Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

10,000 SHOWMEN HEED CAL TO MEET DIMES DRIVE QUOT/ Chairmen for 48 States and Hawaii Report Record Participation Pledges America's showmen are preparing to meet the challenge of the $5,000,000 goal set by the industry for its 1945 March of Dimes drive, January 25-31. With less than two weeks remaining before the formal opening of the campaign, more than 10,000 pledges of participation were received at national headquarters in New York at the Hotel Astor, coming in atthe rate of 1,000 a day. Nicholas M. Schenck is national chairman. Campaign managers predicted that 14,000 theatres, about 3,000 more than last year, would bring the human appeal of the infantile paralysis victims' needs to their communities. Organization Covers 48 States and Hawaii Industry forces this week assembled throughout the 48 United States and, for the first time in the history of March of Dimes, in Hawaii, too, completing plans for the drive. Distributor and exhibitor meetings are scheduled in all key cities. The appeal trailer, "The Miracle of Hickory," with commentary by Greer Garson, was completed and 14,000 prints of the short were ordered, with hundreds of prints shipped to theatres at the start of this week by National Screen Service. Herman Robbins, in charge of trailer distribution, announced this would give "Dimes" leaders a chance to screen the film for exhibitors and film critics a week before the campaign opens. New York distributors, including exchange managers and salesmen, met with Fred Schwartz and Samuel Rinzler, chairmen, Monday at Warner Bros. They announced that 75 per cent of the 700 theatres in the territory had signed pledges and that 100 per cent enrollment was expected. Reports of pledges from every state in the country flooded headquarters this week, demonstrating the unusual enthusiasm with which exhibitor leaders are rallying theatres in their areas. New England Reports • Record Participaion From Boston, M. J. Mullin, New England chairman, reported that every state in his territory had more theatres enrolled than participated in the entire drive in 1944 and he predicted that the northeast would top its last year's record. According to Joseph R. Vogel, circuit chairman, practically every circuit in the country will participate in the drive. Monday's mail, said Mr. Vogel, brought pledges from the following: Lam Amusement Co., Rome, Ga., 12 theatres; Blumenfeld Theatres, San Francisco, 29; T. & D. Jr. Enterprises, San Francisco, 59; Evergreen, Seattle, 40; Andrew Tegu Theatres, Vermont, 5; Joseph Mathieu Theatres, Mass., 9; Middlesex Amusement Company, Maiden, Mass., 7; Tom Connors, exchange chairman, sent a bulletin over the weekend to all distributor chairmen urging them to start making collections in all 31 exchanges, where National Foundation boxes are being placed. The money Showmen Experts Tell How The\ Promote Theatre Collections To stimulate exhibitors to roll up record collections for the industry's 1945 March of Dinnes drive, January 25-31, national headquarters has assembled in its campaign press book a lesson on "How to Get the Money", as told "by the experts". Pointing out that, although many theatre managers have piled up constantly Increasing totals for the annual Dimes campaign, the press book declared that reports on the past drives show a "wide variance in results. Much of these differences in collections is explained by local conditions, location of theatre, attraction being played during the drive" One hundred per cent of the exhibitors polled urged "audience collections every show, every seat"; 95 per cent urged "plenty of volunteers to speed collections"; 98 per cent urged "pretty girl collectors be used to get the most money"; 75 per cent said it was "important to use open collection containers"; 90 per cent urged "lights during collections, music if possible"; 60 per cent suggested "try to book strong attractions during driv For the record, the pressbook enumera] some of the outstanding results of the \\ drive. Roscoe Drissel, of Loew's State, N folk, Va., reported his theatre collected $5: per seat. "By starting early and using outs effort, this theatre made an unusual reco $12,585." Grover F. Handley, of the J. J. Parf ' Theatres, Portland, Ore., collected $2,422 'j 962 seats and said, "... Following trail young speaker afflicted with polio maj^ appeal from stage . . . featured Thank YS Board In lobby . . . house lights bright . used extra large collection baskets." W. K. Saxton, Loew's Century, Baltim Md., said "careful collections every shi good attraction" brought $9,896 for 2, seats. J. R. Davis, Colony, Portsmouth, Va., o lected $1,671 for 725 seats by using "womei organizations who collected at each pi formance". collected with go to the film committee in each exchange city. A spectacular demonstration has been planned for the opening day of the drive, at Times Square, New York, by the New York committee, in cooperation with the national committee. A polio display will become part of the Statue of Liberty Sixth War Loan edifice erected at Broadway and 43rd Street. A To NICHOLAS M SCHENCK, Chairman 1945 yiARCH OF DIMES DRIVE SUITE 124 ASTOR HOTEL, NEW YORK, 19, N. Y. You may depend on my complete cooperation. At every performance, during week of Jan. 25-31, 1 promise to show the appeal trailer and make audience collec tions in my auditorium. Send full details. IPIEASE PRINT PLAINIYI Signed THEATRE COUNTY CITY STATE SEATING CAPACITY large motion picture screen will be built, ii pressively framed. On it, through rear proj tion, will be shown the campaign appeal traili and other appropriate films. : Atop the screen will be a giant birthd? cake, symbolizing President Roosevelt's birti day, around which the infantile paralysis dri^ annually is observed. Ernest Emerling, pu) licity chairman for the campaign, is in charg of the event, aided by Harry Mandel, Ne' York publicity chairman, and Edward Dovi den, special events chairman. ; Last Friday, Mr. Connors announced tt completed lineup of his nationwide distribute organization, to include the following area cc I. H. Rogovin, Boston; M. Evidon, De Moines ; Lester Zucker, Cleveland ; Earl h Bell, Denver; F. J. Hannon, Omaha; Leste J. Bona, St. Louis ; Wm. F. Gordon, Salt Lak City ; R. Smelzer, Washington, D. C. ; C. G Eastman, Albany; M. A. Brown, Buffalo; C H. Weaver, Oklahoma City; W. E. Truog Kansas City; Wm. Zoelner, Atlanta; F. J Downey, Detroit ; James Briant ; New Orleans Wm. H. Workman, Minneapolis; Sol Gottlieb Pittsburgh; J. J. Maloney, Pittsburgh; Rov}! F. Branon, Charlotte, N. C. ; Sol M. Sacks Dallas ; B. Pitkin, New Haven ; Chas. BoaS' berg, N. Y.; E. A. Lamb, Seattle; R. O. Wilson, Portland, Ore.; B. Rose, San Francisco; Frank Mantzke, Milwaukee ; Tob Gilliam, Chicago ; Clyde Eckhardt, Los Angeles Leavittt Bugie, Cincinnati ; Greo. Landis, Indianapolis ; T. W. Young, Memphis; Sam Gross, Philadelphia. The following district chairmen were appointed by Mr. Connors : J. B. Underwood, Dallas ; Henry Herbel, Los Angeles ; A. MJ Kane, Boston; Jask Goldhar, Detroit; Jack Bowen, N. Y. ; Sam Shirley, Chicago. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 13, 1945