The Exhibitor (Jun-Nov 1944)

5 BRANDT ANNOUNCES 6TH WAR LOAN SCHEDULE Nation-Wide Campaign Meetings Are Set New York — With the Sixth War Loan Drive set to start on November 20, Harry Brandt, national chairman for the indus¬ try’s participation in this $14,000,000,000 drive, last week announced the completion of a campaign schedule, which calls for the national committee attending meetings in twenty-one regional key cities. The first in this series of nation-wide campaign meetings will get under way in Oklahoma City on Oct. 20, and, later, wind up in New York City on Nov. 15. Among the executives scheduled to at¬ tend the various regional meetings, in ad¬ dition to Chairman Harry Brandt, are Francis S. Harmon, WAC co-ordinator; S. H. Fabian, chairman, Theatre Division; Ned E. Depinet, head of the Distributors Division; John Hertz, Jr., publicity direc¬ tor for the industry’s participation in the 6th War Loan Drive, and the following nine co-chairmen: William F. Crockett, Hugh W. Bruen, Jack Kirsch, John Rugar, Henry Reeve, A1 Steffes, Leo Wolcott, Fred Wehrenberg and Nathan Yamins. In announcing this series of key city meetings, Brandt pointed out that the National committee at each session would outline a complete overall program and discuss plans to set in motion the machin¬ ery necessary in each locality for the in¬ dustry’s greatest efforts in this drive. The Oklahoma City meeting will be fol¬ lowed by meetings in Los Angeles on Oct. 23 and San Francisco on Oct. 24. Follow¬ ing the San Francisco meeting the national committee will then divide into two groups, with each heading for other key cities where additional meetings will be held. Complete schedule of the key city meet¬ ings are as follows: Oklahoma City, Oct. 20; Los Angeles, Oct. 23; San Francisco, Oct. 24; Portland (Oreg.) and Salt Lake City, Oct. 25; Seattle and Omaha, Oct. 26; Kansas City and Des Moines, Oct. 28; Chi¬ cago, Oct. 30; Cleveland, Oct. 31; Detroit, Nov. 1; Buffalo and Louisville, Nov. 2; Pittsburgh, Nov. 3; Hartford, Nov. 9; Phil¬ adelphia, Nov. 13; Baltimore, Nov. 14, and New York City, Nov. 15. In addition to the national chairman, his group of nine co-chairmen and repre¬ sentatives from the Theatre and Distribu¬ tors Division as well as Treasury Depart¬ ment, each meeting will be attended by local regional directors appointed by cochairmen. Brandt Appoints Honorary Chairmen New York — With a view towards tap¬ ping the full resources of the entire motion picture industry for all available bond¬ selling experiences for the forthcoming drive, Harry Brandt, national chairman, last week announced the appointment of S. H. Fabian, L. C. Griffith, Charles Skouras, R. J. O’Donnell to act as honor¬ ary chairmen in the industry’s partici¬ pation in the Sixth War Loan Drive. This group will work in close co-opera¬ tion with the various committees now nearing complete mobilization for the Sixth Bond Drive. October 11, 1944 BROADWAY BUSINESS REPORTED FAIR New York — Business was reported as fair in the Broadway first-runs last week end, according to usually reliable sources reaching The Exhibitor. The break-down was as follows: "GREENWICH VILLAGE" (20th Century-Fox)-Roxy, with usual stage show, did $52,000 from Wednesday through Sunday, with the week estimated at $68,000. "DANGEROUS JOURNEY" (20th Century-Fox) Gotham did $3,100 on Saturday and Sunday, with the week estimated at $9,500. "BARBARY COAST GENT" (MGM)Globe did $6,900 on Saturday and Sunday, with the week expected to reach $16,000. "CASANOVA BROWN" (RKO-International) — Music Hall, with usual stage show, did $64,000 from Thursday through Sunday, with the week estimated at $96,000. "ARSENIC AND OLD LACE" (Warners) Strand, with stage show, did $25,000 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the week estimated at $48,000. "DOUGHGIRLS" (Warners)-Hollywood did $9,725 from Wednesday through Sunday, with the week estimated at $12,000. "DOUBLE INDEMNITY" (Paramount) — Paramount, with stage show, did $23,000 