This series incorporates the papers of three United Artists employees. John Hughes joined
United Artists about 1935 working his way up to become manager. In that capacity, he
supervised the dating of all pictures throughout the United States and Canada. Hughes
retired from United Artists in 1975. His files consist of a sampling of correspondence with
the major exchanges filed chronologically by year and alphabetically by city. Also included
are daily reports of box office grosses, letters from various production companies, and 1950
playdate rejections.
Howard Hengster joined United Artists in 1933 as a clerk in the Tabulating Department
moving to the Accounting Department in 1937 and the Sales Department in 1938. He entered the
Playdate Department in 1945 as a correspondence clerk and became manager in 1946. He left
United Artists in 1951. Hengster's correspondence, dating from 1947-1950, consists of
alphabetically arranged exchange correspondence along with some miscellaneous corporate
communications including news releases from the Publicity Department, box office grosses for
1947 and movie schedules.
John Wrege joined United Artists as a sales clerk in 1932 and moved to the Sales Promotion
Department in 1934. Although he continued to be identified with the Sales Promotion
Department, his correspondence is similar to that of Hughes and Hengster and some was
originally labelled playdate correspondence. As a result, there is some uncertainty
regarding his exact position and duties. His correspondence includes exchange correspondence
for the years 1936, 1939, and 1943 together with a subject file that contains similar
material that is alternately arranged. Also included are folders for the films I'll Be
Seeing You and Since You Went Away as well as some circular letters and correspondence
from United Artists executives and complaints from theater managers. According to United
Action August 1946, Wrege was playdate manager for ten years. At that time he was assistant
to Maury Orr, the Western Sales Manager.
