The Exhibitor (Nov 1942-May 1943)

6 RADIO BALLY OPENS UNITED NATIONS DRIVE Air Show Is Preliminary New York — James Cagney, Don Ameche, Nelson Eddy, Irene Manning, and Jean Hersholt headed a star-studded radio program in a salute to United Nations Week broadcast from Hollywood over the coast-to-coast Mutual network on Jan. 12 from 8.30 to 9 o’clock, EWT. Edward L. Alperson is national chairman for the United Nations Week celebration, which will be observed throughout the nation from Jan. 14-20. Don Ameche acted as master of cere¬ monies for the program, with Robert Armbruster in charge of the music. Public demonstrations in all five bor¬ oughs of New York will usher in United Nations Week, it was announced last week by the New York division of the War Ac¬ tivities Committee Motion Picture Indus¬ try. The lobby of the local Criterion was turned into “United Nations Alley,” de¬ corated with the fighting flags and insig¬ nia of all the 30 nations associated with the United States, to celebrate United Nations Week, and to start off with a gala benefit preview of Lester Cowan’s new Columbia production, “Commandos Strike at Dawn”. Chairman Joseph E. Davies, President’s War Relief Control Board, expressed much interest in United Nations Week in a let¬ ter to Co-ordinator Francis S. Harmon, War Activities Committee-Motion Picture Industry Davies also confirmed the un¬ derstanding that the proceeds of the col¬ lections of this week would be turned over to the National War Fund, as the authorized agency in accordance with the recent announcement by President Roose¬ velt, for distribution to the appropriate foreign war relief organizations. United Nations Week pledges poured into WAC headquarters last week accord¬ ing to Leon J. Bamberger, national cam¬ paign manager. He believed that at cur¬ tain time on Jan. 14 the number would far exceed previous expectations. Louis Goldberg, local RKO division manager arranged a special screening for “You, John Jones,” in every one of his Brooklyn and Queens theatres for clergy¬ men, local merchants, principals of neigh¬ borhood schools, and newspaper repre¬ sentatives to stimulate interest in United Nations Week. Goodkind In Service New York — Larney Goodkind, for the past five years eastern story editor of Uni¬ versal, has been inducted into the service, and reported to Fort Dix, N. J., last week. Goodkind will be succeeded by Peter Martin, who has been assistant eastern story editor. N. Y. Film Board Installs New York — Installation of officers of the New York Film Board of Trade will take place today (Jan. 13) at the home of Louis Nizer. THE EXHIBITOR Emanuel Speaks to SMPE NEW YORK — Jay Emanuel, pub¬ lisher of THE EXHIBITOR and prom¬ inent independent circuit owner, will address the next meeting of the At¬ lantic Coast Session of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers in the Hotel Pennsylvania on Jan. 21 on the sub¬ ject, “War Conservation From the Theatre Owner’s Viewpoint.” This meeting is one of a series which has been held by the society during the past year for the purpose of co operating with the government’s conservation campaign and to enable theatre owners, managers, and pro¬ jectionists to get the best possible use of their equipment under the present unusual conditions. It is the first time in a long period that a paper has been presented by a theatre owner. FILM DAILY'S "10" TOPPED BY "MINIVER" New York — Film Daily this week an¬ nounced the critics’ selection of the “Ten Best Pictures” in its 21st annual poll. Five hundred and fifty-five ballots were cast for “Mrs. Miniver,” top show, out of 592, making it the No. 1 show on the list. The complete selection follows: “Mrs. Miniver” — Metro. “How Green Was My Valley” — 20th Century-Fox. “Kings Row” — Warners. “Wake Island” — Paramount. “Pride Of the Yankees” — RKO. “The Man Who Came to Dinner”— War¬ ners. “One Foot In Heaven” — Warners. “Suspicion” — RKO . “Woman Of the Year”— Metro. “The Pied Piper” — 20th Century-Fox. Warners with three features, leads the “Ten Best” procession. Metro, 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox, and RKO each have two fea¬ tures on the current list, with Paramount supplying the 10th. Exhibs Get OWI Posters New York — The more than 16,000 film houses on the roster of the Theatres Divi¬ sion of the War Activities Committee will receive four new posters from the Office of War Information in February, it was said last week. Two of the posters will be on the subject of “careless talk” on the part of civilians which might give information to the enemy. One is captioned “A Careless Word — Another Sinking.” The other, “A Careless Word — Another Cross.” Another will be a war bond poster, and the fourth is designed about the Valley Forge theme, bearing the legend, “Ameri¬ cans Will Always Fight .for Freedom.” All four will be one-sheets. Baltimore First-Run Opens Baltimore, Md. — The Maryland, one of Baltimore’s theatrical landmarks, will re¬ open on Jan. 15 as a combination vaude¬ ville and picture house. There will be a weekly change of five acts of vaudeville and a new firstrun feature picture. BUSINESS EXCELLENT ALONG B'WAY MAIN STEM New York — Business continued excel¬ lent last week end in most Broadway first runs, following the holiday period wherein new peaks were reached in grosses. Ac¬ cording to usually reliable reports reach¬ ing The Exhibitor, the break-down was as follows: “JACARE” (United Artists) — Frank Buck jungle picture got $6,000 on Saturday and Sunday at the Globe, with $12,000 reported on the week. “CASABLANCA” (Warners) — Hollywood got $15,200 from Thursday through Sunday. “YANKEE DOODLE DANDY” (Warners) — Strand, with stage show headed by Jimmy Dorsey and Orchestra, did $25,200 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “THE BLACK SWAN” (20th Century-Fox) — Roxy continued doing terrific business with this technicolor picture plus stage show heaed by Car¬ men Miranda. Exactly $50,500 reported from Thursday through Sunday with the week estimated at $72,000. “STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM” (Paramount) — All-star musical at the Paramount with Benny Goodman and Orchestra on stage did $34,000 on Saturday and Sunday, with the week estimated at $80,000. “IN WHICH WE SERVE” (UA)— Capitol did $39,400 from Thursday through Sunday. “RANDOM HARVEST” (MGM) — Music Hall reported $67,000 from Thursday through Sunday with usual stage show. This still on a five-showings-a-day schedule, with first feature hitting the screen at 10.16 A. M. Delaware Supervision Urged Wilmington, Del. — “Bank Nights,” “Bingo,” slot machines, and pinball machines would be made subjects of sup¬ ervision and regulation, rather than pro¬ hibition, under a proposal advanced on Jan. 8 by James R. Morford, who has just retired as state attorney general. The present ban on the devices, he asserted, is “unenforceable.” The proposal was one of 14 changes re¬ commended for the state’s legal code by Morford to abolish “ridiculous situations arising from the existence of archaic and outmoded statutes and methods of pro¬ cedure.” Wahn Joins WB New York — With the departure last week of Helen Gwynn to join the office of War Information, Mort Blumenstock, in charge of Warners advertising and pub¬ licity in the east, engaged Graham Wahn, formerly editor of “Parade,” to handle the company’s metropolitan mat and clip serv¬ ice. Wahn will work under the general supervision of Mitchell Rawson, eastern publicity manager. Alperson Completes Trip New York — Edward L. Alperson, gen¬ eral manager, RKO Theatres, returned last week after a 10,985 mile tour of the country on behalf of United Nations Week for which he is national campaign chair¬ man. Paramount Redeems Preferred New York — Following a board meeting last week, Paramount called for redemp¬ tion on April 1 of one-half of the out¬ standing $12,135,167 of first preferred stock. Join The Exhibitor’s Kit Parade — The Finest Service The Industry Has Ever Seen. January 13, 1943