on Saturday and Sun¬ day, with the week estimated at $50,000. "FRENCHMAN'S CREEK" (Paramount)— Rivoli did $57,000 on the week. "KISMET" (MGM)— Astor did $27,000 on the week. "THE SEVENTH CROSS (MGM)-Capitol, with stage show, did $46,000 from Thursday through Sunday, with the week estimated at $70,000. Following discussions with the honorary chairmen, Brandt revealed that plans are now in motion for the awarding of appro¬ priate “Medals of Honor” to all exhibi¬ tors active in the campaign. With the Sixth War Loan Drive referred to in many quarters as the toughest, Brandt stated that his reason for appoint¬ ing the previous War Bond chairmen was to avail himself and his committee the full experience of bond-selling knowledge they have so successfully encountered in past drives. A. C. Conference Held New York — Harry Brandt, national chairman for the industry’s participation in the Sixth War Loan Drive, accompanied by William F. Crockett, Max Youngstein, Ted Lloyd, Herman Schleier and Herb ( Continued on page 16) Dec. 7 Dual Holiday NEW YORK — All persons, motion picture exhibitors especially, through¬ out the United States, will observe a dual holiday on Thursday, Dec. 7 — Pearl Harbor Day, which has also been designated as National Free Movie Day, Harry Brandt, national chair¬ man for the motion picture industry’s participation in the 6th War Loan Drive, announced last week. THE EXHIBITOR DECREE HEARINGS AGAIN DELAYED Gov't To Oppose Arthur's Move New York — No date has been set for a hearing on the Government’s motion for a modified consent decree, it was learned last week when U. S. District Court for the Southern district of New York resumed its sessions. Federal Judge Henry W. God¬ dard’s office stated a hearing date had not been entered on the judge’s calendar. The Government indicated last week that it planned to fight the action of Harry C. Arthur and the St. Louis Amuse¬ ment Company in their move to declare the arbitration system illegal and to in¬ tervene in the New York anti-trust action. Arthur’s motion is scheduled for a hear¬ ing Nov. 3, but postponement is probable. The arbitration case, in which the St. Louis Amusement Company is an interested party, and from which it sought a dismissal, is due to be heard there on Nov. 13. Government Fights Reversal New York — Boris Kostelanetz, special assistant, U. S. attorney general, last week opposed a move for the reversal of the conviction last year of the seven men ac¬ cused of extorting more than $1,000,000 from the film industry. The argument was heard in U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The convicted men are Louis Compagna, Paul DeLucia, Phil D’Andrea, Francis Maritote, Charles Gioe, John Rosselli, and Louis Kaufman. The court reserved de¬ cision. Griffis Appoints Deputy Com. New York — The appointments of A. Con¬ ger Goodyear and Douglas Poteat to the Red Cross organization in the Pacific Islands area were announced last week by Stanton Griffis, commissioner for that territory. Goodyear and Poteat will be deputy com¬ missioners to Griffis, with Poteat doubling as general counsel. The two join Arthur L. Mayer, a third deputy commissioner, whose acceptance of the post was previ¬ ously announced. Monogram Drive Starts New York — A sales and collections drive, to be known as the Monogram Victory Parade, and to involve the distribution of $14,350.00 in prize awards to winning ex¬ changes of Monogram Pictures Corpora¬ tion, was launched last week and will con¬ tinue for six months. Plans for the drive were outlined at the company’s recent Chicago convention by Steve Broidy, vice-president and general sales manager, who has just issued com¬ plete details of the contest. Sanford To West Coast New York — Bert Sanford, Altec’s metro¬ politan sales manager, who left for Holly¬ wood last week, will confer with motion picture relief fund heads of the various coast organizations. He is a member of the welfare committee of the Motion Picture Associates of New York. QUIN.