Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

Novciiihcr 7,V, 10-/ 1 S II O \V M EN'S TRADE REVIEW 7 N. M. Schcnck Heads 1945 Dimes Campaign National Chairman Nicholas M. Schenck announced Wednesday that the motion picture industry's 1945 March of Dimes drive will take place for one week, January 25 to 31st, inclusive. In a letter paying tribute to the motion picture industry. President Roosevelt has again named Nicholas M. Schenck, president of Loew's, Inc.. to serve as national chairman of the film industry's 1945 March of Dimes drive. This will be Schenck's fourth term as head of the infantile paralysis campaign. The drive in motion picture theatres will take place the latter part of January. In the previous motion picture drives, movie audiences have contributed over $8,500,000. In the 1944 drive, when $4,667,000 was collected, solicitation was made in over 11,000 theatres with nearly 9,000,000 seats. They averaged 54c per seat. „ -j . "Since I saw you on September 7th," wrote President Roosevelt to Mr. Schenck, "I've had a chance to review the report you gave me at that time showing details of the results of the Motion Picture Theatres' March of Dimes last January. As I write, this year's incidence of infantile paralysis already exceeds that reported during the entire year of 1943. . . . It's obvious, therefore, that the splendid work you, your committee, the motion picture owners and the entire industry have done for those stricken with this disease assumes an especial significance at this particular time. "I fully realize that this great humanitarian accomplishment was the result of all of you devoting great time and effort to the crusade against a devastating disease. It is a crusade that will not cease until we have won victory — to the attainment of which the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis is dedicated. Aided by the generous support of the American people and by the continuing interest and cooperation of the Motion Picture Industry, that day of victory draws ever closer." Nicholas Schenck 90 Pre-Release Dates For Together Again' Columbia has booked more than 90 pre-release engagements for "Together Again," romantic comedy starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer with Charles Coburn. The Columbia picture has been booked to play, starting November 14, in the following key-run situations prior to its national release December 22 : Boise, Idaho ; Great Falls, Montana ; Springfield, 111. ; Detroit ; Duluth, Minn. ; Wheeling, W. Va. ; San Francisco ; Oakland, Calif. ; Nashville ; Boston ; Syracuse and Rochester, N. Y. ; Dallas; Denver; Indianapolis; Louisville; New Haven, Conn.; Shreveport, La.; Klamath Falls, Ore. ; Pittsburgh ; Mobile, Ala. ; Kansas City, Mo. ; Newport News, Va, ; Richmond ; Baltimore ; Manchester, N. H. ; Ashville, N. C. ; Cincinnati ; Cheyenne, Wyo. ; Leavenworth, Kan.; Milwaukee; Cleveland. Also : Superior, Wise. ; Parkersburg, W. Va. ; Springrfield, Ohio ; Columbia, Mo. ; Stockton and Sacramento, Calif. ; Columbus, Ohio ; Bridgeport, Conn. ; Eureka, Antioch, Modesto, and San Rafael, Calif. ; Huntington, W. Va. ; Portsmouth, Ohio ; Newark, Ohio; Johnstown, Penna. ; Baton Rouge, La.; Pensacola, Fla. ; Youngstown, Ohio; Springfield, Mass.; Elmira and Ithaca, N. Y. ; East Liverpool, Ohio ; Greensburg, Uniontown, Altoona, Oil City, and State College, Pa. ; Norfolk and Roanoke, Va. ; Cumberland, Md. ; Petersburg, Va. ; Pittsfield, Mass. ; Richmond and Muncie, Ind. ; Fresno, Calif. ; St. Joseph and Jefferson City, Mo. ; Lawrence, Mass. ; Miami, Fla. ; Zanesville, Marion and Mansfield, Ohio ; Harrisburg and AUentown, Pa. and Norwich, Conn. Humanitarian A ward To Corde II Hull Secretary of State Cordell Hull will be the recipient on Friday, November 24, of the Variety Clubs of America Humanitarian Award for 1944, it was announced this week by R. J. O'Donnell, National Chief Barker. The presentation, honoring Secretary Hull for "his tireless efforts in behalf of world peace," will be made at a ceremony and dinner in the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D. C, which will highlight a two-day business meeting of the Variety Clubs. The presentation will be made by Albert Kennedy Rowswell, chairman of the Humanitarian Awards Committee of the Variely Clubs, and John H. Harris, one of the founders of the organization that is known as 'The Heart of Show Business." 