Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

gTRONG products in majority of firstrun houses this week, coupled with rainy Saturday and a bright but cool Sunday cutting down on beach and motoring attractions, gave most Providence houses nice grossage. Ted Rosenblatt of the Community , Centerdale, is on a ten-day vacation trip through northern New York. Don Desmond, student assistant of Loew's State, back Ju?ie 21 fro7n Atlantic City where he had been vacationing for a week. Edivard L. Reed, manager of the Strand, arrived back from New York reporting a bag full of pictures contracted for next season. Howard Burkhardt, manager of Loew’s State, leaves on his vacation Sunday, June 27. Empire Theatre has set back opening of its season of dollar-top legitimate attractions from June 28 to July 5. Will continue films for four days of the extra week, closing to make ready for the changed policy for remaining three days. RKO-Albee may stay open through final week of June instead of putting up the "Closed for Summer” signs on Wednesday of that week as previously announced. House Manager William Broivn expects to remain in Providence through the summer, supervising improvements to be made in the house during the shutdown. WPA Theatre Project in Rhode Island, which is now employing 21 stage hands and vaudeville performers, is due to be closed July 15, according to announcement made last week by Administrator Farrell D. Coyle. Loew’s State lobby takes on an attractive garden-like aspect with living evergreens, ferns a?id baskets installed during the past week by House Manager Burkhardt. Plans were filed with the Providence building inspector’s office last week by Peter Laudati for the building of a projection booth at the drive-in theatre under construction on the old Cycledrome site on North Main St. between Providence and Pawtucket. Ringling-Barnum circus in town last Friday grossed its biggest in Providence since pre-depression days. W. Paul Oury, formerly station manager for WPRO and who is familiar to most Rhode Island theatre men — it was he who brought “Cloistered” to town for a private morning showing at the RKO-Albee more than a year ago — is one of the incorporators of the new Pawtucket Broadcasting Co. The R. I. Ministers’ Union at its meeting June 16 unanimously adopted a resolution to join in efforts to rid the state of legalized race track betting. PLAYS "GERALD O'HARA" Hollywood — Walter Connolly will play the role of Gerald O’Hara in the Selznick version of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind.” It is the first casting announcement in connection with the picture. TALKS ON FOREIGN FILM DISTRIBUTION Saybrook, Conn. — When Earl Wright, 20th-Fox salesman, delivered his talk on “Foreign Distribution of American Films” before the Saybrook Rotarian Club recently, he was preceded by a record, specially made for the occasion by Fox, introducing the speaker and following with a song by Alice Faye, “You Can’t Have Everything.” This was no reflection on Wright, who traced the development of the form of the American film for export from the silent days, the production with foreign casts, the fitting of foreign dialogue to the American silent picture, and the present English dialogue with superimposed foreign translations at the bottom of the film. Wright spoke of Shirley Temple as the true American ambassador of goodwill, who was teaching English to the children of the world. AL SCHUMANN BUYS SITE IN BRIDGEPORT Bridgeport, Conn. — One of the most important real estate transactions in the Black Rock area in years was completed when Albert M. Schumann, owner of the Black Rock Theatre, bought a corner property at a cost of $25,000. Schumann, who owns the adjoining property, also plans the construction of a large modern store building with offices on the second floor. Shumann came to this city in 1931 after leasing a chain of theatres he was operating in Hartford to Warner Bros. One of his first business moves was the purchase of the Black Rock Theatre. Party for O'Brien Boston — William O’Brien, for many years exchange manager in Portland where he also sold for many of distributors, was given a surprise birthday party Thursday of last week by members of the staff of the American Guide with whom he is now associated. It was his 61st birthday. Older members of the film fraternity, of which O'Brien was a member for some 16 years, were among those that remembered him on the occasion. jyjERCHANTS solicited the support of the theatre industry in an effort to defeat the retail sales tax. What is thought will be the finest residence in the North Country is being built for Leon Bolduc, operator of the Majestic Theatre, at Conway, N. H. The foundation is completed but the type of structure it is to be could not be learned. Mrs. Annie Leavitt is opening Leavitt’s Theatre at Ogunquit about June 25, the only film theatre in the territory which is famous for its legitimates. Bob Murray resigned as Columbia representative for New Englaiid June 12. Harry Botwick, State Theatre manager, was ill with a severe cold June 17 and 18 ... Ed Carroll of Massachusetts expects to open the Casino Theatre at Belgrade Lakes the first week in July . . . Jack Eames, who operates the Premier at Littleton, N. H., and the Holycon at Colebrook, will open two summer theatres in the White Mountains the last week in June. They are the Hall in Pines, Bretton Woods and the Colonial at Bethlehem. Filmroiv visitors: H. V. Higgins, operator of a theatre at Freeport, who dropped into the Paramoujit exchange for bookings; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Benjamin, NS, and Louis Gordon, operator of the State Theatre at Farmington. The newly popular auto gliders were called into service June 17, 18 and 19 to plug “Make Way for Tomorrow,” which opened at the State Theatre Thursday. A fleet of the glorified “scooters” glided down Congress St. at intervals throughout the three days with appropriately worded cards especially attracting the attention of the young folks. The first 200 women attending the opening received free flowers, donated by a local nursery. Exhibitors in the Boothbay section are to have another competitor soon in the Boothbay Playhouse, a legitimate house. DO YOU NEED A DLOWER THIS SUMMER? DRAND NEW DLOWERS — 20,000 C. F. M. — With "V" Belt and Pulleys — ONLY — *149’^® CASH SOUTHERN THEATRE SUPPLY CO. P. O. BOX 333 NASHVILLE, TENN. 112 BOXOFFICE June 26, 1937.