Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 20, 1945 Selznick, Goldwyn Acquire B*way Astor Completion of plans to use the Astor Theatre as a Broadway showplace for their independently produced films was revealed through a joint statement issued this week by David O. Selznick and Samuel Goldwyn, with Goldwyn's "The Princess and the Pirate," scheduled as the first film to open Feb. 9 under the new arrangement. Selznick International's "Spellbound" is set to follow. Conclusion of the deal, which ended the MGMLoew's theatres long tenure of the Astor, followed several months negotiation between Robert W. Dowling, president of the City Investing Co., Neil Agnew, representing the Selznick interests, and James Mulvey representing Goldwyn. The contract will run a minimum of years with options for renewals. The Astor Theatre Corporation, a subsidiary of City Investing, will operate the theatre with its own personnel and will play Selznick and Goldwyn pictures alternately on a percentage basis with a minimum weekly income guaranteed the theatre. The scale of admission prices will be determined by the producers but probably will be in line with those prevailing on Broadway. The producers are privileged to install outside * pictures in the Astor if either or both do not have a production of their own ready. Both producer representatives stated that the new deal will give them an advantage heretofore denied them in that national advertising campaigns can now be synchronized with the New York launchings of their ace pictures. No cooperative similar arrangements are now planned for other cities, but this does not preclude the possibility of such arrangements being entered into wherever necessary should releasing problems require such action, it was stated. Following the present run of MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis," which closes Feb. 4th, the theatre will be dark for four days, during which time new sound and projection equipment, an additional 200 seats will be installed and the interior modernized. Maurer to Manage Astor Maurice Mauer, long identified with Broadway management, will take over the management and restafiing of the Astor Theatre when it reverts to the Astor Theatre Co. on Feb. 4. Maurer will continue his direction of the Victoria Theatre in the same block and will work under the supervision of Robert Dowling, president of the City Investing Co., owner of the theatre properties. Rites Held for Edward Klein Funeral services were held Tuesday at Riverside Memorial Chapel for Edward Klein, 57, Eastern manager of Ver Halen Publications, motion picture magazines, of Hollywood. Klein died Saturday at Montefiore Hospital, Bronx, after a brief illness. He formerly distributed U. S. films in London and Paris, served as managing director of World-Wide Pictures, Ltd., and was an early president of Ampa. INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Advance Dope 43 Box-Office Slants 10 Current Product Summary 48 Feature Booking Guide 44 Feature Guide Title Index 47 Hcllywood 39 Newsreel Synopses 43 Program Exchange 22 Regional Newsreel 25 Selling the Picture 19 Shorts Booking Guide 49 'Way Tops 10 Best Paramount's "Going My Way," starring Bing Crosby, was voted 1944's best picture by American press and radio reviewers and critics in Film Daily's 23rd annual "Ten Best Pictures" poll. Second place went to 20th Century-Fox's "The Song of Bernadette." Other winning pictures were, in the order named: "Since You Went Away" (UA-Selznick), "Madame Curie" (MGM), "Dragon Seed" (MGM), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (MGM), "Gaslight" (MGM), "A Guy Named Joe" (MGM), "The Story of Dr. Wassell" (Para.) and "Lifeboat" (20th-Fox). Steinberg, Colquhoun Promoted by Grainger Promotion of Nat E. Steinberg and N. J. Colquhoun, Republic branch managers in St. Louis and Dallas, respectively, to posts as Republic district sales managers was announced by James R. Grainger, president and general sales manager, at the closing session of the company's three-day regional sales conference, held last weekend in Chicago at the Blackstone Hotel. Steinberg will cover the Prairie sales district, including St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha, with Colquhoun assigned to the Southwestern sales district, including Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis. The Midwestern sales district, under Will Baker, will cover Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis ; Merritt Davis, Southern district sales manager, will now cover Atlanta, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Tampa; Maxwell Gillis, Eastern district sales manager, will be in charge of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington ; Sam Seplowin, Central district sales manager, will cover Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh ; Jack Davis, New England district sales manager will cover Boston, New Haven, Buffalo, and Albany ; and Francis Bateman, Western district sales manager, will continue to cover Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Denver. Directly following the Chicago session, Herbert J. Yates, Sr., chairman of the board; William Saal, his executive assistant, and Allen Wilson, studio vice-president, left for the coast where the third and last of the sales conferences will be held Jan. 22-23 at the company's North Hollywood studio. Grainger, Edward Walton, assistant general sales manager, and Walter L. Titus, Jr., visited the Kansas City office on their way to the coast meeting. Wylie, UA Salesman, Promoted to Branch Manager at New Haven Ray Wylie, salesman in the United Artists Bufifalo territory, has been promoted to company branch manager at the New Haven exchange, Carl Leserman, UA general sales manager, announced this week. Wylie succeeds William S. Shartin, who has been transferred to the Pittsburgh territory. Morton Magill, UA Pittsburgh branch manager, has been transferred to the Philadelphia office where he succeeded Harry Bodkin, who resigned. Leserman also confirmed the appointment of Jack Wrege as assistant to J. J. Unger, western division manager. RKO Trade Shows Feb. 13-15 RKO Radio has announced trade screenings of five pictures in all territories for Feb. 13 through Feb. 15. Pictures and dates are: "The Enchanted Cottage" and "What a Blonde," Feb. 13 ; "Betrayal From the East" and "Having Wonderful Crime," Feb. 14; "PanAmericana," Feb. IS. Owen Leaves Vanguard To Rejoin Paramount Effective in February, resignation of Hugh Owen as general sales manager of Vanguard Films, Inc., was announced this week, together with confirmation from Charles M. Reagan, Paramount vice-president in charge of sales, that Owen will rejoin Paramount next month as divisional sales manager of the newly created New York and Southern Division. "We are happy to welcome Owen back into the Paramount organization...," Reagan said. "In creating four sales divisions instead of the present two it will be possible for each of our divisional managers to spend more of his time in personal contact with our customers and with our sales force in the field." Under the divisional plan which will go into efifect when Owen rejoins Paramount, the exchanges will be divided as follows : Eastern Division, under the supervision of William Erbb : Boston, New Haven, Albany, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. New York and Southern Division, under the supervision of Hugh Owen : New York and New Jersey, Atlanta, Charlotte and New Orleans. Central Division under the supervision of James J. Donohue: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City and Memphis. Western Division under the supervision of George A. Smith : Kansas City, St. Louis, Des Moines, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City and Omaha. Oscar Morgan will continue as short subjects sales manager for the entire United States. Coe Schedules Speeches for Pittsburgh and Washington Charles Francis (Socker) Coe, counsel of the MPPDA, will continue the series of informational addresses he began two years ago with speeches in Pittsburgh and Washington, D. C. Coe will address the 20th Century Club in Pittsburgh on Jan. 29, the subject being "Why a Million Isn't Much." On Jan. 20th he will address the Advertising Club of Washington, with "Movies at War" as his topic. Harry Cohn (The Man on the Cover) President and in charge of production of Columbia Pictures Corporation and one of the founders of that company. Under his administration, Columbia studios have turned out many of the pictures which stand high in the records as exceptional productions; a record that is to receive another such credit with the release of "A Song to Remember," according to industry observers. 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 Kendall, 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 United 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.