Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE R E \ ' I W October 7, 1944 PREVIEW. Accompanied by Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Henry Morgenthau, who are among the notables sponsoring the Army at War exhibit, view the paintings and drawings at a preview in New York. War Department Art Caravan to Exhibit In Theatres During Country -Wide Tour Charles Skouras With the opening oi a three-week exhibition a" lUU paintings and drawings by famous artists on October 11 at the Roxy Theatre, New York, one of the most unusual «| ^^jj^gmmmmt caravans of the war will Mfc-^jP|BB|^W^ get under way. These ■^^p^^^^^ : ^Qj-j^g Qf art depicting W^K'.. ' various phases of the war and executed on the spot by artists assigned by the War Department. The 100 pictures cover every theatre of the war and are designed to give the onlooker a more impressionistic reaction of a scene than is possible through the exact eye of the camera. Known officially as The .\rmy at War Art Exhibition and sponsored by a committee headed by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mrs. Henry Morgenthau, Jr., the VicePresident and Mrs. Wallace, and the Chief Justice and Mrs. Stone, the caravan of pictures will be shown in the mezzanine of the Roxy for three weeks and then begin a tour of the country covering 28 cities of 300,000 or more population. Purpose of the caravan is not only to arouse enthusiasm for Sixth War Loan, but also — as Secretary of War Stimson puts it — "to inspire a proud determination in all Americans to become an active part of this war in every possible way." The exhibition is being presented by the U. S. Treasury Department and the War Department under the sponsorship of the committee. In working out the plans, Mrs. Morgenthau, Ted .R. Gamble, director of the War Finance Division of the Treasury Department, and their associates decided that the exhibition would be seen by the most people if it could be displayed in theatres. Accordingly, Charles P. Skouras, national chairman for the motion picture industry during the Fourth War Loan, was asked to enlist the support of film leaders in making and executing plans for the tour. As chairman of a newly-formed executive committee, Skouras obtained the aid of leaders in the film, industry, as well as commanding generals of the nine service areas, and outstanding persons in the fields of publishing, education, radio and finance. Because the exhibition is free to the public. it was decided to use theatres where possible, but if not feasible the exhibition would be transferred to some other building more suitable and yet near theatres where tie-up announcements could be made. After the three weeks in New York the art caravan will show for two weeks each in Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles. In all other cities the exhibition is scheduled for one week. An inaugural preview of the exhibition was held in New York last Friday. Monogram Launches Sales Drive Monogram has launched a sales and collections drive which, at the end of six months, will result in distribution of $14,350 to its exchanges throughout the country, according to Steve Broidy, vice-president and general manager. The event will be known as the Monogram Victory Parade. Prizes will be awarded in two categories, one based on sales results, the other on collections. The contest is the most ambitious ever undertaken by Monogram, Broidy said. RKO Radio Foreign Changes Phil Reisman, RKO Radio vice-president in charge of foreign distribution, has announced that Joseph Bellfort, member of the legal staff, has been assigned by General Counsel Gordon E. Youngman, to the foreign department. Also that Edmund F. (Ned) Clarke, assistant manager of RKO Radio's Argentine office, has been transferred from Buenos Aires to the home office. He has been in foreign distribution for the past seven years. Bala ban 'Sees' Son Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, got the thrill of his life recently when he saw his son, Sgt. Burt Balaban, in two Paramount releases of fighting in the South Pacific. Sgt. Balaban is a member of a Marine Corps combat photographers group which has lost six of its original 17 members. The elder Balaban saw his son in clips taken during the Guam action by Damien Parer, who was later killed in the Peleliu Island invasion. Young Balaban has participated in the assaults on Truk, Wake, the Marianas and Guam, among others. Delay Decree Hearing The possibility of court hearings on the Government's motion for a modified consent decree seemed far off indeed this week when inquiry at the office of Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard of the U. S. District Court for the Southern district of N. Y. disclosed that the judge was not aware of the motion which had been filed August 7. Apparently the court clerk had not yet notified the judge of the Government's motion. In the ordinary course of events the motion will be held up for several months until Judge Goddard reaches it on his calendar, although there is a possibility that his schedule might be revised to permit a hearing sooner. Second Paramount '44'45 Block Marks Return of Alan Ladd Paramount's second block for 1944-45, as announced this week by Charles M. Reagan, vice-president in charge of distribution, contains four pictures, one of which marks the return to the screen of Alan Ladd after two years in the Army. The list follows : "Frenchman's Creek," in Technicolor, with Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Cordova, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Cecil Kellaway, Ralph Forbes. Tradeshown October 23. "And Now Tomorrow," with Alan Ladd, Loretta Young, Sam Hayward. From novel by Rachel Field. Tradeshown October 16. "Ministry of Fear," mystery with Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, and Carl Esmond. Tradeshown October 17. "The Man in Half Aloon Street," with Nils Asther and Helen Walker. Tradeshown October 16. "One Body Too Many," with Jack Haley and Jean Parker. Tradeshown October 17. "Sign of the Cross," revised edition of the Cecil DeMille special. Tradeshown October 16. Bruce Gallup Named to Post With David Weshner Associates Bruce Gallup, long identified with the advertising and publicity ends of the motion picture industry, has joined David Weshner Associates, the recently-formed film advertising and publicity organization. He is expected to have charge of production. Formerly STR trade relations head. Gallup has also been an executive with such companies as First National, United Artists, W. W. Hodkinson, Columbia, Universal and Donohue & Co., advertising agency handling local and national advertising for MGM and Loew's. MGM Plans Third Field Meeting MGM's "Commando Crew,'' made up of office managers, field auditors, and other field contacts, will hold the last of three meetings October 21-23 at the Netherlands Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. Trade Screenings Announced Trade screenings of International's "The Woman in the Window," starring Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett with Raymond Massey, will be held by RKO Radio Monday, October 9. All screenings will be held at 2 :30 p.m. with the follovi'ing exceptions : New York, 10 :30 a.m. and 2 :30 p.m. ; Sioux Falls, at 10 :30 a.m. ; St. Louis, on Tuesday, October 10, at 2:30 p.m. The New York showing will he at the Normandie Theatre. Gehring Stricken in St. Louis \V. C. Gehring, Western sales manager for 20th Century-Fox, was stricken while in St. Louis this week during a regular field trip and was rushed to the Barnes Hospital. At last renorts lie was doing nicelv.