houses are learning in the cur- rent Spyros Skouras Showmanship Drive is that today the real showman must work harder than ever to bring them to his theatre. It’s salesman- ship that counts, more than ever, in these days. The managers who just sits down and “cries” is the chap who is on his way out, for he belongs to the 'silk-glove era that has, happily, passed into oblivion. 9 M ARY HEALY will be developed as a sing- ing star. We were privileged to hear her rendition of several Irving Berlin tunes she sings in “Second Fiddle.” Mary has a style that is going to "catch on” quickly. And her participa- tion in that world-wide radio premiere of “Sec- ond Fiddle” will do much to cinch that fact among millions of theatregoers here in North America, in South America and in Europe. She will do some vocalizing in Elsa Maxwell’s “Hotel for Women,” too. 9 H OLLYWOOD is doing the industry, as a whole, a good turn in urging its stars to tour South America. This week we heard from the studio that Tyrone Power and Annabella were going to spend a belated honeymoon in South America. Henry Fonda is down there now. His presence has further cemented the increasingly fine feeling of South Americans to- ward this country—and has created added good- will for the industry.