Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW December 19, 1942 A special meeting of district and division managers of Universal was held in Chicago last week-end. Photo above shows the meeting in session. Shown, from left to right, are: Barney Rose, M. M. Gottlieb, J. E. Garrison, H. D. Graham, J. J. Jordan, F. J. A. McCarthy, William J. Heineman, William A. Scully, E. T. Gomersall, F. T. Murray, D. A. Levy, P. F. Rosian, Dave Miller, Fred Meyers and Ed. McAvoy. Scully Tells Universal Sales Force to Aid Campaign for Film Conservation at Chi Meet The entire Universal sales force will be called into service to carry out an educational program in connection with film conservation through all the processes of distribution and exhibition, in accordance with a plan outliried at a special sales meeting in Chicago at which William A. Scully, vice-president and general sales manager of the company, presided. The meeting was called for last week-end by Scully for the dual purpose of gearing the sales organization to full cooperation in film conservation as well as to render to the district and divisional managers a complete report on the Universal product situation as surveyed by Scully during recent conferences and a survey at the company's West Coast studios. Regarding their duties to aid in the economies the industry must make with respect to film stock, Mr. Scully told the district and divisional managers that it will be up to them to cooperate with exhibitors in the education of the whole distribution and exhibition field of the ways and means of aiding both the industry and the war ef¥ort by conservation methods. Can Clarify Problems Involved "With the entire industry extending itself in every way to cooperate with the many emergencies arising from the war effort, " he stated, "nothing becomes more important than the exhibitors' complete understanding of the entire film conservation project. We believe that our sales organization can clarify for exhibitors many of the problems involved and it is for this reason that we will make a concentrated effort through our entire sales organization to give the best information available on the subject to our accounts." Regarding forthcoming product, the Universal sales head said that after seeing a number of the company's top pictures at the studio he was convinced that the extended playing time possi Urge Movieless Mondays Movieless Mondays were recommended by a meeting of Philadelphia exhibitors, attended it was said, by members of Allied units who have supported the Allied Caravan movement. The proposal was put into resolution form in which the exhibitors, all independent operators and owners, offered the suggestion as a "patriotic contribution to the war effort by the motion picture industry." The resolution also contained reference to the fact that the action in closing on Mondays would only duplicate what had been done in the last war. The Movieless Mondays, the resolution pointed out, would conserve fuel, manpower, essential services and critical materials. bilities of these attractions "will greatly obviate some of the normal inconvenience that might have arisen under the present limitations." He told the meeting that on all these top pictures special advertising and exploitation budgets have been established to guarantee the best possible pre-selling campaign which in his opinion would definitely be of value in building up public enthusiasm so that extended runs on these pictures would develop as a normal matter. Release dates set at the opening session include "Arabian Nights" for December 25th ; "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," January 1st; "Shadow of a Doubt," January 15th; the Deanna Durbin picture February 5th, and "It Ain't Hay," the Abbott and Costello picture, February 19th. The release date of Walter Wanger's "We've Never Been Licked" was tentatively set for March Sth. Hirsch, Browne-Biof f Aid, Convicted Of Perjury Martin A. Hirsch was convicted on a perjury charge growing out of his testimony concerning the disposition of $25,000 bail which he posted for Nick Circelli, who was connected with the Browne-Biofif industry extortion case. Dec. 28 was set as the day for passing sentence by Federal Judge Alfred C. Coxe at the request of Assistant U. S. Attorney Boris Kostelanetz who stated he had reason to believe that Hirsch could be of aid to the Government in identifying gangster higher-ups behind William Bioff and George E. Browne in their extortion of more than $1,000,000. Nick Circelli, now serving sentence on charges leading out of the Browne-BiofT trial, testified that he did not know Hirsch and possessed no knowledge of what happened to the $25,000 bail. Hirsch was continued on $5,000 bail after announcement of the jury's verdict. Public Knows Its MGM Trademark, Research Bureau Survey Shows Surveys conducted for MGM by the Motion Picture Research Bureau, headed by Dr. Leo Handel, reveal that the company's trademark is known to a much larger percentage of persons than that of any other company, and that the title of the forthcoming "Stand By for Action" was a unanimous choice in a title test submitted to men and women in a number of key cities. Figures on movie attendance, the special appeals of different advertising media, the likes and dislikes of the country's film patrons, are the subjects of other studies now being conducted or recently completed by the Motion Picture Research Bureau. 1141 Stars Aided War Effort in First Year; Plan New Activities Operating the largest free talent pool ever created for wartime morale-building, the Hollywood Victory Committee, during the first year of its existence beginning immediately after the attack upon Pearl Harbor, has provided 1141 stars of screen, stage and radio to help America's war effort. This was revealed this week when the Industry Service Bureau, of motion pictures, issued the first yearly report on the activities of the committee, whose talent pool lists as volunteers every entertainment personality in Hollywood. Report discloses that while the Victory Committee is concerned primarily with the allocation of entertainment for men of the armed forces, its players also have rendered extensive service to the Treasury Department, Office of War Information, War Production Board, Office of Emergency Management, Co-ordinator of InterAmerican Affairs, other governmental agencies, the USO, Red Cross, Community Chest, Russian War Relief, China War Relief, Army and Navy War Relief and other charities. Highlights of the committee's twelve-month report : ►Players from the talent pool have presented 352 USO shows at Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard camps along the Pacific Coast and in the desert areas of California, Arizona and New Mexico, all of which are listed on its records as "spot" shows because they have been set up for single performances at specific bases, at the request of the War Department. ►They have headlined USO Camp Tour Shows in 273 large camps throughout the United States, giving several performances at each of many larger camps in order to appear before the entire personnel. ►Nine players have flown to England and Ireland to entertain troops, fourteen have flown to offshore bases, such as Alaska, the Aleutians. Newfoundland, Panama Canal Zone and the Caribbeans. ►A total of 474 players has participated in 222 live radio broadcasts, and 507 have taken part in the recording of 111 radio transcriptions, of which 56 were for the War Department. ►For the Treasury Department, selling War Bonds, which activity was highlighted by the "Stars Over America" tours in the September War Bond drive, led by the film industry, 270 players made 2773 appearances. ►For charities and other agencies, 338 players appeared at 150 separate events, including the spectacular Victory Caravan, in which 41 stars visited 13 cities in behalf of Army and Navy Relief. ►Grand total of individual appearances for the year was 6,828. ►Most conservative estimate of the mileage amassed by these players in the twelve months is well in excess of one million, or almost 40 times around the world. Plans for the coming year call for even more expansive operations by the Victory Committee's talent pool. Following a series of conferences with Lt. Col. Marvin Young of the Special Service Division of the War Department, announcement has been made that players will be sent to 700 Army camps throughout the nation within the next few months. More than 100 personalities will be sent to fighting areas overseas, wherever American troops are stationed, and calls from other governmental agencies will be met to the fullest extent of the available talent. In addition to its predominant membership from the actors' group, the Hollywood Victory Committee includes leaders from almost every branch of the film industry, with members of the producers, directors, writers, artists' managers and other groups, in addition to radio and the theatre, represented on its various subcommittees.