Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 3, 1942 In the Rear of the Enemy {Continued from Page 28) troops are detailed to locate and repair a break in a communication wire and their search leads them to a group of farm building behind the German lines. They hide from Nazis returning to the buildings in force and one of their number is sent to make repairs while the others wait to send headquarters the necessary information as to enemy strength. The repairman is trailed by a Nazi and only succeeds in his work after a vicious fight. Just when the Nazis bring up heavy artillery to shell the Russian lines the repairs are accomplished and the leader of the trio holds off the enemy while he uses the repaired wire to direct the fire of Russian guns that wipe out the Nazis. Comment: This picture, as was undoubtedly intended, serves to point out the hardships endured by Russian troops and the extremes of self-sacrifice to which they will go in defense of their homeland. The English dialogue does much to build general enjoyment but the film would be a thriller under any conditions. The performers manage to inject pulsing suspense into the many tense situations and the battle scenes, with ski troops fighting and maneuvering over the snow-clad wastes, are carried out on an impressive scale. The method of camera chronicling does not measure to the perfection of American standards but all told the film is well handled and serves as excellent diversion from the usual run of war action pictures. Catchline: See how the men of Russia fight and die in the bitter cold of the wind-swept, snow-piled steppes. Saranac Lake Civic Clubs Help Increase Sales of War Bonds Rotary Club of Saranac Lake, N. Y., conducted its third consecutive September bond sale last week and sold $250 in bonds, according to Manager Clayton S. Cornell of Schine's Pontiac Theatre. Total for the month amounted to approximately $1,650. Another fraternal organization who wished its identity withheld purchased $200 worth as the result of a sales talk on the part of the theatre. Several hundred dollars' worth of bonds were expected to be sold at an Elks Club Party held last Saturday evening. During the theatre's weekly war stamp auction, $14.25 worth of stamps were sold. Chakeres, Army Bound, Feted Mike Chakeres, managing director of the Chakeres-Warner Theatres, Springfield, Ohio, was tendered a dinner attended by local civic leaders and film men from Cleveland and Cincinnati on the eve of his departure for service with Uncle Sam's armed forces. "World at War" Rental to USO Arthur Mayer has presented the USO with a check for $1,200, the approximate rental he would have paid for "The World At War" at the Rialto Theatre. Krasna in Service Norman Krasna, writer-director, who just completed "Princess O'Rourke" at the Warner Bros, studios in Hollywood, reported Monday at the Army Air Forces Training School in Miami. Screen, Newspaper Ads and Stunt Showmanship to Aid Scrap Drive {Continued from Page 11) support to the effort. The WAC short subject "Salvage" is available for use on your screen without charge. With this fund of assistance at your finger tips there is little excuse why your theatre cannot be made the focal point for a sizable contribution to the scrap drive. In fact, if you take full advantage of the cooperation available from press and radio there is little reason for a single pound of scrap metal remaining in your community at the close of the drive. Undoubtedly you have held scrap drive matinees before this and probably enjoyed what might be considered success but now the heat is on and it is necessary that you exceed your previous record. Put posters in your lobby, run the mats in your ads, get the radio station to make frequent announcemertts — twice as many as ever before, go after the newspaper publishers to work hand-in-hand with you by giving editorial prominence to the urgent need and run day-to-day stories with tables showing the quantities of munitions possible from various units of scrap. Keep pounding every minute of every day until you have everybody scrapconscious and actually seeking for discarded wares they can do without in order that the boys who face the enemy guns can have the weapons to fight with. Use 'Bond Drive' Thoroughness Organize this scrap drive as thoroughly as you organized the bond drive. Perhaps the following ideas will prove of help in doing an all-out job in your neighborhood: Get the school authorities to enlist the youngsters in a door-to-door canvass throughout the town. Have them advise the people of a certain day the scrap is to be picked up and then have them call back the day before the retrievers are due to ask each householder approximately how much of the materials they will have ready. Get the kids to make it a personal matter between them and the householder with prizes to the youngsters whose routes show the greatest results. Hold a special scrap matinee with free admission to persons bringing a stipulated number of pounds of scrap to some specified place. Get the city fathers to fence off some prominent place \\-\ the downtown area as a central point of collection which will serve as a constant reminder to all who pass. More than likely the local radio station has a record of some prominent national per sonality making an appeal for scrap. If so, borrow it and have a man at the central collection point playing it constantly over a loud speaker. Neighborhood theatres in Miami, Fla., held a coat hanger matinee which brought over seven and a half tons of metal wire to the box-offices. Why not break down the local scrap drive and as you notice one commodity missing hold a special performance to generate interest in digging up that single unit — the diggers will encounter much additional scrap while searching for the stufl: that will get them free theatre tickets and your Uncle Sam will benefit. People like to participate in contests. Get with the newspaper editor and offer a period pass for the oldest cook stove, the oldest icebox, etc. Make it a condition of the contest that all entries become property of Uncle Sam. Drug Stores Could Cooperate Get the drug stores to help by having them offer a free soda or a specified amount of candy in return for a stipulated quantity of scrap. A man at the central collection point could give a receipt for the scrap that would be honored for the drink or candy and, if necessary, the cooperating store could be reimbursed to the extent of the amount the scrap brought when sold to the salvage agents. The above idea is also good for department stores, grocers, bakers and others who are anxious to familiarize the public with any of the many new and unusual products that are coming onto the market. Get after the athletic authorities of the school and arrange for a certain amount of scrap to be accepted as part of the admission price to a football game. Then make sure that announcements are made to the crowds of the importance of putting every effort into the search for scrap and the future conservation of waste materials. Contact the night club owners, bowling alley operators, dance halls, etc., and make sure that announcem.ents are made at every possible opportunity. ■* Remember that the existence of your theatre, the local drug or department store, the bowling alley and the dance hall — yes even the town itself — is at stake and there is nothing, not excluding the counting of the daily receipts, more important to each and every person in your community than keeping the wheels of the industries that turn out the weapons of war our boys must have to fight with working full blast. Girls Built War Stamp Booth Working without remuneration, local girls of Hooks, Texas, built the above war bond booth for Manager Victor Farrar of the Lone Star Theatre. House sells an average of $25 in stamps daily. Special 2-Week Scrap Campaign in New York All motion picture theatres in Greater New York will conduct a concentrated drive for the collection of scrap for a two-week period beginning October 15, it was voted Wednesday at a meeting of New York City exhibitors held at the War Activities Committee headquarters. This drive will be in addition to the scrap drive activities started Thursday and to continue for the entire month of October. Free scrap matinees, children's parades for Saturday morning shows and every possible means of getting scrap will be utilized by the theatres. A committee composed of Fred Schwartz, chairman ; Irving Lesser, Major L. E. Thompson, Eddie Dowden, Dave Weinstock, Harry Lowenstein, Julius Joelson, Herman Starr, Eddie Rugoff, Don Jacox, Manny Frisch, Charles Moses and Bernard Leventhal was appointed by Sam Renzler, chairman of the New York City branch of the W.A.C. to work out the details for the two-week drive.