Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

6 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, July 28, 1938 Whole Country Represented at Gathering Industrywide Aid Promised Trade Drive (Continued from page 1) testants to see the pictures in order to fill out the questionnaires and qualify for prizes. Thus, in addition to the box-office stimulant of national advertising of pictures released during the campaign, there will be a powerful, direct incentive for increased theatre attendance in all sections of the country. Canadian theatres will also participate. The first national advertising will appear Sept. 1. It will be augmented by the release of a one or two-reel entertainment subject, to be produced cooperatively by Hollywood studios, employing outstanding talent, which will explain the contest to all theatregoers. The reel will be supplied without charge to all participating theatres. The campaign will be augmented by national publicity, by marquee, lobby and screen accessories, and by personal appearances of a "small army" of Hollywood players. The national slogan for the campaign will be "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment." Leading Exhibitors Participate On the exhibitor committee named to work out details of the contest are Xathan Vamins, Boston ; R. E. Griffith, Oklahoma City ; Joseph Seider, New York ; Moe Horowitz, Cleveland ; Edward Silverman, Chicago ; John Danz, Seattle, and M. A. Lightman, Memphis. The committee represents all types of independent theatre operation and will also be charged with fund-raising for the campaign in their own localities. The committee conducted its first meeting yesterday afternoon in the office of Mr. Schaefer. Citing the need for such a business drive as that proposed, Mr. Schaefer told the meeting that four major factors are involved in the recent decline in theatre attendance and box-office grosses. He described them as the general national business recession ; the seasonal or summer slump in theatre attendance ; "too much loose talk" on internal industry affairs which reached the public to the detriment of the box-office, and unfavorable editorial and columnist comment on motion pictures. Schaefer Asks More "Kick" The first two, Mr. Schaefer said, cannot be overcome by better product alone. "An added kick" is needed, he said. The campaign is designed to supply that and, conceivably, could improve box-office business by 50 per cent. The industry, itself, he continued, must impose internal restraints on the few who indulge in "loose talk and are too anxious to break into print." Editorial expressions, Mr. Schaefer conceded, "are difficult to control," but the campaign might bring about a better understanding of the industry's problems and, with it, more restraint in newspaper and commentators' observations of industry affairs. Mr. Dietz reported subsequently that some publishers already had given the industry assurances of better cooperation in their treatment of motion picture news and comment. He intimated that the industry publicity committee set up in Hollywood last week to cooperate in the work on the national campaign would play a part in the "policing" of that end of the industry to minimize what was frequently referred to as "loose talk" from within. Vincent Hits Loose Talk The subject of unfavorable publicity emanating from within the industry was referred to frequently, both from the dais and the floor. Exhibitors who were present left little doubt that its unfavorable influence had reacted at the box-office. Walter Vincent, head of the Wilmer & Vincent circuit, at one point asked for a pledge from everyone present to refrain from adverse comment on product and industry affairs in public. Mr. Schaefer, however, emphasized that the primary objective of the' campaign was to stimulate theatre attendance and increase box-office receipts. He likened it to the recent national business and advertising campaigns conducted by the used car dealers, the ice, coal, textile, baking and electrical appliances industries, and pointed out that the motion picture industry with its screens, lobbies and marquees, has in these the most effective means of addressing the public, in addition to all the other advertising media available to other industries in conducting their campaigns. "Challenge and Stimulant" Mr. Schaefer described the drive as "one of the most constructive moves which have happened in the industry," but he reminded the meeting that it needs the cooperation of 15,000 to 16,000 exhibitors to make it a success. He said the campaign should be a "challenge and stimulant" to Hollywood, encouraging it to do its best, and to exhibitors and distributors "an experience in better methods and policies for the merchandising of their product. "There has been in the industry a letdown in advertisng budgets and showmanship," Mr. Schaefer con cluded. "The campaign should be the remedy for all of this." On the dais were: George J. Schaefer, chairman; Howard Dietz, Robert M. Gillham, Charles E. McCarthy, Spyros Skouras, Y. Frank Freeman, John J. O'Connor, Joseph Bernhard, Gradwell L. Sears, Frank C. Walker, C. C. Moskowitz and Herman Wobber. Schenck, Balaban Present Among the