The Exhibitor (Nov 1941-May 1942)

6 THE EXHIBITOR ( Continued from page 5) Employees of the National Screen Serv¬ ice Corporation home office last fortnight formed a social and welfare group to be known as The NSS Club. A. G. Stefanic has been elected president; Mae Ziffer, vice-president; Harry Pritz, treasurer; and Sylvia Cohen, secretary. Anxious to make itself felt in the war effort, the club is working out plans for some kind of appro¬ priate affair that will fit in with the news and activities of the day. The most extensive circuit bookings ever achieved by a Soviet-made short are cur¬ rently being played off by "Defense Of Moscow,” 18-minute film document of the Red Army resistance, it was said last week. “Defense Of Moscow” has been booked in the New York area by a major¬ ity of the houses in the RKO, Skouras, Brandt, and Fabian circuits. Fan Melman, secretary to Columbia’s personnel director, John Kane, last week announced her engagement to Michael Smith. . . . Strand, Brooklyn, is now closed. . . . Rio, Manhattan, is now being operated by Barney Berman. . . . An open air theatre will be opened for the show¬ ing of films around the end of June. Book¬ ing will be done by the Prudential Book¬ ing Agency. . . . Academy, Newburg, re¬ opened on April 15 under the supervision of Harry Friedman. . . . Rex, East Ruther¬ ford, N. J., is now under the direction of Charles Rubin. . . . Murray Harris, Metro checker, has been called into the service. Joseph Bernhard, Harry M. Kalmine, Leonard Schlesinger, and Rudy Weiss, Warner executives from the home office, attended the opening of the Merritt, new Warner house in Bridgeport, Conn., last week. Mrs. Leslie Morris, professionally known as "Miss Leslie,” left for Hollywood last week to assume her new duties as head designer at the RKO studios. Donald Crisp arrived last week. It is his first visit here in more than a year. Zasu Pitts arrived last week on her first trip east in several years. Monogram presented Miss Pitts to the newspaper and magazine press at a cocktail party at the Warwick Hotel. The American Theatre Wing War Sei~vice, Inc., last week announced its spon¬ sorship of the world premiere of "Moontide.” Entire proceeds of the world pre¬ miere performance will be for the benefit of the Theatre Wing and its various enter¬ prises on behalf of service men and the war effort. Foremost players, directors, producers, and all allied crafts of the en¬ tire entertainment world will join in the tribute to Jean Gabin, one of the out¬ standing figures in the film world, and star. Leading actresses, members of a premiere committee headed by Rachel Crothers, president. Theatre Wing, will plug the sale of tickets and assist the Hal Home organ¬ ization in a far-reaching campaign of ex¬ ploitation. Archie Berish, Warner exchange booker, is in the midst of a grueling spring train¬ ing grind designed to prepare him for a series of tough handball games with Herb Richek, arch rival. Palace, RKO house, is to get some al¬ terations, it was announced last week. Art Schmidt, Metro publicity manager, who was active in the recent New York Navy Relief Show, has been “drafted” by the Navy Relief Society. He left last week for a tour of various mid-west cities, where he will make advance arrangements for the appearance of the Hollywood Car¬ avan of Stars. Arriving from the coast were: George J. Schaefer, RKO president; Gradwell L. Sears, UA vice president. . . . Steve Broidy, Monogram sales chief, went back to the studios. Columbia’s foreign manager, Joseph A. McConville, left for Mexico via PanAmerica last week on the first leg of a business trip that will take him to nine of the Latin American countries. snipes, were distributed to all Fawcett dealers in the territory for display on their stands, accompanied by a “pep” bulletin from Fawcett’s district promotion man. In addition, the trucks of the Newark News Dealers Supply were bannered with similar posters. Two thousand “Spy Smasher” four-color photos with imprint on back plugging the serial, were given away opening day, together with “Spy Smasher” two-color buttons and 1500 comic books. Harry Wenzel, stage manager, Adams, and connected with the Adams organiza¬ tion for many years, succumbed last week at the Newark Memorial Hospital. Bergen County Manager Norman Kerry, Plaza, Engle¬ wood, arranged a lobby display for “The Girl From Leningrad.” A miniature trench was set up with sandbags and machine guns loaned by Brown-O’Brien Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars of Englewood. . . . Comic books are being given children attending Saturday matinees at the New