Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1944)

June 24, 1944 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 57 Global Air Routes (Good) United Artists — World in Action 15 mins. An interesting amalgum of newsreel or documentary shots with maps on which animation is effectively used to illustrate the possible transportation network whereby people of all lands will travel and tranship goods for distances and with a speed undreamed of not so many years ago. Aviators on military missions in the present global war are charting the skyways of a tomorrow of peacetime, and this reel graphically portrays the things that are to come for airborne civilians when the world returns to peaceful pursuits. It is an amazing story of the progress of aviation, well presented and pointed up with shots of some historic long flights made before the outbreak of war. A good semi-topical reel especially suited to spotting on a show that is strong on comedy and light entertainment. We're on Our Way to Rio (Good) Para. (E3-3) Popeye 8 mins. Utilizing the famous carnival held annually in Brazil as its background, this cartoon in Technicolor shows Popeye and Bluto competing for Olive Oyl, star singer and exotic (?) Latin dancer of a Rio night club. Bluto tries to embarrass Popeye by touting him as an expert dancer, but with the aid of his inevitable spinach, Popeye comes through in whirlwind fashion. While not up to former Popeye cartoons in laugh-provoking qualities, this one has enough color, music and dancing to make it an enjoyable entertainment item. Unusual Occupations No. 4 (Average) Para. (L3-4) 10 mins. This subject begins in the far Northwest where freight its taken by airplane into the Canadian wilderness, moves down to Brazil where "goat people" deliver goat's milk "on the hoof," angles out to San Francisco for a visit in a Chinese drug store, travels east to New Hampshire where a young woman carves artistic frigid masterpieces out of cakes of ice, drops down to Fort Knox, Ky., where tests and experiments are held at the Army Medical (Released Saturday, June 24) MOVIETONE (Vol. 26, No. 84)— Allies battle past Nazis' Atlantic Wall; Troopship brings Wacs to Naples; Corpus Christi rites at Churchill Downs (Indianapolis onlj') ; Novel horse auction boosts war bond sale in Indiana (except Cincinnati) ; Horse auction at Cincinnati (Cincinnati only); First pictures of new B-29 Superfortress. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 15. No. 282)— Nazi prisoners land in Britain ; Nazi films reveal vast extent of Atlantic Wall; Churchill tours beachheads; Tribute to soldier who died on fields of Normandy; Yanks push on toward Cherbourg; Grim fighting on Bougainville; First pictures of new B-29 Superfortress; Troopship brings Wacs to Naples; Film Bulletin No. 20: "America's 'Fighting Fifth' Children." PARAMOUNT (No. 85)— Allies smash north in Italy; Russian offensive opens; General. Stilwell's forces push eastward in Burma; Heavy fighting on Saipan Island; New B-29 Superfortresses strike at Japan; Fighting presses on in France as Churchill and generals visit beachheads; Captured Nazi films show Rommel on pre-D-Day inspection ; Film Bulletin No. 20: "America's 'Fighting Fifth' Children." RKO PATHE (Vol. 15, No. 87)— First pictures of new B-29 Superfortress; Latest pictures of the invasion front. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 17, No. 304)— Invasion goes well; First pictures of new B-29 Superfortress; Troopship of Wacs arrives in Naples; Allies police Rome; U. S. ousts Finnish minister and his aides. SHOWS HOW IT'S DONE. Members of the trade press were guests of Paul Terry, president of Terrytoons, released by 20th CenturyFox, at the New Rochelle studios last week to celebrate his 30 years as a cartoon producer, during which time he has produced 1000 cartoons. Above, a member of the Terrytoon staff explains how moving backgrounds are achieved. His audience, l-r: Producer Terry, Jerry Jerauld (behind Terrytoon staff member), Chester Bahn, David Bader, Mel Konekoff, Charles Ryweck and Ralph Cokain. Note strip of painted background. Research Laboratory to determine the effects heat, humidity and work is having on service men in the far-flung fighting fronts. Produced by Fairbanks and Carlisle, this is an informative and entertaining subject that's on an average with others in the series. Contrary Condor (Good) RKO (34,117) Disney 8 mins. Donald Duck goes after Condor eggs in the Andes and discovers a nest on a towering pinnacle. Caught in the act of trying to remove an egg by the mama Condor he climbs into a broken egg shell and finds it a hot spot when the Condor sits on the egg. In an attempt to escape he is discovered and the puzzled Condor philosophically sets out to teach her curious offspring to fly. There are plenty of solid laughs with Donald winding up as the hero of