The Film Daily (1945)

.:,Jay, August 3, 1945 W'^ DAILY !t)T Finds Fan Mags I Fe-Sell Pictures { (Continued from Page 1) Liness is building, reaching out for |v customers through lobby and leen promotion is the circuit's HOLLYWOOD SPEAKING Br BAU>H WILK SItirbaii-Manning Pix Via Universal program, which goes back sevears in its inception, has been jgressing in one form or another ce the beginning. Reasoning that ything which definitely "sells" the tion picture business, is bound to good for business, UDT pioneered ue few years back in the sale of )tion picture magazines in the lob. Currently Photoplay, a MacFadn publication, is being sold m all ':! OT houses, with a trailer build-up ig which also takes advantage of e opportunity to sell coming attrac>n3. Patrons' Polls Employed UDT houses have also conducted itrons' Polls from time to time to id out what "sells" the movie cusmers, where they obtain their inrmation about coming attractions. Most recent of these was the tlovie Wise" contest conceived by M lice Gorham, head of UDT's adversing department, and carried out rst at the local Michigan Theater, connection with Paramount's "Inmdiary Blonde" which stars De•oit's Betty Hutton. The Michigan „i sked customers, in a questionnaire, :i -hat they knew in advance about the : Im, and asked them where they had ; btained their information. The qb,, jct was to find out how many picas iires are "pre-sold" before the theaiv has even had a chance to ani: ounce them, either in lobby, on :ti creen, or through the newspapers a; nd other publicity outlets. The anwers were interesting indeed. The Michigan learned that 80 per ent of those answering the contest jl obtained their advance information . ibout "Incendiary Blonde" from ^ nagazines, proving that UDT has ong been on the right track in pronoting motion pictures through the f sale of movie fan magazines in theai -.er lobbies. Seventy per cent knew '■ ;hat the film was in Technicolor; 95 ii Der cent knew that Betty Hutton was s^the star; 46 per cent knew the names Df others in the cast; 65 per cent knew something about the story. „i Sixteen per cent received their ada:vanc€ information from newspapers. UDT believes the "lobby quiz" lidea so sound that it will be tried again from time to time to test patrons' knowledge and to put the theater on the right track in selling the film 100 per cent in its advertising. Checking Adv. Mediums At present, UDT houses are conducting a "Patron's Advertising Poll" in lobbies. Large boards announce the idea to the public, which votes with pins. The theater asks what medium brought the fan to the theater, listing names of Detroit newspapers, with other listings for radio, lobby displays, trailers, and fan magazines. Lar'ge maps_ enable patrons to place pins indicating the —HOLLYWOOD ALBERT de PINA, whose bock, "The Galilean, " a biography of Jesus, will be published in October, and George Moskov, Hollywood independent producer, have written an original screenplay, "Possessed." Moskov has also written a screenplay based on de Pina's novel, "Stairway To Paradise," which will appear next Spring. Major studios are showing interest in all three properties. • • John Hodiak's next 20th-Fox picture will be "Lonely Journey," a psychological melodrama. Anderson Lawler will produce the picture and Joseph Mankiewicz will direct it. • • James S. Burkett has closed a deal for purchase cf "Motherhood," an original story by Arthur Hoerl. Burkett plans to produce feature as an exploitation special and is starting immediate preparations for production. • • Robert Siodmak has been signed by RKO to direct "Some Must Watch," the Ethel Barrymore-Dorothy McGuire picture which will start Aug. 13. King Bros, have set Clarence Bricker as production manager on "Golden Girl," their Belita picture soon to start shooting. Bricker has just completed a stint on "Suspense" at Monogram. Chester Morris will play the lead in Columbia's "Hail the Chief," replacing Dennis 0 Keefe, who has withdrawn from the cast. • • Jimmie Tarantino, whose "Cavalcade of Stars" is heard over KHJ Saturday afternoon at 2:15, and Gordon Macker, Daily News sports writer, will bring out a new magazine, "Tonight," devoted to the movies, the theater, radio, sports and night clubs. Publication is scheduled to make its appearance Sspt. 1, as a weekly. • o Capt. Luther Davis, who adopted the :urrent play "Kiss Them for Me" from the novel "Shore Leave," has been commissioned by Paramount to write the book for 3 screen musical comedy. • • Jeffrey Bernerd is making a special trailer in which Kay Francis and Paul Kelly appear to plug "Allotment Wives, Inc.," in which they play the top roles. Miss Francis was also co-producer on the Monogram picture. • • Constance Bennett, who recently produced "Paris Underworld" and in which she I was starred, has been signed by 20th-Fox 1 for the musical of "Centennial Summer." • • King Bros, have sold Monogram "Silver Bandit," story by Jack Neuman and Jack 3ale, which was presented on the "Romance ; cf the Ranches" radio program. (Continued from Page 1) yesterday