Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

December 23, m4 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 3 Hailed by the Chief The motion picture industry this week was accorded a most distinguished tribute. The President of the United States received in the White House representatives of all branches of the industry — great honor in itself — and indicated to the industry through these representatives before him that our business supplies a rallying point through which the American people can express the true spirit of desire not alone to live and let live, but to aid by voluntary mutual cooperation those whose lives and happiness is threatened. President Roosevelt received these representatives because of his wish to express appreciation to the public for the generous support of the March of Dimes fund to aid victims of infantile paralysis. The motion picture industry was one of the vital instruments through which the public was enabled to learn of the great work of the National Foundation and express in terms of contributions active support of such inspiring human endeavor in behalf of the victims of a dread disease. The event in Washington last Tuesday should have afforded a real thrill of satisfaction to all those who did their bit for the 1944 March of Dimes drive which resulted in such overwhelming success, and for those who will associate themselves actively with the 1945 campaign to be conducted in January. A A A Winqs Over America Postwar Planning If, as it has been said, it takes great audiences to make great pictures, there is every good reason to expect that the superb 20th-Fox production of "Winged Victory" will reach the status of greatness as a screen production. The reason for this expected result is two-fold. First, Producer Darryl Zanuck and Director George Cukor and all the artists and technicians associated with the enterprise have done a wonderful job, turning out a package of entertainment that is rich in drama, amusement, heart appeal and patriotic inspiration. Second, the showmanship campaign now unfolding under the skillful hands of the 20th-Fox advertising, publicity and exploitation organization under Hal Home's direction is a sweetheart of a job of show-selling. Thus, if showmanship can bring them in to see a show (and who would doubt that?), there'll be great audiences to make this great picture a tremendously able contributor to Army Charities, which fund is to receive from 20th-Fox the profits above cost of production and distribution of the picture. One very important phase of post-war planning and action is now awaiting the dawn of victory to assert itself as a problem and also to receive attention, in the immediate present, of forward-looking men of the motion picture business. Karl Hoblitzelle, head of Interstate Theatres, Texas, has given the matter of jobs for returning veterans the best of his very able administrative ability and his sincerest thought — with the result that he has contributed significantly to methods of handling this very knotty problem not only in his particular field but in the general economic scheme here in America. Other leaders in this business too numerous to mention here, likewise have worked on plans and set into motion organizational functions to meet the obligation that must receive priority action by business men. The problem is an extraordinarily difficult one. The obligation to returning veterans is clear-cut. Those who wish to return to jobs from which they were taken by the Call to the Colors, surely deserve those jobs — without compulsion of law, directive or any outside persuasion. There are a great number of theatremen who have been shifted to new locations because of vacancies or reorganization due to those vacancies within a company. These men, many of whom — through no fault of their own, nor through any wish to avoid actual military service— have shifted their homes and families to other towns and cities and have worked conscientiously at their jobs as well as at efforts in behalf of prosecution of the war in such home-front services as civilians are called upon to advance on a voluntary basis. Their ranks will provide many potential distress or hardship cases if they are shunted aside in order to make place for the returning veteran. Therein lies the source of many problems so difficult of solution, that it certainly is apparent why business men in this industry, in common with business in all fields, must make this matter the Number One subject of postwar planning — starting right now. AAA Compliments of the Season In a world sorely troubled, we of this great nation are, by comparison with many others, fortunate indeed. And while we bow in reverence to those brave Americans who have given their lives for Victory to our cause, we may — out of gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon us — cheerfully wish each other the compliments of the season and say a cheery "Merry Christmas." And that, precisely, is what STR most sincerely wishes for each and every one of you.