20th Century-Fox Dynamo (September 2, 1939)

8 NEW DYNAMO LABOR WEEK MARKS START OF FASTER PACE IN DRIVE EXCHANGE COMPETITION IS AT FEVER HEAT K EEN competition, characteristically excellent team work and great en- terprise and initiative mark Kent Drive activity at every exchange. There can be no doubt about that. District and branch managers are supervising the most spirited local Drive campaigns in company history. Local Drive leaders, working under managerial supervision, are bringing about competition unparal- leled even in Drive history, for the terri- torial contests are truly representative of 100 per cent participation by all branch employees. This latter fact has been the direct means of producing thou- sands of extra and added dollars in the first two weeks of the Drive. • E VERY mail to New Dynamo brings concrete evidence of spirited terri- torial competition. The first direct re- sult of this added interest and Drive participation is furnished by the adsales job that has been done. This has been a nationally splendid job and there is no doubt that its assured continuance will aid that department in establishing an all-time high for adsales business during a Drive period. Of course, one must not lose sight of the fact that a greater volume of exploitation specials will be a major factor in increasing ad- sales revenue all along the line. But, in the past two weeks employees general- ly have helped in garnering hundreds of extra adsales dollars, according to no less authority than the adsales squad itself. 0 T HE huge amount that will mark the field’s observance of Zanuck Week, too, will furnish corroborative evidence that employees other than those officially charged with dollar delivery, are con- tributing in no unimportant nor vague fashion to the success of the Drive. New Dynamo right no wis in possession of a wealth of territorial information re- garding the part these particular em- ployees are playing in building up Zan- uck Week to the highest possible over- quota level. Special local prizes are be- ing offered by managers in five instances for unusual individual revenue results effected during Zanuck Week. 0 F ROM every branch come reports that leave no doubt that coming weeks’ returns will splurge Drive revenue to a height that will substantially boost the weekly average. “The Rains Came” is being awaited with highest expectations, but, in the meantime, the sensational success of “Stanley and Livingstone” is offsetting the huge rentals earned at this time last year by “Alexander’s Rag- time Band.” Official statistics from five exchanges show the K-7 Zanuck thriller is outgrossing the Irving Berlin of last season. In the smaller situations, “Stan- ley and Livingstone” continues to do smash-business, branch reports show. In many instances, “Hotel for Women” is doing much better business in the small towns and subsequent run situations than it did at the first-run houses. This is due to word of mouth praise on the part of those who saw the Elsa Maxwell picture at the latter theatres. 0 C HARLOTTE came through with some very interesting, tell-tale statistics on what “Stanley and Livingstone” has been doing in that territory. Originally booked for four days at the Imperial in Asheville, N. C., this picture extended to a full week, to pile up the record gross for the season there. It opened this week in Charlotte and other key spots with ex- cellent results. Charlotte Local Drive Leader Cliff Hardin also forwards the information that the salesmen there are doing an exceptionally fine job in ad- selling. “Hi” Holston leads. In two weeks he sold $112.50 worth of accessor- ies, a little less than $11 under the ad- sales figure brought in through the per- Walker's Utahans Toss Hats Into Ring sonal efforts of George Ebersole. Sales- man Mock was third on the fortnight’s rating. O klahoma city is stepping right along, with bigger results definitely in sight. Local Drive Leader George K. Friedel reports the organization of the branch staffs into two teams to work with the two salesmen, Osborne and James. The personnel of these teams follows: OSBORNE W. Thedford (Capt.) Dorothy Lane Bertha Dowdy Jack Whelihan Dot Pennington Jessie Burkhalter Bailey Kinser Emma Hargrove Florence Rowell Dorothy Luckenbill JAMES Clyde Marker (Capt.) Feme Marker Don Wahl Mrs. L. R. Roberts ‘ Dink” Huddleston Nelson Macarty Gladys Marker Alice Kesterson Hauty Emitt Josephine Foster John Bennett • S INCE the two competing teams in Oklahoma City began functioning, they succeeded in securing a starting date on two of the Movietone News con- tracts that had been dormant. These employees have had definite accounts, regardless of whether they have been sold or not, to contact either personally or by letter