Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

FIRST WEEK SALES SOAR AS INDUSTRY OPENS BOND DRIVE Opening Rally in New York I Nets $85,000,000; No Industry to War The Sixth War Loan drive is on. The moion picture industry intends to put it over the ■op. At its opening rally, in Aladison Square Garlen. New York, Monday night the film indusry sold $85,000,000 in War Bonds. The inlustry has no quota. Its theatre owners have unlisted in the current campaign under the legis of independent theatre men, and may sell I majority of the $14,000,000,000 of Bonds isked by the Treasury this time. Opening the national campaign. President Roosevelt warned that "while we have every reason to be proud of what has been done — even optimistic about the ultimate outcome — "vve have no reason to be complacent about the tough road which lies ahead." His warning came as Allied troops engaged iin an all-out offensive along the Rhine, one which Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., said is the "final push" and "demands a concentration of efforts immeasurably greater than any we have brought to bear." 20,000 Attend New York Bond Drive Show The film industry's show in New York Monday night was termed probably the greatest which ever performed for radio as well as a personal audience, which in this instance comprised more than 20,000 persons. Among those of every branch of the show business who gave their services were Lowell Thomas, Gabriel Heatter, Milton Berle, Burns and Allen, Elsa Maxwell, Senator Ford, Harry Hershfield, Joe Laurie, Jr., Carol Landis, Phyllis Brooks, the Quiz Kids, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Phil Baker, Ted Husing, Clem McCarthy, the NBC Chorus. Senator Joseph Ball, of Minnesota, was a guest on the Quiz Kids program. New York also had a pre-campaign rally' Friday morning, November 17. Leaders of the industry, executives of the War Activities Committee, and war heroes addressed 1,000 of the local industry assembled for breakfast at the Hotel Astor, and the whole gathering at noon assembled before a replica of the Statue of Liberty, erected by the WAC in Times Square, and there took a pledge of cooperation. The statue's torch was lighted at noon by President Roosevelt, pressing a button in Washington. Borough Presidents Among Guests at WAC Rally The breakfast and rally were sponsored by Malcolm Kingsberg, local WAC chief. Borough Presidents Edgar J. Nathan, John Cashmore, James A. Lyons, James A. Burke, Joseph A. Palma, and Commissioners Lewis J. Valentine, Patrick J. Walsh, Paul Moss and William Wilson, Admiral Monroe Kelly, U.S.N., and state director Frederick Gehle of the War Finance Committee of the Treasury Department were among those present. Speakers were Mr. Kingsberg, Mr. Gehle, Gault MacGowan, New York Sun war correspondent; Harry Brandt, national chairman; Ned Depinet, Francis Harmon, William Crockett, S. H. Fabian, John Hertz, Jr., Nathan Yamins, and Captain Raymond Wild, Lt. Col. Roswell Rosengren, war heroes. Also on the dais were Jack Cohn, Max Cohen, William E. Cotter, Frank Damis, Jay Emanuel, G. S. Eyssell, Leonard Goldenson, Will H. Hays, Harry Lowenstein, Charles C. Moskowitz, Lucy Monroe, John J. O'Connor, Herman Robbins, Spyros Skouras, George J. Schaefer, James Sauter, Walter Titus, Major L. E. Thompson, Richard Walsh, David Weinstock. At the ceremonies in Times Square, Manhattan Borough President Edgar Nathan accepted the statue for the city and the Treasury. Motorized Convoy Used in New York Demonstration Participating in the demonstration was a "Salute to the Navy" motorized convoy of six units which immediately after the ceremonies departed for rallies in the five boroughs and Westchester County. Each convoy included a band, sailors, WAVES, Coast Guardsmen and heroes. The ceremonies were broadcast over WMCA, with Lucy Monroe and the Coast Guard Quartette singing the National Anthem. The first entertainment program at the foot of the statue included Tony Pastor and his band, Hal LeRoy, Marion Hutton, Bert Wheeler, Martha Scott, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Celeste Holm, Dennis King, Hazel Scott, Michael Whalen and George Givot. Loew's, Inc., has purchased $10,000,000 of Bonds for the Sixth War Loan, David Bernstein, treasurer, announced this week. This sum is apart from purchases by executives and employees, and from those in the theatres of the company. National Theatres and associated companies have