Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1940)

April 6, I 940 MOTION PICTURE HERALD SALES MEETING SEASON STARTS; FIVE SET DATES Twentieth Fox Will Be First to the Wire with Annual Gathering Beginning Next Friday in Chicago The distributors' 1940 sales convention officially opens next Friday, in Chicago, where Twentieth Century-Fox Film, first to the wire of the ten companies this year, will signal the formal beginning of the formulation, on paper, of the quantity and identity of product for 1940-41, and the sales policies and procedure to govern the sale of that product, subject to changes in industry operations which can be expected from any "consent" decree or other settlement of the Government's anti-trust actions. (See page 12.) Three Weeks Behind 1939 And so the distributors are about to take the | first step which will send their field salesmen E to the doors of regular and prospective ex: hibitor customers with portfolios on a line of ! new product. The convention season opening this time parallels last year's, which started March 18th, when Warners took the lead. It is running less than four weeks behind 1939, despite the trials and tribulations of recent months with j labor, foreign markets, and legal interferences. The distributors this year, however, are much further advanced as a group with convention dates and product totals and costs set in : advance, though tentative. It will be noted from the following summary that production totals for the 1940-41 season, on early promises, differ little from plans for the present season. Twentieth Century-Fox will again have 52 features, budgeted at $30,000,000. Monogram Convention will be held April 2lst-22nd in Dallas. 26 features and 24 westerns are planned. RKO has scheduled 50 to 52, budgeted at $20,000,000. The convention will be in New York, May 27th-30th. Republic plans 50 features and four serials. The convention will be in late May or early June. Universal is arranging 43 features; convention in May, probably in Atlantic City. Warner Brothers promised 48 for the current year; figures for the new season are not yet available. The convention is tentatively scheduled for July. United Artists promises 30 features, to cost about $29,000,000. Paramount plans 30 top-budget pictures and as many "B" films. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lists tentatively 52 features, convention probably in June, n Chicago. Columbia still is to be heard from. If romised 42 features and 16 westerns for he 1939-40 schedule. The Twentieth Century-Fox sales policy for he 1940-41 schedule will be discussed by 248 RCA AND EASTMAN ADD TO FAIR DISPLAYS The Radio Corporation of America and Eastman Kodak have effected extensive additions and improvements to their displays for the 1940 New York World's Fair. At the RCA exhibit a new 200-seat television theatre will enable visitors to see how television programs are produced and broadcast. Changes in the Eastman Kodak exhibit include a new foyer and entrance to the Hall of Color, where 1 1 twin projectors will present color pictures. delegates at the Drake hotel in Chicago April 12, 13 and 14. Executives, salesmen and bookers of the United States and Canada will be present. Herman Wobber, general manager of distribution, will preside at all meetings. The principal addresses will be given by Sidney R. Kent, president, and Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the board, who will come from Hollywood. 52 Fox Features, 52 Shorts The program of 52 features, 52 shorts and 104 issues of Movietone News will be discussed in detail and sales plans explained to the exchange men. The home office delegation will leave New York for Chicago next Wednesday on a special train. The executives attending will be Joseph M. Schenck, Sidney R. Kent and Felix A. Jenkins. The sales department, led by Mr. Wobber, will be represented by the following : Jack Sichelman, Martin Moskowitz, William Sussman, William Kupper, William Gehring, William Clark, E. H. Collins, Clarence A. Hill, Theodore A. Shaw, Roger Ferri, Jacob Bloom, Isadore Lincer, H. A. Mersay, Eugene McEvoy and S. J. Epstein. The censorship department will be represented by Miss H. G. Baker and the legal department by Percy Heiliger. Truman H. Talley is to lead the contingent from