1352 Bond Premieres Set; 6tli Ahead of Prior Drives in Exhibitor Participation Heartened by the success of pledges for 1352 bond premieres, members of the industry's National Committee for the 6th War Loan Drive arrived this week in New York for the final key city regional meeting there. Before entraining for New York, Harry Brandt, national chairman for the industry's campaign, told an assembly of exhibitors and exchange men at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore that 1352 bond premieres had already been set with more to follow. "Up until now," Brandt declared, "pledges from exhibitors everywhere on premieres, children's matinees, national free movie day shows, and also the increase in theatre issuing agents, has exceeded the number recorded in any previous drive. From all indications, the special events program for the 6th War Loan Drive will have more exhibitor participants than ever before." While all exchange cities had not been heard from, Dallas was leading the country in the number of bond premieres, and national free movie day shows combined, while Boston was leading the nation in national free movie day shows. The national figures on all three events up until now stand at : bond premieres 1352, of which 257 are located in towns of 7500 or under ; children's matinees 332, of which 61 are set for smaller towns and national free movie day shows 2515. In Boston a record assemblage of over 450 exhibitors, distributors, and war finance leaders from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island, met with the national committee at the Hotel Statler. Other meetings this week reflected the same mass demonstration of exhibitor support for the drive at regional gatherings. The Philadel 'St. Louis' Premiere Nov. 22 MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis" will have its world premiere at Loew's State in St. Louis on Nov. 22. THANKS TO U. S. INDUSTRY. A message of thanks from General Sir Thomas Blamey, Commander in Chief, Australian Military Forces, to the film industry of the U. S., is handed to Will Hays by F. McNeil Ackland, of the M.P. Distributors Association of Australia, at the New York offices of the MPPDA. The letter signed by General Blamey expressed "genuinely grateful appreciation" for what the U. S. film industry has .done to entertain "our military forces since the beginning of hostilities." phia meeting, for example, drew representatives from Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware to the tune of a 500 attendance of exhibitors and exchange men as plans for the area were drawn up in final form. New York Kickoff Winds Up Regional Get-Togethers New York City's film circles buzzed all week as final preparations took shape for the Bond campaign gathering of exhibitors and distributor representatives on Friday (17th). The meeting was to take place practically in the shadow of the giant replica of the Statue of Liberty erected in Times Square as a focal point of the City's War Bond center. An attendance of 1200 theatre managers and film executives were to assemble at the Hotel Astor for the meeting that will wind up the national tour of the National Committee in preparation for the Sixth War Loan • Campaign launching on November 20. The events planned for the New York meet included a "Salute to the Navy," with a motorized convoy of 6 units, high ranking military officers, civic leaders, officials of the War Finance Committee and stars of stage, screen and radio participating in the events surrounding the business get-together of the National Committee for the drive and the exhibitors and exchange men who will put over the motion picture industry's bond selling activities in the New York metropolitan area. The "Salute to the Navy" convoys will be sent into the five boroughs and Westchester, where a total of 700 picture theatres will open their sales of 6th War Loan Bonds following the dedicatory ceremonies Friday morning. These ceremonies will take place in Times Square following the breakfast at which the film men will meet in the Hotel Astor. On the eve of the meeting. Chairman Malcolm Kingsberg's committee for the New York area stated that a total of not less than 1200 film men would be present. The arrangement committee is headed by Major L. E. Thompson and David Weinstock. Monogram Nears Half-Way Mark For Current Season's Product Monogram has completed 20 productions for the 1944-45 season, or 41 per cent of the 48 total announced for the year, according to a studio tabulation as of November 10. The studio also announced last week-end that the roster of contract players at Monogram now numbers 28, a new high total for the company. Formby Joins Herald Staff William G. Formby, associated with Boxoffice for seventeen years, twelve of them as editor, resigned this week to join the staff of Motion Picture Herald.