Variety (Apr 1942)

Wednesday. April 22, 1942 EXPLOITATION 1* Another Big Shakeup Among Mgrs. At Fox Wise.; Fenunes Spotlighted Milwaukee, April 21. ' Although there was a shakeup only three months ago In personnel of the Fox Wisconsin thea&es in Milwau- kee, this past week brought an even more extensive' quake with all the managers' ol . the chain's 25 city houses, excepting only Roy Pierce at the downtown Wisconsin, shifted about, including the reshuffling of those who were moved-in-the last blitz. Nobody was dropped from the payrolli biit all, with the one excep- tion mentioned, are in diiferent quarters than they occupied a week ago as - the result of the general spring moving. Only reason for the latest shake- up is 'good of the service.' Akron't First Fe'mme Asst. ftkton, O., April 21. City's first feminine assistant man- ager of a first-run is Kathleen Bol- ing. She is also' the first femme to be appointed in the entire Ohio di- vision of Warner Bros, theatres. She will assist Millard Ochs at the Strand, succeeding Ray Brown, Jr., who joined the Air Corps. Miss Boling .joined the Strand two years ago as cashier. Nes Auth, assistant manager of IjOew''s, has. been-made manager of the Highland, West Hill nabe. • Irving Lamm, has been named as- sistant treasurer at the Palace here, while Robert Ehrman has* been ep- pointed treasurer. Lamm succeeded Paul Williamson, while Ehrman took John Bowker's., place, Williamson and Bowker going into defense plants here. J>et.'8 1st Femme Booker Detroit, AprU 21. First appointment of a woman booker here in more than a dozen years' marks further serious moves to replace men with women during the w&r eniergency. The move was made by Producers Releasing Corp. which appointed Phyllis McCauley, former secretary to William Flemlon, branch manager, to post of booker. She succeeds Bert Tighe, upped to salesman. Detroit has seeh a heavy turnover In bookers during the past year with many called Into service and others moving to new jobs. Move Is a natural for PRC, which has Anne O'Donhell as co-manager with Flem- ion, herself the only branch manager in these parts. Danbar, Elicit Upped Robert H. Dunbar, Warner branch manager at Cincinnati, has taken charge of the Detroit office for the same company, succeeding James Winn, who resigned, last- w«ek. At Qincjr J:phB_Eifert, salesman. Is promoted to managership of the WB exchange. Frank Panoplos' Zd House Pittbburgb, April 21. Clairton's newest de luxer. Colo- nial, which represents an investment of, more than $150,000. opens within next 10 days. It'll be Frank Pa- noplos' second - Clairton house; the other one is the State, which he has operated for 10 years. E, E. McClellan, formerly general manager of the Ideal Am us. Co, named president of the circuit of 14 houses, succeeding .the late Vernon P. Scott, who died recenUy. Miss C. S. Walker remains as secretary. McClellan is former Johnstown, Pa., hotel manager and paint distributor. He joined the Ideal <Hitflt in 1937. Joseph Weiss, veteran McKeesport exhib. and his wife celebrated 43d wedding anniversary in Miami last week. Among those attending the dinner were three U execs and their (Continued on page 20) m ABOVE AU'INTO N.Y.AST0R,2-A"DAY This Above All' (Tyrone Power- Joan Fontaine) is being readied for two-a-day showing on Broadwfiy by 20th-Fox for mid-May. It could not get Into the Roxy early enough, due to product pile-up, hence the road- show idea. Likely 'Above All' will go into the Astor theatre, N. Y., Immediately following present 'Gone' engage- ment Ginny's Picture Lead Hollywood, April 21. First film job for Ginny Simms away fr<5m Kay Kyser wUl be one of the top roles in the Edgar Bergen- *^>bber McGee and Molly picture, 8tm untitled, at RKO. Filming starts late , next month • 'Wttb-AWan Dwan-dlrefitiii^. i •• i- Shuford Resigns RKO Stanley Shuford, assistant to S. Barret McCormlck, RKO pub-ad chief, has resigned. Shuford han- dled special campaigns for RKO. Prior to joining the company last year he was a v.p. of the Blow ad agency. Shuford is currently vacationing In Florida. His departure Js part of a general tightening up at RKO. PEARSON-ALLEN DO OK BY/SABOTEUR'PREEM . Washington,'April 21. ~ Round two of the battle between Cissie Patterson of the Washington Times-Herald and her enemy col luinists—^Pearson and Allen—goes to the typewriter-slingers. P. and A. sponsor the opening of Alfred Hitch- cock's