Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

SHOWMEN PERSONALS Happy Birthday: Ralph W. Weir, Charles M. Hurley, William H. Turner, John Monroe, Guy W. Hevia, Irving I. Schwartz, Alvah Barber, M. J. Reed, Ray Tubman, Warren M. Fordyce, K. L. Adams, Thomas Del Vecchio, Homer R. Hisey, George C. Clariton, J. Ellison Loth. Charles V. Martina, William C. Wittenberg, Harry E. Creasey, Calvin Council, Wesley F. Pretzner, Elliott Wolf, Lewis Dreisbach, Phil Grody, G. W. Sampson, G. Otto Hartsoe, Ernst Williams, Achilles Damiani, Harry E. Finley, Moon Corker, John A. Cherry, Shelby McCallum, Eldy Williams. H. A. Larson, Ken Vech, A. Milan Wilson, George Heliotes, Thomas P. Dowd, Stanley Gartside, Roy Downey, Donlan Gould, Donley T. Schultz, George W. Jinks, Herman D. Wood, Frank Reid, Norman A. Linz, Harry A. Colvin. In New Posts: Jack Markle, formerly manager of the Coolidge Corner theatre, Brookline, Mass., and Leonard Tuttle, former manager of the Fenway, have leased the Fine Arts theatre, Boston, from George Kraska. Walter Lloyd following an honorable discharge from the Army is back at his old post as manager of the Allyn theatre, Hartford. R. R. Nichols, Capitol and Eastern theatres. Fort Wayne, Ind. Mike Nicholas, formerly manager of the Kingsway, Brooklyn, will manage the Patio and supervise the Flatbush division. Ed Freiberger will manage the Avalon and supervise the Kings Highway division. Len Freund will manage the Nostrand and supervise the Midwood section, and Loy W. McEachern will manage the Farragut and supervise the Albermarle, Rialto and College theatres, all Century. Circuit houses. Mike Hudish, Mayfair; Harold Newman, Kingsway; William May, Freeport; John Mathews, Community theatre, all in Brooklyn. Fred Danz, general manager. Sterling Circuit, Seattle. Bill Hamrick, supervisor. Sterling Circuit, Seattle. J. L M. Schwartz, Capitol, Sioux City, la. Ira Grain, Bonham, Fairbury, Neb. Don Rundle, Grand and Ritz, Oelwein, la. Cal Lieberman, Senate theatre, Harrisburg, Pa. In the Service: Cpl. Herman Addison's 13th Field Artillery Brigade was awarded the Croix de Guerre in Italy by General Juin, French Commander. Addison before entering the service managed Schine's Paramount theatre. Glens Falls, N. Y. Assistant Managers: John Hallahan, B&K Central Park, Chicago. Walter Stacy, Avalon theatre, Chicago. Edward McAdams, Bliss; Curtis Vance, Huntington; Enrico Ferrari, Kingsway; S. Redwine, Tivoli ; Robert Levy, Nostrand ; Mrs. Libby Klein, Rialto, and Joe Jackson, Farragut; all the^f houses are in Brooklyn. Savage Promotes Columnist For "Went Away" Radio Plug Jimmy Savage, publicist of the State Lakl Chicago, made a good tie-up with Nate Gros' local columnist and conductor of a radio goss; show on WBBM Sundays, during the showir| of "Since You Went Away." Gross announced prizes of one $100 Bot and seven $25 Bonds for the best letters wr^' ten by wives of servicemen on how they haf' been spending the time since their husbanf donned uniforms. The top prize was given t, the theatre, while the next seven Bonds wei^ announced as contributions by the seven staf in the picture. Plug was carried on the radt show for several weeks, giving the stunt goflt coverage. Directional Arrows Sell "Going My Way" Date Will Harper at the Empress theatre, Trs^ B. C, in advance of his date on "Going M; Way," used direction arrows which also f eluded cast names. One of the highlights of the campaign was private showing for shut-ins, whom Will gat ered in through local doctors, clergy, the he pital and the law. Transportation was al promoted for those unable to walk to t theatre. I? All "Fun Night" Is Successful Reported as proving highly successful for Harold Chesler at the Princess theatre, Bingham Canyon, Utah, was his "All for Fun Night" put on recently. This show started at 10 p.m. The program consisted of three cartoons, a Three Stooges Comedy, community sing, band, and the feature, "San Diego, I Love You." Harold started with the community sing, then stopped and had a "Truth or Consequences" stage attraction, asking questions of the audience for guest tickets. Another stunt was a "beautiful legs" contest for the boys, and after the stage show Hal went into the program. On Friday nights Chesler also holds a quiz show with screen subjects. The enterprising manager books such subjects as the Warner Bands "All American Bands"; "Listen to the Bands," etc. They are cued first and then run and the contestants have to identify the piece and the bands. in the area and mailed to each a rotogravure circular. Imprinted on the back page was a list of coming attractions. Frank estimates that he reached every family within prospective range of his theatre with the mailing piece. Levy's "Romance" Contest Manager Larry Levy, Loew's theatre, Reading, Pa., traded on the first names, Steve and Anna, in advertising "An American Romance." One of his ads offered seats in the Loew's reserved section to all the Steves and Annas in Reading married to each other, a furniture store tying in with the theatre. Two major prizes, in addition to free tickets, were also offered, a $50 War Bond to the Steve and Anna married the longest, and $25 in merchandise from the furniture store to the Steve and Anna most recently married. David Promoted Store and RadI Plugs for "Together Again" Cashing in on the ready-made millinery tie available to theatres playing "Together Agaii Paul David at the Esquire and Tower the tres, Sacramento, Cal., promoted a full winder display in the Bon Marche store with a gejerous display of star and scene stills and ca-! carrying full credit to the picture, theatre a ! playdates. In addition, the store used advert ing featuring the "Stop — and Whistle" Ire, Dunne hat with credits. As an additional phase to the tieup, Evanjj line Baker, who conducts a 15-minute dajl program, devoted a major portion of her tilf to a discussion of the picture and ladies' hq tying in the theme of the picture to latj styles. Mortin Promotes Co-op Ad For "Together Again" In advance of "Together Again" at Loew's State in Syracuse, H. S. Mortin promoted a cooperative ad from Edwards Department store, featuring a c-ut of Irene Dunne with copy above the cut reading: "Meet the Hat." Along with this picture Mortin had several spot announcements from all local stations. C. E. Chappell's Department Store and Edwards came through with full window displays and 50 small window cards were distributed to all local merchants for use in their windows. Brock Used Mailing Piece For "Mark Twain" To exploit the engagement of "Adventures of Mark Twain," Frank C. Brock, manager of the Clinton theatre, Clinton, Tenn., obtained the complete list of gas and electric consumers By Slatr Phologn « NEW YORK VISITORS at recent home office conference are these M.G.M. exploiteers, ji tured at the Round Table office: left to right; J. E. Watson, Cincinnati; Norman hK, Indianapolis and Charles Deardourf, Cleveland. 62 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 20. I«