20th Century-Fox Dynamo (August 5, 1939)

NEW DYNAMO 11 SIDELIGHTS D ARRYL ZANUCK never has been busier than he is now insofar as the negotiation of deals for services of stars under contract to other com- panies is concerned. For Fred MacCurray’s ser- vices in “Little Old New York” he had to give Paramount Don Ameche for one picture. This week for “Little Old New York,” Zanuck borrowed Andy Devine from Universal. Several weeks ago he borrowed Edward Arnold for a great character role in “Johnny Apollo” in which Tyrone Power will play the title role. • L INDA DARNELL, who scores a personal, and sensational, hit in her first screen try, “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women,” will not appear in “Drums Along the Mohawk.” She was ordered back to the studio from Cedar City, Utah, where John Ford is making “Drums Along the Mohawk,” to take screen-tests for a co-starring role in an- other K-7 Zanuck production. Meantime, Dorris Bowdin, who did such an excellent job in “Young Mr. Lincoln,” was rushed to Cedar City to play the role originally intended for Miss Darnell in the Henry Fonda-Claudette Colbert co-starring Technicolor super special. • H ARRY BUXBAUM is especially elated these days. So he should be. He never was in finer shape than he is now, insofar as the selling period is concerned. This means that New York should get off to a flying start in the Drive. The Bux- baumites were sadly disappointed by their show- ing in the 1938 Big Push, but they can point to any number of good reasons why they should fig- ure “in the money” in the coming campaign. Good luck, New York. • T HE cost of the Jane Withers K-7 productions will represent an increase of 35 per cent over the K-6 output with this young star. This is the biggest budget boost given any picture on the K-7 calendar, according to some figures Studio Treas- urer Fred Metzger showed us out there. And you can understand the necessity of this boost when you bear in mind the personalities being lined up to co-star with her. But, then, too, the cost of stories, direction and general production has been substantially increased. With these facts in mind, the field can readily appreciate Mr. Wobber’s insis- tence on better terms for the Withers series. • Y OU will get your first issue of the Kent Drive publication next week. It will come to you from San Francisco. In this publication you will find official statements and valuable information re- garding every phase of the Big Push. Meantime, there is only one way of assuring yourself an auspicious launching of the Drive and that is by speeding up the sale of right contracts. • P RODUCTION on “Brigham Young” will start at Cedar City immediately after “shooting” has been finished on “Drums Along the Mohawk.” This is truly a million-dollar “location.” The combined cost of the two productions will be in the neigh- borhood of $4,000,000, according to Zanuck’s fig- ures. The production chief is anxious to complete the exterior on “Brigham Young” before the cold weather sets in at the Utah location. The Mormon officials will co-operate in the production of the sensational dramatization of the romantic and dramatic, history-making adventures of the founder of Mormonism. • T ITLES for the first three of Father Hubbard’s Alaskan Adventures to be released on the Movietone K-7 slate have been selected. They are “The Birthplace of Icebergs,” which was to inau- gurate the new season this week-end; “The Aghi- leen Pinnacles” and “The Valley of 10,000 Smokes.” Commentary on each release will be by the learned and popular Lowell Thomas, who this year breaks all records for number of programs aired by a single radio commentator. Congratulations, Lowell! • H ERE is a prediction: the two most talked-about sequences on the screen in 1939-40 releases will be the dramatic defense of Spencer Tracy before the British Geographic Society in “Stanley and Livingstone,” and that flirtatious scene be- tween Brenda Joyce and George Brent when they first meet in the greatest motion picture of all time, “The Rains Came.” Check us when the sea- son is over! • M ONTREAL did not surprise us one bit when it wound up the season in first place on K-6 adsales. Frankly, we believe this office will con- tinue to make a great showing during Iv-7. When an office can finish 14 points better than its nearest opponent in any dollar delivery department, we believe that branch has proved its championship beyond any doubt. Ed English’s branch positively shamed every one of the other 36 exchanges on adselling. The latter will do well to copy the effective Montreal tactics. GETTING IN