Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

October 2, 1942 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 31 the SHOW BUILDER A Monthly Feature Dealing With Practical Ideas for Booking And Exploiting SHORTS SHOPPING Outstanding Representation of New Short Reels at One Sitting Plea: Continue 'Escape' Fare Preceding a screening the other day of several new Warner Bros.-Vitaphone short subjects, Norman Moray, short subject sales manager, told the spectators gathered for the occasion that his company hoped to produce during 1942-43 the full number of subjects planned, although that number might have to be reduced because of the raw stock situation. At any rate, he continued, each short subject for the new season would have a "definite purpose" and a "definite value." He then proceeded to evaluate the one and tworeelers about to be screened. Referring to the "United States Marine Band" (reviewed elsewhere in this section), Moray said: "We believe the jazz band reels are out, at least for the duration. With a war going on, ■we believe the public will be more receptive to rousing martial music that lifts the morale and inspires added effort to win this war." At the risk of having our enthusiasm interpreted merely as a rub-my-back-and-I'Il-rubyours affair, we want to make it plain here and now that regardless of who had produced the subjects shown that afternoon, so long as they possessed the quality they did, they would have been worthy of cheers. As it happened, they were produced under the Warner banner, and that organization can take a deep bow for as outstanding a representation of the new season's product as we've seen at one sitting in a long time. There wasn't a rotten apple in the barrel. Of the subjects screened, five were tied in directly or indirectly with the war effort, two were cartoons and one was a novelty reel. There is no denying the fact that the "war" subjects have been given top production values, are truly inspiring and should be seen by as many people as possible. In cooperating with the war effort, the Warner organization is doing a fine job. And while we held that opinion after the screening was over, and still hold it for that matter, there arose the hope that the quota of "escape" subjects would not be cut too severely; that along with the "war" films would come an equal number of "escape" films to act as a balance for those moviegoers who want to get away from newspaper headlines for a few brief moments. Whereas •one company may be doing its part to help win the war by producing films tied in with the war effort, we thought, another company could be making just as vital a contribution to the morale of the people by producing subjects that provide a temporary escape from reality. Therefore, there is need for the comedies, cartoons, novelties, featurettes, musicals and chapter plays to continue forth from the studios in sufficient quantities to balance the timely, topical reels. A columnist in a New York daily has suggested that because of the arguments arising from the famed fight in "The Spoilers," a short subject be made featuring the high spots of the "battle royal as fought in the three or four screen (Continued on Page 34) Ad vantages oF Singles and Shorts Cited As Raw Stock Restrictions Imperil Duals Theatres in double-feature territories, feeling that the recent order to conserve raw stock may result in the eventual elimination of the "second feature," are seriously considering single-feature programs. With such a policy change in mind, many of the dual-minded exhibitors have written to the Interstate Circuit down in Texas to get that company's prescription for a successful operation based on single features and selected short subjects. Greater Variety, Better Values In replying to these inquiries. Interstate executives point to the fact that single features permit at least one extra show each day and a faster turnover of crowds. Furthermore, the policy makes possible the better teaming of entertaining subjects, greater variety, better values in amusement. Besides giving the exhibitor an opportunity to concentrate his advertising on one feature instead of two, the policy permits the promotion of new faces, new ideas, new approaches through the use of short reels, thus giving producers, both major and minor, a proving ground for new talent and the promotion of box-ofiice personalities. Interstate also feels that more newspaper space and better reviews can result, inasmuch as "B" and "Z" attractions have a tendency to hamper critical enthusiasm for a program. The audience feels more secure with single bills, believing that programs have been more care An Award Worth Waiting For Manager Jack Matlack (right) of the Rialto Theatre, Medford, Ore., finally received the longawaited Eddie Rickenbacker "Cavalcade of Aviation" trophy which he won some months ago for turning in the best exploitation campaign on the Universal special. Award was made at a luncheon of the Southern Oregon exhibitors and Medford Chamber of Commerce. Universal Branch Manager R. 0. Wilson (center) makes the presentation. Looking on: G. A. Hunt, head of Hunt Circuit. fully selected. The circuit further contends that good shorts are better than poor second features ; cost less, actually draw better. Two final advantages are listed to clinch the argument: (1) Single-feature policy permits a better timing of the start and finish of programs, doesn't demand that patrons get to the theatre at 7 for the evening show or wait until 10 o'clock, which keeps them in the theatre too late at night. (2) The policy gets away from too many poor pictures that actually hurt the good elements of any program. Theatres now operating with double features may find it necessary to revert to singles once more. But in view of the advantages cited by Interstate, such a change should prove to be a change for the better. Color Subject Titles Listed by Movietone Following the announcement of A. W. Smith, Jr., Eastern sales manager for 20th CenturyFox, that 90 per cent of that company's 1942-43 short subject output would be in color (STR, Sept. 5, p. 37), Movietonews, Inc., producers of shorts for 20th-Fox release, listed this week the titles of a number of its subjects scheduled to be photographed in Technicolor and Cinecolor. Of the eight Magic Carpets, seven will be in color — three in Technicolor, four in Cinecolor. Technicolor : "Desert Wonderland," "Gay Rio" and "Mormon Trails." Cinecolor: "Wedding in Bikaner," "Royal Araby," "Strange Empire" and "Where Time Stood Still." "Neptune's Daughter," "Winter Sports" and "Springboard Capers" are three Ed Thorgersen Sports Reviews to be in Technicolor ; the other three will be black and white. Slow motion color is used for the first time in "Neptune's Daughter," a photographic process experts said couldn't be accomplished with color. The three color subjects in the Adventures of a Newsreel Cameraman series will be "Mississippi," "Lumber" and "Underwater Magic." In the Alaskan Adventures, formerly devoted {Continued on Pane 38) RKO Radio Sets Release Date for First in This Is America Series Scheduled for October 23 release by RKO Radio is "Private Smith of the U. S. A.," first in the company's This Is America series. Others to follow at four-week intervals will be "Women at Arms" and "Men of Tomorrow," both titles being tentative at the present time. "Private Smith of the U. S. A.," according to Ned Depinet, president of RKO Radio Pictures, "will present in detailed reporting all of the amazing things that happen to John Smith in his switch from overall-blue to Army khaki." Subjects in the This Is America series are produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr.