Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

Friday. January 14, 1944 Motion Picture Daily 37 "Honored Hundred" Contest Begins to Build Blueprint On How to Start The Campaign Honor Places To Winners In The 5th Drive B «nEHEMOTHS OF BONDMANSHIP" is the title to be won by those on hundred theatre operators who will take top honors for selling "A Bond for Every Seat." The "Honored Hundred" idea is brand new in the industry's participation in war loan activities. It is the No. 1 promotion in exhibition for the Fourth War Loan Drive. The "Honored Hundred" will take posts of honor as members of the Executive Advisory Committee for the next War Loan. In the "Honored Hundred" contest, designed by Treasury and War Activities Committee heads to bring to the surface the best of America's bondbartering "blitzkriegers," the winners will be given an all-expense trip to Washington, plus honor-scrolls, engraved medallions, letters from Secretary Morgenthau, together with Treasury "E" buttons for each of their theatre staff members. Formal ceremonies in each state, enhanced by broadcasts, fan-fare and officialdom will highlight the presentation of awards. The only basis for winning is by selling the greatest number of "E" bonds in ratio to the number of seats in a theatre. Yesterday, the War Activities' Fourth War Loan Drive headquarters in New York said, "With the cross-roads cinema competing on a fair-and-square basis with the plush palaces of the population points, already interest is steaming as entry blanks pile into the War Activities Committee headquarters in New York." To clarify in the mind of any there manager questions or misundertandings which may be puzzling him, a special brochure is being mailed which, among other information, contains a question-and-answer column as well as complete listing of the rules and regulations governing the contest and the awards. Entry blanks for the competition already have been set to all theatres. "A Bond for Every Seat" To S tress 'Free Movie Day' Chicago, Jan. 13. — Windy City exhibitors intend going in for the Free Movie Day plan on a large scale. A bond bought during the Fourth War Loan Drive will serve as a pass at more than 300 of Chicago's 350 theatres as the second week of the drive gets under way on Jan. 25. 3. 4. 5. ^ ^ * * & . i* it it it it Here Are The Rules Governing Selection of "Honored Hundred" 1. Any manager of a motion picture theatre in the United States, Alaska and Hawaii is eligible to compete in the "Honored Hundred" Contest. 2. One winner will be named from each state, one from the District of Columbia, one from Alaska, and one from Hawaii.* Winners will be determined by computing the percentage of "E" bonds sold in ratio to the number of seats. No contestant may win two awards. Only bond-sales made from midnight Jan. 1 to midnight Feb. 29 will count in the contest. 6. No bond-sales will be recognized in the contest unless supported by Treasury Department bond-application blanks. 7. A theatre need not be an issuing agent in order to enter the contest. If the application is taken by the theatre, the bond may be issued anywhere. 8. Contestants will retain the perforated stub-portion of the Treasury Department bond application blank until the close of the 4th War Loan. These are then to be sent to the state WAC chairman, to reach him not later than March 1 for checking of results. (Theatres that have qualified as issuing agents may attest their own application.) 9. Ten winners will be named from the entire country from cities of less than 5,000 population; ten will be named from cities between 5,000 and 10,000 population; ten from cities between 10,000 and 25,000 population; ten from cities between 25,000 and 100,000 and ten from cities of over 100,000 population. State winners will be determined by state chairman and state War Finance Chairman, assisted by certified public accountants. Names will be sent to the War Activities Committee, New York, for final audit as well as selection of winners on the population basis. Decision of the official "Honored Hundred" contest judges will be final. 101 winners in all. it it it it it it it it it ir it it Virginia Men Accept Quota Of 3 Million Richmond, Va., Jan. 13. — Showmen in this state accept the "E" bond quota of $3,090,625 in maturity value for the Fourth War Loan Drive. That makes it a §25 a seat for 123,625 seats. The acceptance, moreover, is part of a 10 point plan to be applied statewide. This is the rest of the program : 1. — Every city and town agreed to hold a meeting of all theatre representatives together with retailers, radio, newspaper and local War Finance Committee members during the week of Jan. 3. 2. — Every theatre operator who had not previously done so to sign WAC over-all pledge. 3. — Every theatre to immediately become a bond issuing agent or a representative of a bond issuing agent. 4. — Every theatre to install bond booth, decorate lobby, foyer, front, etc., with Fourth War Loan material, to use and distribute Fourth War Loan 4 by 5 in. stickers. 5. — At least one bond premiere in each town and city ; that the state war bond premiere quota be set at 30. 6. — Every theatre to hold Free Movie Day. 7. — At least one home talent bond show in each town or city where feasible. 8. — Special days and special events throughout the entire drive. 9. — Request each Virginia circuit head to appoint one person from his organization to tour the circuit's theatres, setting up a Fourth War Loan Drive campaign personally with each individual manager. And here is how George W. Peters, state publicity chairman, views the task : "We, who use publicity every day in whetting the appetite of the public for our attractions and arousing their interest in our stars, are especially well equipped to do the same thing for war bonds in this drive. It is a creative effort that should challenge and delight every showman in the country. The wholehearted satisfaction of knowing that a job has been well done and an attraction properly exploited will be known to every showman who has successfully 'sold' to the public the special war bond premieres and events." William F. Crockett of Virginia Beach is exhibitor state chairman. The entire state has been zoned and assignments handed out. MOBILIZE!, Organize!, Accessorize!, Trailerize!, Magnetize!, Hypnotize! That's the message of showmen who have written a suggested campaign for exhibitors to use to start their Fourth War Loan Drive. Some of the best promotional men in the industry met repeatedly to arrive at a program for exhibitors to start individual campaigns of showmanship for the Drive. They suggest: Mobilize! Contact local War Finance Commute head. Make sure that he is familiar with every phase of the industry campaign. Ask him to call a meeting of fellow exhibitors, retail merchants^ the press, radio, advertising men, civic leaders. ★ Organize! Lay out a campaign completely as far in advance as possible. Arrange a schedule so that activity is concentrated, yet sustained. Don't slow down once started. Follow through on every stunt, but first, make sure that it will sell "E" bonds. ★ Accessorize! The soundest industry minds have gotten together to plan accessories which will help carry the message to the public. They will be available below cost. Order through National Screen. In addition, the Treasury Department will mail two free posters, a 20x28 and a 28x40. In addition to this, enlist the Rembrandts of your own art department. (See page 45.) ★ Trailerize! Three free "Sock" trailers will be available from all National Screen Service Exchanges. Plus a regular WAC "Film Bulletin" as an "advance." Magnetize! Attract attention to each theatre. Dress up lobby and marquee. Use banners and flags. Now that the blackouts, brownouts and dimouts are a thing, of the past, make the theatre the brightest spot in town. Let the public know that something is going on. More specific, let the public know the Fourth War Loan is going on. Hunnotize! Direct everything toward that bond booth m the lobby. Redecorate it. Populate it with personable people. The bond booth is the essential. ourth War Loan Drive