Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

JUDGES NAME THE WINNERS OF QUICLEY AWARDS TO SHOWMEN OF 1944 The winners of the eleventh annual Quigley Awards competition for theatre showmanship conducted by the Managers' Round Table were selected this week by judges expert in the fields of advertising, publicity and showmanship. The 1944 winners are: LIGE BRIEN, the Silver Grand Award, for his exploitation accomplishments as manager of Warners' Enright theatre in Pittsburgh. Mr. Brien also won the Silver Grand Award in 1941 for his efforts in behalf of the same circuit. JAMES KING, the Bronze Grand Award, for showmanship in Boston. "Red" King is publicity director of the RKO theatres in Boston and was a constant contributor of campaigns to the Round Table during the year. JACK MATLACK, the War Showmanship Award for the third year. Mr. Matlack, advertising and publicity director of the J. J. Parker theatres in Portland, Oregon, now has four top Quigley honors, having won the Silver Grand Award last year in addition to the War Showmanship Award. The judging took place Monday in the north ballroom of the Hotel Astor, New York, and was followed by the annual luncheon in the crystal and ivory east ballroom. Attending were approximately 50 industry notables including executives of the publicity and advertising departments of the distributors and the major affiliated independent circuits. G. S. Eyssell, managing director of the Radio City Music Hall, speaking at the luncheon, urged upon exhibitors the importance of keeping faith with the public. He praised the Round Table department of Motion Picture Herald as a forum for ideas and as an institution which "gives a pat on the back" to exhibitors for their showmanship efforts. "The Managers Round Table is not only a clearing house for ideas on exploitation, publicity and promotion and a meeting place for personnel concerned with these things," Mr. Quigley said in his introductory speech, "but it also, in these upset times, provides an invaluable point of contact for men on the battle fronts of the world." Proud of Human Side of Round Table Service Mr. Quigley explained the nature of the Awards, thanked the judges for their interest and attention, and introduced out-of-town guests, including Wing Commander J. W. Davies of the RAF, former London exhibitor, who attended with Irving Lesser ; Louis Schine, George Lynch and Seymour Morris of the Schine circuit, Gloversville ; and Edward M. Fay of Providence, R. I. "In addition to the Round Table's service to the motion picture industry," Mr. Quigley said, "we are proud of its human side. Men in the combat areas who have gone into the armed services from our industry use the department to keep in touch with the home front. LIGE BRIEN, winner of the Silver Grand Award, is manager of Warner's Enrighf theatre in Pittsburgh. He won the Bronze Grand Award in 194? for showmanship af the Belmar theatre, also in Pittsburgh, which he then managed for the same circuit. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 7937 and joined the Warner circuit in that year as assistant manager of the Kenyon theatre. After tours as assistant manager for the circuit's Prince theatre in Ambridge, Pa., and the Belmar in Pittsburgh, he returned to the Kenyon as manager and then was transferred to the Enright. The ingenuity of his exploitations and the industry and attention to detail which his campaigns showed, brought the attention of the judges to his work. JAMES KING, Bronze Grand Award winner. Is familiarly known to all the Boston show world as "Red." He first went to work for the RKO circuit in 1928 as an usher at the Keith Memorial theatre. Later he became an elevator operator at the RKO Boston and then assisted in the presentation of stage shows at that house. With the complete knowledge of theatre operation gained in these years he became assistant to Jack Granara, manager of the Keith Memorial and later succeeded him when he was inducted into the Army. A year ago he became publicity director for the RKO circuit in Boston. The scope available to him in this position made possible the variety and number of campaigns which impressed the judges of the competition The department provides a service for them which ranges from advice on the purchases of gifts to — I hope with proper cautions — the transmission of messages to girl friends. "It is especially gratifying to learn from the letters that, even within earshot of the guns, American showmen are preaching and practicing the gospel of American showmanship. When the men from our industry in the services go on furlough they roll up their sleeves and show the English, or the Indians, or the French, how it is done in America. And while they are on duty they are staging and helping to stage entertainment for their fellow soldiers." Mr. Quigley, introducing Mr. Eyssell, commented that he was the managing director of "the greatest theatre in the world — great not only in size but great in its leadership in de, veloping a type of exploitation which reflects great credit on the amusement industry." Emphasizing the importance of keeping faith with the public, Mr. Eyssell praised the Round Table as a forum of discussion and suggestion providing a valuable interchange of ideas. He urged exhibitors to make full use of the department's facilities, and declared that the industry was indebted to Quigley Publications for the incentive to good showmanship inherent in the annual Quigley Showmanship Awards. "The basic principles of showmanship are the same," Mr. Eyssell said, "whether you are an exhibitor in Vermont, in California, or a 50th Street and Sixth Avenue. The resultj should be the same if the job is done well. "And that is where Mr. Quigley comes inj Under the able administration of Cheste Friedman and Gertrude Merriam, his Motioi Picture Herald conducts a platform wher, showmen can exchange experiences. Th Round Table, too, provides that pat on the bac for exhibitors so necessary for the encourage ment of showmanship effort. "I have been in the field," Mr. Eyssell sai( "and I know how valuable this encouragemei is in promoting a higher type of campaigi, If we are to keep the business on the high lev to which it is entitled we must keep faith wil the public. We must rely on 'planned activit! to keep our course toward integrity in adve tising and publicity. The Managers' Rour Table department and the annual Showmansh Awards definitely serve a most constructs purpose in this direction." An increased sense of responsibility on tl part ot exhibitors toward the business and s< cial life of their community was urged by M Eyssell. "P. T. Barnum has been widely quo ed on suckers, but he was too smart a shov man to have said it. Such a remark cou only be applied to the circus and carnival bus ness. Playing one night stands, and with i responsibility to the community the circus ai pres to MOTION PICTURE HERA! D, MARCH 3, 19