Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

INDUSTRY MOBILIZES FOR 6TH {Continued from page 14) sale figures largely because it is being held nationally on the third anniversary of the Japanese sneak attack upon Pearl Harbor, December 7. Advance Free Movie Day publicity and exploitation will revolve around this fact, offering the public the opportunity of striking back at the Pacific enemy with the purchase Of Bonds. In the Fifth War Loan 16mm films carrying Bond messages were shown to some 10,000,000 employed in war industries, plants and offices. Ted Gamble, who heads the War Finance division of the U. S. Treasury, has asked the 16mm film industry to expand distribution of their films in an effort to reach 25,000,000. Eleven special War Bond films have been prepared in 16mm, five by the U. S. Navy and six by the War Department. Navy Subjects Feature Pleas by Admirals The Navy's offerings are short subjects ranging in running time from 10 to 21 minutes. Bond-buying appeals are made by high ranking Naval officials, including Admirals King. Nimitz, Halsey and Mitscher. Hollywood stars Barbara Britton, James Craige and Walter Abel play in one Navy short. The War Department's films are two and one-half minute trailers packed with grim footage from the front lines. As in former drives WAC headquarters in New York has prepared a press book to guide exhibitors. The book was mailed to exhibitors this Friday. Exhibitors are offered suggestions for the drive. The Round Table department in this issue of Motion Picture Herald gives the list in detail. For the first time in any War Loan drive. National Screen Service exchanges throughout the country will make available to participating exhibitors three posters exploiting the three major "musts," free of charge. They cover the Bond Premieres, Junior Premieres and Free Movie Day. Regional Meetings to Cover 19 Key Cities Following the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland meetings last week, Mr. Brandt led his committee into Salt Lake City on Thursday, for the fourth of the 19 regional gatherings. A caravan of automobiles filled with scores of prominent exhibitors of the territory, met the committee members 20 miles outside of Salt Lake City, escorted them into town and through the 'downtown section in a parade headed by a brass band, and huge banners and posters heralding the forthcoming drive. The meeting was held in the Utah hotel and was attended by exhibitors from Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Colorado, who were welcomed by Mayor Earl J. Glade and the Governor of Utah, Herbert B. Maw. While Mr. Brandt's group held the Salt Lake City meeting another group, headed by William F. Crockett, national vice-chairman, met with more than 200 exhibitors and distributors of Washington, Idaho and Alaska in the Spanish ballroom of the Olympic hotel in Seattle. The delegates were welcomed by Seattle's Mayor W. F. Devin, who spoke in high praise of the theatres' contribution to past drives. Following the far-western meetings '■'"e two Exhibitor Chairmen Again Head State War Loan Activities As in the past War Loans, State Exhibitor chairmen have been named to organize and head the state campaigns for the Sixth War Loan. The chairmen of each state is: Alabama, R. M. Kennedy Arizona, Harry Nace Arkansas, Claude Mundo California I Southern I , Gus Metzger California f Northern), Rotus Harvey Colorado, Mark Ailing, R. J. Garland Connecticut, Harry Shaw Delaware, A. J. Defiore Florida, J. L. Cartwright Georgia, J. H. Thompson Idaho, Walter E. Casey, Al Hager Illinois, Ed Zorn, Ed Silverman Indiana, Don Rossiter Iowa, A. H. Blank Kansas, Howard Jameyson Kentucky, Lew Hensler Louisiana, E. V. Richards Maine, Connie Russell Maryland, Frank Durkee Massachusetts, Sam Pi nanski Michigan, Ray Branch Minnesota, Henry Greene, Harold Kaplan Mississippi, Burgess Waltman, Arthur Lehmann Missouri I Eastern I , Rex Barrett, Marty Burnett Missouri IWesternl , Elmer Rhoden Montana, J. A. English Nebraska, William Miskell, Sam Epstein Nevada, N. Dew Thomp groups joined for meetings in Omaha, Friday, and Kansas City, Saturday. More than 300 members of the industry were on hand for the Kansas City meeting at the Muehlebach hotel. Monday of next week the national committee will meet with exhibitors and distributors at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago, Tuesday at the Statler Hotel in Cleveland. Wednesday, Mr. Crockett will take his group to Detroit for a meeting at the Book Cadillac Hotel, and will continue on to Buffalo for a meeting there on Thursday, at the Statler Hotel. Mr. Brandt will lead his group south to Louisville for a meeting at the Kentucky Hotel on Thursday, and Friday they will be in Pittsburgh, for a meeting at the William Penn Hotel. Monday, November 6, Mr. Crockett and his group will be in Charlotte to assemble with exhibitors and distributors at the Charlotte Hotel. The following Thursday Mr. Brandt and his group will hold a meeting at the Bond Hotel, Hartford, and Friday at the Statler Hotel, Boston. From Boston Mr. Brandt will lead committee members to Philadelphia for a meeting at the Warwick Hotel Monday, November 13. The two groups will join again at Baltimore the following day for a Tuesday meeting at the Belvedere Hotel. On the Friday preceding the opening of the drive the national committee will hold a grand windup meeting at the Hotel Astor in New York. New Hampshire, Ed Fahey New Jersey (Northernl, Harry Lowenstein, Fronfc Damis New Jersey ISouthernl, I. Epstein New Mexico, George Tucker New York, Malcolm Kingsberg New York I Upstate), C. J. Latta North Carolina, George T. Carpenter North Dakota, Mike Cooper, Ed Krauss Ohio, Charles Raymond Oklahoma, Ralph Talbot Oregon, O. J. Miller Pennsylvania lEast ernl, Ben Foster Pennsylvania IWesternl, M. A. Silver Rhode Island, Martin Toohey South Carolina, Warren Irwin South Dakota, Fred Larkin Tennessee I Eastern I, E. W. Street Tennessee (Western/, Kermit Stengal Texas, John Q. Adams Utah, Hall Baetz Vermont, Frank Venett Virginia, Morton G. Thalheimer Washington, D. C, Al Lichtman Washington, Frank Newman, Sr. West Virginia, Sol Hy man Wisconsin, Harold Fitzgerald Wyoming, Thomas Knight Besides Mr. Brandt and Mr. Crockett and local luminaries, the principal speakers at the various meeting are Mr. Depinet, state exhibitor chairman; John Hertz, Jr., national publicity head, and three war veterans, Captain Raymond W. Wild, Lieut. Colonel Roswell P. Rosengren and 2nd Lieutenant Lewis R. Largey. Mr. Depinet explained to the exhibitors and distributors that the U. S. Treasury fully realized the value of theatres as issuing agents, principally because Bonds could be bought there any time during the day, the evening, Sundays and holidays. He emphasized the scheduling of Bond Premieres, saying that the Fifth War Loan showed a record in Premieres with 5,085. He said that an effort would be made to schedule 7,500 premieres for the Sixth War Loan drive. Plans Are Outlined for ^ Publicizing Bond Drive Mr. Hertz outlined plans for publicizing the drive, stating that for the first time separate posters would be available for theatre display, exclusive material for Premieres. In order to give proper credit for Bonds sold during the drive by approximately 25,000 issumg agents and thousands of plants now using the payroll deduction system, credit for the drive will include Bond sales reported to the Federal Reserve Bank from November 1 to December 31, the Treasury Department has announced. jjini isi ]ct .CC( ion ity; Ik iioir 2. iter hbie i/isio Tiiiedi Th d ifrow [ ipecti liuenc '. sper: !)ecte || ion ol Kk i it love Olltigi Isfol 1, iels( ;C, 2, lelso *c, 3. ; itis or ior 5. I 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 4, 1944 piio^