Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 16, 1943 Lewis to Coast for Product Checkup Charles E. "Chick" Lewis trained out of New York Wednesday for Hollywood on his annual Fall trip to the studios for a looksee at current and coming pictures and a checkup on the product situation. Lewis will report his observations on the current Hollywood production situation and the results of talks with studio executives in his editorial page comment and possibly other articles commencing with next week's issue of STR. Levey Sees Theatre Attendance Holding Up Jules Levey, now producing at General Service studios, on the eve of his departure from the West coast for New York to sign talent for four pictures he will make for United Artists release, told an STR representative that in his opinion motion picture business for the next few years will be lush, but also very tough. The lush phase, Levey said, would be in the direction of continued high levels for box-office grosses; the tough phase, the job of producing pictures under conditions of constantly mounting costs, which he said, outrun increased revenue due to improved theatre attendance. Levey, who knows the distribution field as a result of 25 years experience with three major companies, pointed to the costs of story material, declaring that story purchasing is running wild with play properties already beyond reach. Costs of material and technical help are also running to heights undreamed of not so long ago, he contends. Shortages of technical help as well as writing, acting and directorial talent, Levey said, make it necessary for producers to plan productions months in advance, otherwise the producer cannot get players, technicians, or even, should he be an independent producer, a studio in which to make his picture. 5 RKO Radio Trade Shows Set for First Week in Nov. Five RKO Radio productions of the 1943-44 season will be trade screened nationally on November 1, 2, 3, and 4, it was announced last Friday by Vice-President Ned E. Depinet. The schedule : "The Iron Major," November 1, at 11 a.m. — except New York at 11 and 4 p.m., Cincinnati at 8 :30 p.m., Sioux Falls at 10 a.m., St. Louis on November 2 at 11 :30 a.m., and IBoston and New Haven on October 20 at 2 :30 p.m. "Gangway for Tomorrow" on November 1 at 2 :30 p.m. — except Cincinnati at 10 :30 p.m., Sioux Falls at 11 :30 a.m., and St. Louis on November 2 at 2 :3G p.m. "Government Girl" on November 3 at 11 a.m. — except Cincinnati at 8:30 p.m., New York at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., St. Louis at 11 :30 a.m., and Sioux Falls at 10 a.m. "Gildersleeve on Broadway" on November 3 at 2 :30 p.m. — except Cincinnati at 10 :30 p.m., Sioux Falls at 11 :30 a.m., and New Haven on October 20 at 2 :30 p.m. "The Falcon and the Co-eds" on November 4 at 11 a.m. — except Cincinnati at 8:30 p.m., New York at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and St. Louis at 11 :30 a.m. Thousands Cheer' Trade Shows MGM will tradeshow "Thousands Cheer" in six cities on October 19 and in all other exchange centers on October 26. The cities where the new Technicolor film will be screened October 19 are Albany, Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. Marty Weiser in New Post Marty Weiser, Warner Bros, west coast field representative for the past several years, has been promoted to a new post to handle exploitation in Alex Evelove's studio publicity department. 'Soldier Partners' Take Over St. Louis House as De-Luxer The opening of the Shubert Theatre, St. Louis, on Thursday, October 21st, as a de luxe firstrun and moveover-policy theatre, was announced this week by Fanchon & Marco Service Corp., which will operate the theatre for Service Group Theatres, a partnership formed last week by three brothers and two sons of Harry C. Arthur, Jr., general manager of the operating corporation. All the partners are either in the armed services or are scheduled to be inducted shortly as pre-Pearl Harbor fathers. The partners are Edward B. Arthur, formerly assistant general manager of Fanchon & Marco Service Corporation, currently attending Armored Forces Officers Candidate School, at Fort Knox ; 2nd Lieutenant Harry C. Arthur, HI, now on active duty in the Pacific with the U. S. Marine Air Corps ; 2nd Lieutenant Thomas G. Arthur, navigator in the Army Air Force ; James H. Arthur and David G. Arthur, counsellor