The Exhibitor (Jun-Nov 1944)

6 THE EXHIBITOR DEMBOW NAMED TO WAR DEPT. POST New York — Sam Dembow, Jr., Para¬ mount executive, has accepted the post of civilian consultant to the Secretary of Wary attached to the motion picture branch, Industrial Services Division, ac¬ cording to a statement from the War De¬ partment last week. Dembow succeeds Arthur L. Mayer, who resigned to become deputy commissioner of the Red Cross in the Pacific Islands area. The motion picture branch, which shares office space with the War Activities Com¬ mittee in the Paramount building, is headed by Major Monroe Greenthal. Func¬ tion of the branch, part of the Army’s Bureau of Public Relations, is supplying of 16 mm. prints of War Department-pro¬ duced films to war plants through the nation as part of an industrial incentive program. Major part of the new consult¬ ant’s duties will be to insure increased audiences in plants even after the defeat of Germany is certain, and to maintain a high production level. Picture Pioneers Set Date New York — Sam Dembow, Jr., and George Dembow are the co-chairmen of a special dinner committee which will be in charge of the next Picture Pioneers’ din¬ ner, according to an announcement issued last week by Jack Cohn, house manager. The affair will be held on Nov. 16 at the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf-Astoria. Members of the dinner committee are the Messrs. Dembow, Jack Cohn, Jack Alicoate, Hal Hode, and Gilbert Josephson. C. Floyd Hopkins Mourned Philadelphia — The trade was shocked to hear of the death on Oct. 16 in Temple Hospital of C. Floyd Hopkins, 63, Harris¬ burg area district manager for FabianWilmer and Vincent Theatres. The deceased, who had been ill for some time, had entered the hospital several weeks ago. He was one of the veterans of eastern Pennsylvania, having been with the com¬ pany since 1907, and extremely popular in the trade. Columbia Dividend Announced New York — Columbia announced last week that the board of directors at its meeting held on Oct. 5 had declared a quarterly dividend of $.68% per share on the $2.75 convertible preferred stock of the company, payable on Nov. 15 to stock¬ holders of record on Nov. 1. Ray Branch Re-elected Detroit — Ray Branch was re-elected president of Allied Theatres of Michigan last week. Hollywood Strike Ends HOLLYWOOD — The studio strike threat which last week threatened to tie-up production was ended over the week-end when the decorators, paint¬ ers, and machinists who had stopped work returned to their posts at MGM, Columbia, Paramount, 20th CenturyFox, and Warners. Retina NEW YORK... With MEL KONECOFF WILLIAM F. RODGERS, vice-president-general sales manager, MGM, had ye trade press over for lunch the other noon at the Astor as is the custom of this “friendly” executive from the “friendly company” upon his return from a visit to the studio, and one of the chief topics of discussion was the dearth of exhibitors at trade showings. The average attendance per showing nationally is about 250, which hardly justifies the cost of $1,100-$1,200 per individual exchange screening. Rodgers revealed that over the last three years his company has spent around $150,000 for sparsely attended trade shows. In some sections, theatre executives no longer even bother to send their secretaries or relatives, as was once the custom. Anyhow, Rodgers hopes to make things a little more interesting in the future, so that, perhaps, the turnouts at trade shows will be improved. There were times when not a soul turned up for many trade shows, and still the film was run off so as to comply with the consent decree, Rodgers revealed to the assembled tradepapermen and executives. MGM is not apprehensive of the future, and is continuing to invest heavily in product, for the company is very anxious to keep the patrons it has now, and intends to go out after more (general public, not necessarily exhibitors). According to Rodgers, more people are attending the movies now than ever before, and in order to keep this audience coming into the nation’s theatres, “outstanding entertainment” is the byword. Along those lines, he reeled off a list of coming attractions. Among these were: “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,” “National Velvet,” “Ziegfeld Follies,” “Anchors Aweigh,” “Picture Of Dorian Grey,” “This Man’s Navy,” “Meet Me In St. Louis,” “The Thin Man Goes Home,” “Music For Millions,” “Blonde Fever,” etc. Which of these would wind up on the next block has not yet been determined by Rodgers, who revealed that the ninth block is now being sold on the new contract, which, by the way, Rodgers hopes to have even shorter