with the announcement that Skirball-Manning Productions Co. in which Bruce Manning is Skirball's partner has signed a "U" contract. This unit's first production, scheduled to go into production early in September, is "Genius In The Family," starring Myrna Loy and Don Ameche. Manning is writing the screenplay, based upon the novel by Hiram Percy Maxim. Frank Ryan will direct. The second pic which will follow immediately will be a Technicolor musical, "Sunny River," based upon the New York stage play by Oscar Hammerstein, 2nd, and Signiund Romberg. Hammerstein will collaborate with Manning on the screenplay. Claudette Colbert who is seen m Skirball's UA pic, "Guest Wife," will be starred in the third production to be made on the Universal lot. Offices are being readied in Universal's Studio for the SkirballManning organization. William Home will continue to be New Yoik rep. for Skirball in the Universal office in Rockefeller Center. Ben Henry stays on as London representative. Hurle Richards Slain Denver — Hurle Richards, manager of the Windsor, Windsor, before entering the Navy, has been reported j_ killed in action, according to ~~ word received by his father, G. I. Richards, owner of the theater. Two of his brothers are still in the service. part of city in which they reside. This ties in with idea of centralizmg selling methods. "By these methods we are letting patrons themselves tell us how better to merchandise our product," according to a spokesman for UDT. "We know we are on the right track as far as increased business results are concerned, through keeping alert to fan trends. Patrons can tell us just what stars are becoming increasingly popular, through lobby polls. Many times we find the patron's way ahead of management's in tagging a newcomer's potential business gettmg power. "The war has wrought so many changes in the star set-up and brought so many new faces to the screen, that only by knowing or sensing the desires and the type of entertainment the patron will want tomorrow and next week, can we hope to 'sell' product to the fullest extent." "New movie fans are returning to the home front from the battle-front . . . new stars are being born with almost every release from Hollywood. New methods of selling are bound to increase business . •_ . and keep the patron interested in the screen theater not only today, but tomorrow as well." Public Theater Foundation Proposal Before Congress (Continued from Page 1) al Record before the Senate recessed Wednesday night by Sen. Elbert Thomas of Utah. It is the proposal of Cpl. Robert Porterfield and Sgt. Robert Breen, the latter recently released after three years in the service, and was introduced by Thomas with a statement lauding "the tremendous part the theater and its people have played in total mobilization for war." The objective, Thomas said, is to enable the theater "to be of equal service in contributing to the national well-being, happiness and cultural enrichment during peace-time.' Ninety per cent of American citizens have no opportunity to enjoy the theater in their home towns, the authors of the plan declared, and their object is to make theater available to all Americans at low cost. National theaters have been financed by the governments of 40 countries, they say, but not here because of the great size of America and the American preference for private enterprise. Thus "outside of 30 major cities there is no professional theaters" there is great need for nationwide "decentralized professional theater." The propose setting up a Public Theater Foundation to make grants or loans for the encouragement of sound, quality theatrical enterprise where such enterprise is needed, with I a board of seven theatrical people to administer the plan. Funds would "Orders from Tokyo" to be Used as Jap Crime Proof (Continued from Page 1) the Philippines to the United States, who also appears in the foreword of the two-reel subject, that this film, soon to be released by Warner Bros., will be part of the evidence which will be used to convict the Japanese war lords, including their emperor, of their bestial crimes. (For the review of "Orders Form Toyko," turn to page 6. Among those who attended the screening and gathered later at a reception in the Hotel Astor were: Frank Lynch, Skouras theaters; Norman Elson, Trans-Lux general manager; Stuart Martin, Embassy Newsreel; Dave Dubin, Grand Central Newsreel; Jack Harris, Walter Reade Circuit; J. Thompson, Cocalis theaters, Harold Klein, J. & J. circuit; Sam Goodman, Century circuit; Jack Birnbaum, Randforce; Arthur Wakoff, Raritan theaters; Col. Dean Kalbfleisch, Commandant of the Marines at Brooklyn Navy Yard; Lt. Col. H. L. Hemming; Lt. Lloyd Durant, USN; Comm. Bob Edge, USN; Jules Lapidus, Norman Moray, and Phil Abrams, Warner home office executives. come from gifts, grants from industry, humanitarian foundations and allocations from local, state and national g-overnments. Once under way, the Foundation would operate through a series of loans, with every effort made to keep it on self-supporting basis. ?