and assistant general manager, respectively, for the service corporation, and Edward L. Murphy, treasurer, who will supervise the theatre in the absence of the other partners. Astor's Canadian Distributor Gets New Name and Offices Superior Films, Ltd., of Toronto, has changed its name officially to Astor Pictures (Canada) Ltd. In making this move, the main office location has been changed to 21 Dundas Square, Toronto, and an office in Montreal has also been opened. H. G. Price, general manager of Astor Pictures, Ltd., leaves on an extended trip this week to open branch offices in St. John's, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver. Film Pile-up Causes Fire Damage was estimated at $1,000 from a fire which broke out in the projection booth of the Croft Theatre at Bancroft, Iowa, last week. C. E. Hendrickson, owner, reported the film piled up in .the projector and caught fire before it could be stopped. Damage was repaired and the theatre reopened the following night. 2 WB November Releases Two new Warner Brothers pictures will be released during November, it was announced this week by General Sales Manager Ben Kalmenson. They are "Find the Blackmailer," with Jerome Cowan, Faye Emerson, and Gene Lockhart on November 6 ; and "Northern Pursuit," starring Errol Flynn, with Julie Bishop and Helmut Dantine on November 13. 'Banjo on Knee' to Be Re-Issued "Banjo on My Knee" has been added to the 20th Century-Fox schedule of re-issues which already includes "In Old Chicago," "The Rains Came," and "Under Two Flags." "Banjo," which has a cast including Joel McCrea, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Brennan, and Tony Alartin, will be released on October 29, along with "In Old Chicago." TRADE TRAVEL LOG A'. J. O' Donnell, general manager of Interstate circuit, Hp to Neii> York from Dallas. Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount short subjects sales manager, just back from a trip through Indianapolis. Chicago, and Milwaukee. Nicholas Napoli, president of Artkino Picures, left on Columbus Day for a tour of midivestern cities — Detroit. Chicago, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. In the midst of a mid-zvestern tour: Roy Haines, W arner southern and western division sales manager. Gone another iceek. Ted Lloyd of 20th Century-Fox's radio department back at the home office after six iveeks in Hollyzvood. Claude Lee, director of public relations for Paramount, back from Detroit where he spoke at Michigan Allied conference. W olfe Cohen, Canadian district manager for Warners, returned to Toronto home office after scries of New York conferences. Roger Ferri, editor of 20th-Fox's house organ. Dynamo, back in New York after short jump to Detroit and Chicago. George A. Smith, Paramount western division manager, off on toii-r of exchanges in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Des Moines, and St. Louis. Leon Goldberg arriving on the Coast from New York. He's new RKO Radio studio manager. Arthur S. Abeles, Jr., en route back to South America from New York. He is Warner manager in Montevideo. William C. Gehring, Western sales manager for 20th-Fox, left on Columbus Day on a sales trip that will take him clear to the Coast. Warner sales manager, Ben Kalmenson, off for Ohio and points West. E. E. Whittaker, formerly general manager of Lucas and Jenkins Circuit, and recently commissioned a second lieutenant, a visitor to New York this iveek. Boyer's 'Flesh and Fantasy' Opens in Cincinnati Oct. 29 The world premiere of "Flesh and Fantasy," first production by the new Charles Boyer-Julien Duvivier combination, will take place at the Albee Theatre, Cincinnati, on October 29. The premiere campaign will be the most intensive order accorded any picture in Cincinnati, according to Maurice A. Bergman, Universal Eastern advertising head. Hank Linet, assistant to Mr. Bergman, is leaving for Cincinnati this week to supervise the campaign. Loses Clearance Plea The Carter Coal Company, operators of theatres in Caretta and Coalwood, West Virginia, was denied relief last week by Arbitrator Judge Chase Davies in its clearance complaint against Vitagraph, Inc., Loew's, Inc., 20th Century-Fox, Paramount, and RKO Radio. The complainant asked reduction of clearance granted by the five distributor defendants to theatres in War and Welch, W. Va., over the Caretta and Coalwood theatres.