Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

i HOWMEN MAP BOND TACTICS N TWO MAJOR MEETINGS eaders of Drive Convene Staffs in Chicago and Denver; Plan Others Showmen of the midwest, the southwest and ; west, from theatre, exchange, home office d studio, convened Monday in two large con..ves, one in Chicago, the other in Denver and discussed in detail what they could and juld do to put over the nation's most imports and the film industry's hardest, War Bond ive, the "Showmen's Seventh," May 14 rough June 30. The meetings Monday were part of the plan rally forehandedly the nation's showmen in gional gatherings ; to arm them with informam necessary and possible to obtain only in rsonal contacts, and to give them plans deloped by discussion. The meetings followed e initial showmen's regional meeting in New ork April 10, where men of the industry from 1 states and the District of Columbia spent e whole day in polishing their district cam.igns. The national committee, headed by Samuel inaHski, met with the midwest showmen at the lackstone Hotel, Chicago. Other high camign officials met with the western and southestern men at Denver. The Chicago meeting 50 was addressed by Ted Gamble, chairman the Treasury's War Finance Division. istributors to Seek 25% icrease in Premieres Distributors during the drive would seek a i per cent increase in the number of Bond id Children's premieres, and Free Movie ays, Tom Connors, chairman of the distriburs' division, told the Chicago meeting. In the Sixth War Loan, he reminded the oup, there were 4,575 Bond Premieres, 1,000 hildren's Premieres, and 9,700 Free Movie ays. In outlining the distribution division's plans r the campaign, a plan which he compared exhibitor regional organization, Mr. Con>rs thanked his co-workers for previous sucssful aid to the Red Cross and March of imes drives. He asked for a report by disibutor local chairmen by April 28 on the num:r of theatres pledged, and urged that each lesman be made responsible for the contact id pledging of a certain number of theatres. E" Bond Sales Are Most nportant, Says Pinanski "The little 'E' Bond is important. Go after ie little purchaser. Sell as many 'E' Bonds as m can. That is our duty and our job," Mr. inanski, who opened the meeting, said. The eventh War Loan, he added, "would only be i big as the workers in the field make it." The campaign's $4,000,000,000, the largest ne of those set in the drives, was the reason ie film industry's participation was so vital, tr. Gamble stressed. He added that the high Dal was established because the Treasury lanned only two drives this year. "Every showmanship device will be included i the campaign prepared by the national pubcity, advertising and exploitation committee," ohn Hertz, Jr., national publicity director, lid. He outlined the plans in detail. The Chicago meeting was attended by state ARRIVAL AT DENVER, for the Seventh War Loan regional rally at the Brown Palace Hotel: campaign executives at the station. Left to right, foreground, Bernie Hynes, of the Denver welcoming committee; Bill Srere, southern California exhibitor co-chairman; Charles Skouras, honorary national chairman; and Dave Bershon, southern California. In the background are Frank Ricketson, Colorado exhibitor chairman; and George Bowser, southern California exhibitor co-chairman. publicity, exhibitor and distributor chairmen from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. Among members of the national committee who attended were Francis Harmon, WAC executive vice-chairman, and others. Dave Wallerstein, midwest coordinator, and Walter Immerman, upstate Illinois exhibitor state chairman, supervised arrangements for the exhibitor conference. Western Divisional Drive Goal Is $1,000,000,000 The western showmen were told at the Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, that their regional division comprising 11 states would have a goal