20th Century-Fox Dynamo (July 22, 1939)

NEW DYNAMO 9 ZANUCK K-f PRODUCT POTENTIAL EARNING POWER MAKES DRIVE QUOTA CONSERVATIVE FIELD SO STATES AT MEETINGS Continued from Page 8 We note that since these ex- changes were formed competi- tion has been keener. Our studio has a particularly excel- lent employees’ organization, but there is none at the Home Office which certainly can do with one! These clubs we have found definitely promote hap- pier relations and make for happier employees. That we have found to be the case every- where. A FTER listening to Drive Leader Levy’s facts concern- ing the Drive releases as given him by Darryl Zanuck, who should know, Milwaukee’s Jack Lorentz said: “Well, there is no doubt that with that line up of product we certainly should earn our quota of the million- dollar per week that is wanted.” And before we left town, Jack and Salesmen Edgerton, Michel and Horwitz and Head Booker Kahn were laying plans to de- liver quota every week of the Drive. That’s the spirit that makes prize-winners. • A FTER spending a day at Clyde Eckhardt’s Chicago exchange, learning that each and every week of this month will be productive of quota, we ascertained, beyond a shadow of doubt, that if—and, mind you, we say “if”—St. John beats that office to first place in the 52-week’s contest, that branch manager and his alert squad will be the sickest and saddest lot in the world. No office per- sonnel ever worked so hard over a 52-week period to win first place as has Chicago. • A ND you will be interested to know this fact: Eckhardt’s Chicago have gone over quota for a greater number of weeks than any other exchange in the world—and we include the Over- seas branches when we say that. Right now, on basis of all- around good delivery perform- ance, regardless of which of- fice finally wins the 52-week race, Chicago ranks the undis- puted champion! • M onday, July 24 th, will rightly be one day in the history of Chicago that none at that office will ever forget. We learned about the exhibitors’ plans for their banquet to Clyde Eckhardt at the Congress that night—and we know this: it will be the greatest testimonial any field executive ever had given him. Exhibitors and exchange men from not only all over the Chicago territory, but from Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kan- sas City, St. Louis and Detroit have announced their intentions of being on hand. General Manager of Distribution Her- man Wobber will be the prin- cipal speaker at the banquet. On the day of the banquet, the new Chicago exchange will be officially opened. • W HAT’S all this yelling about on the part of visitors to New York’s World’s Fair con- cerning high hotel rates, high price for food, etc. We never ran into stiffer, higher hotel rates than those we are being compelled to pay on this Drive trip. And if you want an air- cooled room, why they dig the gold right out of your teeth. Visit hotels outside New York— and you’ll know that in the Big- Town visitors are getting a real bargain! Out-of-town hotel rates are from 10 to 20 per cent higher than they were a year ago at this time. • J ACK LORENTZ had the Warner Brothers K-7 circuit deal all lined up when the Su- preme Court in Wisconsin ruled out “game nights.” So now he has to start all over again. That decision has changed the Wisconsin theatre situation con- siderably, according to the ex- hibitors. You’d think showing motion pictures was a sideline, if you took some exhibitors’ claims seriously. • H ERE’S a note from Eva Hunter of the Des Moines branch that has just been for- warded via Minneapolis, Mil- waukee and Chicago: “This Drive meeting was by far the best and most interesting that I have had the privilege of at- tending. And I am voicing also the opinion of all . the boys and girls at this exchange.” Thanks, Eva. • J ACK COHAN, Minneapolis salesman, was called upon to speak. That never happened before to him. He was very nervous, but, smart, he told his listeners he was just that. And after getting that “con- fession” off his chest, he pro- ceeded to make one of the best talks it has been our good for- tune to hear a salesman make. • H arry buxbaum’s New York is earning a lot of ex- tra money by re-issuing past hits. Why, they’re even re-is- suing “The Constant Nymph.” “Cavalcade” ended a run at the Carnegie last Tuesday. • O NE of the observing, news- paper-reading boys along the line—we’re sorry we can’t remember who —• suggests that in view of all the hulabaloo re- sultant from the Louisiana po- litical scandal, it might be a good idea to re-issue that John Barrymore starring K-6 col- lege-politico comedy. • W HEN the winners of the last Educational Month—Phil- adelphia, Washington, San Francisco and Minneapolis— were announced, we were per- sonally not a bit surprised. In fact, if you look back in the New Dynamo files you will dis- cover that it was predicted these four “will be difficult to keep out of the money, if they main- tain their first three weeks’ pace.” Congratulations to Chief Bookers Kelly, Sarah Young, Joe Flanagan and Harold Lund- quist and their assistants, and to the salesmen who will share in the prize distribution. • W E were coming down the ele- vator at the Muelhsbach Hotel in Kansas City the other night, when an exhibitor friend remarked: “That ‘Second Fiddle’ THEY ATTENDED A CELEBRATION New Orleans Saturday celebrated one prize-winning Drive | and prepared to do even better in the 1939 Big Push. Among j those seated at the head table were Drive Leader M. A. Levy, S Mary Healy, Roger Ferri, Mrs. E. V. Landaiche and Branch | Manager Landaiche. is the best Sonja Henie I have ever seen and if it doesn’t pack them in at my theatre, I’m go- ing to ask for a WPA super- visor’s job.” • C OOLEST group of employ- ees are those at Dallas! But they’re red-hot over their chances of winning a high Drive prize. Although no one is asked to make a specific pledge regarding what percentage over-quota he or his office will deliver during the Drive, those Texans volunteered estimates. That’s