Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

COVERINO NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA ’ANp EASTERN • CITY ACTS TO HALT GIVEAWAYS Easter B. 0. Record for Broadwaij Shows New York — Augmented by a record influx of out-of-town visitors, holiday throngs in a spending mood crowded the Broadway first-run houses over the Easter weekend, giving several theatres a “new all-time Easter Sunday attendance record” with the above-average takes continuing for the early part of Easter week. First on the list was the Paramount where “Waikiki Wedding” shattered the Easter weekend record hung up last year by “Desire.” The theatre was forced to open its doors earlier to accommodate waiting crowds on Monday, the house surpassing all previous attendance records for that day by 1,275 admissions, according to the management. Attendance at “Top of the Town” at the Roxy rose above any Easter weekend mark set in the past ten years, while “Seventh Heaven” at the Radio City Music Hall on Sunday passed the holiday mark set in 1936 by “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” Other Broadway film theatres benefiting by a cold Easter Sunday and strong attractions were the Rivoli, where “History Is Made at Night” attracted large crowds the entire week, the Strand with “The King and the Chorus Girl,” and the Capitol in its second week of “Maytime.” KALISKI, GIVEN RETURN New York — Joe Kaliski, GB branch manager in Washington, and Herb Given, manager of the Philadelphia exchange, have returned to their territories following the American premiere of GB’s “Silent Barriers” at the New Criterion here. ITO MEETS APRIL 7 New York — Due to the absence from town of a number of exhibitors on account of the Jewish holidays, the Independent Theatre Owners Ass’n has postponed its next regular meeting to April 7. Anti-SRO Measure Is Fought Buffalo — Exhibitors in Buffalo and western New York have taken up arms against the enactment of the Rossi hill, now pending in the New York state legislature, which would amend the penal code by prohibiting the sellmg of a ticket for a seat in an amusement house or other place of public assembly without having such a seat actually available. It would make the penalty for violation of not less than $25 nor more than $100 for each offense. The drive to block enactment of this bill has been opened by J. H. Michael, chairman of the MPTO, representing some 400 theatres in the Buffalo area Eminent Figures Pick Ampa Awards New York — Important figures in the magazine and advertising agency fields head the judges committee to select the best advertisement designed for the public for one of the Ampa advertising awards to be announced at the dinner dance of the association on May 1. The committee is composed of H. B. Lequatte, president of the New York Advertising Club; Henry R. Luce, editor of Time magazine; J. P. Cunningham, vice-president of Newell-Emmett Co., Inc. advertising agency; Howard Black, advertising director of Life; Lester Thompson, MPPDA; Karl Egge, advertising director of Bloomingdale Bros.; G. C. Bacheller, vice-president, Frank Presbrey Co., and Fulton Oursler, editor of Liberty magazine. The judges’ committee for the best poster award includes Leonard London, art director of Outdoor Advertising, Inc.; Lucian Bernhard, artist and modern poster stylist; Adolph Treidler, dean of Ameri Commissioner in Buffalo Threatens License Revocation Buffalo — Bank Nights and Bingo parties in Buffalo theatres will be a thing of the past after midnight, April 3, under an order issued by Commissioner of Police James W. Higgins. The commissioner has instructed captains to notify theatre owners and operators in their respective precincts that unless Bank Nights and Bingo are stopped, steps will be taken to revoke the license of the theatre violating the order. Commissioner Higgins declared that under Chapter 34, Section 8, of the city ordinances, licenses of theatres can be revoked if the laws are being violated. Furthermore, he declared, the director of licenses has agreed to revoke licenses if it is proven at a hearing that a lottery was being carried on in a theatre. UNCLE SAM MOVING ON TICKET BROKERS New York — The United States government on Thursday moved against agencies handling legitimate theatre tickets for allegedly holding out an estimated 90 per cent of the taxes due on more than 2,000,000 admissions sold annually through such channels in New York. Pour agents were arraigned before a U. S. commissioner and warrants for the arrest of more than 30 others were issued. According to unofficial figures, the government is losing nearly $500,000 a year in taxes on tickets. can poster artists; C. E. Millard, one of the first theatrical poster artists; Dean Uptegrove, Richardson, Alley & Richards advertising agency, and Heyworth Campbell, advertising art consultant. The ticket committee for the annual dinner dance is headed by Herb Berg, chairman; Ray Gallagher and Marvin Kirsch. The exhibit of poster and other motion picture advertising and display material submitted for awards will be held on the second floor of Loew’s State building here April 26 to April 30 inclusive. EASTERN EDITION Is One of the Seven Sectional Editions in Which BOXOFFICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are: NEW ENGLAND, MIDEAST, CENTRAL, MIDWEST, WESTERN, SOUTHERN. ALFRED L. FINESTONE, Eastern Editor, 551 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y., Phone Vanderbilt 3-7138. PRESCOTT DENNETT, Bond Bldg., Washington, D. C., V. W. MORROW, 73 W. Eagle St., Buffalo, N. Y.