Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

12 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 11, 1944 Urge More Theatre Issu'mg Agencies One of the most important jobs theatres can do for the Treasury Department in the 6th War Loan drive is to service the public as issuing agencies, it is being emphasized by headquarters of the industry's campaign. The steps necessary to obtain issuing agency facilities is as follows: Apply to the Federal Reserve Bank in the area in virhich the theatre is located; the application to be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the chairman of the local WAC. Letter of application should state name of company, whether a partnership, corporation or individual; name of individual authorized to sign forms requesting blank bonds and who will make payment to the Federal Reserve. Such payments must be made to the latter once every 30 days. Details as to the amount of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 1000 dollar bonds the applicant desires will facilitate matters if this data is included with the first letter of application. Theatres whose applications are approved by the Federal Reserve will receive the requested number of blank bonds plus a stamp with date and name of the issuing theatre. Blank bonds are issued without advance payment. Theatre issuing agencies get credit only for "E" bonds. Those which act as sub-issuing agencies do nat get credit for the sale of any of these bonds. Industry United As Never Before for All-Out Bond Drive Effort, Brandt Says With 13 of the scheduled 20 regional key city Sixth War Loan Drive meetings already behind them, members of the National Committee started the second leg of their cross-country tour after a brief layoff in New York. National Chairman Harry Brandt said "I have never seen the various divisions of all branches of the industry so well united as in this Sixth War Loan Drive. Each meeting in itself was an inspiration and the enthusiasm shown by more than 4,500 showmen attending these various meetings makes me more than confident that we will exceed our quota in this drive. From pledges I have received I am more than ever convinced that we will top all previous industry efforts with Free Movie Day shows on December 7. During the Fourth Loan Drive, 3,403 such showings were arranged, the Fifth Drive accounted for 7,770 and for the Sixth War Loan Drive I will go on record that we will have between 10,000 and 12,000 theatres actively participate in National Free Movie Day." Ned E. Depinet, chairman of the Distributors' Division, at each of the key city meetings, expressed complete confidence in the ability of his division to put forth their greatest efforts on behalf of the Sixth War Loan Drive. National Committee members in addition to Brandt and Depinet, who completed the first leg of the tour included William F. Crockett, national vice-chairman; John Hertz, Jr., national publicity director and representatives from both the Treasury and War Finance Departments. Meetings attended by the various members of the National Committee were held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Omaha, Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Hartford. Among the coming meetings scheduled are the following : Boston, at the Statler on November 10 ; Charlotte at the Charlotte Hotel on November 13; Philadelphia at the Warwick Hotel on Don't Hold Trailers! Because the raw stock situation is again serious the supply of Jennifer Jones and Eddie Bracken 6th War Loan trailers is limited. To get around this it will be necessary for all exhibitors to return these trailers immediately after showing to local National Screen Service exchanges so they can be routed to other theatres. It is urgent that 100 per cent coverage be realized. Do your part! November 13; in Baltimore on November 14 at the Belvedere and in New York City on November 17 at the Hotel Astor, Recordings of Bond Song Being Shipped to Theatres Records of the Sixth War Loan Campaign Song are being shipped to theatres for the opening of the drive which gets under way November 20 through December 16. The recordings of "Buy a Bond Today," written by Milton Berle and Hal Block, was recorded by Ray Block and his 21-piece orchestra with Milton Berle singing the lyric. Ted Lloyd, radio director for the drive, stated that Eli Oberstein, president of Classic Records, has donated his company's quota of vital material necessary for the pressings. Latta Zones Territory To Increase Bond Sales In order to facilitate bond sales during the Sixth War Loan Drive in his territory, C. J. Latta, New York State chairman, has effected a divisional setup with co-chairmen to head each division. Latta has appointed the following to act as co-chairmen : Wm. Smalley, Central Albany; Wm. Benton, Eastern Albany ; Henry Grossman, Southern Albany ; Andy Roy and Charles Gordon, Utica ; Guy Graves and Sidney Dwore, Schenectady; Sid Sommer and Milton Schosberg, Troy. Bond Premiere Booking Squadron Tours Oregon Portland, Ore.— O. J. Miller, state exhibitor chairman for the Sixth War Loan Drive, has organized Oregon's Wrecking Crew consisting of the following men : A'lark McDougald, Warners; J. T. Warren, MGM ; C. E. Tillman, Columbia ; George DeW ade, Paramount ; W. F. Patterson, 20th Century-Fox, and Jack Kloepper. Star Film Exchange. Free Movie Day Every Day! Media, Pa. — Harry Dembow, who operates theatres here and in Columbia and Marcus Hook, isn't waiting for National Free Movie 'Day on December 7 — he is publicizing the fact that any person who buys a Bond at his theatres during the Entire Drive will be admitted free at any time. Showmen Jumping Gun to Set Bond Record Theatremen in various areas of the country are priming their campaigns for big results in the forthcoming Sixth War Loan Drive, opening Nov. 20 and continuing to Dec. 16, it is revealed by the volume and quality of campaign outline being distributed from local headquarters in all territories of the country. Some of the special campaign bulletins prepared by the local WAC exhibitor and publicity chairmen are more elaborate than many a complete circuit bulletin issued for a special attraction playing the company's several theatres. These more elaborate works of condensed showmanship ideas to apply to the sale of War Bonds are not characteristic of any one section of the country. Notable examples have cropped up from Coast to Coast. In addition to the outlined activities recom■ mended for special application in particular areas, there is also evidence of marked enthusiasm and aggressiveness to increase the sale of War Bonds on the part of individual showmen and local groups. Big-Time Tieup to Boost Los Angeles Bond Premiere With a determination to top every success of the Fifth War Loan, showmen of Southern California expect that a minimum of 250 bond premieres will be held in the area for the Sixth War Loan. Highlighting this phase of the campaign in Los Angeles will be a tie-up between the large retail stores and theatres in the downtown metropolitan area. Tentatively set for Monday night, December 11, this promotion will take the form of "Bond Night in Downtown Los Angeles." The stores will advertise and publicize the fact that they will have tickets available for bond premieres to be held simultaneously that night in 10 theatres downtown. Legion Tieup in Philadelphia There is an extensive exploitation campaign under way in Philadelphia, with a wide variety of stunts to build up the sale of War Bonds. One of the more notable of the many outstanding features is based on a tieup with all local sc'nools and the American Legion posts. Boys and girls registered with local theatres who sell the greatest amount of bonds will receive special American Legion honor medals. Two hundred medals have been pledged for this stunt by 62 Legion Posts. A special committee will visit each school and speak before their various assemblies— thus reaching more than 250,000 school children who will become active in the drive. $1000 Bond Premiere Reading, Pa. — During the Sixth War Loan Drive, this city will again do the unusual, according to Lester Stallman, manager of the Astor Theatre here. On December 4 at the Warner Theatre, a Thousand Dollar Per Seat Premiere will be held. Admittance to the theatre will be only through the purchase of a $1,000 Bond. The same premiere will again be repeated during the week of December 18. N. Y. Bond Premiere a Sellout The first of New York's Sixth War Loan bond shows, the world premiere of MGM's "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" scheduled for Wednesday night, November 15, will be a complete sell-out, according to Herman Landwehr, manager of the Capitol Theatre.