Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

Promotes Bond Premiere for War Workers Var Showmanship Contenders ; showmen listed below gr Effort. Their material Dwmanship Award. B BACHMAN iana, East Chicago, Ind, BERT BEAMER iski, Pulaski, Va. ARLES BOSHART jnga, Tujunga, Calif. FF BOYD idemy of Music •fhampton, Mass. 5EPH BOYLE jdway, Norwich, Conn. \. BRENNAN , Green Bay, Wis. UTRUDE BUNCHEZ itury, Baltimore, Md. CLARKE iestic, Providence, R. I. \YTON CORNELL ind, Amsterdam, N. Y. have contributed and reported on their campaigns to aid the is eligible for consideration by the Judges for the Quigley -War JACK FOXE Loew's, Richmond, Va. F. R. JACKSON St. Mary's, St. Mary's, Pa. E. C. KEENAN Burns, Newport, Vt. SAM KIRBY Malco, North Little Rock, Ark. JOSEPH LONGO Loew's State, Boston, Mass. ABE LUDACER Loew's Park, Cleveland, O. MALCOLM H. MILLAR Prince, Pahokee, Fla. BEN MINDLIN Valley Stream, Valley Stream, L. I. AL PICKUS Stratford, Stratford, Conn. LESTER POLLOCK Loew's, Rochester, N. Y. ROBERT ROSEN Sheridan, New York City JOSEPH SAMARTANO Loew's State, Providence, R. WILLIAM SAXTON Century, Baltimore, Md. CHUCK SHANNON Columbia, Sharon, Pa. MIKE SIEGAL Century, New York City MICHAEL STRANGER Poli, Bridgeport, Conn. GERTRUDE TRACY Loew's Ohio, Cleveland, O. ZOLLIE VOLCHOK Paramount, Portland, Ore. sgel Arranges Bond jction in Brooklyn Century's Patio theatre, in Brooklyn, will d a Bond Auction Night on Saturday, July Items that will be auctioned off will inie an autographed photo of General Eisenrer; Dorothy Lamour's sarong; Jack Demp's autographed boxing gloves ; and numerother valuable items from world celebrities. Tie entire affair will be broadcast from the \t of the Patio theatre over station >TEW, and the auction will be conducted by rtin Block. Century's Mike Siegel, and WNEW's Joe ison conceived and consummated the proton. •y Rogers Film Aids ar Bond Auction i. gala War Bond Auction was held on the je of the Strand theatre in Staunton, Va. •veen showings of Roy Rogers' special, "The vboy and the Senorita." The auction was nsored by the Ruritan Clubs of Augusta inty and the local country agent, and prizes ude a Roy Rogers autographed photo. Ed. cell, manager of the theatre, received exent cooperation from the local press. Trough tie-in with a local furniture store, "-color photographs of Roy Rogers are beused as give-aways to call attention to the ure and the auction. Window cards and jral^ special window displays featuring Roy rers' photographs have also been planted in downtown area. 'hin-Up" Contest jged by King ij( conjunction with its all-out "Fighting h" War Loan Drive, Amarillo, Tex., is ring a "chin-up" girl contest for service 's wives, offering $1,000 in Bonds to those • are doing most for the war effort on the ie front. Jack King, City Manager of Instate Theatres in Amarillo, also reports that ' intend running a bathing beauty contest and an old-fashioned barbecue in conjunction with the Paramount Theatre Bond Premiere July 27, as a grand climax to the campaign. Ties Up with Manpower Commission Russell A. Bovim at Loew's Midland, Kansas City for his date on "Main Street Today" with the cooperation of the War Manpower Commission had a booth erected in his lobby which was manned by that organization at all times during the run of the featurette. The Kansas City Star used front-page stories and the WMC used one-sheet cards. Also recently engaged in by Russ was a Red Cross blood donor drive for which he also erected a booth in his lobby which was manned by four Red Cross girls. In the two weeks that the booth was in operation, Bovim reports getting 1000 donors. As an incentive to bis patrons to purchase War Stamps, Abe Ludacer, Loew's Park, Cleveland, erected a giant map in bis lobby. Purchasers were invited to paste their stamps on the country they wanted blotted out. Entire proceeds went for the recreation and entertainment of patients at the Crile Hospital. Under the supervision of J. Knox Strachan, director of publicity and advertising for Warner's in Cleveland, a war workers' premiere beginning at midnight was held at the Hippodrome theatre to help publicize "Cover Girl." An underline was used in all Cleveland papers four days before the opening, building up to large ads the day before and on opening day. All papers were contacted well in advance with special art layouts and photos and publicity releases. One minute spot announcements were secured over Station WGAR twice daily and running through the entire engagement. Prearranged interviews were set for Anita Colby while visiting town over WGAR and WTAM ; a luncheon was held for fashion editors for three Cleveland papers and a private screening held for newspaper critics, fashion editors, etc. The contest held with the Cleveland Press to discover "Cinderella Cover Girl" started a week in advance and ran through the entire engagement with abundant coverage in the paper. A $100 War Bond went to the winner with the runner up receiving a promoted outfit from B. R. Baker, one of the larger department stores. Harmon Breaks Own Record in Bond Sales Bert Harmon, manager of the Marlboro theatre, Marlboro, Md., didn't wait until the official start of the "Fighting Fifth" campaign to get his Bond sales under way, reports Frank LaFalce, State Publicity Chairman. Harmon set himself a quota of $7,500, double what he sold during the 4th War Loan, and started his canvass of merchants and business houses, with the result that in a few days he had sold $8,825 in Bonds — or $1,125 over his quota. By opening day he had sold $12,225 in Bonds and then set himself a quota of $30,000. Boshart Holds Bond Auction Front page mention in the local dailies was accorded Charles Boshart's Bond auction at the Tujunga theatre, Tujunga, Cal. The theatremen promoted the local merchants for gifts which were used in the auction. Charlie also got front page mention because he uses his theatre's boxoffice window to advertise the benefit and film shows that the various organizations are producing. Jackson's Snow Birds To stimulate the sale of Bonds in his location, F. R. Jackson at the Harris St. Mary's theatre, St. Marys, Pa., placed snow birds on the lawns of homes of every Bond purchaser. Copy on the cards read: "We have bought Fifth War Loan 'Invasion' Bonds." Space was left vacant for the purchasers' names. Gaa Holds Bond Auction Charles Gaa, manager of the Playhouse, Mamaroneck, N. Y., acted as master of ceremonies for his Bond auction held recently at the theatre. Promoted prizes brought spirited bidding and Gaa had girls from the County Trust Company and the Union Savings Bank at typewriters in the foyer issuing Bonds and generally assisting. The corps of Minute Girls picked up the pledges bid for prizes and saw to it that proper slips for the prizes reached the party who did the bidding. PAGERS' ROUND TABLE, JULY 29, 1944 77