every week. These accounts are being made personally interested in Oklahoma City’s progress in the Drive through weekly letters informing them of the office’s positions, etc. A TLANTA, by the way, is cashing in superbly on re-issues. Manager Paul Wilson and Salesman Fred Dodson spent the week in Florida lining up the more difficult situations. How successful it was may be gleamed from the results attained in one spot. In addition to the 15 feature dates already on the books for the Drive period, Messrs. Wilson and Dodson, according to Local Drive Lead- er M. W. Doris, secured some 20 addi- tional feature bookings. Incidentally, the Atlanta office has lucratively booked the following in a surprisingly large number of situations for the Drive period: Caravan (508) Show Them No Mercy (6*41) Shark Island (<>38) Love Is News (729) One in a Million (722) Lloyds of London (735) On the Avenue (732) Cafe Metropole (750) Sing and Be Happy (750) Banjo on My Knee (720) I NDICATIVE of the individual activity of salesmen is the report that comes from Atlanta on Salesman R. H. Fair- child. He visited the bookers of the Crescent Amusement circuit which em- braces quite a few large towns. He came away with some 200 feature dates. In Atlanta Salesman McClure leads on adsales revenue, with Laseter second, Mitchell third, Fairchild fourth and Dod- son fifth. 0 T HERE is great activity in Sam Wheel- er’s Washington exchange, which is now leading the National group on ad- vance rentals standing. Local Drive Leader Glenn Norris, who is leading a most effective campaign there, reports the standing of the teams in the various Drive efforts as follows: ADVANCE FIGURES INDICATE GENERAL SPLURGE Local Drive Leader Joe Flanagan re- ports that all employees are working with salesmen and bookers in lining up extra dates. The territory has been split by Manager George W. Ballentine into five zones. The drivers are con- centrating on volume of playtime, wisely figuring that if the playtime has been provided revenue will take care of itself automatically. On the playdate effort here is how Flanagan rates the standing of the five zones: 1 Harrison 4 Bernard 2 Laurice 5 Fratto 3 Erickson • ( TEORGE FULLER’S Kansas City be- J lieves it is now on the way toward playing a greater part in the Drive. The Drive leader there, Gus Kubitzki, makes this interesting report: “The two bad weeks are gone (thank Goodness) and I am hoping we did not slide too far. We will not be so hot this week, but from then on the other offices had better watch out. I think the outstanding feat performed here this week was the sale of $94 worth of rulers (accessories) by Cashier Charlie Palermo. An incident like this gives one an insight into the secret strength of this organization. A cashier, as you well know, has plenty of things to keep him busy doing his regu- lar duties and when he gives like this to help out the organization, brother that means something.” 0 C HICAGO is quite jubilant this week. Negotiation of the K-7 deal with the important Great States circuit con- siderably enriches that office’s Drive chances. Meantime, Chicago Drive Lead- er Van Dyke is spurring considerable lo- cal interest, with the salesmen doing unquestionably the best Drive job in the office’s history. Manager Clyde Eck- hardt is more confident than ever that first or second prize in the National group will ultimately go to Chicago. “Stanley and Livingstone” looks set for a fifth week in the Chicago Loop—and that means the best possible bookings in subsequent run situations, which are being quickly set to the best Drive ad- vantage. 0 J OE PODOLOFF’S Minneapolis, under- standably, was anything but satis- fied with its first two weeks’ showings. But its salesmen are climbing rapidly in advance rentals standings and they are building so energetically that no one can doubt the Gophers will shortly be up there with the leaders in the National group. Local Drive Leader Harold Lund- quist reports the Gold team is leading the Maroon combination, Bill Mussman tops the Gold outfit with Lou Cohen sec- ond and Norwood Hall third. Harold Lyons is pacing the Maroons with Jack Cohn second and Earl Lorentz third. Continued on Page 9 Podoloff's Minnesotans Splurging To Balance The Scale! At the left, behold Joe Podoloff’s Minneapolis Personnel. A single glance at the advance rentals ratings in the Kent Drive will convince that (he Gophers means to estab- lish themselves among the leaders as quickly as pos- sible—and they are defi- nitely on their way. Off to a start of which they are not proud, the Minne- sotans, always in there battling with the most ac- tive outfits, predict Sep- tember will see them lam- basting quota in a fashion that will dazzle some of the branches above them.