Bergen, Tenafly. . . . Students of Dwight Morrow High School presented a display of patriotic art in the lobby of the Plaza. — P. C. Jersey City Skouras theatres are selling more than $1,300 worth of defense bonds weekly. . . . George Santeremo, Strand, is acting as assistant manager, State. . . . Manager David Kane’s Cameo started giving away glassware. . . . Members of the Jersey City Giants made a personal appearance on the stage of Loew’s Jersey City pre¬ ceding the opening of the International League baseball season. . . . Alby Unger, daughter of A1 Unger, Capitol, celebrated her birthday. . . . Rio Rita and Don Paolino Dones, stars of WOV, presented a Spanish show on the stage of the Rivoli, West New York. ... A panorama on mo¬ tion pictures, showing the stages followed in the production of a film, was held at the Bergen branch of the Jersey City Public Library. Exhibit was built around “The Vanishing Virginian,” in cooperation with Loew’s Jersey City. For the first time in its history the Stan¬ ley has played a show three weeks. When the second week of “Kings Row” and “Bul¬ let Scars” outgrossed the first week, the record run became a fact. Newark Louis Stein, manager, Stanley, took advantage of the excellent promotion available to him and, working with Faw¬ cett’s Newark representative, Sam Nichols, did a bang-up job in getting Republic’s “Spy Smasher” serial on the way on April 10. Following is an outline of their cam¬ paign: At the weekends starting two weeks before the opening playdate, stage announcements were made by Stein, con¬ cerning the opening date and the various giveaways to be made at the first three matinees. Trailer was also used during this period. The back of the programs for two weeks preceding the opening were given over entirely to advertising the op¬ ening and the giveaways. A wall-panel of the one-sheet. 31x77, was placed very prominently in the lobby, to remain until the playoff of the last chapter. A 40x60 lobby display in full-color was placed conspicuously near the box-office. Three hundred special one-sheets, with Stanley Albany A hundred and twenty-five industry representatives attended the Variety Club’s War Activities Luncheon last week and were addressed by members of the indus¬ try’s national War Activities Committee from New York. The enthusiastic assem¬ blage, believed to be the largest ever gathered for a luncheon meeting, were told the part the industry is playing, and the part it is scheduled to play in the future in the nation’s war effort. Si Fabian, com¬ mittee treasurer, stressed the importance of every exhibitor showing one of the official Government subjects at every per¬ formance. He also outlined prospective plans for the sale of war stamps and bonds in every motion picture theatre throughout the land, backed by aggres¬ sive showmanship on the part of each in¬ dividual exhibitor and manager. Arthur Mayer, committee member, spoke on the democratic ideals involved in the present struggles; and enlarged on the fact that the motion picture industry has been de¬ clared an “essential industry,” and that in order to maintain that classification it is up to every exhibitor to do everything in his power to support the war effort, with all his patriotism and showmanship. Sam Morris, speaking for committee chairman Joseph Bernhard, who was un¬ able to be present because of a forced landing of his plane, contrasted conditions in foreign countries, which he had visited, with the freedom of enterprise in this country, and asked each exhibitor present to appoint himself a committee of one to carry the message of the day’s meeting to any fellow exhibitors who had been un¬ able to attend. It was brought out that the Albany area is almost 100 per cent in payment of funds requested for mainten¬ ance of the committee’s work. J. Myer Schine, chairman for the Albany area of the Motion Picture Industry’s War Ac¬ tivities Committee spoke briefly, pledging the utmost co-operation from bis own circuit and fellow exhibitors of the area. Others who were called upon included Louis Schine, C. J. Latta, Bill Benton, and Fred Archibald. Luncheoneers were shown two of the latest Government films. “Fighting Fire Bombs” and “Ring Of Steel,” both of which are being distributed, gratis, by Warners, as will be the next release, “Any Bonds Today?” Neil Heilman is readying his Drive-In at Latham’s Corners, on the Albany-Saratoga Road. . . . Ben Smith, Pam-O Films and Exhibitor circulation representative, covered a lot of territory on “American Anniversary.” Ben reports his brother, “Sonny,” is a Flight Lieutenant in the (Continued on page 17) April 22, 1942