Variety (Sep 1942)

We<liie8dayf September 2, 1942 PICTURES SI $1;O00,OOO^OO0 In Sept. sContlnued from pace 4; Griflis' apartment, and Grace Moore sane the 'Star-Spangled Banner.' Simultaneously, SO ranking Holly- wood names started to tour the country to promote bond sales. More jhaii 300 players, before thfe month Is out, will have toured every hiim- 1>1 in the land—thousands of them that have never even seen a real flll-um s:ar in the flesh before. On the steps cf town halls, in factories, in auditor.urns, at all sorts of out- door meetings, the players will de- livci- the mersase that Uncle Sam wanl.<; to diive across—"Bu.v War Bonds." Showmansblp All the Way And it'll be showmanship thi-ou.?h- out. Not just showmans'iilp for il!> own sL!:e. but the kind of showman- ship that h?s sent the A-neniran tion in the country. These programs will plug 'Salute Our Heroes Month' and 'Buy a Bond for Every Mother's Son in Service.' the two slogans coined for the picture biz bond drive. Local station tieups for the talent trains will be hai.dled via radio 'press books' which have gone tn each advance man and Held work- ers. These contain all the material and instructions n.-cessary to pro- vide local ^adio covsrage in each town hit by the trains. A Trailer for Bonds New York. Editor, 'Variety": Practically every motion pic- ture theatre in the country is now showing spirited informa- tive War shorts on their pro- grams. These patriotic shorts serve a good purpose in arous- ing the average citizen, making them aware of the problems of WPV. However, 1 believe that these shorts could be put to a definite, practical use. After the showing of these shorts, I feel it woidd be a good idea to put on the lights in the theatre and for the girls who are stationed at the War Stamp and Bond booths, and for the ushers, to circulate among the audience to sell their Stamps and Bonds. I 9m sure that -if this Is done Immediately following these thrflllng shorts, many hundreds of dollars would be realized after each showing of the films. Multiply this by the thousands of theatres throughout the country and you can see the huge amount of Stamps and Bonds that could be sold in this manner! After all, if it weren't for these Stamps. and Bonds, we wouldn't be'sittIng-lH=the-the- atres and peacefully watching a movie! Edward Treuor. public digging into "its pockets be- fore for less important things and will send, them digging again for bonds. ' Among the teeolf stunts yesterday was the 'Bondmobile,' a car which is being pushed from the Battery, N.Y., to Niagara Falls, at one bond per push. Mayor LaGuardia, assisted by the consuls of the United Nations, started it on its way. Twenty bands previously had preceded the car-in a tour of the city. Laughton also yesterday dedicated three cofTins to Hitler, Hirohito and Mus.<:olini, respectively, in Times Sqa /e. Purchasers of war bonds are given the privilege of driving nails in the coffins. Every one of the 1,400 theatres in New York State, as well as thousands of others throughout the United States, Interrupted their regular programs at 9 o'clock last night for a 'Four Minutes of Victory' celebration, during which lights went Up and first direct appeals to patrons to buy bonds were made. Among those present for Secretary Morgenthau's launcHing of the drive yesterday were Hedy Lamarr, Irene Dunne, Ann Rutherford, Greer Gar- son, Edward Arnold, Virginia Gil- more, James Cagney, Charles Laughton, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Col. Richard C. Patterson, Jr., chairman of the New York War Sav- ings StafT, has sworn in 10,000 em- ployes of theatres and motion pic- ture companies through the State to serve as official salesmen during the campaign. Big Radio Bally Setup Radio coverage for the Motion Picture Industry's $1,000,000,000 war bond drive will include a duo of half hour network programs tenta- tively set for thfe 10th and 20th of September, with the Hollywood Vic- tory Committee doing one from the Coast and the United Theatrical War Activities doing the other from the east. Also set by James Sauter, radio director of the September drive, are mentions on the U. S. Treasury De- partment's transcribed serie."