new picture, 'Saboteur' (Unl. versal), at RKO-Keith's on Wednes- day (22). They wrote personal in- vitations for the premiere, with Mrs. Patterson's paper ignoring the bally- hoo. Up to Saturday night P. and A. had won a substantial Congres- sional majority, judged by the ac- cieptances. The boxscore: Members of the House invited, 341; accepted, 330. Members of Senate Invited, 96; ac- cepted, 58. That gives the columnista a sub- stantial majority. In addition they clocked among acceptances those of Attorney General Blddle, J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson of FBI, six major generals, five judges headed by Supreme Court Justice William O, Douglas, the entire Federal Trade Commission, Comptroller General Lindsay Warren of GAO and 134 members of the National Press Club. Acceptances run 95%, highest ever achieved in Washington for any in- vitation opening. $64 Question New exploitation man for a major company wired In, after a few weeks in his new job'.- 'lithlnk I'm going to like the job; may I come in and get a new car?' Homeoffic6 quickly tele- graphed: 'Suggest you stay there and see if we like you.' Priorities Ksyoes Jnnket . Priorities kayoed Universal's special junket to 'Washington for the 'Saboteur' pre^, no private car be- ing available fbr a press excursion from New York. The U execs went to D. C. on their own, and the local press and dignitaries will be enter- tained per usiial, .but the journal- istic visitors from Gotham will see the flhh in Radio City Music HaU instead. COL PUTS out COSTLY INVADERS' BROCHURE Columbia Is issuing a 28-page brochure, done in coated stock, to bally its picture The Invaders,' now being released in key «:ities of U. S.' Over-size book constitutes a virtual pictorial reproduction of the motion picture story .of six Ndzls, saved from a sinking submarine, who at- tempt to make their way to safety in the U. S. (this country is not at war in the fetory). Portraits of Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook and Glynis Johns are spotted. Miss Johns Is plugge([ as a new name, ais Columbia has done on all ita exploitation and ad- vertising of the picture. AllTine Starts New Job After being Installed last Thurs- day (16) at a meeting of the indus- try's Public Relations. Committee, at the Hays office, Glendon Allvine, named last week as secretary to the committee, movad into his new office Monday (20).. AUvine's offices are alongside the Hays office ad-pub- licity quarters. Kenneth Clark, a member of the executive committee of the film busi- ness' Public Relations group, pre- sided at the session last week be- cause Robert (^illham, chairman of the full committee, and vice-chair- men, were absent from N.Y. All- vine leaves the Center theatre as ad-publicity chief, spot he held for nearly two years while operating under its present ice-sho-.v policy. Public Relations committee con- sists of ad-publicity chie^ of all eight' ma)6r cfJitip^eVP.lw fUvK.v . Berlin's 'Army' Picture And Army Relief Show Due for July 4 Preems July 4^ may be the date of double Irving Berlin premiere, both for his •This Is the Army' (the 'Yip Yip Yaphank' of World War 11) and his Paramount filmusical, 'Holiday Inn' (Bing Crosby-Fred Astaire). The picture preem is Par's idea, being a natural tie-in with the theme of the film, and only for a few special pre- release booldngs, since this filmusical has been designated for special sell- ing by Neil Agnev/, the Par sales v.p. The soldier show, however, is Ber- lin's own idea a^ a natural July 4 teeoff. However, much depends on the progress Berlin will make with production of the show, which, none- theless, seems pretty well set to go into the Broadway theatre on 63d and the Main Stem. A. L. Berman, the theatrical attorney, will be the sole lay exec associated with Berlin, the rest being of and by the Army, and all proceeds, of course, to the Army.. Berlin's concentration on this re- vue, w^iich he hopes wiU realize some $250,000 for Army Relief, has indefinitely postponed his private show venture, a Music Box Revue, and instead he has closed with Mike Todd for the latter's Gypsy. Rose Lee-Bobby Clark revue, 'Star and Garter,' which will,open around the end of May. . DONAHUE-COE'S C04)P AD CUFFOED IN MAGS Failing to sell industry leaders on the Idea of a one-shot, national, good win, cooperative ad campaignivDon-' ahue & Coe agency last week took