Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 6, 1945 Product Situation Parallels Shortage Levels oF Last Year FirstHalfof1944.45 Brought Nearly Equal Number of Films/ Further Slow-Up Is Looked For Figures on number of features released from the start of the current season (beginning in July) througii January do not entirely reflect the product shortages which have plagued smaller theatres and bookers for subsequent runs in the larger circuits alike during the past six months. Actually, the number of features released for the period, July through January, is approximately the same as for the equivalent period last year — 143 features and one re-issue this year as compared with 145 and four reissues a year ago. General prediction — from all quarters of the industry — is that there will be fewer features released during the current season than in 194344. This conclusion is inescapable in view of the sustained drawing power of pictures at the key run houses and lengthened engagements which force product to back up in most territories. That condition also is reflected in the slowing up of production, as indicated by comparison of the number of pictures now before the cameras in comparison to studio activity at the same period last season — when there were some thirtyodd more features in work than at present. The backlog of pictures completed and awaiting release, on the other hand, this year exceeds the number in that category in January, 1944. Company by company, the eleven distributors maintained about even figures in the number of features released this season as compared with the first seven months of the '43-'44 season. 20th-Fox dropped down about five pictures from the number released for the period last year ; RKO Radio, 3; PRC, 5; MGM, 2; UA, 3. The product picture as revealed by STR booking and production data shows the following approximate position of the eleven companies with respect to the number of pictures released, or definitely committed for release during the current month, for the 1944-1945 season: Columbia — 15 released; 11 completed (awaiting release) ; 3 in production. MGM — 13 released ; 17 completed and 8 in production. Monogram— 11 released; 6 completed. Paramount — 16 released ; 13 completed ; 9 in production. PRC— 12 released ; 4 completed. RKO Radio— 13 released; 14 completed; 8 in production. Republic — 9 released ; 19 completed ; 4 in production. 20th-Fox — 13 released (plus limited pre-release runs of "Wilson" and "The Song of Bernadette) ; 9 completed ; 6 in production. INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Advance Dope 54 Box-Office Slants 15 Current Product Summary 59 Feature Booking Guide 55 Feature Guide Title Index 58 Hollywood 53 Newsreel Synapses 49 Program Exchange 22 Regional Newsreel 23 Selling the Picture 18 Shorts Booking Guide 60 Short Subject Reviews 51 STR Index for 1944 48 Theatre Equipment and Maintenance 31 The Show Builder 50 United Artists— 11 released; 8 completed; 4 in production. Universal— 21 released; 21 completed ; 4 in production. Warner Bros. — 9 released; 16 completed; 6 in production. Western series and short subject releases maintain about the same balance as for the previous season and are expected to continue on that basis. It has been rumored that some companies would curtail their shorts program, but up to this writing there has been denial rather than confirmation that such would be the case. However, the raw stock situation at present is such that reconsideration of studio schedules may be the subject of product discussions at this time. The cut in raw stock for the first quarter of 1945 may act as a further deterrent to the release of product ready for market but for which there is a tight first run situation to make further hold-back advisable. The same film shortage or limitation cannot result in any appreciable gain in the number of re-issues. As a matter of fact the reverse effect can be looked for, because distributors are not likely to use positive stock for pictures commanding rental that is relatively small by comparison with prices that can be had for new pictures in the vaults and ready for the printing job at laboratories supplying the positives necessary for general release. First Group of MGM Exploiteers To Visit Home Office Jan. 8 First group of three MGM exploiteers scheduled to arrive in New York for a week's visit with department heads and MGM affiliations under a plan recently announced by Howard Dietz, vice-president and director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, and William R. Ferguson, director of exploitation, will include J. E. Watson, who covers the Cincinnati territory ; Charles C. Deardourff, who covers the Cleveland territory, and Norman Linz, who works out of the Indianapolis exchange. The men will arrive January 8. Visits of the other 31 field representatives are being lined up and from time to time it is planned to have three or more men at the home office at one