how well they are or- ganized for the coming cam- paign. • T HE advance film rentals from Milwaukee, which even now that office is carry- ing through to Dec. 16, shows the “Red” team, co-captained by Booker Ray Schultz and Sales- man Carl Michel, to be well out in front of the “Blue” team, co- captained by Booker Meyer Kahn and Cashier Gene Sichel- man—for the first six weeks of the Drive. Zone 3, which Michel covers, already has more than 65 per cent of last year’s zone delivery for the first week—and on the books. • B EN REINGOLD and his St. Louisans keep repeating “Jesse James” for all it is worth. You’d be amazed at the size of the “extra” Drive rev- enue this office is piling up on this picture. They’re begging prints from other exchanges. Example: Reingold sold a third run on the picture to the Opera House at Cairo, 111. w r E just received a very sweet note from the for- mer Mildred Dowbiggin, secre- tary to Montreal Manager Ed- ward English. Mildred and Booker Jack Casey were mar- ried a few days ago and they r Memphis Salesmen Personally Offer $25 Each in Prizes for Office Aides j MEMPHIS—Salesmen Wyse and Baskin fully appreciate ! the value of the cooperation given by the office staff during the hustling, bustling days of a Drive. And this year each of these gentlemen has dug down and extracted $25 toward an office $50 prize available to stenographers, clerks, assistants and other employees. This is in addition to the personal cash prize being offered by Manager Tom Young. are now honeymooning in New York. A couple of particularly nice “kids,” who deserve all the happiness in the world. Mil- dred realizes that being a com- petent wife is a full-time job and so she has resigned her po- sition. The best of everything in life, to Mr. and Mrs. Casey. • W EDDING bells rang louder than ever during the past several weeks. Kansas City’s assistant adsales manager, Jack Long, we learned there, recent- ly married Miss Helen Stephan. The newlyweds are just winding up a two weeks’ honeymoon in the East. • N EW YORK’S Office Manager Morris Sanders forwards an interesting note showing that that exchange isn’t waiting for the Drive to start breaking records. Two weeks ago New York set a new record when it shipped out almost 500 single reels. This tops any Drive week showing for single reel ship- ments, too. • S alesman robinett can very well be proud of his K-7 showing today. He has not turned in a single K-7 deal with- out a weekly payment provision on shorts. • I NCIDENTALLY, here’s good news from Portland’s As- sistant Manager Y. A. Whit- comb: “We are filling in that first week of the Drive so fast that very soon we will not have a single date open on any of the current releases, and, if we get any kind of a break on first- runs, we should easily set a new record for a Drive opening week.” • W HEN we stopped off in Dal- las the other day we heard much praise for June Carlson of the “Jones Family.” June drove through that city, en route to New York, and made an exceptionally fine impression on the Dallas newspaper folks —and on the circuit heads to whom she was introduced by Manager Herman R. Beiersdorf. • T RAVELLING bookers are helpful in more ways than one. We found that out in Dal- las, which is better prepared for the coming Drive than any in which it has participated to date. Traveling Auditor Bill LOCAL DRIVE HEADS SURPRISE Cohen arrived in the nick of time. The exchange baseball team was in a tight spot. A good short-stop was needed. Bill filled the gap—and splen- didly, too. With the score 5 to 6, against our team, in the ninth inning, Cohen stepped up to the plate, waited for one he liked and smacked it out in deep centre for a home run, bringing in a man on second, scoring himself, of course, and winning the ball game—7 to 6! • S IGN of better days: The Op- era House at Ashley, O., had been closed for seven years! It is just opening—and the first product it bought was the K-7. Sam Lichter, who should be one of the major performers in the Drive, closed the deal—and two Toledo circuits, too, in the same week. More power to you, Sam! • T HIS company stayed out of the Grand theatre at Ed- wardsville. Pa., and the State theatre, at Newark, Del., inso- far as K-6 was concerned. But last week both bought K-7. Salesman Bill Humphries and Ben Tolmas, respectively, of Gross’ Philadelphia office closed the deals. And just so it would be an outstanding week, Johnny Skillman sold K-7 contracts in Mifflin, Newport, McClure, St. Clair and Glen Rock, while Sales Manager and Philadelphia Drive Leader A1 Davis closed deals with the Milgram circuit, consisting of 11 houses, while Branch Manager Sam Gross concluded deals with the Pizor- Segall circuit, embracing nine theatres. Philadelphia means to get off to a flying start in the Drive. • W ASHINGTON Drive Leader Glenn Norris is holding- weekly Drive meetings — and excellent ones they have been, too, writes Joe Cohan. The of- fice personnel has been divided into five competitive groups, each having its own captain. • N ONE other than Lew Lehr will act as master of cere- monies at Clyde Eckhardt’s ban- quet, according to a flash we have just received. Here’s one prince of good fellows who is never too busy to lend a helping hand. No wonder he’s the idol of every member of the dollar delivery crew in the field! • A CERTAIN exhibitor hap- pened to rush into the of- fice of one of our branch man- agers, following a Drive meet- ing. He wanted to know what had happened to a request for a reduction on a certain picture. We were just about to go out to dinner and the manager in- formed him of that. He came along and ordered. When we got the bill, we had to dig deep. As we paid the bill he turned to the manager and said: “For- get that request; I’ve just eaten it up.” And so he had! But to prove his heart was in the right place he supplied a flock of Drive dates that would gladden the heart of the most ambitious booker. • W E are receiving many re- quests from branch man- agers if it would be permissible Continued on Page 10