several other .tacks to get the mes- sage of films' part in morale over to the American public. Agency, which handles a number of picture ac- counts,- took independent means to get widely published the Industry In- stitutional ad which it itself Inserted in last Thursday's (16) N.Y. Times. Mat of the ad, which ran six col- umns by 18% inches, is being offered tifte to newspapers throughout the country, with the suggestion that they persuade local theatres in their city td pay for ita insertion, Offer was made in Editor and Publisher, newspaper trade journal, Saturday (18), in' which the ad appeared in full-page space. In addition, D&C has sold the idea of running the ad free to 11 film fan magazines. It will be used in full- page size in their June issues as a gesture to the motion picture indus- try, . Ed Churchill, D&C chief, conceived the ad as an all-industry promotion. He offered to donate it and do all the placing of It, with the agency's com- misb going back, to ihe industry. Will Hays, to whom Churchill is said to have presented the plan, is undter- stood to 'have been- delighted with the copy, but unable to get the in- dustry to go alongj ... Ad is in simple style, with the headline; 'Morale Is Mightier Than the Sword.' It states- In the copy: . . And just a^ it is the job of some industries to provide the Im- plementa that will keep 'em flying, keep 'em rolling, and keep 'em shoot- ing, so is it the job of the Motion Picture Industry to keep 'em smiling.' Interstate Sponsors Juye Patriotic Soc. Houston, April 21, More than 1,200 Houston children became members of the Defend U. S. All Guard, patriotic, non-profit or- ganization for children between the ages of 5 and 15, sponsored by Inter- state Theatre, Inc., at the initial meeting held at the Majestic thea- tre on Saturday morning (18). The organization has been indorsed by Gov. Coke Stevenson,. the state school board, Boy and Girl Scout leaders, the state P.-T.A., and the mayors and civic leaders in the 20 Texas cities where it has been estab- lj^d...,;,».s.. Renovations at Rapid Pace m Texas, New Binl£ng Off; Other Theatres^ COPS PRESS HUDDLE Bays Aide, Back From Hollywood, to Confab With Newsmen Charles 'Socker' Coe, new assistant to Will Hays, back from the Coast, ■plans an .early meeting with news- paper and tradepaper men In N.Y., probably within the next 10° days. Hays, is remaining on the-Coast for an indefinite period, likely until just before the June session . of the MPPDA directorate. Edward L. Roddan, new MPPDA press representative In Washington, who .went to. Hollywood last week for conferences, with Coast execs, likely will rema.in there until the end of this week or possibly longer. Roddan already has met MPPDA of- ficials In N. Y:, present trip to the Coast being prompted by a desire to become better' acquainted with producer angles. 'Fantasia'Bally Eyes Adult ^.0., Foregoes Try for Youngsters Exploitation and exhlbitton for- mula for 'Fantasia' has been evolved which is reportedly getting better results. Disney's highbrow feature- length cartoon musical Is being shown at liigh admission scales on single billing .dates, with advertising copy now reaching lor a strictly adult audience. Attempts .to interest, juvenile audiences have been dropped. 'Fantasia' was admittedly the problem child! of the RKO exploita- tion and distribution departments since youngsters either passed It up or walked otit after gaining admis- sion, bitterly disappointed thbt It wasn't a typical Disney cartoon pic- ture. Demands for money back from kid patrons were quite, frequent. Despite, cuttiiig of large chunks of Stokowski. from- completed film,' It still remained an awkward property to handle. Decision to aim flicker at tradle In more substantial ttione) bracketa has met with encouraging response in several situations so far. roniLT SEHLES SPG * WITH H'WOOD STUDIOS Hollywood, April .91. Producers and Screen Publicists Guild have gotten together on a wage scale, which gives the flacks 10% raise in all classlflcatlons. Retroactive to Oct. 9, 1941, sched- ule of pay follows: senior publicist, minimum $100 weekly; juniors^ start at $50, go to $55 second year, aiid $60 third year; apprentices from 80 to 9bc. per hour. Deal stalemated.for several weeks, because of Guild demand that in- crease also be given those paid over scale. Disclosed that all but 14 flacks who are over scale received one or