Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

Brandt Reports Sixth War Loan Industry Effort PRESENT HISTORIC DOCUMENT Presentation of one of the 14 original copies of the Bill of Rights embossed in September, 1789, by order of the first Congress of the United States, is made by Barney Balaban, left, president of Paramount Pictures, to the Library of Congress in Washington. The ceremonies were held last Wednesday at the Library, with Archibald MacLeish, center. Assistant Secretary of State, former Librarian of Congress, and Byron Price, right, director of the Office of Censorship, participating. The document was purchased for the Library and for the American people by Mr. Balaban as a token of gratitude for the freedom which his Russianborn parents found as immigrants to this country many years ago. The Biff of Rights will be placed next to the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution. A report of industry participation in the Sixth War Loan drive, published in a 27-page booklet, was released this week in New York by Harry Brandt, national chairman of the campaign. Summarizing exhibitor and distributor effort in the Sixth War Loan, Mr. Brandt said : "Every one connected with the industry did a fine, patriotic, commendable job for which not only the national chairman but our entire committee is most appreciative." He recalled that the Treasury Department had said that "although the motion picture industry represents less than 10 per cent of the sales outlets, it is responsible for 20 per cent of the sales of E Bonds." The total Bond sales for the country were $21,000,000,000. 16,200 Houses Participated Of the 16,681 theatres operating in the U. S., 16,200 pledged participation in the drive and carried through their pledges, the report indicated. The total included film houses in Alaska and Hawaii as well as theatres, operating only part of the week or year. For the drive, the committee printed 25,000 copies of the press book, with approximately 19,000 mailed to exhibitors and various committees throughout the country. Ten posters were distributed to the theatres, two of which were 40x60's and eight were out-sheets. Two trailers with 12, 000 prints for each were used, compared to 15,000 prints ordered for each of the trailers in the Fifth War Loan. The decrease in prints and trailers was due to the raw stock situation, Mr. Brandt pointed out. In all 23 pages of trade paper advertising were placed, 16 pages of which were paid for by the distributors and seven donated by the trade press. Details on the utilization of radio, Bond premieres, Free Movie Days, Bond rallies, luncheons, fan magazines, newsreel bulletins, national tieups, Hollywood programs and other special exploitation aids for the Sixth War Loan were included in the report. Attention was given to the role of the trade press during the campaign and special mention accorded Herb Berg of United Artists, who handled trade press publicity for the drive. Five Per Cent Under Budget In a report of receipts and disbursements, Mr. Brandt directed attention to the fact that the Sixth War Loan "availed itself of less than 95 per cent of the allotted budget, a record to which, we feel, we can point with pardonable pride." The budget included $100,000 granted by War Activities Committee for the drive plus $17,483.10 of estimated credit on kit sales and other collections. A total of $32,508.13 was spent for advertising, printing and publicity ; $28,123.25 for travel and hotel expenses; $10,449.55 for the Madison Square 1 Garden rally in New York ; $3,000 contributed to the cost of the Statute of Liberty in Times Square, erected for the Sixth War Loan; $7,488.03 for office payroll; $5,659.49 for recording; $5,154.90 for miscellaneous expenses including rent, postage, telephone and telegrams ; and $18,500 for estimated costs yet to be paid. Estimated unexpended funds returned to War Activities Committee amounted to $6,609.75. Hagen on Warner Tour; To Install New Supervisor R. P. Hagen, manager of Warner Bros, film checking service, left last weekend for a two-week tour of midwest branches, including Memphis, where he was to install a new field supervisor, W. C. Lester, for the Memphis and New Orleans territories. Mr. Lester succeeds B. T. Burnside. who joins the Warner sales staff. H. E. Shepherd also has been added to the staff as assistant field supervisor for the Memphis-New Orleans area. Other cities that were to be visited by Mr. Hagen for conferences with supervisors include Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. IATSE Laboratory Workers Ask 5% as Benefit Fund Proposals of IATSE Motion Picture Laboratory Technicians Local No. 702 for a new contract for some 1,800 laboratory workers in about 20 film processing companies in the New York area, are being discussed with representatives of the laboratories by the union's negotiating committee. The union demands include a provision that the companies set aside a sum equivalent to five per cent of their weekly payrolls to provide retirement benefits and other benefits for the workers. Contracts between Local 702 and the laboratories expire March 10. Negotiations for a new contract started in New York February 15. Gamble and WAC Leaders Meet on War Loan Officials of War Activities Committee were to meet with Theodore R. Gamble, director of the Treasury's War Finance Division, Friday, March 2, in Washington, to discuss plans for the industry's participation in the Seventh War Loan campaign in May and June. The group is the first of general industry committees to be called into conference. Its meeting will follow a conference March 1 of state chairmen who will be advised of the dates of the drive and the amount to be raised. Mullen To Head Seventh War Loan in Massachusetts Samuel Pinanski, national chairman for the industry's Seventh War Loan drive, announced this week in New York the appointment of Martin J. Mullin as state chairman for the industry in Massachusetts. Mr. Mullin will fill this post in addition to that of chairman of the New England theatre division of the War Activities Commitee. Mr. Mullin and Mr. Pinanski head the M & P circuit in New England, which is an affiliate of Paramount Pictures, Inc. Frohlich Succeeds Murray Richard F. Frohlich, assistant to the late Robert L. Murray, will carry on the work of the public relations department of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the organization announced in New York Tuesday. ASCAP also announced that Virginia Shea had been named editor of its radio program service. Jap Prison Raids Free Film Men The reconquest of the Philippines by United States troops has resulted in the freeing of many representatives of the industry interned by Japs. Clif Almy, manager for Warner Bros, in the Philippines, and Mrs. Almy were rescued in the raid on the Jap prison camp at Santo Tomas, Manila. The couple, who had been prisoners since early in 1942, were reported in fair condition. Also freed in the same -raid were Larry DePrida, Universal manager in the Philippines, with his wife, child and mother. William S. Berger, pioneer film importer-exporter, who was interned at Los Banos, was another freed. Mr. Berger and a brother conducted Acme Trading Company in New York and Manila, William Berger handling the New York end and his brother in charge in Manila. The latter died shortly before the Jap invasion, and Mr. Berger traveled to Manila to adjust the company's affairs, but was captured. His company once handled RKO and Monogram product, among others, in the Philippines. Also liberated from the Los Banos prison by U. S. paratroopers was Henry Heesch of Rochester, who had been general manager of the Eastman-Kodak Company branch in Manila. Charles H. Core, United Artists manager in the Philippines, and his wife and daughter, also were among those liberated. Arthur Doyle, Far Eastern representative of 20th Century-Fox, who was taken prisoner by the Japs in the Philippines shortly after Pearl Harbor, was among the Americans recently released from Santo Tomas Prison in Manila, according to word received from Washington by his sister, Mrs. Clayton Sheehan. Mr. Doyle, who before the war made his headquarters in Tokyo, was en route to the United States when he was seized by the Japs. Lewis Resigns MGM Post Cliff Lewis has resigned his post in the advertising department of the MGM studio in Hollywood to assume charge of a new department, devoted to motion picture accounts, which will be established by Ruthrauff & Ryan, Inc. His headquarters will be at the agency's Hollywood office. 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 3, 1945