Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

12 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW PinanskI Report on 7th Shows The Drive Topped All Others July 21, 1945 Samuel Pinanski The Seventh War Loan campaign of the motion picture industry exceeded in results all prior drives, the final report of Samuel Pinanski, national chairman, has revealed. New records were established in bond premieres with 5159, some 20.42 per cent above the Si»th Drive; 1888 Children's Shows, or 114.78 per cent over the Sixth and 10,933 Free Movie Days, 42.50 per cent more than the Sixth. These results could not have been achieved, Pinanski stated, except for the tremendous cooperation of exhibitors, distributors, advertising and publicity, home office and the trade press. "The entire industry worked as a team," said Pinanski, "and I am grateful to very man and woman in the business for their loyal and inspiring eff^orts. The tremendous cooperation given the industry throughout the country by all the State War Finance Committee chairmen and their associates, in addition to the wonderful help and constant interest of Ted Gamble, national director of the War Finance Division, U. S. Treasury, have been of inestimable value in our drive. I cannot too highly praise them for all they have done to help this campaign." Pinanski then praised the efforts of Tom Connors, national distributor chairman, Connors' assistant, Peter Levathes and John Hertz, Jr., national publicity chairman, and then stated that the material given him to work with for the drive was the most eiTective put out by any agency. Individually he praised the "Buy a Bond" short which was run at all theatres and was used for direct and immediate bond sale promotions. The short, Pinanski feels, will serve as a model for future drives. He extended credit to the regional directors including Charles M. Thall, Fox West Coast Theatres, San Francisco ; Dave Wallerstein, of Balaban & Katz, San Francisco ; Eugene _ W. Street, of Wilby-Kincey Theatres, Knoxville ; Ted O'Shea, Loew's ; Harry Ballance, 20thFox ; J. E. Flynn, Loew's ; Herman Wobber, 20th-Fox; Charles P. Skouras, National Honory chairman and supervisor of 11 Western States and Herman Gluckman, treasurer of the War Activities Committee. Pinanski declared one of the great features of the drive was the "All-Star Bond Rally," pro $60 Million Bond Record More than $60 million worth of 7th War Loan Bonds, largest total of sales ever reported in any war loan drive and 64 per cent greater than the record sales of the 6th War Loan, was sold by the 700 motion picture theatres of the Greater New York Area, according to preliminary reports furnished to Irving Lesser, general chairman of the New York motion picture War Activities Committee. Lesser expressed his gratitude to everyone — including managers and their subordinates, industry union members, members of the United Theatrical War Activities Committee, members of the Hollywood Victory Committee, municipal employes, theatre owners and others — "who tirelessly performed the duties that amassed this staggering total." duced by 20th-Fox, which played 14,600 theatres prior to July 1 and 1123 theatres after that date. Not included in these figures were several hundred repeat bookings and showings of the 300 16-mm prints. Pinanski declared that the film was seen by more people than had ever seen any one individual picture in the history of films. Two other promotions, that of the American Express trucks in bearing announcements saying "Buy Your Bonds at Your Favorite Movie Theatre," and the spot radio announcements came in for praise from the national chairman who also added the names of Sam Shain, Al Finestone, Jerry Zigmond and Bernard Kamber to the list he had singled out for special mention. Reiterating the drive's slogan, "99 Per cent Perspiration and One Per Cent Inspiration," he closed his report with two letters from Ted Gamble and J. Edward Shugrue which also praised in the highest terms the cooperation of the industry in aiding and promoting the sale of bonds in the drive. Cohn Luncheon to Spearhead Anfi-Defamation Fund-Racsing Drive Many of the industry's outstanding leaders will sponsor a dinner for Jack Cohn, Columbia Pictures' executive vice-president, which will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria on September 27th to spearhead a fund-raising drive on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee. Among those who will support the event are Nicholas M. Schenck, Barney Balaban, Spyros Skouras, Will H. Hays, David Bernstein, Malcolm Kingsberg Leonard Goldenson, Sam Dembow, Jr. Joseph Bernhard, J. Walter Rubin, J. M. Seidelman, Charles Moskowitz, Abe Schneider, Maurice Silverstone, Abe Montague, B. S. Moss, Herman Robbins, Samuel Rinzler, Marcus Heiman, Max Gordon, Jules Brulatour, Max A. Cohen, Emil Friedlander, Louis Bernstein, Red Kann, Chick Lewis, William Klein, Jack Mills, Lep Friedman, George F. Dembow, Budd Rogers Manny Sachs, David Weinstock, and Al Senft for Cinema Lodge of B'Nai Brith. 