Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1938)

July 3 0, 19 3 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 29 MILLION OUTLAY TO BOOST THEATRE GROSS $20,000,000 IS DRIVE COAL 300 at Joint Meeting Hear Plans for Newspaper Ad Campaign, Theatre Contest and Displays and Promotion Reel A $1,000,000 budget that it is estimated and hoped will bring a $20,000,000 increase in box office receipts throughout the countrj' this fall and winter, was adopted Wednesday when 300 representatives of all phases of the industry gathered at theHotel Astor in New York, to hear details of a plan that will be executed by distributors and affiliated and independent exhibitors for conducting a nationwide advertising campaign to stimulate public interest in new product in a "greater movie season" project, to run from September 1st to December 31st. The drive, with the slogan "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment," will be financed jointly by the three branches of the industry and it was for the purpose of obtaining pledges of financial support from independent circuit owners that George J. Schaefer, head of distribution for United Artists and chairman of the campaign committee, called the New York meeting. Expenses, as outlined by Mr. Schaefer, will be shared in this fashion : Producing and distributing companies $500,000 Affiliated circuits 250,000 Independent theatres and circuits 250,000 The producing and distributing companies and the affiliated circuits already have pledged three-fourths of the_ $1,000,000 _ budget, Mr. Schaefer explained, with the provision that the remainder be collected. Cards Signed for 744 Theatres As evidence of the support to be given the drive by exhibitors, Gradwell Sears, a member of Mr. Schaefer's committee, called upon the exhibitors to sign pledges of financial assistance and before the conclusion of the meeting cards had been signed in behalf of 744 theatres with a total of 750,000 seats. The pledges call for contributions by exhibitors at the rate of 10 cents for each seat in the houses they operate. Should the unaffiliated theatres' contributions total more than $250,000, Mr. Schaefer indicated that the affiliated theatres are prepared to match the figure. Affiliated circuits, Mr. Schaefer said, have pledged not less than $250,000, and their total contributions will depend upon the amount subscribed by independent theatres. $575,000 for Newspaper Ads Advertising in daily newspapers, "in every city, town and hamlet where there is a daily newspaper," will take $575,000 to $600,000 of the budget, Mr. Schaefer explained. It was understood approximately 4,500 lines of advertising would be used in each newspaper. The remainder will be divided into $250,000 for 5,000 prizes in a national contest, and $150,000 to $175,000 for literature, lobby displays, and for work on a one or two-reel short subject to be produced and made available to every theatre, according to Mr. Schaefer. The solicitation of subscriptions from independent houses will be carried on through an exhibitors' committee, augmented by local com SUCCESS CLAIMED IN LOEWS DRIVE Good results from a publicity and advertising campaign being conducted by Loew's theatres in an effort to increase July and August business were reported by the circuit this week. The theme of the campaign is "Loew's Has the Pictures," and in this way the circuit is striving to overcome recent publicity concerning a shortage of product. Interviews with C. C. Moskowitz and other Loew's officials appearing in newspapers stress that the circuit has no lack of good films. The campaign was worked out under the direction of Oscar A. Doob. mittees in each exchange territory. Invitations to serve were accepted at the New York meeting by , Nathan Yamins, president of National Allied States Association and of the New England Allied unit ; R. E. Griffith, of the Griffith Brothers circuit of Oklahoma ; Joseph Seider, Prudential circuit ; Moe Horowitz, Cleveland exhibitor ; Ed Silverman, Chicago ; John Danz of Seattle and M. A. Lightman, head of the Malco Circuit, Memphis. To support his plea for active and financial cooperation in the drive, Mr. Schaefer pointed out that the yearly estimated gross of theatres in the United States is $800,000,000, making a weekly gross of about $16,000,000. 20% Increase Expected Through the drive it is hoped that business will be increased 20 per cent, or $3,200,000 a week, Mr. Schaefer continued. For the skeptics, Mr. Schaefer declared, "we'll just cut in half the conservative estimate and say that the campaign will stimulate the box office to the extent of 10 per cent." It was with this line of reasoning that Mr. Schaefer arrived at the $20,000,000 box office return from the $1,000,000 expenditure in the three months. To carry out the campaign there are three committees at work — the distributors' committee, headed by Mr. Schaefer ; the advertising and publicity committee, consisting of Howard Dietz, chairman, Charles E. McCarthy and Robert Gillham, and a committee of studio publicity executives headed by Gabe Yorke. Paul Gulick, former publicity director for Universal, has been appointed coordinator, and Frank C. Walker of the Comerford Circuit and former treasurer of the National Democratic Committee, has been named treasurer. Three Reasons Cited Mr. Schaefer cited three main reasons for the campaign being undertaken and pointed to the fact that other industries, such as the automobile, the textile, the railroad, the ice manufacturers and the electrical manufacturers, have organizations set up to handle their advertising and publicity on a national scale. The number one reason given was "the general depression." Number two on the list was "the seasonal decline in our business along with the use of daylight saving time." Before naming the third reason, Mr. Schaefer remarked; "And we may just as well be frank about the whole thing, the third reason is that there has been too much loose talk on the part of all of us." The motion picture industry, he continued, is a perfect target for editorial writers, columnists and commentators. "There must be no more loose talk," he declared, "even though it will be pretty hard to put the gag on persons who like to break into headlines." Benefit of New Product Mr. Schaefer pointed out that by launching the campaign at this time the industry has the advantage of entering a new season and the benefit of new product. "We don't think that is sufficient though," Mr. Schaefer added. "We think we can give business an added kick and increase the box office by 20 per cent. "Production companies stand ready to help us in all ways. A committee has been appointed in California and, we hope, through the work of this committee, that we can control some of that loose talk." Cooperation from producing companies will be in the form of making a one or two-reel short with 1,000 to 1,500 prints. The short subject, Mr. Schaefer emphasized, will not "plug" any individual company or picture. "We hope to have personalities of all companies doing a bit," he added. From Theatre Viewpoint Mr. Dietz elaborated on this point by telling of the informal conferences which he held in Los Angeles last week with publicity and advertising executives. "A film of outstanding personalities will be made," he said, "and it will be done from a theatre point of view. "Also, we are at work now finding those players that will be willing to take trips to various points to help things along. I'm confident that we'll gather a small army of players." The purposes of the entire campaign, as outlined by both Mr. Schaefer and Mr. Dietz, will be to "sell the glamour of motion pictures, to sell the entertainment value of motion pictures, and to make people motion pictureminded so that they will go to theatres and thus stimulate the box office." Civic Groups Lining Up To carry out the plan of stimulating interest in the new season's product. Chambers of Commerce throughout the country are being lined up and mayors will be urged to lend their support by pointing out that trade follows the motion pictures, Mr. Dietz explained. A highlight of the campaign will be the contest in theatres. A booklet listing questions concerning the pictures released from August 1st to October 31st will be issued to the public. The contest, however, will run from September 1st to December 31st. Mr. Dietz used as an example the picture "Too Hot to Handle." In this case, he explained, the question might be "What was the name of the plane in the picture?" "All attention," Mr. Dietz assured the exhibitors, "will be directed to the theatres." Publishers To Cooperate As for cooperation from newspapers, Mr. Dietz said that in the last few days he had spoken to several publishers and they "have told me that they will be only too happy to (.Continued on following page)