time. Henderson Elected Director And Treasurer of 20th-Fox Donald A. Henderson has been elected Director and Treasurer of 20th Century-Fox, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sydney Towell, who died on December 9. Mr. Henderson has been active in the financial affairs of 20th-Fox since 1926, and was a friend of many years standing of the late Mr. Towell. He began his business career in the buying department of Halsey Stuart and Co., in New York in 1936, later joining the industrial department of Lehman Bros. Warner Trade Show Jan. 22 Warner Bros, have set January 22 as the trade show date for screenings in all territories of "Objective, Burma," Errol Flynn starrer which is tentatively scheduled for release in midFebruary. James R. Grainger Republic Regional Meets To Discuss New Product Discussion of a tentative production schedule covering pictures to be filmed during the next three months will feature the' series of three regional meetings of Republic's sales organization. James R. Grainger, president, this week announced that Republic's home office executives will gather with district and branch managers and salesmen in New York, Chicago and Hollywood during January. The regional meets will start in New York next Monday (Jan. 8), to be followed by the Chicago gathering starting Jan. 11, and be concluded with the confabs scheduled to be held at the Republic North Hollywood studio on Jan. 22-23. Herbert J. Yates, Sr., chairman of the board of Republic Pictures, will address all sessions, with Sales Head Grainger presiding at the three meetings. E. L. Walton, assistant general sales manager, also will attend all three meetings. The home office will be represented at the New York meeting by Walter L. Titus, Jr., Albert Schiller, Si Borus, E. H. Seifert, A. E. Fox, Fred W. Franke, Charles Reed Jones and Steve Edwards, with the New England, Eastern and Central divisions, headed by district sales managers Jack Davis, Maxwell GiUis and Sam Seplowin, respectively, and branch managers Arthur Newman, Albany; Jack Bellman. Buffalo; Jerome Lewis, New Haven; Joseph Engel, Philadelphia; Jake Flax, Washington; Sam P. Gorrel, Cleveland; George H. Kirbv, Cincinnati; I. H. Pollard, Detroit; E. H. Brauer, Indianapolis; Sydney Lehman, Pittsburgh; A. Weiner, Boston and Grover C. Schaefer, New York, in attendance. A. W. Perry, general manager of Empire Universal Films, Ltd., Republic's Canadian distributors, and A. J. Laurie, Republic Canadian sales manager will attend both the New York and Chicago meets. Southern District Sales Manager Merritt Davis, Western District Sales Manager Francis Bateman, and branch managers Winfield Snelson, Atlanta ; Harold Laird, Tampa; J. H. Dillon, Charlotte; L. V. Seicshnaydre. New Orleans ; Lew H. Andrews, Memphis ; N. J. Colquhoun, Dallas; Glen Alt, Oklahoma City; William Feld, Des Moines; J. G. Frackman, Milwaukee; W. M. Grant, Minneapolis; Harry Lefholtz, Omaha; Nat E. Steinberg, St. Louis; and Franchise Holder Robert F. Withers, Kansas City, and Special representatives J. V. Scully, G. D. Milford, and John A. Alexander will attend the Chicago meetings. The Coast session at the company's studio will be attended by Messrs, Yates, Grainger, and Walton, Western District Sales Manager Francis Bateman, and men from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Salt Lake City. Levy in Disney Publicity Post Charles Levy, formerly manager of RKO Radio's special feature division, this week took over as director of publicity in the New York office of Walt Disney Productions. Goldwyn Centralizes N. Y. Offices Samuel Goldwyn's New York offices were centralized into one early this week on the eighth floor of the RKO Building, 1270 Sixth Avenue. Heretofore the business office was located at 729 Seventh Avenue, the editorial department at 424 Madison Avenue, and the publicity and advertising department was established in the RKO Building. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Title and Trade Mark Registered U. S. Patent Office Published every Friday by Showmen's Trade Review Inc., 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Telephone BRyant 9-5606. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis, Editor and Publisher; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; James A. Cron, General Manager; Ralph Cokain, Managing Editor; David Harris, Business and Circulation Manager; Harold Rendall, Equipment Advertising Manager; West Coast Office, 6777 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood 28, California; Telephone Hollywood 2055. Ann Lewis, manager. Ed Raiden, West Coast Editor. London Representative, Milton Deane, 185 Fleet St., London E.C. 4; Australian Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., Homebush, Sydney, Australia. Subscription rates per year $2.00 in the Unit»d States and Canada; Foreign, $5.00. Single copies, ten cents. Address all Communications to : SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y.