THE HARD WAY! Jimmy Ritz of the Ritz, Ritz & Ritz may have sneaked through and bested this crowd at the press-preview of “Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel For Women”, but he could not escape the New Dynamo cameraman who was right on the job as James poked his way into the lobby of Grauman’s Chinese theatre out Hollywood way. I o bse rv atTon s B Y the early part of next week Spyros Skouras’ Showmanship Drive winners will be ascertained, according to the expecta- tions of that campaign’s Field Marshal, Arch Bowles. Northern California division wound up in sensational fashion, while District Manager Sturdivant broke records in the final weeks to zoom into a high prize-paying position. The campaign was a tremendous success and much credit is due Mr. Bowles and the Drive committee for the magnificent manner in which they conducted the Drive. It was a masterpiece in showmanship, business-building—and could not have been better timed. So, congratulations! • A CABLE from London’s Bob Harley informs us that “Second Fiddle” enjoyed an unusual reaction from the press and cinema operators following a trade showing in the British metropolis last week. That dees not surprise any of us over here. The picture, unquestionably the most entertaining of the 1938-39 season, will be a Drive release in England. In fact, the Drive lineup abroad leaves no doubt that Walter Hutchinson’s Overseas forces will break all prior Big Push records. In New York, Far East Repre- sentative Dell Goodman insisted that his division will “win a major portion of the prize money.” • T HE division of Drive responsibility among branch employees never was better nor more efficiently distributed than it is this year. That is unquestioned fact and you can take that from one who is privileged to enjoy the “inside” happenings at all branches. Many branches have turned the job of non-theatrical bookings over to the girls. In every single office, the girls are considerably better organized for Drive capacity than in prior efforts. • C ONFERENCES were under way at the studio this week among Darryl Zanuck, Charles E. McCarthy and Harry Brand. The two publicity chiefs were concentrating on campaigns on forth- coming Zanuck specials. The first two specials to get their atten- tion are “Hollywood Cavalcade” and “The Rains Came.” Both were screened for the publicity heads. This is definitely a crucial year in the exploitation of motion pictures. At no time in the history of this industry has it been more imperative to give to the adver- tising of pictures the same concentrated attention that goes into their production. • S OMETHING of a record will have been established by Mr. Wob- ber when he again heads for the Coast next week, preparatory to his Drive swing around the U. S. branches. Since his return from last month’s product conferences with Mr. Zanuck, he has analyzed the production at no less than a half dozen gatherings of sectional showmen. At the Canadian Famous Players circuit and Schine circuit get-togethers, Mr. Wobber was enabled to give such a complete story on the 1939-40 product that heads of other producer-distributor organizations were concededly taken by sur- prise and only one dared to analyze his firm’s plans—but they were just plans, while our sales chief was able to talk and give facts. • N EW YORK this week saw its K-7 possibilities zoom to the 800 mark. This is by no means representative of that territory’s largest number of possibilities, but it is a substantial increase over this time last year. While Dallas has the second largest number of possibilities, 597, its proceeds from such situations are not representative of a same size of earning power, for second highest quota to New York is Boston’s. And the latter territory has 24 less possibilities than Dallas, but 28 more than Philadelphia and 15 more than Chicago. As of this week the territorial K-7 possi- bilities in the U. S. and Canada (total, 12,212) were given out as follows: Albany 207, Atlanta 557, Boston 573, Buffalo 241, Char- lotte 355, Chicago 558, Cincinnati 482, Cleveland 325, Dallas 597, Denver 291, Des Moines 260, Detroit 393, Indianapolis 324, Kansas City 432, Los Angeles 404, Memphis 250, Milwaukee 255, Minne- apolis 523, New Haven 146, New Orleans 291, New York 800, Okla- homa 243, Omaha 249, Philadelphia 545, Pittsburgh 394, Portland 149, St. Louis 369, Salt Lake 281, San Francisco 325, Seattle 190, Washington 385 (total, U. S. 11,374); Calgary 149, Montreal 124, St. John 71, Toronto 247, Vancouver 82, and Winnipeg 165. HIGHLIGHTS W ORD from the publishers of “The Grapes of Wrath” this week