Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

10 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 13, 1945 Supreme Court Denies Crescent Rehearing The United States Supreme Court early this week denied the appeal of the Crescent Amusement Co., for a rehearing in its appeal from the Tennessee Circuit Court's ruling upholding the Government's anti-trust suit against Crescent and its affiliates. Last month the high court upheld the decision rendered by the Tennessee Circuit Court by a five to one decision, with three members not participating. The opinion, written by Justice William 0. Douglas, ruling that Crescent may not expand without prior court sanction and must cut all its ties with the several other circuits jointly owned by them, automatically strengthened the provisions as requested by the Government. Crescent filed a petition last week for rehearing, predicating it on three alleged errors of fact. Not only did the Supreme Court refuse to grant the petition, but also offered no discussion of it. Th ere s a Limit Republic to Continue Program of Expansion Plans for continued Republic expansion, with particular reference to immediate expansion in Latin America, were outlined at the second-day session Tuesday of the three-day Republic sales conference by Herbert J. Yates, Sr., chairman of the board, in a report to district and branch sales managers and home office personnel meeting at the New York Athletic Club with James R. Grainger, president and general sales manager, presiding. Operations in addition to the newly established offices in Peru and Colombia will be announced, Yates said, following a meeting with Morris Goodman, vice-president in charge of foreign sales, who recently returned from a threemonths' trip through Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Cuba He added that expansion in other countries throughout the world will naturally have to await international clarification. Following Wednesday's meeting, Yates, Grainger, district sales managers and a home office group left for Chicago for the three-day conference at the Blackstone Hotel, Jan. 11-13. Branch managers scheduled to be present at the Chicago meeting include Winfield Snelson, Atlanta ; Harold Laird, Tampa ; J. H. Dillon, Charlotte ; L. V. Seicshnaydre, New Orleans; Lew H. Andres, 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 Robert F. Withers, franchise holder in Kansas City. Cocktail Party for Schildkraut Newspaper, magazine and trade press representatives attended a cocktail party at the Waldorf-Astoria Tuesday evening in honor of Joseph Schildkraut, star of Republic's forthcoming "The Amazing Mr. M." The star left Wednesday for the company's Hollywood studios. Universal Declares Dividend The Board of Directors of Universal Pictures Company, Inc., has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share on the stock of the company, payable January 31, 1945, to stockholders of record January 17, 1945. Waves' Release Set for Jan, 26 Paramount's "Here Come the Waves," starring Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton and Sonny Tufts, will have its national release Jan. 26. Disliking the bill featured at the Cameo Theatre, Montreal, a patron gave vent to his feelings by breaking a railing and carving up a couple ( f seats. Cost of his escapade was a night in the cells and damages amounting to $8, awarded to the theatre by Recorder Emmet J. McManamy in Recorder's Court. Star-Making Plan Is Devised by Universal A plan involving a series of institutional advertisements which could be placed by exhibitors on behalf of pictures which introduce new Universal players and personalities has been devised by the company's sales and advertising departments, Vice-President and General Sales Manager W. A. Scully revealed last Friday before leaving for studio conferences. Pointing out that the industry's greatest problem is finding new personalities who have star material, Scully said that Universal is making an appropriation of several hundred thousand dollars to facilitate the star-making plan. Howard R. LeSieur Named U. A. Advertising Manager Howard R. LeSieur, a veteran in the field and long recognized as one of the most able specialists in distributor advertising, this week took over the post of advertising manager of United Artists. LeSieur's appointment to the post was announced over the weekend by Louis Pollock, U. A. director of advertising and publicity. Before joining United Artists in 1933, LeSieur was associated with Buchanan and Company, advertising agency, as contact on the Paramount Pictures account. He handled advertising production for U. A. until his appointment several months ago to sales promotion work and editorship of the United Artists' house organ — position which he relinquished this week to assume his duties as advertising manager for the company. Howard LeSieur Pollock Resigns as UA Ad Head Acceptance of the resignation of Lou Pollock as United Artists director of advertising and publicity by Gradwell L. Sears, general sales manager, was revealed this week. Pollock, who was named to the post last year, left the organization Friday and is expected to announce a new connection shortly. Testimonial to Al Steffes Honoring his efforts on behalf of theatremen and the industry during his 35 years in the business, a testimonial dinner to Al Steffes, retiring chief barker of the Twin City Variety Club which sponsored the affair, was held Friday night (5) at the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis. Ben Berger was chairman. RCA Gets Century Product The Actodector line of theatre-type motor generator sets, produced by the Century Electric Co., St. Louis, will be distributed by Radio Corporation of America. J. J. Fitzgibbons Fitzglbbons Predicts Postwar Benefits Predicting greater beneficial health-giving devices as a result of scientific research for postwar moviegoing audiences, J. J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players-Canadian Corp., commemorating the 25th anniversary of the company's organization at its Quebec headquarters, stressed the industry's ideals in general, and pointed out that the function of moving picture theatres, from his company's viewpoint, is to provide the finest in entertainment at low prices, in comfortable and even luxurious surroundings. Delineating the company's growth from 18 theatres in 1920 to 311 in 1945, Fitzgibbons said it was providing entertainment for more than two million Canadians every week. Theatres will be among the first groups, Fitzgibbons added, to adapt new discoveries as a result of their acceleration due to the war to postwar building programs. Among them, he envisaged the use of new and lighter metals ; the new vibrating system of pouring concrete which will solidify at coldest temperatures in 30 hours ; fluorescent and black light ; electronic plates for the purification of air; germicidal lamps to attain the same purpose, and new carpeting material consisting of spraying wool and latex on concrete floors. Other improvements, he said, would be the introduction of the rollback chair which enables patrons to pass those seated without having to stand up, and the adaptation of walkie-talkie equipment television. Fitzgibbons stressed the importance of television. He promised that his company's audietices would have the opportunity to see it as soon as it was available. Experiments have already proved successful which enabled televized events to be presented on the screen shortly after their occurrence, he noted in conclusion. Newly Formed Lesser Company Sets $5,000,000 Budget for 1945 Organization of a newly formed company to be known as Sol Lesser Productions, Inc., which will spend more than $5,000,000 during 1945 in the production of motion pictures and stage plays was completed in Hollywood this week with Sol Lesser as president, Louis R. Lurie of San Francisco as vice-president, and Jean Hersholt, M. B. Silberberg and Mike Rosenberg as other members of the board of directors. The new company is capitalized at $1,000,000 in California, with banking arrangements for an additional $3,000,000. Bernard Klein Named to Sales Promotion Post at Filmack Bernard Klein, former sales manager of Screen Advertising Service, Chicago, has been appointed sales promotion manager for Filmack Laboratories, a division of Filmack Trailer Co., specializing in industrial and commercial films. Another recent Filmack addition is the appointment of Seymour Kain as director of advertising, with Patricia Dollehan as his assistant. 20th-Fox Named TBA Member Twentieth Century-Fox has been elected an affiliate member of the Television Broadcaster's Association by the association's board of directors, it was announced this week by J. R. Poppele, TBA president.