The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

16 THE NATIONAL MIRROR MPGY in Final Stage As Closing Date Nears Advise Good Will Phase To Be Emphasized To exhibitors of the country last week went the following memorandum from the home office of Motion Pictures’ Greatest Year: "With the campaign about to come to a close, it has been considered advisable that exhibitors everywhere carry a line in their advertising announcing that entries must be postmarked not later than December 3 1, 193 8, if participants are to be eligible in the Movie Quiz contest. "This being a campaign of good will, it is quite important that the theatres should keep their patrons well informed in this final important message. "There have been suggestions for various parts of the country as to how the winners should be announced, and it has been generally agreed that some basis will be worked out wherein exhibitors announce in their theatres the winners from their community. Newspaper publicity will accompany such announcements, as soon as the judges decide who the lucky contestants are. The newsreels will also carry shots of the important winners, all of which will be tied for the advantages of the theatres that participated in the campaign. "At a later date a procedure will be sent to exhibitors so that pledged theatres may benefit in some definite way in the making of such announcements.” Warner Execs Hold Meeting Warner theatre zone managers, home office heads held a meeting last week in the home office in New York City. Among those attending were zone chiefs Don Jacocks, Moe Silver, Ted Schlanger, John Payette, Herb Copelan, among others. Home office folk were Clayton Bond, Ed Hinchy, Leonard Schlesinger, Harry Goldberg, Willard Paterson, Nat Fellman, Abel Vigard, Harry Rosenquest, Louis Kaufman, Herman Maier, Frank Cahill, W. Stewart MacDonald. MPTO Unit OK’s Warner Stand Climbing on the band wagon of th? Americanization campaign launched by the Brothers Warner, the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania, Inc., adopted last fortnight a resolution supporting "our government in these policies to the end that America may remain free.” Universal Gets Complete ‘Mikado’ Universal announced last week that it has acquired the distribution rights to the first motion picture ever made of Gilbert and Sullivan’s, "The Mikado,” for the United States, Canada, South America, the Far East. MPPDA Sets Industry Film for East, West Expositions More than 2,000,000 feet of film has been screened to select material for use in a motion pictcre on American history to be exhibited at next year’s Fairs, president Will H. Hays reported last week to the Board of Directors of the MPPDA. When it is completed early in the new year this feature-length picture will present a graphic story of the highlights of American history as the motion picture industry’s exhibit at the New York World’s Fair. Picture will be shown in the Federal Building at the Fair under the auspices of the United States Commission. Edward J. Flynn, Commissioner. Another pictorial history, to emphasize the development of the West, is being made for similar exhibition at th : 1939 Interntional Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco. Hays recently returned from Hollywood, where he spent a great deal of tim’ with producers developing the treatment of the material to be presented. All studios are cooperating. In his report to the board, Hays gave an idea of the magnitude of the work involved in preparing this panorama of American history. George J. Schaefer, RKO president, was elected a member of the MPPDA board, succeeding Leo Spitz in that spot as well as on the directorate. Among the questions discussed was that of the Italian distribution situation. The meeting was adjourned until January 4. Majors Withdrawing from Italy Major companies are all set to withdraw from Italian distribution, it appeared this week, because nothing had come from the Fascist government regarding lessening a recent decree voiding existing contracts between United States distributors, their agents. The companies are determined to stick together. Bonus Given Loew's Employees Loew’s, Inc., announced last week th:.t it would distribute about $300,000 to more than 12,000 employees of Loew’s theatres, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture studios, the film exchanges throughout the world. Wanger Advocates Withdrawal Complete withdrawal of American films from circulation in "dictator nations” rather than submission by the industry to their censorship of the industry’s democratic ideals, was advocated by Walter Wanger, United Artists producer, in a statement last week. Grand National, Warner Sign New Production Arrangement Signing of a new production, distribution agreement between Franklyn Warner’s Fine Arts Pictures, Grand National Pictures, was announced in a joint statement issued last week by E. W. Hammons, president of Grand National; Warner. Fine Arts will continue to produce features for Grand National release. Under the new contract, Fine Arts will produce all pictures under the original contract, in addition has increased its picture commitment by six additional features of major importance. In order to make up for its several weeks’ suspension of production activities, Fine Arts will immediately put three production units to work. This new contract cancels the agreement announced a few weeks ago, under which a newly organized production company was to purchase the assets of Fine Arts, take over its obligations under its contract with Grand National. Warner Officers Re-Elected Harry M. Warner was re-elected president of Warners at a meeting of the directors last week. Other officers are: vicepresidents, Major Albert Warner, Jack L Warner, Sam E. Morris, Herman Starr, Stanleigh P. Friedman, Joseph Hazen, treasurer, Major Warner; assistant treasurers, Samuel Carlisle, W. Stewart MacDonald, Cyril H. Wilder; secretary-general counsel, Robert W. Perkins; assistant secretaries, Harold S. Bareford, Edward K. Hessberg, Rov Obringer. Herbert Preston; comptroller, Samuel Carlisle; auditor, Thomas J. Martin. Paramount Realigns Divisions Neil Agnew, Paramount vice-president in charge of distribution, announced last week that J. J. Unger in addition to being eastern division sales manager had now taken over the Canadian division; that a new southern division was being established with Oscar A. Morgan, Hugh Braly as district heads; that several other changes were being made in th: San Antonia, Texas, territory, now added to the Dallas exchange; in the Portland Maine, district, now combined with Boston; in the Sioux Falls, Iowa, zone taken over by Minneapolis; in the Jacksonville zone, taken over by Atlanta. RKO Hearing December 29 Still another hearing in the RKO reorganization series is slated for December 29 in Federal Court before Judge William O. Bondy. Optimists expect the company to be out of receivership soon. December 2t, 19) S