The Film Daily (1946)

onday, August 19, 1946 Ws? 15 to Attend M-G-M [hkago Meeting Chicago — Approximately 75 home Mce and field executives of M-G-M ■irill meet at the Drake Hotel, here, i tarting today for a sales conference ^ a.u^ by William F. Rodgers, vice / "yent and general sales manager. ■^venty home office representa ives left yesterday for the sessions. [he group included E. M. Saunders md E. W. Aaron, assistant general ;ales managers; William B. Zoell ler, in charge of the reprints and niportations division: H. M. Richey, Head of exhibitor relations; Walter prooks, assistant to Richey; A. F. 'irummings, in charge of exchange •Dperations; J. Bezahler, C. F. Dee -i;en, P. Richrath, L. Hirsch and I. tielfont, home office assistants to neld sales managers; M. L. Simons, ■pditor of The Distributor; William Ferguson, director of exploitation; ,Tyree Dillard, Jr., and H. Nusbaum, legal department; T. Grady, P. Ag View, A. Sterling, E. Urschell, and iO. Broughton, master bookers. .; Sales managers in the field will Wlude J. P. Byrne, New York; J. J. IMaloney, Pittsburgh; Jack Flynn, Chicago; Rudolph Berger, New Or ileans, and George Hickey, Los An Igeles. District managers: M. N. Wolf, ■Boston; Robert Lynch, Philadelphia; H. L. Ripps, Albany; J. J. Brown, New York; F. C. Hensler, Detroit; 3. S. Allen, Washington; S. A. Shirley, Chicago; R. W. Maw, Minneapolis; H. A. Friedel, Denver; C. E, Kesnich, Atlanta, and B. Bishop, Jr., Dallas. Branch managers: T. J. Donaldson, Boston; L. Formato, Philadelphia; J. B. Mundstuk, Buffalo; H. Rosenblatt, New Haven; Ben Abner, New Jersey; Ralph Pielow, New York; F. J. Downey, Detroit; F. B. Gauker, Indianapolis; H. B«nnin, acting manager, St. Louis; E. M. Booth, Cincinnati; J. Sogg, Cleveland; S. Gottlieb, Pittsburgh; W. E. Bamford, Chicago; D. C. Kennedy, Des Moines; J. G. Kemptgen, Milwaukee; W. H. Workman, Minneapolis; G. E. McGlynn, Omaha; C. P. Nedley, Salt Lake City; T. E. Lucy, acting manager, Atlanta; B. H. Rosenwald, Charlotte; C. J. Briant, New Orleans; L. Bickel, Dallas; A. L. Adler, Kansas City; L. C. Ingram, Memphis; J. C. ReVille, Oklahoma City; S. J. Gardner, Los Angeles; L. Amacher, Portland; L. C. Wingham, San Francisco, and T. Aspell, Jr., Seattle. SEND BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO: Aug. 19 Kenneth MacKenna Colleen Moore Joan Peers Eleanor Boardman Edward L. O'Shea Jane Collyer Marie Wilson "Butch" Jenkins ''TIte Customer Is Always Right" • • • HARRY GOLD IS AN AMAZED GUY As a United Artists' soles exec, he handled some top money-making pictures But now as Howard Hughes' sales chief he's got a little number called "The Outlaw" which has him completely befuddled He can hardly believe it himself when he sees the daily reports pour in with grosses that look like the national debt Phil M. heard about those figures and, to make sure they weren't dreamed up by an over-zealous press agent, he dropped into Harry's office and eavesdropped over those long yellow sheets that tell the story Nope, they ain't kidding Harry, estimating it conservatively, predicts that the picture will gross domestically between $12,000,000 and $13,000,000 the first year of release "The picture must have something the public wants or it wouldn't be piling up all those extra dollars." Harry opines • • • WELL, LET'S LOOK at the record Take the town of Wildwood. N. I The all-time record for a first week on a picture there, was $13.000 But "The Outlaw" grossed $6,228 the first day and ended up with a weekly take of $16.419 Or Cedar Rapids. la.. where the previous weekly top record was $4.553 Hughes' opus grossed $5,898 in four days At Atlantic City's Steel Pier, the picture raked in $132,013 the first week and $113,162 the second week for a total of $245.175 Look at Detroit: $8,326 the first day. vnth a weekly draw of more than $52.000 Or Los Angeles: $472,267 in 19 weeks Or San Francisco: $257,575 in 17 weeks Chicago: $420,601 so far and still going Asbury Park. N. J.: $22,369 in one week The list went on and on, with records falling in big towns and small Total engagements to date are in the neighborhood of l.LOO So with the rest of the country still to go. my gosh! • • • THAT STUNT OF Bernie Komber's of imprinting programs with the inscription "Call Me Mister Ace" drew howls of laughter from the United Artists convention delegates who attended the Broadway show "Call Me Mister" Wednesday night It seems Benedict Bogeaus's "Mr. Ace" will be released shortly. ... • Speaking at the UA convention, Boris Morros told the gathering that his "Carnegie Hall" was going to be a combination of "Stella Dallas," "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "A Song to Remember" Wotta combination! . . . • Enterprise Productions is out to set a new kind of a record Studio heads are determined to get the company's first picture, "Ramrod." into national release -within nine months after the formation of the company A date will be announced shortly. ... • Jimmy Winn, former UA district manager who has been on a leave of absence for more than a year because of his health, is back in the harness again He's awaiting re-assignment and rarin' to go • • • ODDS AND ENDS: That campaign PRO gave its "30-city day and date premiere" of "Down Missouri Way," held in Missouri and Kansas, early in the month, lifted the eyebrows on some of the industry boys "way back East" Arnold Stoltz, PRC's director of advertising and publicity, had exploiteer Llge Brien and studio publicity director Robert Goodfried working with the "30" theater managers like a pack of Missouri mules; and the job they did really poid off on the company's new musical comedy romance. ... • Maybe it sounds fantastic, but there are reports around that some exhib. groups ore prepared to do their own "policing" of that decree when it becomes effective. . . . "Period of Grace" Assured by Berge (Continued on Page 21 the ITOA, for a six-month grace period before newly prescribed selling methods are put into effect. Berge further pointed out that the court's decision did not require the commencement of single-picture selling or any other decree requirement before Oct. 8. In replying to Berge's telegram, Brandt said the distributors' procedure in submitting different proposals for selling methods under the decree could only lead to "chaos and utter confusion for everybody concerned." Brandt told Berge that "this industry is and will continue to be in great need of clarification on its future, based on the new decree. For those who would like to see the court decree given a fair chance before remedial legislation is asked for, we plead with the Department to give the industry a reasonable amount of time to work things out in accordance with the decree." Brandt said that the proposals of the Department of Justice "should be sufficiently flexible so that a sales plan, upon proving impracticable, may be changed to suit the exhibitor, the distributor and the Department of Justice." He also asked for a meeting of ITOA members with the Department of Justice. Korda Acquires Rialto In Leicester Square (Continued from Paee 1) Square. House, seating 750, is of the intimate type. Korda proposes to use it for presensation of London Films features and top French productions on long runs. PGA Action on "Outlaw' Awaits Johnston Return Whatever action is to be taken in the matter of revocation of the Production Code Seal of "The Outlaw" has gone beyond the discussion stage and hinges upon the return to New York of Eric Johnston, MPAA president. Howard Hughes, producer of the film, has been discharged from a Coast hospital and is reported recovering. Johnston at present is on vacation in the west. SI€K REPORT "DOC" BAMFORD, Metro exchange manager in Chicago, is convalescing at St. Luke's Hospital there from an attack of pneumonia. A. N. VINNENFIELD and AL MINK, of the Essaness circuit are confined to the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago by illness.