of $1,000,000,000 in the drive. The announcement was made by Charles Skouras, area chairman. The area contains 4,500 theatres, about onefourth the nation's houses. Of this number, Mr. Skouras said, 2,243 already were pledged to hold Bond and Children's Premieres, and Free Movie Days, and were Bond issuing agents. "This is the most important Bond campaign the country shall have had thus far, and we must leave nothing undone to assure its success," Mr. Skouras said. He emphasized the necessity of complete cooperation in the effort. The meeting was opened by Frank H. Ricketson, Colorado exhibitor chairman, who said that the film industry had throughout the war done one of the finest jobs of support, and that "its work in this respect has brought upon it the admiration of the entire country, for which, in large measure, the War Activities Committee is to be commended." Other speakers at the Denver meeting were Dave Bershon, Bond chairman for southern California; William Spere, southern California co-chairman ; Herman Wobber, western regional distributor chairman; Mort Goodman, western publicity chairman, and Sam Shain, intra industry chairman, who outlined publicity plans as prepared by Mr. Hertz, national publicity chairman. Those in attendance at the two meetings were as follows : Chicago — C. B. Akers, John Balaban, Ray Beall, Ed C. Beatty, Bill Bishop, A. H. Blank, Ben Blotcky, Ray Branch, Robert Buseh, Harry A. Cole, M. D. Cohn, M. Cooper, James E. Coston, W. Guy Craig, Charles Deardourff, Fred J. Dolle, Ted Emerson, Sam Epstein, Harold Fitzgerald, Russell Fraser. Also: John Friedl, William Geehan, Joe Gins, Alice Gorham, Lew Hensler, Karl Hoblitzelle, Walter Hoffman, Cecil House, Earl Hudson, Walter Immerman, Howard Jameyson, Bob Kelly, LeRoy Kendis, Jack Kennedy, Sam B. Kirby, Jack Kirsch, Clifford Knoll, Joe Krenitz, Edward L. Kuykendall, Senn Lawlor, Ralph Lawler. Also: M. A. Lightman, Phil Longdon, Byron McElligott, D. V. McLucas, B. J. McCarthy, Marie Meyer, William Miskell, Alan Moritz, Claude C. Mundo, R. J. O'Donnell, M. W. Osborne, M. L. Plessner, M. J. Pruniski, Norman Pyle, Elmer Rhoden, J. J. Rubens, Arthur Schoenstadt, James F. Sharkey, Edwin Silverman. Also: Carl Shalit, Martin G. Smith, Boyd Sparrow, W. A. Steffes, Larry Stein, Albert Stetson, J. Harold Stevens, Tony Sudekum, Martin Thomas, T. R. Thompson, William E. Truog, Allen Usher, Burgess Waltman, J. E. Watson, Fred Wehrenberg, Maurice White, Charles Winchell, Harold Wirthwein, Leo F. Wolcott, Marc J. Wolf, Pete J. Wood, Tom Young, Ed Zorn. Denver — George Mann, J. P. Jacobs, Ray Cooper, Fay Reeder, Charles P. Skouras, Herb Mclntyre, Sherrill Corwin, R. H. Poole, George Bowser, Gus Metzger. Seymour Peiser, Harry Nace, Arthur G. Pickett, Rick Ricketson, Ted Halmi, Arthur Abeles, Nevin McCord, Walter Lee Casey, J. A. English, Helena; Jack Edwards, Homer Leballister, Harry Hunsaker, George Tucker, J. Miller, Jack Matlack, Mark Corey, Tracy Barham, Miss Helen Garrity, Charles Walker, Frank Newman, V. C. Gauntlett, Maurice Saffe, T. E. Knight, G. H. Turner. Additional exhibitor state chairmen announced this week are H. V. Harvey, San Francisco, co-chairman for northern California; Morris Finkel, Pittsburgh, co-chairman for western Pennsylvania ; M. J. Pruniski, Little Rock, co-chairman for Arkansas. George Fishman, Philadelphia, is co-chairman of publicity for eastern Pennsylvania. Gus Metzger is exhibitor chairman in southern California. Joyce Joins Cowan The appointment of Fred Joyce as midwest exploitation representative of Lester Cowan Productions, was announced Tuesday by George J. Schaefer, chairman of the board. Mr. Joyce, who was associated previously with United Artists and David O. Selznick, will work out of Chicago under the direction of Albert Margolies, the company's eastern director of publicity and advertising. 10TION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 21, 1945 27