!. "Treas- ury Star Parade' which (s heard thrice weekly on almost every sla- L. A. Hits Its Stride Los Angeles, Sept. 1. Southern California opened its task in the film industry's Billion Dollar War Bond Drive with a uarade throush the streets of down- town Los Ange'cs and a stoppage of the shows in 500 theatres to permit the sale bf bonds and -tamps. Plans far the sales were arranged by a committee representing 250 exhibs in this territory, after a meeting with Howard Mills, of the U. S. Treasury, Charles P. Skouras, state coordinator, and Dave Bershon, chairman of the Theatre Committee of the War Savings Staff. To finance the committee's activi- ties, the theatres paid a voluntary ta::, each house contributing an amount equal to its quarterly ASCAP payment, ranging from 2^c to 5c per seal. In addition, the exhibs agreed to convert all give- away cash prizes into bonds and stamps. Ft. Dodge, Sept. 14. and Iowa City, Sept. 21. Ralph Branton, who is special events director of the September 'Salute to Our Heroes Month" will work out schedules so that wherever possible the bands will appear both in theatres and ballrooms with bonds to be purchased both for the stage shows and dances. Chl's tl,«M,M* Lucheen- Chicago, Sept. 1. KickofI on the September Bond Drive was the $1,000,000 Luncheon, sponsored by the Amusement & Re- creation Division of Chicago, held today (1) at the Bal T^barin of the Sherman, with James Cagney as m.c. Honor guests included Gov. Dwight H. Green, Mayor Edward J. Kelly, Victor Olander, Bishop Ber- nard Shields, and many others. Oc- cupancy of each table for four sig- nified that the guests had pi^-chased $10,000 worth of defense bonces for the privilige. There were 100 tables and $1,000,000 was raised at this luncheon in war bond sales. Henry Schoenstadt ordered tables for ^6, representing an expenditure of $40,000 fof bonds. Others who attended, occupying one or more tables with their friends. Included representatjjyes of Equity, AFRA, Treasurer's Union, Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, Warner Theatres, Sherman Hotel, lATSE, Schoenstadt Theatres, Balaban & Katz. Oriental, Sam Myers Theatres, Entertainment Managers Assn., MCA. Bowling Assn, Essaness Theatres, Music Pub- lishers Assn., Showmen's League of America, Theatre Spearhead Com- mittee and "Variety.' Individuals who purchased tables with their bonds were John. Smith, Mort Singer, Aaron J. Jones, Jr., Jack Irving, Nate Barger, H. and E. Balaban, Lou Aaron, M. Shmerling, Howard Christenson, Harry Gunder- son, Richard Bergen, Thomas Flan- nery, et al. 'Caravan of Bands for Bonds' DCS Moines, Sept. 1. A 'caravan of bands for bonds' will apr, r in several Iowa cities during Sepiumber, Russell Facchine, of Music Corp. of America, announced here this week after a conference with A. H. Blank and G. Ralph Branton of Tri-Statcs Theatre Corp With Pleasure Charles Laughton, talking to a crowd of 10,000 in the Bronx yesterday (Tues.), in connection with the Bond Drive, said, 'All my life I wanted to know what a real Bronx cheer sounds like. I'd like to hear one now. good and loud—for Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini.' He got it. The bands will headline special war bond shows to be staged in theatres, auditoriums and ballrooms, with the purchase of war bonds required for admission, no actual cash charge being made. According to Facchine. Griff Williams' orchestra will appear in Davenport, Sept. 14: Gray Gordon in Waterloo, Sept. IC; Art Kassell at Clinton Sept. 3: Frankie Masters in Mason City, Sept. 8 and In Des Moines, Sept. 9. Also tentatively booked are Bob Chester for Burlmfi- ton, Sept. 21, Jack Tcagarden for NW Has 10% Already In Minneapolis, Sept. 1. Assigned to sell at least $1,000,000 in war bonds in this territory in ad- vance of the industry's September drive, the War Activities Committee here reports sales have reached $2,- 288.920, with returns still pouring in. John F. Friedl is committee chair- man. Territory's quota is $33,000,000. D. C. Bond Preem Under Hollywood Auspices Netting Near $t5(l0>000 $76 Admlsta Lynchburg, Sept. 1. Minimum admission to Greer Gar- son's personal appearance here Sept. 7 will be $76. Willis Grist, Jr., Dominion The- atres city manager and chairman of the Lynchburg theatres' bond sales committee, announced that anyone with yen to see Mrs. Miniver must buy a $100 bond for $75 and add a $1 admission fee. He's providing seats for 250. Officer Buys $1,M0 Bond Wichita, Kas., Sept. 1. First person to buy $1,000 bond, entitling him to two tickets to 'Mil- lion Dollar Bond Dinner' to be given here Sept 9 with Ronald Colman and Lynn Bari as honor guests, was Lieut. Clarence Summers in air corps, stationed in Palestine. Lieutenant had sent money order here for bond which was purchased by parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Summers, who were given tickets for dinner. Colman and Miss Bari will make public appearance following dinner. Life's Rap May Result In Det.'s MiUion B.O. Detroit, Sept. I. A $1,000,000 bond twxoffice for a single show is being shot - at by the Michigan theatre here. With Detroit plenty burned up over the recent unfavorable article in