the piece. Produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney. (Released Wednesday, June 21) MOVIETONE (Vol. 26, No. 83)— Battle for France rages as Allies pour in reinforcements; President Roosevelt urges we buy more bonds; First pictures of liberation of Rome ; Secretary Morgenthau opens Fifth War Loan drive in Texarkana (Memphis, Oklahoma City and Dallas only). NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 15. No. 281)— First pictures of liberation of Rome: Last days of the Nazis — Triumphal entry — Pope gives thanks; President Roosevelt urges nation buy bonds to speed victory; Mail call in Southwest Pacific; Film Bulletin No. 19: "Victory Vacation." PARAMOUNT (No. 84) — Invasion speeds Fifth War Loan : Giant cash register in New York — Wife of General Clark buys bond — President Roosevelt urges we buy more bonds; First pictures of liberation of Rome; Film Bulletin No. 19: "Victory Vacation." RKO PATHE (Vol. 15, No. 86)— Fall of Rome: First pictures of liberation of the first of Europe's capitals. ALL-AMERICAN (Issued Weekly— Vol. 2. No. 87) — Bill Robinson starts Harlem bond drive; First African receives RAF wings; First Negro optometrist on west coast; Lt. Comm. Smith returns as ciiief of ship Booker T. Washington ; Monarchs trim Chicago Firemen in baseball game; Negro company cited by General Clark in Italy. Progressive Policy Marks MGM Sales (Continued from I 'age 30) between the seller and buyer in any field of Iiusiness. In his many appearances before exhibitor groups, Rodgers persistently has declared that any exhibitor customer of MGM is not only invited but urged to bring directly to his personal attention any instance in which the exhibitor has failed to receive just treatment at the hands of the MGM branch manager with whom the exhibitor directly deals. In the matter of definite policy covering adjustments and refunds on picture licensing deals, MGM has been most progressive and in many phases of this now widely practiced trade arrangement of the business MGM has led the way in setting up a formula for assuring the exhibitor of a margin of profit on runs of product. The "sliding scale" introduced by MGM when consent decree selling came into effect was met at first with conflicting exhibitor opinion. There was much vocal protest to the arrangement, but at the same time many smaller exhibitors took to the idea readily. Either way, the form has gone on and apparently is proving fundamentally and functionally sound. Rodgers, at the time he introduced the "sliding scale," frankly told exhibitor groups that his company not only was entitled to but also was going to get its fair share of the business MGM pictures drew to box-offices and from that point on pointed to his company's reputation for fair dealing as a guarantee that its promises would be lived up to in adjustments warranted by the record of returns on specific pictures. Immediately following the cessation of the consent decree's mandatory rule of selling no more than five pictures in any one block, MGM enlarged its blocks to cover as many as twelve features in one selling deal. This was a concession to widespread exhibitor demand for fewer buying deals in any one season by contracts covering a larger block than five pictures. Typical of the general MGM policy is the importance which Rodgers and his company place upon cordial, friendly relations with exhibitors by means of personal contact. One of Rodgers' chief assistants is what in Wall Street parlance is the company's "customers' man." This is H. M. Richey, former exhibitor organization leader, who travels the country constantly, knows and keeps up his acquaintance with exhibitors in all sections and in all types of theatre operation. Rodgers' immediate executive family, likewise, is composed of men who are outstanding as personalities. These men include E. M. Saunders, assistant general sales manager ; John E. Flynn, western sales manager; E. K. O'Shea, eastern sales manager; John J. Maloney, central sales manager. Let's Nol Miss the Boat in Selling Newsreels,' Urges May Importance of nev^'sreels today was well emphasized by Edward May, Schine's citj" manager at Lexington, Ky.. in a recent letter to other Schine managers in that community. Wrote May, in part : "Every man, woman and child in our country today is affected by events happeniog all over the world hourly. We have the opportunity and privilege of bringing these events to them in most interesting and easiest method to understand — visually. Let's not miss the boat on anything so obvious." Art Work for Red Ryder Ads Art work by Fred Harman creator of the popular NEA comic strip Red Ryder which appears in more than 700 newspapers throughout the country is being used by Republic in newspaper advertisements on subjects in the Red Ryder series. . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . .