Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

+■ — A Staff Photos TO LEADERS: John Hertz, Jr., he director of publicity, and Nate umberg, president of Universal Ticres, one of many company presidents the rally. GEORGE J. SCHAEFER, chairman of the WAC Committee, sponsor. TUESDAY: the beginning. In New York, eastern and southern state chairmen discuss the coming "Shmvmen's Seventh" War Loan, May 14 through June 30. Above, Charles Skouras, Samuel Pinanski, drive chairman; Ted Gamble, Treasury; Tom Connors, distributor chairman. FRANCIS S. HARM O N , vice -c hair man of the WAC, who presided. DPEN FIRE FOR "SHOWMEN'S SEVENTH" WAR LOAN DRIVE NEW YORK Tuesday the opening barrage the forthcoming "Showmen's Seventh" War an drive began. Exhibitor, publicist and tributor state chairmen from 19 eastern and ithern states and the District of Columbia re convened in the first rallying of shown, preparatory to marshalling all showmanp forces for the drive in the theatres of : nation, from May ±4 to June 30. [n Chicago, and in Denver next Monday, :re will be similar meetings, at which, restively, the state chairmen from midwestern i western states also will plan, in executive isions, and after open floor discussions. The state chairmen who met in New York the Hotel Astor Tuesday conferred with • national campaign committee, conferred groups as distributors, publicists and exjitors, and held a round table conference, ley heard talks by Samuel Pinanski, national airman; Tom J. Connors, national distribu■ chairman, and John Hertz, Jr., national di:tor of publicity. They also heard, at luncheon, Ted R. Gamnational director of the U. S. Treasury ar Finance division, and others. And they (v the 19-minute campaign short subject, "All ar Bond Rally," which will be shown in all rticipating theatres. amble Stresses Need for nusual Drive Effort Approximately 40,000,000 people must be Id E-Bonds during the Seventh War Loan, it is to reach its quota of $4,000,000,000, Mr. imble said, and warned that failure to sell the 3an thoroughly might cause serious consciences, one of which would be inflation. Great fort was needed, he added, because the Treasy would hold only two Bond campaigns this :ar. "This is the toughest assignment the industry is ever been given," Mr. Pinanski said, in his >ening address. "It is up to the field more an ever before." The group conferences were led by Mr. Pimski, for the exhibitors; Mr. Connors, the stributors, and Mr. Hertz, the publicists. Participating in the luncheon discussion were embers of the Seventh War Loan Advisory ommittee. headed by Leonard Goldenson, aramount theatre executive, who accepted the 3 st last week. Toastmaster at the luncheon was Francis S. Harmon, executive vice-chairman of the War Activities Committee. Chairmen from the following states attended, it was estimated: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Selection of the title, "Showmen's Seventh" was announced late last week by Mr. Hertz, who indicated that this keynote would highlight individual exhibitor activity in the drive. At the Tuesday meeting in New York, emphasis in the discussions was on the role of state chairmen in rallying theatres. The slogan adopted last week in choosing the drive theme wras : "One hundred per cent showmanship equals 99 per cent perspiration and one per cent inspiration." A number of additions have been made to the national campaign committee — additions from the ranks of industry execuives of all categories, and headed by Mr. Gamble. Honorary chairmen are national chairmen of previous War Loan drives, as follows: S. H. Fabian, chairman, Theatres Division, War Activities Committee, who led the Second War Loan; L. C. Griffith, who headed the Third War Loan; Charles P. Skouras, national chairman of the Fourth War Loan ; R. J. O'Donnell, leader of the "Fighting Fifth" War Loan, and Harry Brandt, chairman of the Sixth drive. Honorary distributor chairmen are former national chairmen of the distributors division of War Loan drives. They are: William A. Scully, Second War Loan; William F. Rodgers, Third War Loan, and Ned E. Depinet, who served in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth War Loans. Gradwell L. Sears, national distributor chair, man of the War Activities Committee for 1945, is a member of the national committee. Special consultants who have accepted appointment on the national committee are : Stanton Griffis, commissioner, American National Red Cross, Pacific Ocean Areas ; George J. Schaefer, Francis S. Harmon and Herman Gluckman, War Activities Committee; Richard Walsh, International president, IATSE; Herman Robbins, member of the War Activities Coordinating Committee, and Tom W. Baily, motion picture industry consultant to the Treasury. Austin C. Keough will serve as counsel to the National Committee. Chairmen for industry sales are Neil F. Agnew, in the east, and Henry Ginsberg, of Hollywood, for the west coast. Zigmond Heads National Publicity Committee Membership of the publicity, advertising and exploitation committee was announced last week by Mr. Hertz. Heading the committee is Jerry Zigmond, managing director of the Newman theatre, Kansas City. Other members are William Boley, account executive with Buchanan & Company ; Al Finestone, Paramount publicity department; Bernard Kamber, director of special events, United Artists ; Ernest Moeller, assistant media director, Buchanan's ; Nat Strom, radio department business manager, Buchanan ; Jack Alicoate, publisher of Film Daily; Sam Shain, assistant to Spyros Skouras, president of Twentieth Century-Fox; Walton C. Ament, vice-president of Pathe News ; Alec Moss, Paramount exploitation manager; Sid Mesibov, of that department; Henry Spiegel, Columbia assistant exploitation manager. TWO-REEL SUBJECT SPARKS CAMPAIGN A 19-minute subject, "The All-Star Bond Rally", has been produced expressly for the industry's participation in the Seventh War Loan by Twentieth CenturyFox under the auspices of the Hollywood division of the War Activities Committee. The film, which has a fabulous cast of box office names, is designed not only for the stimulation of Bond sales but for entertainment as well. It also lauds the individual theatre for its various participations in the war effort and directs the patron to buy Bonds in the very theatre in which he is viewing the film. Included in the cast are "Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Harpo Marx, Bob Hope, Harry James and his orchestra, Carmen Miranda, Fibber McGee and Molly and others. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 14, 1945 17