Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

November 25. 1^H4 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 23 PORTLAND With the slogan "Forward March," 300 Oregon exhibitors, tihn executives and their staf?s formed a soHd phalanx of bond sellers as they opened the 6th War Loan drive, with the determination to top and surpass their quota. Bob Fleckenstein, checking supervisor, is back from a trip through Idaho and Eastern Washington. W. E. Calloway, United Artists Western district sales manager, is contacting Portland and Seattle exchanges. Jerry Laswell, manager of Evergreen's Orpheum, is hanging up a record take on "Dangerous Journey" following clever exploitation and showmanship. Don Beckwith, well known on film row, gave an eye-witness account of some of the activities of the U. S. merchant marine in the South Pacific. Booking on Seattle Row: A. M. Goldstein, Lyini Peterson, Bremerton ; Norman Clyde, Langley ; Edgar Alercy, Yakima ; Fred and Mrs. Geisentanner, Vashon ; Rex Thomson, Port Orchard ; Eldon Pollock, Mt. Vernon ; Emma Ridgeway, Sedro-Wooley. Manager Porter of Warner's theatres, Salem, is putting on a special preview as a preliminary to the 6th War Loan drive. Phil Blake, formerly Portland manager for B. F. Shearer Company, is -back on furlough from the Navy's Camp Farragut. Jerry Safron, Western district manager for Columbia, was a guest of James Beal, Portland manager. Independent Theatre Owners of the Pacific Northwest held their monthly meeting at the Ben Franklin Hotel, at the summons of Alanager James Hone. Don Lind, back on furlough from Camp Hahn where he had charge of camp theatres, is scheduled to go to Louisiana for officer's training. M. W. Mattechek, pioneer theatre executive operating Alack, Lark and Gaiety theatres at McAIinville, Ore., has been named state cochairman of the activities committee for the 6th War Loan. J. G. and Gene von Herberg, of the Jensenvon Herberg theatre chain, returned from a trip to Yakima and Inland Empire. Henry Herbel and George Smith, Warners' and Paramount's western district managers, respectively, are covering Portland and Seattle exchanges. NEW YORK Biggest news in all sectors of this town last and this week is the 6th War Loan drive. New York City area film men jumped the gun — as have motion picture people all over the country — with the celebration in Times Square on Friday (17) dedicating the Statue of Liberty replica and the bond convoys that vv'ill tour all boroughs. The launching of the "Biggest Production film showmen have ever tackled hit its first peak of the actual drive with the Gala 6th War Loan Bond Show at Madison Square Garden on Monday evening. Sponsored by the War Activities Committee of the industry the show was star studded and echoed over the country via radio broadcast. New York State's quota is 4 billion, or one-third the national goal, while the downstate goal, covering mainly the metropolitan area, is 35 million dollars in bonds. In realizing those quotas motion picture men will take a most important part. "You are the first line of supply," REGIONAL NEWS INDEX Boston 24 Charlotte 26 Chicago 23 Cincinnati 26 Cleveland 26 Des Moines 24 Harrisburg . 28 Indianapolis 28 Montreal 29 Nsw York 23 Omaha 23 Palm Springs 29 Pittsburgh 28 Portland 23 Vancouver 24 Washington 26 Frederick Gehle, State Director of the WFC, reminded the 1200 motion picture representatives who gathered at the Breakfast meeting in New York in final preparation for the drive. Gehle was introduced to the gathering by Malcolm Kingsberg, Area Chairman, who previously had been introduced by Major L. E. Thompson, presiding officer of the Breakfast meet. Ed. RugofT, heading" a special campaign committee of the theatres of Greater New York, has announced that exhibitors in all five boroughs, plus Nassau and Suffolk counties, will conduct theatre collections for the National War Fund during the week of Dec. 14-20. Jack Harris, associated with Skouras theatres for the past eight years, will join the Walter Reade Circuit next week as chief film buyer and executive assistant. 