Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

July 10, I 943 Industry Stamp Drive Starts in High Gear The American film industry this week was in the full swing of its third major effort to help the sale of Treasury issues, in addition to its steady "for the duration" sales. Its theatres are now endeavoring to sell to each of 130,000,000 Americans one dollar's worth of War Stamps, so that an aircraft carrier, the Shangri-La, may be built. The drive will last through July. In addition to the exploitation suggestions advanced by the War Activities Committee, exhibitors, both independent and circuit, are using their own ideas to boost the sale of the Stamps. The Tri-States and Central States circuits of the midwest are promoting a special ShangriLa War Stamp Album Day, giving as rewards free tickets, and gift purchases at retailers. They also are holding Shangri-La morning matinees in one theatre in each town, the admission being a minimum of $1 in War Stamps. The circuits also plan War Bond Nights later. In these, holders of filled stamp albums may exchange them for War Bonds and free admissions. ' The WAC in New York reminded theatre operators this week that the sale during July of $130,000,000 of Stamps would be $80,000,000 more than an average month's sale. It indicated it expected success because of the minimum demand upon the patron — only $1. In New Haven, the launching of the campaign with a rally on the city's green resulted in the sale of $15,000 in Bonds and Stamps the first hour. The rally was conducted by Harry Shaw, chairman of the campaign's local theatres' division. The mayor and other city officials and noted business men were present. Philadelphia industry, in its participation in the Shangri-La War Stamp drive this month, has revived the Junior Commando idea. Each child buying $1 worth of War Stamps at a theatre receives a cardboard medallion designating a "Second Invasion" of the Junior Commandos. On July 27th, the regular matinees will admit free all those bearing the medallion, the shows to be given in selected theatres in each area. Wounded war veterans will be guests at the matinees. Further cooperation is being given the theatres by the playgrounds, summer schools, air raid wardens, Boy Scouts and other organized groups. In addition, theatres are selling special boutonnieres and corsages with $1 worth of stamps, each with a special "Shangri-La" ribbon. Theatres are carrying a line in all newspaper ads on the drive, and all the radio stations are being contacted for announcements by a committee headed by Howard Gilbert. Backed by an intensive publicity campaign which includes special lobby displays and trailers, the Empire theatre, Fall River, Mass., with William S. Canning, WAC director, as manager, opened its Shangri-La drive which, for the week of June 27th, netted War Stamp sales of $3,576. Since the Empire theatre has become an issuing agent for the sale of War Bonds and Stamps, Mr. Canning said, sales of the securities have averaged about $300,000 monthly. Wile Joins Universal Robert Wile, recently editor of the Round Table section of Motion Picture Herald, has joined Universal as assistant to A. J. Sharick, manager of the sales promotion department. Mr. Wile, who has had long experience as a theatre manager, exploiter and trade paper editor, will devote most of his time to the development of sales promotional ideas and literature on forthcoming Universal product. MOTION PICTURE HERALD THEATRES AID INDIANA SAFETY CAMPAIGN Education of Indiana residents on the provisions of the new vehicle safety responsibility law which goes into effect on July 1st is furthered by the aid of approximately 150 theatre managers who have volunteered the use of their screens to Don F. Stiver, director of the state division of public safety. Trailers are being shown calling attention to the new law and to an official booklet available to drivers without cost. Petrillo Ban Is Referred to WLB James Caesar Petrillo's attempt to end the transcription business was referred this week to the National War Labor Board. Frances Perkins, Labor Secretary, certified the case to the board. She said that all conciliation attempts had failed because the American Federation of Musicians, of which Mr. Petrillo is president, "no longer was interested in negotiating a settlement and intended to stop the transcription industry permanently." Mr. Petrillo had ended a conciliation meeting last Thursday in his New York office by declaring his men would not make transcriptions at "any price" ; that he was not interested in what the transcription industry could give the AFM ; that its entire gross is "peanuts to the Federation" ; that the "guy really getting rich is the radio station using the transcriptions" ; and that "we've got to go to the source." However, he declared