The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

2 9 • HELLO, FOLKS! This is WARREN STOKES speaking to you from Hollywood over the JEP network. In our last chat with you we cited a necessary change in Hollywood’s conventional type of publicity; a departure from the present system of glorying this industry and its personalities, through a campaign designed to promote a better understanding on the part of the public, a campaign to offset the created impression that ours is a selfish and fabulously wealthy business contributing to the welfare of none but those directly employed within its gates. Goodwill Needed • A GOODWILL PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN is sorely needed at this time, one that will educate the public on the true value of the motion picture industry to the progress of civic, community and national life; one that w.ll impress upon the wage earner the part this industry really plays in the American picture of industrial progress by contributing to the employment of individuals, rather than the overdose of publicity now creating in the mind of the individual patron the belief that he or she is contributing only to the success of Hollywood itself. Industrial Angle • THE INDUSTRIAL ANGLE, present in numerous pictures, affords opportunities for this type of publicity and it not only can, but should be stressed in newspaper copy eminating from Hollywood to the nation’s press. Press books divulging statistics on commodities used in the making of a picture would be invaluable to exhibitors operating in communities directly responsible for the manufacture of such products. These items would undoubtedly find welcome space in the local papers and win the goodwill of that community. "Gone” Again • "GONE WITH THE WIND” sets one example in this direction. More than seven bales of cotton went into the 2,5 00 costumes worn by the feminine characters in this picture. True, this is a small fraction of the 18,000,000-bale crop picked in the United States last year, but, publication of this item in cotton producing centers will create goodwill and a better understanding of the part motion pictures play in contributing to the local payroll. Fashions • CIVIL WAR FASHIONS will be influenced with the release of this picture which stresses fullness of skirts. While modern women might not be expected to favor the great fullness of the skirts of this period, there is no doubt, in the opinion of style experts, that styles will follow these lines greatly increasing the amount of cloth used. This means more work for the weavers, cutters and dressmakers, and is a good item for publication in cloth manufacturing centers. That leads to a bigger market for threads, buttons and the various raw stock that goes into the weaving of the finished cloth. May ), 19)9 Industry , Too • INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE benefit to a larger degree through the making of motion pictures than the average worker realizes. By the same token, the average picturegoer benefits through this medium of entertainment through its various demands for American made commodities, necessary in large quantities, for the making of motion picture entertainment. Hollywood has a publicity machine second to none, a machine if properly oiled and organized, can ferret out from its various productions, vital statistics on the various commodities used in the making of pictures, to swing present public opinion from the selfish viewpoint of the motion picture industry, to its relative importance in the development of community progress and individual prosperity. There is no need of going overboard with a lot of high-powered press agentry to sell the public on such a goodwill campaign. Production cost sheets furnish authentic facts. The truth about Hollywood in this respect would probably surprise even the studio publicity staffs, literally going nuts to create interesting copy with more than a million dollars worth of goodwill building material going to waste right under their noses. Or is it too much trouble to dig it out of the files? T he Big Ones • PARAMOUNT’S "UNION PACIFIC,” one of the biggest epics to be turned out by C. B. DeMILLE; Warner Brothers’ "Juarez,” DARRYL ZANUCK’S "Stanley and Livingstone,” and many other forthcoming collossal productions running into millions of dollars all have behind them expenditures for commodities, directly contributing to the welfare of the working class in various communities. The source of material with which this industry can impress upon the public the amount of money the motion picture industry contributes to general prosperity is unlimited. Now is the time to launch a campaign of this nature, to offset the damaging publicity of Hollywood’s exaggerated intake, and balance the budget to win back public appreciation. Why not? Mr. Exhibitor!— encourage such a campaign, to improve your own standing and that of the industry in general. You can suggest it to your local exchange manager who should be willing to pass it on to the studio executives. The voice of the exhibitor is very important to .this industry BUT YOU HAVE GOT TO MAKE YOURSELF HEARD. And that shuts me off until next week. This is WARREN STOKES saying, "So Long, Folks!” James Dunn Signed JAMES DUNN has been signed to a long term starring contract by SAM KATZMAN, Victory. He will star in a series of eight action melodramas to be made from a series of stories by PETER B. KYNE. Laurel and Hardy "Chumps” "A Chump at Oxford” is the title set by HAL ROACH for his first STAN LAURELOLIVER HARDY picture for release through United Artists. Mayo to Wanger ARCHIE MAYO, director, "Marco Polo,” and other hit films, has been loaned by SAMUEL GOLDWYN to WALTER WANGER for the direction of "House Across the Bay.” Picture has its locale in San Francisco where numerous women have changed their names and mode of living while waiting for husbands and sweethearts to be freed from Alcatraz, the Federal prison. This will be JOAN BENNETT’S next picture under the Wanger banner. Lloyd Shoots "Ruler” Two important supporting roles in the cast of "Ruler of the Seas,” forthcoming FRANK LLOYD production for Paramount, have been filled with the signing of DAVID TORRENCE and MONTAGUE LOVE. DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, Jr., WILL FYFFE, MARGARET LOCKWOOD have the top spots. Picture is now in the making. It’s "Music School” The SAMUEL GOLDWYN production starring JASCHA HEIFETZ, world renowned violinist in his cinema debut, is now carrying the title of "Music School.” It was previously titled "Angels Making Music” and "The Restless Age.” RKO Gets "Lincoln” "Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” current Broadway success, will be produced by MAX GORDON and HARRY GOETZ as a major motion picture for RKO-Radio this year. RAYMOND MASSEY, now portraying Lincoln in the footlight production, will be starred on the screen in the same role. "Trails” First For Brown "Desperate Trails,” will be the first in a series of seven JOHN MACK BROWN westerns to be produced by ALBERT RAY for Universal. BOB BAKER and FUZZY KNIGHT will appear in the entire series with Brown. “Trails” goes before the cameras early in May. Sullivan Sells Hollywood Warners has purchased "Ed Sullivan’s Hollywood,” an original by the columnist which will be made as a two-reeler in technicolor. Cast includes EDWARD ROBINSON, WAYNE MORRIS, JEFFREY LYNN, ROSEMARY and PRISCILLA LANE, MARGARET LINDSAY, GALE PAGE. Gable, Loy in "Rome” CLARK GABLE will be seen as Hannibal and MYRNA LOY as the wife of the Roman proconsul in Metro’s adaptation of the ROBERT E. SHERWOOD play, "The Road to Rome,” which is to go before the cameras in the near future. JANE COWL and PHILIP MERIVALE had leading roles in the stage play. JOSEPH MANKIEWICZ will produce the picture.