was to the effect that as of Wednesday they had checked up the sale of 178,340 books. This is a phenomenal record. If anything, the sale of the book has gained in momentum. This demand is accounted for by the increasing controversy over the subject of John Steinbeck’s sensational best-seller which Zanuck is preparing to place before the cameras early in the Fall for late Winter release. • OHUTTLE sheets will be subjected to a rnicro- I'-J scopic analysis at the coming Drive meetings at the branches. This statement is given you at this time, so that you will be prepared and have the sheets up to date. The Western division offices had been instructed to have their sheets in New York by Aug. 21. However, in view of the fact that the Drive’s second branch meetings will start in that division within the next 10 days, it is imperative that those offices bring their sheets up to date and have them in New York much, much earlier. • “fTVHE RAINS CAME” is the talk of exhibitor- A dom. We say this authoritatively. We were privileged to see most of this Zanuck masterpiece while at the studio. As we saw it there was no doubt that it must rank with the greatest screen accomplishments of all time. Zanuck has faith- fully adhered to the Louis Bromfield book and it is our humble opinion that “The Rains Came” will be one of the industry’s biggest grossers—and this company’s No. 1 money-getter. • R IGHTLY the display ads on “Stanley and Liv- ingstone” are being made. A new press book will be available for the pictorial material in the old campaign book does not do full justice to this spectacle. Here is a production that will warrant the greatest showmen’s exploitation effort. We were particularly tickled to see that the circuits and first-run theatre operators around the country were lining up great advance campaigns on this production and cashing in on that unforgettable performance that Spencer Tracy gives. • “l^RONTIER MARSHAL” is getting splendid A attention from showmen. And so it should. The other day we read a column written around the picture by no less an authority on frontier folklore than Damon Runyon. We suggest that this syndicated article be “blown up” and used as a lobby display in theatres in cities where Run- yon’s articles are featured by a local newspaper. It is an entertaining and ticket-selling column. • N EW ORLEANS had hoped to finish first in the 52-weeks’ K-6 delivery contest, but Chicago and St. John were too much for the Crescents. But the latter did cop third money. However, New Orleans has quite a job ahead of it. Its operating cost represents the highest percentage of increase of any office in the Domestic organi- zation. It is some 12 per cent greater than the second highest cost branch. Come on, New Or- leans, level off! You can do it! • T HE week ending Oct. 14 has been designated Darryl F. Zanuck Week by the appreciative operator of the Earle Theatre at Mt. Airy, N. C. This news Charlotte Manager Phil Longdon has forwarded to this publication. The exhibitor al- ready has gotten his introductory publicity. He will devote the entire week to a presentation of Zanucy product and this company’s shorts. He has booked “Stanley and Livingstone,” “Adven- tures of Sherlock Holmes” and “Jones Family in Quick Millions.” But the point is that this move reflects the small exhibitors’ appreciation of Zan- uck’s efforts to boost business. • I T PAYS to advertise, but right! Take the example of “Second Fiddle” in St. Louis. Cam- paigns on this picture in other cities were ama- teurish compared with the fine treatment it got in that municipality. As a result the picture ran three weeks, but three big weeks. Better adver- tised, “Second Fiddle” did better business in St. Louis than in any other key-city first-run situation in the country. • P RINTS on Father Hubbard’s first Movietone. Adventures in Alaska, “Birthplace of Ice- bergs,” were shipped this week. In the branches now are prints of Terry-Toon’s “Two-Headed Giant” and “Conquering the Colorado.” This week, too, prints were shipped on “The Golden West,” while “Big Game Fishing” goes forward on Tuesday, according to the Print Department’s report. • M EMPHIS’S fine ratio of K-7 short subjects contracts to deals closed on the K-7 feature product is the best in the field. As a matter of fact, there is a difference of only four points between the scores on the two services. Pitts- burgh still commands on K-7 features sales, but its short subjects total is 15 points off. However, Ira Cohn insists that the difference will be con- siderably chopped down within the next couple of weeks. Okay, Pittsburgh.