more pay raises in the pact year;- Agreement reached when last holdout. Paramount, fell Into line. Eight of ithe overscaled P.A.'s . are working on that lot. San Antonio, April 21. Although the wartime economy is holding new theatre buUdIng to. a minimum, conversion of store' build- ings and modernization of old houses is ontlnuing at a rapid pace throughout the state. G. A. Luc- chese, head of the Zaragosa Amus.. Co,, is building a new house her«. Plans call for it to be the second largest Mexican show place in this area. In- Corpus Christl, Manuel Ayala and'Alfred Pena, two San Antonio projectionists, are planning to open a house of their own. The Robb Se Rowley circuit have recently opened their ace house, the 2,300 seater. New Centre. The Texas. Drive—^In No. 2, accommodating about 500 cars,. has . opened tmder .management of the Te^as Drive Circuit.' The new Rio'rln Bastrop, a store building conversion job, an invest- ment of-about $17,000, will opeo within the next several \yeeks under the management of B. C. Gibson, Galltxkl's New Dallas Link Dallas, April 21. A new nabe Is being opened here by Bernard Galitzki at the corner of Fitzhugh and .Capitol. Galitzki hails from l/opeka, Kansas, and was owner of the Colonial at Mesquite, Texas, prior to coming here. His house at Mesquite burned down last year. Losfi^was partially covered by insurance.' House was being rebuilt when it was bought by Roy' Starling of Grove, 'Texas, House here will be called the Fitz« hugh or the Gay. • Komm's New' .lOOrSeftier St..i;iOuis/.April 21. Sam ICbmm and associates opened new 700-seater in Brentwood, St Louis County. Main Street, 250-seater, Edlna, Mo., sold to Sam E. PIrtle, Jersey vllle, HL, by Do^iald' CanflelH Plrtlb who owns 'a chain of flicker houses In Southern' Illinois, has turtied house over to one of his sons. The Merry Widow,, a- South St Louis indie nabe; completely face* lifted. . ^ Herman Steinberg and iiifi 'Volun- teer. Fire Figbteirs' Assn. of Madison, ni., will sooii let bids for a nenr house in that town. - ■ ■ The Wehner, 400-seate*', Lewis, town, ni., now operating. Frank H. DeWeese, owner of New Franklin, 250-seater, Plymouth, ItL, leased to E: W. Huston. Carroll Iibrd the former lessee. New Ohio Orlve-In Toledo, O., April ». The Drlve-In theatre near Mau> - mee, O,, opened. Two shows nightly planned until midsummer, whin late - . arrival of darkness will force spot to offer a single performance. 100^ Frank Bally Ups IQngs Row' in Del Detroit AprU 21. Continuing ita policy of 'realistic sales campaigns,' the United betroit chain here again is pulUng no punches In putting over 'Kings Row.' As a result the house is selling the film with such naked little words as 'Desire,' 'Brutality,' "Lust' 'Fear,' etc. The campaign indicates an $18,000 smash biz for the 2,000-seat United Artists, where the picture opened Friday (17), and already has been taken over by Warner Bros, foro^ in other localities. In addition, ex- hibitors have sent In requesta for the campaign, based along the lines which brought Earl Hudson, presi- dent of United Detroit chain, a spe- cial award for his salesmanship on Interstate's . IStb In 'Houston Houston, April 21. The Wayside, new neighborhood picture house will be opened AprU 24 by Interstate, the ISth to be op- erated In Houston by the chain, . L. E. Newton, named manager, being succeeded at the'Bluebonnet which he sold to Interstate several years ago, by Lionel Hannington, former assistant. Martin Expand Americus, Ga., AprU 21. Martin chain opened new 1,519- seater here. ^ J. H. Luter manager. Chaip, expanding rapidl^ in Georgia, owned by R. B. Martin, with E. D. Martin general manager. Americus layout cost $100,000. CH'aln also buUding l.eoo-seater at Dublin, Ga. New Ones In Texas Temple, Texas; April 21 The new Temple, built here at s cost of $20,000, by PhU Isley and Harley Sadler, opened Saturday (18). House was., converted from a store building. The duo also announce the open- ing of a new house, the Sadler, representing an investment of $40,> 000, at KiUeen, Texas. F5Srmal open- Ing will be held the latter part of AprU. These Tire^ss Times •Akron, April .21. With Akron, rubber centre of the world, turning to bicycles, R. W. 'Dusty' Rhodes, Colonial theatre manager, is providing for the future. Rhodes is installing Akron's first downtown bicycle racks in the park-- irfg lot 'ih'th* -rfear 6f ht iHeatrij. -