News Yorkers present were: Nicholas M. Schenck, Barney Balaban, Nate Spingold, A. Montague, William A. Scully, F. J. A. McCarthy, Neil F. Agnew, Lynn Farnol, Monroe Greenthal, Earl Wingart, Morris Kinzler, A. W. Smith, Jr., Lou Pollock, Leon Netter, Martin Quigley, Colvin Brown, Jack Alicoate, John Nolan of the Comerford Circuit, Sam Dembow, Jr., and Jack Partington of Fanchon & Marco, Perc Essex, A. E. Adams, S. H. Fabian of Fabian Theatres, A. H. Schwartz of the Century Circuit, Max A. Cohen of the Cinema Circuit Corp., J. M. Seider of Prudential Playhouses, Leo Brecher, Walter Vincent of Wilmer & Vincent, S. D. Cocalis ;of Cocalis Enterprises, George Skouras of Skouras Theatres Corp., Samuel Rinzler of Randforce Amusement Corp., Harry Katz. an associate of Fred Dolle ; Walter Reade, Jr., of Walter Reade Theatres, Harry Brandt of Brandt Theatres, and D. J. Chatkin of Monarch Theatres. Out-of-Towners Numerous Those from other cities included : Edwin Silverman of Essaness Theatres, Arthur Schoenstadt of H. Schoenstadt & Sons, Jack Kirsch of Villa Theatre Co., Alexander Manta of Indiana-Illinois Theatres, Inc., and Van Nomikos of the Halstead Theatre Co., all of Chicago ; Lewen Pizor, Ben Amsterdam of Atlantic Theatres, A. R. Boyd and Frank Buhler of A. R. Boyd Theatres, all of Philadelphia ; E. M. Loew of E. M. Loew's Theatres, Inc., Sam Pinansky and Martin Mullin of the M. & P. Circuit, Boston ; Nathan Goldstein, Springfield, Mass. ; E. M. Fay of Fay's Theatres, Providence ; Nathan Yamins, Fall River ; J. B. Fishman of the Fishman Circuit, New Haven ; Sidney B. Lust, of the Lust Circuit and A. E. Lichtman of the A. E. Lichtman Theatres, Washington ; Fred Wehrenberg, head of the Fred Wehrenberg Circuit and president of Over $825,000 Is Pledged; $1 75, 000 Sought for Drive (Continued for the newspaper advertising campaign ; $250,000 for the prize contest, and $150,000 to $175,000 for films and trailers to be used in the campaign, lobby displays and other accessories, publicity and administrative expenses. The national advertising will appear in 1,979 daily newspapers — every daily publication in the United States — and will aggregate 4,500 lines in each publication. The number of insertions into which this lineage will be broken down has not been deter from page 1 ) mined yet, but it will probably vary from three to eight separate insertions. National agencies actively working in the film field, such as Donahue & Coe, Lord & Thomas, J. Walter Thompson, Buchanan, Biow, and Blaine-Thompson, will be active in the campaign. Working with them will be the campaign's advertising committee, consiting of Howard Dietz, Charles E. McCarthy and Robert Gillham. Advertising managers of all companies will cooperate. Schaefer Talk Stresses Need For Campaign the M. P. T. O. of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois ; J. Myer Schine and three associates of the Schine Circuit, Gloversville, N. Y. ; John Danz of Sterling Theatres, and John Von Herberg, secretary of the Jensen & Von Herberg Circuit, Seattle; C. A. Schultz of Commonwealth Amusement Corp., Ed Dubinsky Durwood of Dubinsky Bros., and Glen W. Dickinson of the Dickinson Theatres, Kansas City. Richey, Lightman There R. E. Moon and H. M. Richey of Co-Operative Theatres, Detroit; M. B. Horowitz and Myer S. Fine, Cleveland; W. C. Chesbrough, Columbus; M. A. Lightman of Malco Theatres, Memphis ; Sam J. Switow of Switow Theatrical Corp., Louisville; John H. Harris of Harris Amusement Co., Pittsburgh; Michael Manos, Indiana City Theatres, Greensburg, Pa.; H. G. Hogan, Indianapolis; William Jenkins of Lucas & Jenkins, Atlanta; J. J. Fitzgibbons of Famous Players Canadian Corp., and M. A. Taylor of Exhibitors' Booking Association, Toronto; R. J. O'Donnell of the Interstate Circuit, R. E. Griffith of the Griffith Theatres and H. B. Robb of Robb & Rowley, Dallas ; L. C. Griffith of the Griffith Theatres, Oklahoma City; A. P. Archer, representing C. U. Yaeger of Atlas Theatre Corp., Denver; E. J. Sparks of United Theatres, Inc., Jacksonville; W. S. Wilder of Wilder Theatres, Norfolk; David Oamsky, representing Morton G. Thalheimer of Thalheimer Theatres, Richmond; R. E. Martin of Martin Theatres, Columbus, Ga. ; L. J. Duncan of Al-Dun Amusement Co., Westpoint, Ga. ; N. H. Waters of Waters Theatres, Birmingham ; Benjamin Pitts of Pitts Theatres, Fredericksburg, Va. ; Elmore D. Heins of Roanoke; M. J. Kallett of Kallett Theatres, Oneida, N. Y. ; W. C. Smalley, Cooperstown, N. Y. ; Samuel Varbalow and Judge Varbalow of Victoria Amusement Co., Camden, N. J. ; L. Gran of Standard Theatres Co., Milwaukee ; Carson W. Rodgers of Rodgers Theatre Circuit, Cairo, 111., and Carl Bamford of Bamford Theatres, Asheville, N. C. G. T. E. Quarter Net Is Off to $194,920 General Theatres Equipment Corp. and subsidiaries have reported for the quarter ended June 30, last, consolidated net profit of $194,920, after depreciation, Federal income taxes and other charges. The net is equivalent to 33 cents per share on 597,172 nopar shares of capital stock. The quarter net compares with net of $323,203, or 59 cents per share, in the same quarter last year, and $120,264, or 20 cents per share, in the quarter ended March 31, 1938.