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Mich. Allied to Sell
Public on Theatres
DETROIT—All unprecedented program for
selling the exhibition industry to community
leaders is being undertaken by Allied Theatres
of Michigan.
Allied has divided the state into 19 areas
and will go into each at least thi-ee times a
year to conduct a meeting jointly with some
service club. Allied will provide a speaker
for each meeting to lay before the clubs the
story of the theatre operator. Separate meetings
for independent exhibitors will follow
each of the sessions.
The program will be launched May 18 at
a meeting with the Optimist club of Battle
Creek in the Post Tavern in Battle Creek.
Local exhibitors will make the club tieups in
each city.
The man behind the program is Charles
W. Snyder, former Detroit police inspector
who recently became executive secretary of
Allied.
"This program has a two-fold purpose," he
said. "First, to acquaint the business man
with the importance of the theatre in his
town, and second, to bring forcefully to the
minds of nonmember exhibitors wliat Allied
is attempting to do in their interests.
"There have been numerous public relations
campaigns put on by the distributors,
in which they have made predictions that
ihey were started primarily to benefit the
exhibitor, but by and large they have ended
by benefiting the stars and their pictures.
This plan has nothing in common with that
idea, but has as its objective the purpose of
educating the theatregoing public with the
operation of the theatre."
For organizational purposes Synder has
divided the state into six districts and each
district into three or four divisions, a total
of 19 divisions.
Majors Are Cooperating
With TOA 16mm Group
NEW YORK—Myron N, Blank, chairman
of the TOA ISmm committee, reports that
he is "pleased at the cooperation from distribution
companies" in TOA's attempt to
eliminate unfair comipetition in the 16min
field.
Blank said that William Scully, general
sales manager of Universal-International, assured
him that he has made a study of
numerous examples of unfair competition
by hotels and other establishments. Universal,
which is the parent company of United
World, is reinstating former rules so that
any 16mm account will, in the future, be
approved in advance by the Universal branch
manager, according to Scully. The other
larger 16mm distributors, 20th-Pox and RKO,
had previously amiounced policies designed
to keep unfair 16mm competition at a minimum.
Blank said.
French Papers Honor Flynn
NEW YORK—Errol Flynn has been named
the best foreign male actor for 1947 in two
separate polls conducted by Cinemonde,
French fan magazine, and Le Film Francais,
tradepaper.
Herman Levy Testimonial Dinner Guest
With State and Film Leaders Present
Herman Levy (center) is Hanked at the left by Raymond Clark, New Haven postoffice,
and Morey Goldstein, Monogram sales manager, and at the right by H. M.
Richey of MGM and Frank Durso, New Haven.
NEW HAVEN—Herman Levy was the victim
of a testimonial dimier at the Race
Brook Country club May 6.
Levy, for the benefit of the uninformed, is
general counsel for the TOA, counsel for the
Connecticut MPTO, and chairman of the
sewer committee of the Town of Hamden.
Light mention was made of his legal responsibilities,
but some of the speakers went
into detaU on his civic activities.
It developed that Levy is negotiating a
new contract to maintain connections of
Hamden pipes with those of New Haven.
The mayor of New Haven, who was present,
said he wasn't going to take any more of that
from Hamden.
The party drew an imposing array of state
and city officials, exhibitor leaders and lawyers.
Gov. James C. Shannon, Lieut Gov.
Robert Parsons, all the heads of state departments,
12 judges. Mayor William C. Celentano.
New Haven, and many city officials,
and leaders of the legislature. John T. Dunn
jr., liquor control commissioner, also was
present, but not in his official
capacity.
After all the guests had been seated Levy
strode in and advanced to the dais. There
was no seat for him there, and nobody would
move over until he had paid 10 bucks to
"Tiny" Jacocks, the toastmaster, for a ticket.
Then Herman had to go out and bring in his
own folding chair.
On the mantelpiece over the big stone
fireplace was a seven-foot pictui-e of a Cadillac.
All, including Levy, admired it. One of
the speakers explained that if Levy would
take this "coupon" down to the Cadillac
dealer—with 3,500 bucks^he could get the
car. Later there were other presentations,
including a silver tea set, and a photograpn
of Levy taken before he developed a high
forehead. The photograph was enclosed in
an easel frame designed by an artist who
at that time was employed by the Standard
Sanitary Corp.
Judge Abram S. Bordon of the common
pleas court told how Levy once opened a case
before him by asking his client his name.
The client turned toward the bench and
said; "Judge, I gotta schnook for a lawyer.
Here we ride all the way up from New York
and he asks me my name."
There was more of the same. In some states
the guest of honor at a testimonial dirmer
can wind up with his chest expanded, but
not in Connecticut.
Some film men who had been attending
the Boston Allied meet stopped off on their
way back, and a delegation went up to New
Haven from New York in a special Pullman.
Among those present were Si Fabian, Ted
Gamble, Bob Coyne, Ai'thur Lockwood, Lou
Gordon, Harold Esken, Ed Cuddy, Hi Fine,
B. E. Hoffman, Ed Pay, Harry Browning,
Morey Goldstein, George Dembow, H. M.
Richey, Dave Palfreyman, Louis Phillips, Edward
A. Sargoy, Joseph L. Stein, Sam Shain,
J. M. Jerauld and Thomas F. Friday.
Division Heads to Fete Andy Smith Jr.
NEW YORK—Andy W. Smith jr.,
20th-Fox
general sales manager, wUl be honored at a
testimonial dinner to be given by the five
division sales managers at the Waldorf-
Astoria hotel May 28. The five division chiefs
are: Herman Wobber. western: Harry Ballance,
southern: Jack Lorentz, central, and
Raymond E. Moon, eastern, and Arthur Silverstone,
Canadian.
The dinner will mark the exact date, one
year ago, when Smith was first appointed to
head the domestic distribution department
and will launch the Andy Smith Armiversary
month drive.
Spyros P. Skouras, president, will act as
toastmaster and 20th-Fox officials, department
head and the entire home office sales
force wiU also attend the dinner. During the
evening the division heads will make reports
directly to Skouras on the Anniversary month
activities. After conferring w'ith Skouras,
Smith and W. C. Gehring at the home office
on forthcoming sales plans for the year, the
five division managers w^ll return to their
respective offices May 29 to launch the drive.
BOXOFFICE :: May 15, 1948 21