bought $7,000,000 of Bonds in the current drive, Neil Agnew, in charge of industry sales for the film campaign, said last week. He added Charles Skouras, president of the circuit, assured him the purchase was just "the opening shot." Hollywood Stars on TowTo Aid Bond Sales Stars "hand picked because of previous war work" left Hollywood last week to participate in the drive. They have assignments in several states. Among them are Ingrid Bergman, Paul Lukas, Alexander Knox, Linda Darnell, George Murphy, Franchot Tone and Janet Blair. In most states they will become honorary chairmen and will sell Bonds, with headquarters at local WAC offices. Their assignments are : Ingrid Bergman, Minnesota ; Alexander Knox and Linda Darnell, Pennsylvania ; George Murphy, Massachusetts ; Janet Blair, South Carolina and Georgia; Franchot Tone, New York, and Paul Lukas, Ohio. The industry's first award for active participation in the current drive, the Medal of Honor, was presented by Mr. Brandt last week to Pete Magazzu, of eastern Pennsylvania. The presentation was made in New York. Mr. Magazzu operates 11 theatres in as many coal mining towns. In the last drive, he was responsible for selling $240,000 worth of "E" Bonds, although the biggest weekly gross of any of his theatres is not more than $400. Transfer of the traditional Army-Navy football game from Annapolis to Baltimore, this week, gave Frank Durkee, WAC Maryland chairman, a job of selling Bonds. He had assured Senator Radcliffe, in the latter's efforts to have the game transferred, that theatre men would be able to sell $21,000,000 in War Bonds if the game was played in the Baltimore Stadium. Mr. Durkee, as president of the city's Park Board, has charge of renting the stadium. The $21,000,000 will represent approximately 10 per cent of the state's current Bond quota. 16mm Distributors Organized for Drive Mobilization for the first time of all units and factors of the National 16mm distribution field into a small-screen version of the 35mm War Activities Committee has ben accomplished for the Sixth War Loan. A total of 325 representative 16mm exchange men will make available 25,000 projectors for the showing of 12 films produced by Army, Navy and Coast Guard exclusively for the Sixth War Loan, it was announced by Ted R. Gamble, national director of the War Finance Division, Treasury Department. "The industry aims at an audience of 25 million," he said. A leading 16mm distributor in each state has been appointed as state 16mm chairman and is a member of the state War Finance Committee. He works directly with each distributor and coordinates the exhibition and use of all prints allocated to a state. Holiday Bonus Announced For Loew's Employees A holiday bonus for some 4,500 employees of Loew's, Inc., in Loew-MGM home offices, branch offices, theatres and WHN radio station, was announced this week by Nicholas M. Schenck, president. The bonus is the same as last year. Employees whose salaries are up to $40 per week, and who have been in the company's employ one year or more, will receive two weeks' pay, not to exceed $50. Employees getting up to $40 per week and with the company six months, but less than a year, will receive one week's salary, but not to exceed $25. The bonus announcement was made early this year so that employees wishing to make extra Bond purchases in the Sixth War Loan might plan accordingly. Cartoon Television Is Discussed by Terry The Atlantic Coast Section of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers heard Paul Terry, producer of Terry-Toons, discussed the part the animated cartoon is expected to play in the development of television, at a meeting November 15 at the Hotel Pennsylvania, New York. Mr. Terry said that since the first screen cartoon, the industry had grown to a point where 20,000,000 comic books were sold monthly, that today they had the greatest influence on the development of children, and would play a similar role in the introduction of television to the youth of the land. Postpone Hochstein Trial The trial of Harry Hochstein, former Chicago morals inspector, and the sentencing of Isadore Nevin, former bookkeeper for George E. Browne, ex-president of lATSE, both of whom were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for alleged perjury in the Bioff-Browne proceedings, this week, were set for December 18 by New York Federal Judge Vincent L. Leibell. MOTION PICTURE HERALD. NOVEMBER 25, 1944 25