Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 24, I 943 Warners Plan Interchange of Promotion Ideas Warner Brothers sales and promotional heads ended a trio of regional staff meetings in New York, Chicago and San Francisco convinced studio departmental executives and exhibitors can mutually profit in the exchange of advertising and promotional ideas. As reported in last week's Motion Picture Herald, Warners will produce 12 two-reel featurettes, but unannounced at that time was the company's decision to make six of these shorts Westerns in response to exhibitor demand. The Westerns will be produced at the Burbank studios, it was announced this week by Norman H. Moray, short subject sales manager. At San Francisco, Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager, said that the particular duty of the field staff during the present manpower and transportation shortage and changing conditions, is to keep in close touch with all exhibitor customers, especially those in isolated situations, and do everything possible to assist those adversely affected by wartime conditions. Also to come out of the regional meetings were some of the details of the survey made by Warners resulting in distribution-exhibition data for use as a yardstick in determining general sales policies and the improvement of exhibitor relations. The survey's main emphasis was in its effort to prove that extended runs were profitable to the exhibitor as well as to the distributor, and to what the survey refers to as the advantages of percentage deals. As to the former, experiments were conducted in Warner circuit houses "of all types and under all conditions of operation, from the biggest key cities to the small towns." The experiment, according to the Warner statement, covered more than 500 houses in every kind of situation, including those affected by wartime conditions, with the result that a comprehensive list of case histories was compiled. The results, they say, show that while in many cases the drawing power of the picture itself made a longer run possible, this could not have been accomplished without word-ofmouth advertising, which can only develop and gain ground through extended runs. Also, (a) strong pre-selling campaign by distributor, (b) more intensive advertising of the engagement, (c) closer cooperation between the distributor and the exhibitor in promoting all angles of the picture's appeal to attract the widest possible audience, all combined with the word-of-mouth advertising that followed, to make profitable extended engagements. As to percentage deals, the Warner statement on the survey is to the effect that research revealed that many exhibitors playing pictures under flat rental put no individual showmanship effort behind their bookings, and as a consequence the pictures seldom draw better than 40 or 50 per cent of potential business. More Than 2,000 Names On MGM Honor Roll A new honor roll has been placed in the lobby of the Loew Building in New York. It contains 2,204 names of former MGM and Station WHN employees now serving with the armed forces. Many parents and friends of those whose names are posted already have visited the lobby, it was said. Promote Stewart to Captain James Stewart has been promoted to captain in the Army Air Forces. He is stationed at Gowcn Field, Boise, Idaho, and was a squadron Operations officer before his advancement. WARNERS SET 50-50 DEAL ON "ARMY" Selling terms for Warner Brothers' screen version of Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army" call for a straight 50-50 split between the exhibitor and the distributor, with the latter's proceeds going to the Army Emergency Relief, the company announced this week. Other contract terms provide that double-featuring, previews and free lists are taboo; extended playing time is called for. On the special advanced-priced premieres, the exhibitor's share is to be 30 per cent, it was said, except where the theatre can be prevailed upon to give more or all to the Army Relief Fund. Promotional plans for "This Is the Army" include a large radio campaign promoting the picture on 28 leading network serials. Harmon Talks at RKO Meeting Despite abandonment of the Motion Picture Bureau of the Office of War Information, "an adequate program" of war information shorts will be forthcoming from the industry and from Government agencies, Francis S. Harmon, vicechairman of the War Activities Committee, told delegates at the concluding session of the RKO Radio annual sales convention at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York last Wednesday. Mr. Harmon stressed the important contribution of the industry to the Government's war film program and said that an extension of this policy and program would provide adequate subjects in the months to come. At the final session, S. Barret McCormick, director of advertising and publicity for RKO, pledged that the company's top pictures for 1943-44 would be given national advance preselling campaigns on a greater scale than ever before. "We will back every big picture with a pointof-sale exploitation campaign spearheaded direct to the individual box office," he said, and added that the company planned to make extensive use of radio during the year in addition to increased newspaper coverage. Mr. McCormick recalled the successful radio campaign RKO launched this season for "Hitler's Children," and announced that "Behind the Rising Sun," which will have its world premiere in the New England territory on August 3rd, will be given similar promotional treatment. The convention ended last Wednesday with a buffet supper and reception at which the 300 delegates were the guests of National Screen Service. Winners of the 1943 Ned Depinet sales drive were announced. It was said that this year's sales drive was the most successful in the company's history. Plan Columbus Drive-In The Dayton Drive-In-Theatre, Inc., has leased a 40-acre tract of land with approximately 800-foot frontage in Columbus, O., in anticipation of the day building restrictions and gas rationing are lifted, at which time the company plans to erect a drive-in theatre. According to Herbert J. Ochs, managing director of the company, the total investment planned will come to about $100,000. Currently, one drivein theatre operates in Columbus, the Riverside. Republic Sales Executives Get More Latitude Republic Pictures' regional sales meetings moved to Chicago July 16th and 17th and delegates heard J. R. Grainger, president, say that in order to be fair with exhibitors who are adversely affected by population shifts as well as to obtain the maximum benefit of increased grosses in other situations, the five new Republic district managers have been given the greatest latitude in determining contracts. Said Mr. Grainger : "It is the purpose of their appointment to expedite approvals and to eliminate any chance of argument." The third and final sales conference was held at the studio in Hollywood Thursday and this Friday, with promotional plans for Roy Rogers highlighting discussions. Twenty-four sheets, radio spot announcements and concentrated publicity have combined to promote the Western star in more than 135 theatres during July and the first run engagement of the recent Roy Rogers release, "Song of Texas," at the Oriental theatre in Chicago. The cowboy star made a personal appearance in conjunction with the opening of the campaign in Chicago, which is to be carried on at the Wisconsin theatre, Milwaukee. Also being discussed at the studio conference are promotional plans involving exhibitor cooperative advertising, radio spot announcements, and twenty-four sheet posting, as well as a Republic radio program announced recently. Prior to the opening session in Chicago, the delegates there attended the opening performance of Roy Rogers' personal appearance in connection with the first run of his latest release, "Silver Spurs." Announcement was made that the Strand theatre in Brooklyn, N. Y., had booked "Silver Spurs" for a future showing, and also that Republic's "Someone to Remember" broke house records at the Valencia theatre in Baltimore, since the reopening of the house six months ago. Among those present for the coast meeting were : Charles Reed Jones, who was present at the Chicago meeting and plans to remain on the coast for an additional two weeks before returning to New York; J. T. Sheffield, franchise holder of the Northwest territory ; branch managers F. M. Higgins of Seattle, J. H. Sheffield of Portland, Gene Cerbase of Denver, H. C. Fuller of Salt Lake City, John Frey of Los Angeles, and Sid Weisbaum of San Francisco. William Saal and Mr. Jones are representing the home office at the meetings. Film Classics Gets Rights To Seven Selznick Films Film Classics this week announced that the company had acquired distribution rights for seven David O. Selznick reissues, negotiating the transaction with Lieutenant Colonel John Hay Whitney, Jr. Among the films are "A Star Is Born," "Little Lord Fauntleroy," "The Young in Heart," "Made for Each Other," "Becky Sharp" and "Dancing Pirate." The company will hold a combined showing of two Hitchcock films, "The Lady Vanishes" and "The Girl Was Young" at the Little Carnegie theatre in New York on July 24th. They previously had been withdrawn from the schedule. Fire Causes $40,000 Damage Stearns Gordon, operator of the Myrtle theatre in Myrtle Creek, Ore. estimated damage by fire to his theatre on July 9th, at approximately $40,000. A total loss, it is believed the theatre will not be rebuilt.