Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Short Subjects By n e w t o A HALF MILLION dollars worth of tub thumping will be spent by Republic for its summer releases, including its star attraction, "I Dream of Jeanie", which has its world bow in Pittsburgh, June 4th. This elaborate promotion budget was revealed by HERBERT J. YATES Republic president Herbert J. Yates in a special release detailing the "Jeanie" festivities which will highlight "Welcome Week" in the Smoky City, with the film's stars, Ray Middleton, Bill Shirley Muriel Lawrence and Eileen Christy as featured guests. To handle the Pittsburgh premiere and the debuts the following two days in Indianapolis and Louisville, sales chief James R. Grainger named a Showmanship Committee consisting of William Martin Saal, executive assistant to Yates; director of ad-publicity Steve Edwards, studio publicity director Mickey Gross, advertising manager Dennis Carlin and exploitation manager Beatrice Ross. INDUSTRY NEWSPAPER advertising ' will plug the motion picture theatre as the source of the best entertainment, according to an agreement reached at a meeting of MPAA's advertising and publicity directors committee. Each company will shape its institutional copy in accordance with COM PCs public relations program. HARRY K. McWILLIAMS, Columbia's exploitation manager, was unanimously reelected to the presidency of Associated Motion Picture Advertisers for his third term. This marked the first time in the association's history that the top spot has been occupied by one man for three successive years. Elected with him were Liege Brian, vice-president; Albert Elorsheimer, Jr., treasurer, and Edgar Goth, secretary. Named to the board of trustees was David Bader, FILM BULLETIN business manager. A committee was also named to check on the feasibility of reestablishing the AM PA relief fund. OF MEN AND THINGS: U-I's world sales chief, Alfred E. Daff, is in Europe to survey business conditions and study a possible distribution setup for the company pending the dissolution of the Motion Picture Export A ••social ion operation in August . . . U-I v.p. in charge of ad-publicity David A. Lipton arricvd in New York from Hollywood last Thursday (1st) for meetings with home office executives to discuss forthcoming product . . . U. S. and Canadian IATSE locals honored general secretary-treasurer William P. Raoul at a dinner in Brooklyn 10 . . . Paramount's Ray Wilkinson retired from his camera and laboratory post after 36 years with the company . . . Frank McGrann, former N. Y. newspaper man and press rep. for stage and screen stars, joined Columbia as a member of the company's home office exploitation staff . . . RKO veep, Phil Reisman, is in Paris to conduct a sales conference of European managers . . . Jerry Pickman, Paramount ad-pub topper, is in Hollywood to set exploitation plans on forthcoming product . . . UA's Francis M. Winikus announced the appointment of Mort Nathanson to the post of publicity director of UA. TOA DIRECTOR Gael Sullivan is on leave of absence to manage Senator Estes Kefauver's campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Sullivan was active in the Democratic party for a number of years before joining TOA in 1948. Stepping into Sullivan's TOA post, temporarily, is Herman Lew, general counsel for the organization. GAEL SULLIVAN FAN-FARES: In addition to the highpowered "free" publicity Columbia's "My Six Convicts" is receiving via the current prison mutinies, the studio has ex-convict "Big Jim" Morton on the road tub-thumping for the picture. Morton, who has spent 35 years in jails and prisons, now lectures to the youth of the country on the evils of crime . . . Paramount's "Encore" is receiving a dual selling approach by Oscar Morgan, sales chief for the Maughm film. Two trailers — one for "art" houses and one for general runs — along with separate ad campaigns are ready to sell the picture in all situations . . . By all indications, 20th-Fox has only the kitchen sink left to throw into its ad campaign on "The Pride of St. Louis". 22,000 sporting goods dealers are competing in a windaw display contest, 25,000 department and specialty stores have been flooded with merchandising aids, a Sporting News-Kreml Hair Tonic tie-in is hitting the nation's barber shops, and consumer, sport, and fan mags are booming the picture's openings . . . UA's "The Fighter", based on a Jack London short story, will highlight a nation-wide commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the famed author's death . . . Groomed for exhibitors, a 12-page paper titled "Paramount News" will soon be distributed to the country's theatremen. Packed with exploitation material on forthcoming Paramount product, ads are available to exhibitors in mat form free of charge ... A neat co-op exploitation was racked up in Buffalo when the Lafayette Theatre tied in with some loci merchants and radio station in sponsoring a contest for Columbia's "The Marryinj Kind". The radio station instituted a searcj for Buffalo's longest-married couple, tH winner receiving a second honeymoon a Niagara Falls. DLAUDITS AND KUDOES: Paramount I "Detective Story" was accorded tli Edgar Allen Poe Award, by the Mysteri Writers of America, as the Best Mvster Picture of 1951 . . . M-G-M received the fir; award of its kind ever issued by tli Daughters of the American Revolution fc the picture "Kim", selected as the be. children's picture of 1951 . . . 20th-Fox "Belles On Their Toes" was kudoed by tr General Federation of Women's Clubs in letter recommending the film to more tha. 900 women's groups throughout the countr . . . Louis de Rochemont, producer of Cc lumbia's "Walk East on Beacon", receive congratulations from FBI chief J. Edga; Hoover for "the splendid job done in depia ing the activities of the FBI . . . an e> ceptionally fine motion picture" . . . A| editorial in the May issue of the America Legion Magazine urges its readers to se Paramount's "My Son John", adding, "it i our fervent hope that every American wi see it". MILTON E. COHEN, who began h: career with United Artists in 1929 an returned to the company last year a western-southern sales manager,, has bee appointed UA's eastern-southern sales mar ager by distribution v.p. William J. Heine man. During his 23 years in the industn Cohen has served as sales manager for Cc lumbia, RKO and Eagle-Lion Classic James Velde succeeds Cohen as UA1 western sales manager, promoted from district manager's post. MILTON E. COHEN VARIETY TENT TOPICS: Philadelphia Tent 13's Johnny Night (benefit for thii Variety Club camp for handicapped children is set for June 6. A game between the Cleve land Indians and Philadelphia A's, plus ; two hour pre-game, star-studded show will highlight festivities. Proceeds from Johnnj, Night provide summer vacations for handi| capped, underprivileged children . . . Th<| heart committee of Illinois Tent 26 donate( over $67,000 to their chief charity project] I.a Rabida Jackson Park Sanitarium, durinj. the past year. This brings the total tc nearly a quarter million dollars contributed to La Rabida over an eight-year period. MAY 5 , 1 9 5 \