later, after seven transcription companies wired the Labor Department for transfer of the dispute to the WLB, that "we will abide by any Government ruling. If we come under the jurisdiction of the WLB, we will obey the laws. No John L. Lewis stuff here." The WLB Tuesday ordered a hearing in Washington Friday morning to determine whether the dispute is one of labor and therefore under its jurisdiction. Miss Perkins told the WLB she understood that discontinuance of transcription manufacture "had an indirect effect on the enlisted personnel of the armed forces." Roy Rogers' Photo Will Be on 'Life' Cover Republic's Western star, Roy Rogers, will have his photo on Life Magazine's front cover in the July 12th issue, the company has reported. His horse, Trigger, will be included in the photograph. H. Allen Smith will do an article on the actor in the same issue. The company recently released two Rogers specials, "King of the Cowboys" and "Song of Texas," with billboard, radio and newspaper campaigns in conjunction with the two pictures. No Rejections by Censors The Chicago Police Censor Board ordered 11 cuts, but no rejections, in 73 films examined for the month of July. It was the fewest number of films examined so far this year. Goss Promoted to Manager Carl Goss has been promoted from assistant to manager of the Lyric theatre at Rockwood, Tenn. It is operated by the Rockwood Amusement Company. 33 Broadway Has Record Gross On July Fourth Broadway theatre managers described the three-day Fourth of July holiday weekend business as "phenomenal" in their experience. The biggest weekend grosses for the Fourth were reported. Extra shows were added at most Broadway houses to meet the demands of the large crowds, with many theatres opening much earlier than usual and closing later. The record box office grosses in New York and other key cities were attributed to the unprecedented number of out-of-town pleasure seekers and to the fact that more city dwellers stayed at home for the weekend this year in compliance with the Office of Defense Transportation request. At Radio City Music Hall, G. S. Eyssell, managing director, announced that all Fourth of July holiday records in the 10-year history of the theatre were broken. The estimated total attendance for the three-day period ended Monday night was 83,000, with an estimated total attendance of 124,000 since last Thursday. MGM's "The Youngest Profession," feature attraction at the Music Hall, began its third week there on Thursday. The Capitol, with "Stage Door Canteen," United Artists release, in its second week., was forced to close the box office for two hours on Sunday afternoon, according to the management, because of the number of waiting customers. On Monday the attendance ran ahead of Sunday, with capacity seating. The Roxy, where the Twentieth Century-Fox musical, "Coney Island" is the feature, reported an attendance of about 25,000 on Sunday. Approximate 60,000 persons attended the Paramount, showing "Dixie," for the three-day period ended Monday night. The Strand, with "Background to Danger," drew a total of 14,780 customers on Sunday and ran ahead of that figure Monday, according to reports. About 10,200 persons attended the Astor theatre on Monday where MGM's "Best Foot Forward" is playing on a singlefeature policy. The Metro musical began its second week Tuesday. At the Stanley, showing "The Russian Story," Artkino release, it was estimated that 11,900 patrons saw the picture in the three-day period, a house record. Other theatres on and off Broadway enjoyed comparable business. A community program sponsored in Fall Piver Mass., in observance of the Fourth of July hit the local theatres hard, it was learned on Tuesday. Attendance at evening performances Monday was the lowest in years as the public gathered in the center of the city to witness the holiday ceremonies. Professional entertainment, block dancing, a War Bond and Stamp sales rally in the evening and sports events during the day kept hundreds of people away from the theatres, it was said. Paramount announced on Tuesday that "Dixie," the Technicolor musical starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, made box office records in the pre-release engagements in the South over the Fourth of July weekend. The picture showed heavy increases over openings of "Holiday Inn," which was a Labor Day attraction last year. At the Tivoli theatre in Chattanooga, "Dixie" was 67 per cent better than "Holiday Inn" and 50 per cent over "Road to Morocco." Paramount also announced that "The Major and the Minor" had topped all records for the past two years in Buenos Aires. It was recently held over for a second week at the Rex. Air Field Has Post Theatre A new post theatre has been dedicated at the Billy Mitchell air field near Milwaukee. Films are shown five nights weekly.