Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

32 Motion Picture Daily Friday, January 14, 1944 Enterprising Showmen Step Out on Own Southern Ohio Launches With A Soldier Show Cincinnati, Jan. 13. — An ambitious high key bond selling program, geared for maximum results through visual appeal to patriotic duty, has been developed for the Southern Ohio district by Col. Arthur Frudenfeld, RKO division manager here, who is WAC chairman for the Cincinnati exchange territory and chairman of the Fourth War Loan Drive for Southern Ohio. Permitting the campaign to proceed on its own momentum for approximately two weeks with the bond premieres and other national campaign plans, the Frudenfeld plan will be inaugurated around Feb. 1, with an all-soldier, bond-admission stage show with a cast of 60 former stage performers now in the Air Service Command, recruited under direction of commanding officers from all sections of the country. It is now in rehearsal at Patterson Field, Dayton, O., where the show was whipped together by Capts. Joe Goetz and Clay Rambeau, former local theatre men, and Capt. Gene Rich, erstwhile exploiteer of the MG-M Chicago branch. Will Feature Flying Band The show will feature the famous Flying Band, around which the acts will be presented, and will be given in connection with a feature picture for one night in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Middletown, Dayton, Springfield and Columbus. Thorough promotion coverage via various media will be handled by E. V. Dinerman, RKO division director of advertising and publicity here. The Southern Ohio area served by the Cincinnati exchanges represents approximately 216,000 seats, and the quota of "A Bond for Every Seat" will not only be met, but exceeded, Frudenfeld believes. Frudenfeld thus far has appointed the following partial list of represen tee Stark, Salesman, Points Out One Way JOE STARK, Paramount salesman out of Kansas City, believes in war bonds. He is buying the first seat in each house on a long list assigned him in the Fourth War Loan Drive and hopes it will point a way. Howard Jameyson, exhibitor state chairman for Kansas, flashed the word earlier in the week to Ned E. Depinet, chairman of the distributors' division. "I say swell," he wired. So say others. Drive Chiefs — on the Industry's War Loan Firing Line SEY3IOTJR PEISER Advertising, Publicity Director FEED STEIN Assistant Campaign Director ANDY KRAPPMAX Assistant Campaign Director NED E. DEPINET Chairman, Distributors' Committee DAN jnCHALOVE "Within the Industry" Sales HENRY GINSBERG "Within the Industry" Sales GEO. J. SCHAEFER Director In the Field HI CHAS. K. FELDMAN Hollywood Talent Participation CLAUDE F. LEE Treasury Department Liaison tative theatre men as regional chairmen to handle the details in their respective counties : Hamilton County, Maurice White, Cincinnati ; Butler County, Harry David, Cincinnati ; Montgomery County, William Clark, Dayton; Miami County, C. F. Pfister, Troy ; Franklin County, Max Stearn, Columbus ; Muskingum County, John W o o d w.a r d, Zanesville ; Fairfield County, Leo Kessel, Lancaster ; Washington County, Joe Scanlon, Marietta, and Champaign County, James Chakeres, Springfield. In Cincinnati, admission bonds will be sold from the "Bond Pier," a scaled replica of a lighthouse pier erected several months ago on Fountain Square, adjacent to the RKO Albee for sale of bonds, registration of blood donors and other war activities. "A Bond for Every Seat" Morgenthau to Talk At Cincinnati Rally Cincinnati, Jan. 13. — Secretary Morgenthau will address a "kickoff" dinner for war bond workers at the Xetherland Plaza here the night of Jan. 19. His address, broadcast over a nationwide hookup, will be his most important of the campaign, according to word received from Treasury officials by Phil J. Trounstine, state chairman of the War Finance Committee. He also said that Morgenthau had accepted the committee's invitation to come to Ohio to help inaugurate the Fourth War Loan in recognition of Ohio having made the best showing of any industrial state in the country during the last bond drive. All-Military Show, Colorado Highlight Denver, Jan. 13. — An all-military show in as many cities and towns as wartime transportation allows, will be the highlight of the bond drive in Colorado. The display, arranged by the state's War Finance Committee of which Clarence H. Adams is chairman, naturally will tie in with extensive bond-selling plans made by theatres. Here are the steps organized: A quota has been set for all business firms based upon the amount they already are investing by way of the payroll plan, plus purchase of a $100 bond for each employe. The schools are setting up a treasure hunt, the purpose being to convert into bonds the more than 1,000,000 unfilled stamp books in the hands of the public. A state-wide retail program has been organized on the basis of each employe selling $200 in bonds and stamps in addition to whatever his own purchases may be. Women will wage a house-to-house canvass and also a farm-to-farm canvass. It is estimated there are over 500,000 likely candidates for bonds throughout the state. The all-military show will display cavalcades of heroes, equipment and other paraphernalia of war and is being planned on as sweeping a scale as war time transportation will allow. Northwest Tries Postcard Wrinkle Minneapolis, Jan. 13. — A daily postcard suggestion, designed to run well into the campaign period, is one of the promotion wrinkles established for theatres' Fourth War Loan Drive in the Minneapolis territory. On each mailing day, a postcard is sent, with an appropriate suggestion for promotion of war bond sales, to each theatre in the territory. Mailing began Jan. 10, when it was suggested ot managers that they get busy immediately on larger war bond purchasers, those who do a year's buying at once. Resulting sales, even if consummated before the official opening of the drive, would count on the "Bond for Every Seat" tally sheet. Another card suggested a morning matinee for farmers only, with bond sales as admissions. Similar suggestions will be sent out in a total of 24 mailings schedufed. Included among these will be several culled from original ideas tried out by the managers themselves. The most extensive war bond premiere schedule yet attended is indicated by early reports from film salesmen who have been devoting themselves to arranging this type of feature through the territory. Charles W. Winchell is in charge of promotion for the drive, assisted by Everett Seibel, Walter Hoffman, Arthur Catlin and Norman Pyle.