Life magazine, captioned 'Detroit Is Dyi^aniite,' the house has lifted that slogan for its campaign to sell out one picture show at $1,000,000. This town is just hot enough after having its. loyalty impugned — the press here has t>een extremely bitter and factual in refuting Life's cover- age of the war effort in the coun- try's major arsenal—and it is likely that the United Detroit theatre hert won't be far from reaching its goal on the crest of the civic pique. Just mention 'Detroit is Dynamite' to a local and he flares up and buys another bond. Counting on that re- action, the Michigan has set 'Detroit Is Dynamite' night for Sept 17 and scaled its 'seats according to bond purchases which, if they follow the advance sale, will mean that the house with one show can pick up 1,000th of the entire billion dollar goal set as the picture theatres' drive in September. Labor, mer- chants, the press and the regular bond sales force have swung behind the theatre campaign. There are no bargain seats in the house unless you count in the last two rows of the balcony for which admission is one $25 bond. Front rows in the balcony will go for $100 which is the same price set on the 1,080 seats on the main floor. While this figures out slightly under the $400,000 mark, the real gleanings will be off the 350 mezzanine seats here which are scaled from $1,000 to $10,000 bond purchases. Maybe it sounds big but this early there have been five seats sold at the latter figure to the town's biggies who are just as smoked up as lat>or over the nationally circulated story that De- troit isn't solidly behind the war ef- fort In fact, if the mezzanine seats go at an average of $3.000—not con- sidered unlikely—those rows alone will achieve a $1,000,000 boxoffice. Pix houses here have _b€cn ex- tremely active in the war effort which accounts for the heavy sup- port the house is getting in its drive for a world-record b.o. On top of that Detroit is heavy on the bank- roll the.se days with recent liguics from Washington showing that Michigan has topped all Slates in the union in tlie amount of armament billions received. However, the local rage over being held uj) in a false light makes 'Detroit Is Dynamite' a slogan that may come true in re- verse of the way Life meant it originally. One More Picture And Then It's Fonda the Gob Hollywood, Sept. 1. Henry Fonda, Navy enlistee, will remain at 20th-Fox until Nov. 1 to star in 'The Immortal Sergeant' which has been moved ahead on the schedule and will be rushed to com- pletion before he reports for active sertrice as a gob. John Stahl is director and Thomas Mitchell is cast for the top support role. FLOCK OF PREEMS WILL FURTHER HYPO BONDS In an effort to raise an additional $100,000,000 in '.he billion-dollar bond drive, motion picture distribu- tors will dedicate some 1,000 film preems to the U. S. Treasury during September. Admission at all these premieres will be strictly limited to those buying bonds. Distribs will forego their rentals on the 1,000 opening nights, whiltf exhibs give up whatever coin they would otherwise take in. Strong turnout to free shows is expected, based on hefty b.o. product to Le prcemed such as 'Wake Island,' 'Yankee Doodle Dandy,' 'Somewhere I'll Find You,' 'Panama Hattie,' 'Reap the Wild Wind,' ete. E. W. Hammons SoedOn Post-Mortem GN Flop A suit against Earle W. Hammons was filed last week In N. Y. supreme court by stockholders of Educational Pictures, Inc., now defimct. Plain- tiffs, Maurice W. and Lee F. Uhl- mann (Uhlmann .& Co.) seek dam- ages of' $4^593 and Jay and H. C. Carlton (Jay Carlton St Co.), $3,000. The complaint alleges Hammons, as president of Educational Pictures, made false representations concern- ing the business potentialities of Grand National Pictures, ° a subsid- iary, which resulted in stock pur- chases. Both Educational and Grand National filed-bankruptcy early in 1940. N. Y. Canteen ^sContlnoed from page be passed Tipin- -by ^he executive parent of the Canteen. B'wood Caoteen'i $5,tM Hollywood, Sept. 1. The new Hollywood Canteen has $5,000 as a starter, donated by Charles ' Skouras, Fox-West Coast head, and Cdlumbia Pictures. Amount representa the coin col- lected from the prenllere of "Talk of the Tovm' at the Four Star theatre. Hsrtford'i Canteen Hartford, Sept. 1. Sponsored by the American The- atre Wing War Service, Inc., a serv- icemen's Stagedoor Canteen will be opened in New London some time in October. Present plans call for its operation one night a week un- der the direction of Mrs. William MacGregor dlark of Mystic, Conn. Philly Canteen't Drive Philadelphia, Sept. 1. Campaign for $25,000 for the Stage Door Canteen here gets under way next