'Fleet' Short Seen as Indicating Future Pattern of War With Japan Discussing the motion picture as a weapon of war, Lt. Collier Young, of the Navy Photographic Services, who wrote and produced "The Fleet That Came to Stay," OWI-WAC film to be released July 26 by Paramount, stated at a press conference this week that the 20-minute short subject "may well indicate the future pattern of the war with Japan." He said that official sources do not expect the Japanese to quit their Kamikaze suicide scheme of attack ". . . from now on until the finish" and that "The Fleet That Came to Stay," which deals with this type of attack, therefore is "an informational picture — plus a prophecy !" Brussels Radio Attacks U. S. Films Belgian movie fans who had been looking forward to seeing American films after the many years of "heavy and inferior fare" from Germany have been disappointed in the Hollywood product they have seen thus far according to a broadcast by the Brussels radio, reported by the FCC. American films were criticized for the absence of a "spirit of renewal" and for only such developments as "suit boxoffice and commercial interests." An exception was made in the case of the Walt Disney Cartoons which, the broadcast said, indicated "a definite desire for experimentation." Movies on Account Barney Sherman, operator of the Regal Theatre, Milwaukee, permits patrons who haven't the necessary cash to see the show anyway, provided they leave some sort of security which he returns when the admission price has eventually been paid. Some examples of security: knives, rings, pipes, coffee, butter, shoes, clothing and other valuables. Sherman, who recently acquired the Douglas at Racine, Wis., did not indicate whether he would use the system there. Raw Stock Allotted to Independent Producers Approximately 30 independetn producers will receive a total of 166,027,000 feet of 35-mni. raw stock for the 12-nionth period ending April 1, 1946, the War Production Board revealed this week. Independents are permitted to receive no stock from other sources and are forbidden to turn over any film to other producers. The Board pointed out that although 166,127,000 feet is allotted the independents, only 110,000,000 feet is available, thus possibly necessitating a reduction unless some producers fail to use all the stock allowed, which would then permit distribution of the extra footage to the others on an equal basis. Independents are divided into three priority groups: (1) Producers who have made pictures continually between 1941 and 1944; (2) Producers of more than one picture between 1941 and 1944 but not one picture every year; (3) Producers of at least one picture since 1941, or those who have produced intermittently since 1935. Producers and allocations follow : Group 1 — Walt Disnev Productions, 12,000,000 feet; Samuel Goldwyn, 12,500,000; Sol Lesser, 7,000,000; Edward Small, 10,650,000; Harry Sherman, 11,150,000; Eagle-Lion Films, Inc., 5,200,000. Group 2— Edward A. Golden, 3,000,000 feet; Charles R. Rogers, 6,000,000; Benedict Bogeaus, 3,450,000; Walter Colmes, 3,200,000; International, 15,000,000; Andrew Stone, 3,000,000; Lester Cowan, 4,000,000; David O. Selznick, 15,000,000; Hunt Stromberg, 5,150,000; Seymour Nebenzal, 3,500,000; Jack Skirball, 7,600,000; Arnold Pressburger, 4,150,000. Group 3 — Constance Bennett, 2,575,000 feet ; ■ Charles House, 920,000; Howard Hughes, 5,587,000; Jules Levey, 4,000,000; David Loew, 5,000,000; Morey & Sutherland Productions, 848,000; Mary Pickford, 5,000,000; Producers Corp., 3,400,000; Ripley-Monter, 1,3 75,000; William Rowland, 1,432,000; William Wilder, 1,140,000. PRC to Produce in France For International Distribution PRC will produce several features in France this coming year which the company will distribute internationally, it was revealed here this week by Roberto D. Socas, general foreign sales manager. Socas has appointed Edmond Tenoudji as general supervisor of sales for Continental Europe and both will leave in the next fortnight for France, where a distribution center for the company will be formed. M & P Signs for Republic Films Republic has closed the first major deal for its 1945-46 product with M and P Theatres of JSTew England, according to James R. Grainger, president and general sales manager. Chester Stoddard, chief film buyer, represented the circuit while Jack Davis, New England district sales manager, and Grainger represented Republic. Weiner PRC District Manager Abe Weiner has been appointed PRC district manager, it has been announced by Harry H. Thomas, vice-president and general sales manager. Weiner formerly was with Republic.