Movietonews, which will include Edmund Reck, Lowell Thomas, Ed Thorgersen, Lew Lehr, Vyvyan Donner and Tony Muto. The advertising and publicity department, headed by Charles E. McCarthy will include Arch Reeve, E. W. Wingart, W. C. Wilbert, Rodney Bush, Morris Kinzler and Eddie Solomon. The ad sales department will be represented by Edward Hollander and Jerry Novat. Walter J. Hutchinson is to lead the foreign department group. Others to attend are Irving A. Maas, L. F. Whelan and E. S. Fraser. Paul Terry, Harvey Day and W. Weiss will represent Terrytoons. Guests will include Spyros Skouras, William Powers, Elmer Rhoden, W. J. Fitzgerald, Alan Friedman, Edward Zabel, Milton Hossfeld and Aubrey Schenck. Delegates from the company's exchanges in 37 cities in the United States and Canada will be present, including seven district managers, 35 managers, nine sales manager, 99 salesmen, 35 bookers, two office managers, one ad sales manager, two assistant managers, two student salesmen and two secretaries. Howard Hughes is reported to be negotiating with Twentieth Century-Fox providing for the release of four pictures in the 1940-41 season. The pictures are budgeted at $750,000 to $1,000,000 each. The budget on "Brigham Young" will reach about $2,250,000 and production is expected to take five months. Monogram Sales Meeting Monogram has scheduled its annual sales convention at Dallas on April 21st-22nd so that franchise holders and branch managers may attend the annual Variety Club convention before the company meeting. Production plans and sales policies will be discussed. New plans call for 26 features and 24 westerns. The company on Tuesday made some new financial arrangements and additional convention plans. See page 44. RKO Meets May 27th-30th Ned E. Depinet announced that the ninth annual convention of RKO would be held in New York May 27th to 30th, in the Sert Room at the Waldorf-Astoria. The company will produce a total of 50 to 52 pictures and not 61-66 as reported from Hollywood last week. The list of speakers will include George J. Schaefer, president ; Phil Reisman, vice-president in charge of the foreign department ; Cresson E. Smith, western and southern sales manager ; A. W. Smith, Jr., eastern and Canadian sales manager ; Harry J. Michalson, short subjects sales manager; Herb Maclntyre, captain of the Ned Depinet Drive and Walter Branson, last year's Drive captain and studio executives and independent producers. District managers including Nat Levy, E. L. McEvoy, L. E. Goldhammer, Robert E. Mochrie, H. C. Cohen and L. M. Devaney will attend. All branch managers and salesmen from the 38 exchanges in the United States and Canada and special field men will be present. The convention committee includes A. A. Schubart, manager of exchange operations ; M. G. Poller, head of the playdate department ; S. Barret McCormick, director of advertising and publicity ; Leon J. Bamberger, sales promotion manager ; W. J. McShea, assistant manager of exchange operations ; L. E. Gaudreau. Rutgers Neilson and Harry Gittleson. The budget on the 52 pictures planned will be from $18,000,000 to $20,000,000. The current season budget is $20,000,000. The 1940-41 product is expected to cost as much or more than the amount being spent this season. At least 20 top-budget pictures will be produced under the direction of Harry Edington and others will come from "outside" producers — Max Gordon and Harry Goetz, Herbert Wilcox, Towne and Baker, Orson Welles and Harold Lloyd. Harry Edington was in New York this week for conferences with home office executives. S. Barret McCormick and Erich Pommer arrived from the Coast on Monday. Mr. Pommer will produce the RKO picture based on the Broadway play, "Two on an Island." The RKO 1940-41 schedule includes the following pictures : two Charles Laughton, two Carole Lombard, one Ronald Colman, two Anna Neagle, two Cary Grant, two Ann Shirley, two Maureen O'Hara, one Irene Dunne and one Lucille Ball. The period from April 13th to A"ril 26th has been named Harry Michalson Weeks in honor of the short subject sales manager. "Photo Finish" is listed as one of the most important pictures on the RKO 1940-41 schedule. The film will be produced and directed by David Butler. The original story was writ (Continued on following page)