than it is now. The company, at present, is liquidating contracts faster than ever before in the history of the company. “Naughty Marietta” is being re-issued because of public demand, which is also putting pressure on the company to re-issue some of Clark Gable’s old films. As a result, “Test Pilot” may find its way back to the screens of the nation. Rodgers estimated that a few more such films will be made available this season if the market is in a position to absorb them. He still had hopes that unity within the industry would become a reality under the proper sponsorshop and leadership, and that intra-industry quarreling would eventually be eliminated. Rodgers also opined that the War Activities Committee should also have many important tasks to accomplish in peace time, and should be maintained. Others present from the company were: S. M. Saunders, E. W. Aaron, E. K. O’Shea, Harold Postman, Charles Kessnick, Frank Willingham, Jack Byrne, Herb Crooker, Bill Ferguson, Silas F. Seadler, Bill Ornstein, etc. CROSBY DEPT.: Bing, the Crosby, alias “The Groaner,” alias “Der Bingle,” is back in the USA, and when we went up to see him at the Waldorf-Astoria, this film producer, film star, radio star, and horse racer, had much to say. Crosby, the film producer said: The way to be a good film producer is to get a bunch of competent people together, and leave the country. “The Great John L,” the title of the first Crosby production (to be released through United Artists) is in the editing stages, and his publicity department (ha, ha) told him that it is very good. The future of Crosby Productions, according to what the crooner whispered in our ears, depends on how his initial effort is received as well as how long the do-re-me holds out. Crosby, the film star said, when informed of the reception accorded Bob Hope’s “The Princess And The Pirate,” in which Crosby makes one entrance for a gag: “IYn tired of pulling Hope out of some only fair pictures. He now owes me a couple of good turns.” He did, however, admit that the GI’s favorite performer was Leslie Towne (Bob) Hone. Our men overseas are getting a much improved type of film, and he cited several examples of the films being shown near the front line including: “Casanova Brown,” “Bathing Beauty,” “Going My Way,” (which usually preceded the Crosby troupe by a few days in most cases), etc. These films are playing a most important part in the routine and lives of the troops at the front. His unit did seven shows with Fred Astaire, who was also on tour for USO Camp Shows around the same time, and he admitted that Astaire was better known than Crosby in many places on the European continent. He attributed this to the fact that they have not seen any American films in the last five years, and when they did recall him it was in association with “Love In Bloom.” His next film will be at RKO. About it he knows nothing except that Leo McCarey will do the direction. He is confident in McCarey as to the type of film and part it will be. The comedian-crooner also observed that motion picture theatres in Paris were starting to open as he left, and that long lines were waiting admission to see the reels showing the liberation of the French capital. Crosby, the radio star and USO performer, stated that he lost about 10 pounds during this six and a half week jaunt through the European theatre of operations, that he averaged about eight or nine hours of sleep per night because there was nothing else to do, and said “That would have been a good thing for Hope, and maybe it would bring back his fading health.” He did one show with Dinah Shore in France when their paths crossed. The largest audience he played to was about 15,000, and the smallest about 400; he worked with Glenn Miller’s “excellent” band while in London recording propaganda broadcasts intended for beaming to Germany; the favorite tune of the boys was “White Christmas,” despite the fact that it reminded them of home, and made them sad; he sang about 2500 tunes during the tour, he brought back many souvenirs given him by the boys, he thought Paris looked much better than London, where he was caught in the tail end of a buzz bomb raid; cigarettes are worth their weight in Chanel No. 5 and champagne in the French capital, he finally found a couple of bobby sock wearers in France and Belgium who were not Sinatra fans, and he would like to make another tour in the Spring to another theatre of operations. Crosby, the man and racer of horses, announced that the report linking him with a group of stars supporting Dewey was entirely false in as much as his ballot will be a (Continued on page 20) October 18, 1944