Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

January 20, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 7 M'Cormick Home From Conferences at Studio S. Barret McCormick, RKO Radio director of advertising and publicity, returned early this week from a 21-day trip '.o the studio where he conferred with Charles W. Koerner, vice-president m charge of production, and Perry Lieber, studio publicity chief, on promotional campaigns for forthcoming productions. The discussions included plans for an elaborate advertising and exploitation campaign for "Murder, My Sweet," starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley, which will include a number of key-city personal appearances by Powell. Plans were also discussed for large-scale campaigns on such finished major productions as "The Enchanted Cottage" and "The Spanish Main," and for International's Sonja Henie starrer, "It's a Pleasure" ; Samuel Goldwyn's Danny Kaye vehicle, "Wonder Man" and Walt Disney's Technicolor production, "The Three Caballeros." S. Barret McCormick Warners Create New District In South, Southwest Territory With a view toward providing more efifective concentration of sales and distributing services to meet customer needs in one of the largest trading areas in the United States, Warners' southern and southwestern distribution map has been altered to provide two district offices in place of the present single headquarters in Atlanta, Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager, announced Wednesday. Atlanta will remain as the head office of the newly designated Southeastern District, with Ralph McCoy continuing as district manager of the sales area covering the Atlanta, Charlotte and New Orleans branch offices. The newly created Southwest District has been set up under Doake Roberts, promoted from Dallas manager, with headquarters in that city. This district will also take in the Oklahoma City and Memphis branches. J. W. Loewe, Oklahoma City branch manager, has been promoted to Dallas branch manager, with J. B. Sokley, Chicago salesman, being elevated to the Oklahoma City managership. All changes are effective Monday (22nd). Taskow, Others Promoted in Warner Jersey Theatres A series of promotions in the Warner Bros. New Jersey theatre organization were announced this week, following the appointment of Robert M. Taskow, former district manager, to a post in the advertising department of the New York office. Ed Batlan, former manager of the Branford, succeeds Taskow as district manager, while Lou Stein moves over from the Regent, Elizabeth, to the Branford in Newark, replacing Batlan. Maurice Ingram transfers from the Sanford, Irvington, to Elizabeth, and is replaced by Edward Kane, formerly of the Cranford, Cranford. Kane is succeeded in Cranford by John Cronheim, formerly a relief manager. Plaque Presented to Ullman Paying tribute to his work in fostering tolerance in America, specifically in "New Americans," a recent release in the RKO-This Is America series, the American Civil Liberties Union presented a plaque to Frederic Ullman, Jr., president of Pathe News, in ceremonies at the Esquire Theatre in Chicago on Wednesday. Raw Stock Meet Feb. 1 Raw film stock allocation for the first and second quarters of 1945 will be determined at a meeting scheduled Feb. 1, in Washington, between industry representatives and the War Production Board. While the yardstick points sharply to an overall 10 per cent reduction for entertainment films, a solution to the nettlesome problem is expected at this meeting, and is contingent on the industry's recommendations which have been submitted in the interim to the WPB. The Government agency is reported to be seeking a formula through its findings which will be acceptable to the distributors. 'What's Your Name' a Challenging WAC Short Stimulating an upsurge of patriotic "do your part" appeal and instituting a challenge to Americans whose active part in the war effort has been notable by its absence, "What's Your Name" was screened for trade press reviewers recently. The 9 J4 -minute short subject, made by the Army Pictorial Service, Signal Corps, at the special request of the War Department to stimulate labor recruiting, was released nationally by 20th Century-Fox for the WAC on January 18. The film shows the infantry fighting, walking, eating and sleeping in mud, snow and the other vicissitudes of combat and builds up the men and women of the production lines as partners of the soldiers in the prosecution of the war. It challenges, without pulling any punches, Americans not doing their part in this monumental job. The picture's final title reads: "If you never had a war job — get one!" Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, Regional Director of the War Manpower Commission, and Sam Dembow, Jr., Consultant to the Secretary of War, were present at the screening and added to the urgings of Robert E. Patterson, Under Secretary of War, and Lt. Gen. Brehon Somervell, who previously had joined in an appeal to the WAC to provide widespread showings of the short subject. Ver Meulen New General Sales Manager of American Seating James V. Ver Meulen has been appointed general sales manager of American Seating Company, following the resignation of E. P. Whitley, it was announced by H. M. Taliaferro, president. Mr. Ver Meulen, who formerly was manager of the Eastern Division, took over his new duties following his tenure of office as superintendent of operations of the company's war production program at the company's factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Damage Suit Halted For Murray Records Seven of 13 defendants were dismissed this week by Federal Judge William Holly in Chicago's Federal Court in the $1 million damage suit instituted against the majors by Thomas Murray alleging conspiracy to deprive his Thalia Theatre from obtaining films. Dismissed were Paramount, Warners, Columbia, Universal, Monogram, Balaban & Katz, Morris Leonard, B & K counsel, and Louis Rheinheimer. The six remaining defendants include MGM, 20th-Fox, RKO, Capitol Film Exchange, John Manta, the Milo Theatre, and Van Nomikos. In dismissing the seven defendants. Judge Holly ruled there was no evidence offered by the plaintiff to connect them with the alleged conspiracy. A recess was ordered by Federal Judge William Holly in Chicago's Federal Court this week in the $1 million damage suit by Thomas Murray, former Chicago neighborhood theatre owner, against 10 distributors and others, until Murray can present to the court more detailed records which would establish the measure of damages on the basis of business done in the years just prior to 1941, when Murray went out of business, than in 1924-25, which is the premise from which the plaintiff's attorneys proceeded. Earlier in the trial Judge Holly turned down pleas from Harold Norman, Murray's attorney, to admit as evidence film contracts by which he hoped to show that defendants had conspired to keep important pictures out of Murray's Thalia Theatre. Testifying for his father, Lester Murray, an attorney by profession, said that the Nomiko.i Circuit had put "the heat" on his father by informing the majors that if the Thalia got films before the circuit's Milo Theatre, Nomikos would stop purchasing from the distributors for its 14 theatres. Subsequently, in order to attract patronage, the younger Murray declared that the Thalia's admission scale was slashed Wednesdays and Thursdays and dishes given out. As a last resort, Murray had to buy cheaper product, the younger Murray's testimony revealed, drawing a fair volume of business until the Milo management started to buy up the product from these companies, which were never played but shelved. An offer of $27,500 was made by Nomikos and John L. Manta, Milo owner, to lease the Thalia for 10 years^ the son also testified, but was turned down, he said, because of obligations to other tenants, by the senior Murray, who is also landlord of the premises. Skouras, Connors to Address Allied Board Meet at Columbus Marking one of few occasions when chief executives of a major company have made personal appearances at an Allied directors' meeting, Spyros P. Skouras and Tom J. Connors, president and vice-president, respectively, of 20th Century-Fox, are scheduled to address national Allied's board meeting in Columbus, O., next week. Skouras and Connors will speak at a closed board dinner on Wednesday night, it is understood. Feb. 17 Release for 'Burma' "Objective Burma," next Errol Flynn starrer, has been set for national release February 17 by Warner Bros. Reagan on Trip to Coast; Will Visit District Offices Charles M. Reagan left New York Thursday (18th) for Chicago on the first leg of a trip to the company's Hollywood studio since taking over his post as vice-president in charge of distribution for Paramount. He will visit the nine sales district headquarters of the company and hold restricted sales meetings with key executives in the districts and also with resident exhibitors and theatre representatives. He is due to arrive in Hollywood on Monday (22nd) for conferences on future production plans with Y. Frank Freeman and Henry Ginsberg and also will discuss production with Paramount's independent producers — Hal B. Wallis, B. G. De Sylva, Cecil B. DeMille and William Pine and William Thomas. Accompanying the Paramount sales chief on the trip will be George A. Smith, Western division manager, and Claude Lee, director of public relations. The party was to be joined in Chicago by R. M. Gillham, director of publicity and advertising, who will make the trip to the Coast.