Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

"Business Will Hold If Trade Works": Rodger s "There is no reason in the world, if all branches of the industry do the job they are supposed to do, why business should not remain on the upgrade," William F. Rodg. ers, vice-president and general sales manager for MGM, declared at a luncheon Friday in New York. Speaking to company executives and trade press representatives, Mr. Rodgers announced that MGM would decide on the job it was supposed to do at a New York meeting, beginning April 28, when division, ditrict and branch managers and bookers will meet at the Hotel Astor to set the company's future sales policy. The meeting will continue for as long as it takes to discuss all problems. Sees No Recession "I do not share the opinion," Mr. Rodgers asserted, "that we are due for a serious recession. In fact, too much talk about business falling off is dangerous and can result in -an artificial recession." The sales chief expressed himself as certain that business can be maintained at its present high level by "an aggressive, all-industry effort to do a good job of making the public realize that motion pictures are their greatest amusement value." Mr. Rogers placed particular stress upon the need of reaching those segments of the public not regular theatre-goers and reported that MGM expects to expand and place new emphasis on its exhibitor and public relations department. To implement this expansion and to reemploy returning veterans, MGM is reshuffling and realigning its sales organization. Speaking on competitive bidding, before the stay was evident, Mr. Rogers reported that MGM has been experimenting with bidding in aggravated situations and in situations where the company has been petitioned by theatre owners to start bidding. He estimated the number of those situations at about 50. Too Early to Predict Results "As far as we know," he stated, "those involved have been satisfied and, as a general rule, I believe engagements have been satisfactory. I doubt if the amount of money involved differs much from what we generally received out of the situations in dollars and cents. It is too early to predict just what the net results will be. However, when competitive bidding is formally put into effect, we will comply with each and every provision of the decree and carry them through to the letter." Whether MGM will continue its bidding experiments, now that a stay is indicated, had not, by mid-week been decided, according to Mr. Rodgers. AND NINE WERE PROMOTED SAMUEL J. GARDNER, new THOMAS A. ASPELL. JR., assistant West Coast sales who succeeds Mr. Gardner manager. He was Los Angeles at Los Angeles. He had been branch manager. branch manager in Seattle. SAM DAVIS, who had been a special safes representative, has been promoted to Seattle branch manager. JEROME ADAMS, new Washington, D. C, branch manager. He was San Francisco assistant branch manager. JACK GOLDBERG will now be branch manager in Albany. He had been safes manager in Washington, D. C. BENN H.ROSENWALD travels from Charlotte, N. C, where he was branch manager, to a similar Boston post. JACQUES C. REVILLE. branch manager at Oklahoma City, is now Charfotte branch manager. CHARLES D. LYNE. a salesman at Dallas, becomes Oklahoma City's new branch manager. MIKE SIMONS will continue to edit The Distributor, and in addition is assistant to H. M. ftichey. MGM will put between 18 and 24 pictures into production during the balance of the year. The company will release about 10 pictures from April to September, at the rate of two a month, Mr. Rodgers indicated. Those features will probably include : "Cynthia," featuring Elizabeth Taylor. "The Missouri Story," with Van Johnson and Thomas Mitchell. "Living in a Big Way," with Gene Kelly. "Fiesta," in Technicolor, with Esther Williams. "Song of Love, with Katharine Hepburn. "A Woman of My Own," with Greer Garson and Robert Mitchum. "This Time for Keeps," in Technicolor, with Esther Williams, Laurence Melchior, Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Johnston. "The Birds and the Bees," in Technicolor, with Jeanette MacDonald, Jose Iturbi, Jane Powell and Edward Arnold. "The Hucksters" starring Clark Gable. "Green Dolphin Street," with an all-star cast headed by Lana Turner. Loew's Completes Long Term Finance Program Loew's, Incorporated, has completed $15,000,000 of long term financing consisting of $6,000,000 for eight years with interest at two per cent from the First National Bank of Boston, and $9,000,000 of 2.85 per cent debentures due July 15, 1965, it was announced in New York Tuesday. The debentures were purchased by a group of insurance companies which hold Loew's outstanding debentures now. 20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 5, 1947