Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

Rank 's American Sales Staffs Hold Regional Meets J. Arthur Rank's American representatives were busy this week and last with | meetings and plans for meetings on sales and distribution plans. Last Thursday and Friday the newly appointed sales representatives of the Rank division of Universal held their first meeting at the Hotel Blackstone in Chicago. Wednesday and Thursday Eagle-Lion Films were to have held the first of three regional sales meetings. In Chicago, William J. Heineman, general sales manager, told the Universal meeting that the top Rank pictures handled by Universal's Rank division will be released during the next 12 months "on a schedule which permits the market to absorb them and provides the type of playing time which is desired." Claiming success for the initial selling efforts on "The Wicked Lady," Mr. Heineman reported that the feature had already been booked into 11 key city first run situations to play within the next few weeks. Lawrence J. McGinley, general sales manager for Rank's Prestige Pictures department of Universal, told sales representatives that Prestige has arranged a tieup with the Junior League of America, which has 159 chapters, under which the League will sponsor the key city premieres of a minimum of four Prestige releases. There are seven such releases, including "Brief Encounter," "Johnny Frenchman," "This Happy Breed," "A Lady Surrenders," "The Years Between," "The Captive Heart" and "I Know Where I'm Going." Eagle-Lion Films was to have held its southern sales meeting in Dallas Wednesday and Thursday, with Arthur Krim, president; Bryan Foy, vice-president in charge of production; A. W. Schwalberg, vicepresident and general sales manager, and Max E. Youngstein, director of advertising and publicity, in attendance, as well as PRC executives who are1 handling Eagle-Lion's distribution. Meetings have been scheduled for Chicago this Saturday and Sunday and for New York December 21 and 22. Four Warner Holdovers In Chicago Loop Houses An unusual record in simultaneous long run engagements of a single company's releases in Loop first run houses was established last Thursday when four Warner Bros, picture were held over in as many theatres. "The Big Sleep" went into its eighth week at the Apollo, where it has broken several records; "Deception" started its fifth week at the State-Lake, "Cloak and Dagger" began a third week at the Roosevelt, and "Nobody Lives Forever" entered its second week at the Chicago theatre. Northeast Iowa Exhibitors Protest Local Checkers The Northeast Iowa exhibitors, meeting last month at Decorach, Iowa, passed resolutions condemning the practice of using local checkers. The 43 exhibitors attending the business session went on record unanimously as opposed to the practice. T. J. Evans, Clinton, Iowa, executive secretary of the organization, attended, as well as John LaDue, a director. Order SixYear Theatre Record A sweeping order requiring Harry Horgan and The Opera House, Inc., operating the Opera House theatre in Newport, R. I., to produce for examination by the distributors all theatre records for a six-year period was handed down December 4 in the Rhode Island Federal Court by Judge John P. Hartigan. The decision came as the climax to six separate percentage suits brought against Mr. Horgan and his company by United Artists, Twentieth Century-Fox, Universal, RKO Radio, Columbia and Warner Brothers. Judge Hartigan's decree grants permission for a complete inspection of all theatre records for every day of operation from February IS, 1940, to February 14, 1946. Among the documents directed to be produced were daily box office reports, receipted copies of bank deposit slips, bank pass books, bank statements, records of purchase, inventory, control and disposition of tickets, booking book or record, copies of Federal admission tax returns and their work sheets, such portions of Federal income tax returns as relate to the gross receipts of the theatre and all documents, papers, books, accounts and records maintained pertaining to gross income derived from theatre operations. Defendants' counsel had contended that the right of inspection, if any, was limited to the four months and one year time limitations on the right to audit in the contracts of certain of the distributors, but the court held that this right to pre-trial inspection under Federal Rule 34 was in connection with the suits, and not under the contract, and therefore was limited only by the statute of limitations. Therefore, it was ruled the distributor plaintiffs were entitled to an inspection for at least the six years requested by them. RKO Unit High Bidder For St. Paul Property The St. Paul Theatre Company, an RKO subsidiary, was high bidder with $826,000 for the St. Francis Hotel property, St. Paul, housing the 2,500-seat first run RKO Orpheum. The sale is contingent upon existing leases with the St. Francis Hotel, which have seven years to run. The Orpheum will be completely modernized when materials become available. 15 Metro Field Men Tour Key Cities and Studio Having been chosen on the basis of their records during the past year, 15 MGM field men will tour five major cities in the United States and the company's studio in Culver City for a discussion of sales and marketing problems with each of the five divisional sales managers. At the studio the group will be guests of Louis B. Mayer. According to William F. Rodgers, vicepresident and general sales manager, the visit is to "acquaint these men more fully with the operations of our company on the whole and familiarize them with activities as they embrace sales and production. We believe that those who have been selected to make this unusual trip are representative of the very best of our field personnel, since their records during the past fiscal year were the best in their respective spheres of work. We further believe that in addition to the benefits they will receive from the contacts such a trip will provide with national problems, they also are probably best equipped because of their abilities and enthusiasm to bring back to their associates at home much that will help them in their unceasing efforts to give MGM customers friendly, intelligent and efficient service." The first meeting will start at the Astor Hotel in New York February 6-9. John P. Byrne, eastern sales manager, will preside. The 15 chosen men include one district manager, six branch managers, six salesmen, one office manager and one booker. The second meeting will be in Pittsburgh, February 10-12, John J. Maloney, central sales manager, presiding. Other conferences will be held in Chicago, February 1315; in New Orleans, February 16-19; and in Los Angeles, February 21-26. Selected for the trip were : John S. Allen, district manager, with headquarters in Washington; Louis Formato, Philadelphia; Jack Mundstuk, Buffalo; Saal Gottlieb, Pittsburgh; Benn Rosenwald, Charlotte; D. C. Kenny, Des Moines; and L. C. Wingham, San Francisco, all branch managers ; Phil Bobys, Washington ; Frank Jelenko, Philadelphia; Irving Jacobs, Pittsburgh; Ray Irvin, Charlotte; Howard Dunn, Des Moines, and Alex W. Weissman, Los Angeles, all salesmen ; Joseph Kronman, Washington office manager, and Max Shabason, Pittsburgh booker. The men were chosen after study by a home office committee comprising Edward M. Saunders and Edwin W. Aaron, assistant general sales managers, and Alen F. Cummings, head of exchange operations. Loew's Sets Dividend Directors of Loew's, Incorporated, at a meeting last Thursday declared a quarterly dividend of 37^2 cents per share on the company's common stock, payable December 31 to stockholders of record December 13. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 14, 1946 53