Showmen's trade review (Jul-Sep 1942)

16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW August 8, 1942 DUSTRY ■■■■■■■m ON THE PATRIOTIC FRONT Industry Mobilizing for September Drive Leaders are Being Recruited/ Plan Hollywood-Star Rallies/ Schedule Impressive Opening Mobilizing the special talents of the industry for the September bond and stamp drive continues and before many days virtually every leader and expert in the business will have a definite job to perform. Harry Goldberg, advertising director of Warner theatres, has accepted a special invitation to head up all "screen promotion" for the drive. He will work closely with the newsreel committee of War Activities Committee and Carlton Duffus in Washington to produce timely newsreel shots. One with Secretary of Treasury Morgenthau is set. Others will originate at other points. Goldberg also is working special trailers, "tag" ends and "leaders" for features, and other screen publicity material. Ernest Emerling, acting advertising director for Loew's theatres, has been named to prepare a special broadside intended to be of special aid to those 5,000 theatres that will be made official bond issuing agents. The experiences of theatres already acting as agents will be used in giving the newly appointed agents practicable information and promotion ideas. Si Seadler, advertising director of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, famotjs for his inspirational ads, is handling display advertisements in tradepapers, magazines and newspapers. George Schaefer held a meeting in New York Wednesday of coast-to-coast industry leaders at War Activities offices. Among those present were B. V. Sturdivant, San Francisco ; John Payette, Washington; Jules Ruben, Chicago; Col. H. A. Cole, Dallas ; P. J. Wood, Columbus, Ohio; Ed Granger, Major Leslie Thompson, H. M. Richey, Claude Lee, David Palfryman. These men will act in cooperation with Si Fabian, campaign director, and the various War Activities State Chairmen in contacting exhibitors and helping them line up their plans for bond-selling during "Salute to Our Heroes" month. Close to sixty millions of Americans will be reached by the scores of Hollywood stars who will become bond-salesmen and salesladies during the September drive. This huge slice of the population, it is estimated, will be tapped by the carefully planned routes to be followed by the touring stars. While the metropolitan cen Remember September — But Dont Forget August! So much enthusiasm is being whipped up around the country for the billion-dollar "Salute to Our Heroes" month bond and stamp drive, that War Activities headquarters is becoming worried about what is happening in the bond and stamp selling during August. "Remember September — but don't forget August," is the word that campaign leaders are sending out to field men. August should pile up around $25,000,000 in sales — but it won't if all attention is focused on plans for September. July sales reports are now being tabulated. See 5,000 Theatres as Issuing Agents According to present indications, there will be some 5,000 or more theatres designated as issuing agents for War Bonds before the gong sounds September 1 to start the industry-sponsored Billion Dollar War Bond and Stamp Sale Drive. Negotiations conducted by Ed Kuykendall, president of MPTOA, and M. A. Rosenberg, president of Allied States, and Francis S. Harmon, of the War Activities Committee, resulted in an arrangement with the Treasury's War Savings Staff whereby Exhibitor Associations may qualify as issuing agent for any or all of their member theatres. Under this procedure independent theatres are privileged to function as a group through one issuing agent in the same way as corporations operating a number of theatres. MPTOA and Allied States have wired heads of respective state organizations to determine whether the trade associations prefer to act for their members on a group basis or to certify individual theatres as issuing agents. Harry Brandt, president of ITOA of New York, and Max Cohen, president of MPTOA of New York, have both expressed preference for individual certification. Robert H. Poole, of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners, has been asked to express his organization's preference as to the method of handling. Already the names of 3,000 theatres, arranged according to Federal Reserve Districts, has been forwarded to the Treasury Department by the WAC on recommendation of the exchange area chairmen of the WAC exhibitor field force. ters will definitely be included, the smaller situations also will be visited where local committees are active and plan a suitable rally. It is believed that millions of American moviegoers will be seeing their first screen star "in person" at one of these "Stars Over America" rallies. A dozen wires arrived at War Activities Committee headquarters in which local chairmen urged that their cities be placed on the star itineraries. Kenneth Thompson, Hollywood Victory Committee, was scheduled to be in New York this week-end to discuss details of the September tours with W.A.C. leaders in the drive. Spectacular plans are being whipped into shape to assure the drive a rousing "premiere" to start off the campaign — probably in Hollywood— and another tremendous demonstration as the closing blow-of¥ in New York City. Demonstrations in every key-city of the nation on September 1 are being planned. On that night, show business will come to a dead stop — for four minutes ! In those four minutes, the entire motion picture industry will salute the war heroes of the nation in camps and at the fighting fronts. And with the industry will join millions of moviegoers. If every seat is filled that night, 11,000,000 moviegoers will be in the celebration ! They will be asked to rise and give three-cheers for America's fighting forces. It is hoped that in many localities the four-minute ceremonies in theatres will be picked up by radio — and the moviegoers' cheers, theoretically, will well up into a mighty roar that short-wave could carry to the distant fronts. The War Activities campaign committee is urging every movie theatre — from the largest to the smallest — to join in the Sept. 1 "salute" as a spectacular way to launch the "Salute to Our Heroes" month. A program has been worked out — adaptable to any theatre or community. Each theatre or group of theatres in a community is urged to form a small local committee of workers who will begin at once getting bond buying pledges to be announced at the theatres during the four-minute celebration. A fiery speaker is to be secured, probably through the local Treasury War Savings staff. A color guard (Continued on Page 17) Bond & Stomp Soles Help Theotres — Skouros Exhibitors who have been most active in promoting the sale of war bonds and stamps contend that the box-office has benefited by the activity. George Skouras, whose 66 theatres around New York City were the first to become official bond issuing agents, definitely feels that a number of his houses have shown an upsurge in receipts traceable to the popularity of selling bonds for immediate delivery. At a meeting of the committee arranging for New York City's part in the Billion Dollar September Drive Skouras said : "Theatres are making it easy for the little people, the workers, to invest their money in war bonds and stamps. We are bond banks that are open nights and Sundays and holidays. These people find it inconvenient to leave their work and go to banks or post offices to buy bonds and stamps. We fill their need. They appreciate it. We are doing a genuine public service that is reflecting goodwill upon us. Any exhibitor who feels that the trouble and effort he puts into bond and stamp selling is a burden is overlooking something. Any exhibitor who doesn't go all-out in this drive isn't a good showman — or a good American." Hits New High in Bond Sales During the Loew New York circuit's first week as official War Bond issuing agents, bond sales jumped to $44,800, $12,000 more than the previous week. The entire circuit of 143 houses hit a new high of $162,627 for the eighth week of stamp and bond sales. Of this amount $67,002 was in stamps and $95,625 in bonds. This brings the circuit's total sale to date to $1,167,037. Beier to Aid September Drive Nat Beier, former sales executive of United Artists, will contribute his services to the September War Bond drive as personnel director for the New York City and State committee of War Activities, Chairman Max A. Cohen announced this week.