20tlT-Fox New York Exchange Family Club held its annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Cafe Zanzibar, Tuesday evening, Nov. 21. Home office executives and celebrities of stage and screen were on hand. The arrangements were handled by Joe Goldenberg, chairman of the entertainment committee. Funeral services for Miss Len Cohen, assistant treasurer of Loews since 1919, were held Tuesday morning at Riverside Funeral Chapel. During her quarter century with Loew's, Miss Cohen served as personal secretary to David Bernstein, vice-president and treasurer. William B. Zoellner, Atlanta, and Louis C. Ingram, Memphis, the last two MGM branch managers scheduled to visit the home office for a week of "get acquainted" contacting with lieadquarters personnel, are expected to arrive in town about Dec. 4. Frank Hensler, Kansas City head, last week's visitor, has returned to his headquarters. N. J. Blumberg, president of Universal, entered Fifth Avenue Hospital Alonday for a physical checkup. Loew's employes Group Insurance Plan, starting its fifteenth year, currently is carrying policies amounting to a total of $12,723,000 covering 4,250 individuals in the organization, according to a story in "LO," the company house organ. Since the plan was launched 450 claims have been paid to beneficiaries for a total of $1,374,250, the same source informs. Harry Brandt, chairman, and Capt. Raymond Wild of the industry's 6th War Loan committee, were guest speakers at the Bond Rally Tuesday noon at Paramount's home offices. Adolph Zukor, E. A. Brown and Leonard Goldenson of Paramount were others who addressed the pepup meeting in the interests of bond buying. OMAHA Newly-elected officers of the Omaha Variety Club include: E. I. Rubin, re-elected chief barker; Frank Hannon, first assistant barker; Harold Johnson, second assistant ; Joe Jacobs, property master ; and Meyer Stern, dough guy. Rubin was to leave this week for the national convention in Washington, D. C. Omaha's Dorothy McGuire is featured on the cover of the Omaha IVorld-Hcnild's Sunday magazine in a scene from her coming picture, "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn." George Larson and E. E. Larson have purchased the John L. Larson estate building at Oakland, Neb;, and plan to convert it into a theatre as soon as conditions permit. Four Wahoo, Neb., women who helped care for Darryl F. Zanuck as a baby when he lived in that town, this week were rewarded by a personal letter from the producer with a $100 war bond inclosed in each letter. Zanuck, born in Wahoo 42 years ago, revisited his birthplace last month while stopping at Omaha for the midwest premiere of his picture, "Wilson." The Tekamah Book Club, in co-operation with the University of Omaha, is staging book reviews two Thursdays of each month at the Lyric Theatre in that city. The Monogram exchange here, managed by A'like Comer, is leading the central division. Phil March of Wayne, Neb., has purchased the theatre building at Arnolds Park, la., plans to remodel it and possibly keep the house in that resort town open the year around. John Quinn, former exhibitor at Pilger, Neb., is out of the Army and back in Omaha. Jim Pickett, manager of the Rivoli Theatre at Hastings, Neb., gained the cooperation of tiie Naval Ordnance Depot just outside the city to help hm put over "American Romance" in that city. Libby Fishberg is new information girl at Warner Brothers. "Birth of the B-29" will be shown at all first Omaha houses beginning November 30. Omaha is one of the cities in the country at which P)-29s are produced. CHICAGO The late Sidney Spiegel. Jr., Essaness circuit partner, left an estate estimated at a million dollars. According to probate court records, his wife and daughter have been granted permission by Probate Judge John O'Connell to sell 85 siiares of the theatre stock for approximately $212,000, leaving a balance of 290 shares still held by the estate. North shore theatre patronage was hampered by the strike of Electric line employes. Judge Charles MacDonald stated that the Picadilly Theatre anti-trust case against distributors has been postponed by agreement of counsel and case will be called when attorneys are ready for hearings. It is reported that the Chicago Sun has been ordered by WPB to reduce consumption of newsprint by 900,000 tons by end of September 1945; which may cause further cut in space available for theatre advertising. Meantime theatres here are using more and more radio time. B & K agency has lined up 52 announcements on Station WENR for "Wilson," and Essaness will use various stations for the premiere of "The Princess and the Pirate." Mr. and Mrs. Henri Elman will accompany {Continued on Page 24)