Wednesday (9) and will con- tinue for the next two days. Fea- ture will be an open-air variety show, two-a-day, from the steps of the Academy of Music. The show will be used to shill an auction at which garments from Hollywbodites will be sold to the highest bidder. An effort will be made this afternoon (Tues) to have Hody La- Marr here to start the WAC's bond drive, donate some part of her ward- robe for the sale. Members of the cast of 'Priorities'I which opens here next week will ap-1 pear in the .show. Collections will be taken in al) the indie houses as well j)S in the i lobbies of the downtowri^ houses.' Warner management nixed audi- torium collections from patrons on| the grounds that too many collections Washington, Sept. 1. They're still counting up at th« Treasury with the indication that Washington's first bond sale, under Hollywood auspices, grossed over $2,000,000. Returns from the the- atres may boost this another $500,000. Approximately 15,000 were gath- ered around the Treasury steps when Edward Arnold, president of the Screen Actors Guild, touched oft the proceedings by introducing Sec- retary Morgenthau. While the newsreel cameras ground, and 30 minutes of the program were sent over the radio networks, stars were busy dispensing autographs. More than 500 service men, many with cameras,, kept the celebrities posing and providing signatures. Hedy Lamarr and Irene Dunne vied for popularity. Greer Garson, In a stunning black outfit with green gloves, did a one- minute bond broadside, followed by Walter Abel, Ann Rutherford, Hedy Lamarr, Virginia Gilmore, Martha Scott Irene Dunne, Dinah Shore, Abbott & Costello, Carl 'Ravazza's band, Jimmy Cagney, whose patri- otic outburst was followed by the introduction of Bing Crosby singing 'This Is Worth Fighting For.' After the radio-slgnofl. Miss Dunne came to the mike once more to urge th« audience to remain for more im- promptu entertainment, MorgeDtlian's Kodos Noted that the Morgenthau speech paid full tribute to the motion pic- ture industry for alT-out patriotism. Speech was int^reted as Morgen- thau's indirect' apotogy for remarks reflecting upon Abbott St CosteUo a month ago. Marine Band played both for the steps program and marched ahead of the ATmy jeeps which conveyed the stars from the Hotel Carlton. At the luncheon which followed. Secretary Morgenthau was even more grateful in his expression to the stars. 'Without them,' he said, 'it would have been impossible. to reach a large section of America,' and he was extremely gratefid for the whole-hearted cooperation of the Hollywood Victory Committee. Edward Arnpld sent this word to 'Variety:' 'Any stars who refuse to take part in parades ire missing an opportimity to really get close to the people. This experience, riding in the jeep today, was worth my en- tire trip to Washington. I am for more parades and I am certainly for stars being in the line of march. This Is where you really know how you rate with the fans.' Following the broadcast people began moving In Unes to four long tables set on the Treastiry Plaza. At Table No. 1 were Bing Crosby, Ann Rutherford, Ralph Bellamy and Martha Scott TaUeNo. 2 had James Cagney, Irene Dunne, Virginia Gil- more and Glnny Sims.. Table No. 3 had 'Greer Garson, Abbott St Cos- tello, and Walter Abel, Table No. 4 had Hedy Lamarr, ^Edward Arnold, Kay Kyser and Dinah Shore. First in the line, early In the day. was Mary Carter Thornton of Fordyce, Ark. She waited frbi6 a.m. with $18.75 in her purse and got the initial bond autographed by all the stars. It was announced that sales amounted to $1.528383 before the public sale began. Ci'owd pur- chased bonds in the $23 and $100 denominations. Jimmy Cagney says the whole trip was worth it for a picture which he retrieved at the National theatre. Manager Edmund Plohn produced a still of the 'Fitter Patter' chorus in which Cagney. hoofed and in which he found his bride. Redhead was able to pick out and identify 21 of the 22 merry-merry. Plohn gave him the picture. Manager was the producer of 'Fitter Patter,' in which Allen Jenkins was a chorusman. of this type have taken place re- ! ccntly. Instead the Warner manage- [ menl gave a donation of $1,000 to the I I fund. I Clips on Pictures To Help Sell War Bonds Hollywood, Sept. 1. Purchase of war bonds will be en- coufa;;ed by clips of 100 feet attached tn at least three pictures made by each of the major studios for the comitig season through an arrange- ment with the Hays olTicc. Idea is to splice a patriotic appeal to the end of the feature with one of the stars speaking for the Treas- ury department. First to carry the appeal will be Paramount's 'Wake Island,' with Brian Donlevy speaking.