Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1944)

When shipments are ready— WE EN air express shipments are allowed to lie around waiting for end-of-the-day pick-up, you're throwing away a chance for earlier delivery. Ship ivhen ready! Call air express the instant the label is on. This saves your shipment from running the gauntlet of end-of-day congestion at the airport, assures earliest possible delivery at destination. Remember: when they're ready — let ,em go! A Money-Saving, High-Speed Wartime Tool For Every Business As a result of increased efficiency developed to meet wartime demands, rates have been reduced. Shippers nationwide are now saving an average of more than 10% on Air Express charges. And Air Express schedules are based on "hours", not days and weeks — with 3-mile-a-minute service direct to hundreds of U.S. cities and scores of foreign countries. WRITE TODAY for "Vision Unlimited" — an informative booklet that will stimulate the thinking of every executive. Dept. PR-6, Railway Express Agency, 230 Park Avenue, New York 17, N. Y., or ask for it at any local office. Gefs Mere F/ggr Phone RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY, AIR EXPRESS DIVISION Representing the AIRLINES of the United States Little Hollywood Talent Available For Bond Tours Hollywood Bureau Heading back to Hollywood to preside at the cross-industry pre-campaign luncheon at the Ambassador Hotel May 26, Robert J. O'Donnell, national chairman of the Fifth War Loan campaign, was to be confronted with probability that plans for Hollywood star participation in Bond selling tours will have to be abandoned due to studio requirements pre-empting players' time. The first intimation of this possibility came when Mr. O'Donnell's preliminary meeting with executives of the Hollywood Victory Committee last month ended inconclusively, with Mr. O'Donnell scheduled to consult War Department officials in Washington. That decision was taken when it became apparent that the War Department's request that visitation of Army and Navy hospitals be given first call on the services of available talent would have to be suspended during the War Loan campaign if enough talent to make a Bond selling tour practicable were to be marshalled. Francis Harmon, vice-chairman of War Activities Committee, conferred with Victory committee executives Wednesday, studying the prospects for the availability of talent in preparation for a report to Mr. O'Donnell on Thursday. It was indicated that the Treasury Department would agree to shorter tours spotted later in the campaign than in the past. The possibility that some films now in work may finish earfier than expected and that others may be delayed was regarded by some as being a good prospect for the star tours. Instead of improving, the situation with regard to talent availability worsened as the production pace rose in intensity to the present week's pitch, with 55 features in shooting stage. Outcome of this increase in production, which studio executives say will continue beyond the period of the drive, is now a scarcity of talent which is considered adequate for satisfactory fulfillment of either the hospital or Bond selling requests. Mr. O'Donnell proposed to the committee in his meeting with executives here that two top-flight stars accompanied by a number of lesser personalities be supplied for each of five Bond selling tours. A checkup of June production schedules showed compliance with that proposal to be impracticable as of then. Continuing checks by studios of their own rosters, and by the HVC of the free-lance players, has revealed that availabilities have decreased in number since the first meeting with Mr. O'Donnell. An explanation of the present production rush varies from studio to studio. The over-all answer given is that production reached a low ebb in March, when inventories were being taken and production plans completed. As a result the cameras are working overtime now to make up for the inactivity. Previous Bond selling tours have required players to be away from their studios for from two to three weeks. In all instances top players have participated. At this time, according to HVC and other executives conducting the pre-June checkup, there is little or no probability that any considerable number of top-ranking personalities can be freed of production commitments to make the tours contemplated. Rhoden, Fox Midwest Head, Recruiting War Workers Elmer C. Rhoden, head of Fox Midwest, has been named chairman of a "Citizens' War Manpower Committee," set up for the purpose of recruiting 30,000 workers for war plant production in the Greater Kansas City area. Mr. Rhoden, who is also chairman of the War Activities Committee in the Kansas City exchange territory, and Senn Lawler of Fox Midwest, have given much time to the establishment of a program for effective operation by the committee, with which many civic agencies are cooperating. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 27, 19*