Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

COVraiNG MICHIGAN. OHIO. KENTUCKY, WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN PENNSYtVANIA SPECULATE ON RICHEY'S CHOICE W&W Add Eleventh Theatre to Circuit Detroit— -It is now number 11 in actual operation for Wisper & Wetsman Theatres with their acquisition of the Penkell Theatre, on Penkell near Dexter. When the Harper Theatre is erected and the Lincoln Square is finally acquired by them, they will have 13 houses. “And we are not stopping at that number, either,” said a W. & W. spokesman this week. “We’ve got several more in the fire.” The Penkell has been operated by Sam Brown. It is understood that Brown is dickering again — for the eighth time — with George W. Trendle for his United Detroit Theatres to take over operation of the Dexter Theatre, another Brown house. This deal has been off and on seven times, and price is still holding it from completion. The Dexter would give Trendle another house as direct opposition to the Wisper & Wetsman circuit, as the house, located on Dexter near Elmwood, is near the W. & W. Avalon at Linwood and Davison. DETROIT FILMROW JOINS SHRINE FETE Detroit — Pilmrow took full advantage of the holiday spirit created by the Shrine convention this week. Since the first Variety Club golf tourney of the summer coincided with the opening day of the convention Tuesday, exhibitor and circuit offices together with the exchanges were deserted for the day. All of the major newsreels sent crews here to film the activities, including the three huge parades of the week. A1 Weiner of Embassy Motion Picture Service shot special 16 mm. reels to be sold later for amateur use. A special midnight show was held Tuesday night at the Pox Theatre, part of the proceedings there being broadcast by an international radio hookup. Private Fan Dance Gets Freedom for Fanner Uniontown, Pa. — Sally Rand manipulated her fans~one fore and one aft— in such a fashion as to wriggle her lissome figure out of a state police charge of staging an obscene dance, the private exhibition in a local alderman’s office having followed her being placed in the law’s toils last week while performing at the State Theatre. When arrested at the local theatre she insisted on an immediate hearing, declaring her dance was not indecent. To prove it she staged the private performance behind drawn shades and locked doors in the alderman’s office. Evidently she did prove it, for when the door was opened the alderman, Frank R. Foster, announced that the charge was dismissed for lack of evidence. Sally Rand and members of her troupe departed for Johnstown to fill another engagement. RKO NAMES SHARKEY DETROIT MANAGER Los Angeles — Winning a promotion while at the RKO sales conference here last week, J. Sharkey goes from the home office staff to the manager’s berth at Detroit. New hundred per cent salesmen as announced at the meeting by General Sales Manager Jules Levy are J. Graham, E. Lebby and R. H. Lange, Pittsburgh; W. D. Ward, A. Goldsmith, and M. E. Lefko, Cleveland, and J. A. McKnight, Cincinnati. NO NEWS FOR PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh — This city’s three daily newspapers were not published Tuesday due to a strike. Newspaper Publishers Association, representing The Sun-Telegraph, Press and Post-Gazette, announced a complete and indefinite suspension of service. Mich. Co-Op Makes Bid for Allied's General Manager By GENE RICH Detroit — Pilmrow was abuzz this week with its choicest gossip morsel in many moons — what is H. M. Richey, general manager of Allied of Michigan, going to do? Richey, apparently, holds the key to the perplexing situation of maintaining peace among Detroit and Michigan exhibitors, depending on whether he takes a proffered advisory position with Cooperative Theatres of Michigan. Board Meets Wednesday A meeting of the Allied board of directors is set for Wednesday, at which time Richey is expected to tell of his hew plans. The Allied board meeting, called by special letter, was originally scheduled for Wednesday of this week, but due to the impossibility of out-state board members obtaining hotel accommodations during the Shrine convention, it was postponed. The letter, bearing Richey’s name, a copy of which this writer saw, read in part; “At a meeting held yesterday (Tuesday, June 15), by the Cooperative Theatres of Michigan and attended by a majority of its stockholders, the majority of whom are members of Allied Theatres, I am advised they took action to withdraw from Allied looking toward formation of a closer cooperation between their members— -feeling this can only be accomplished through a contractual relationship similar to that which they have enjoyed for some time. “I understand it is their thought to confine their activities to members of their own organization and I have been offered a position to take care of this part of the work.” Mum on Position Details Just what this position is, neither Richey nor Ray Moon, general manager of Cooperative, would say this week. “The complete story in detail will be released when it is ready,” they said. Cooperative is three years old this week, the original contracts having been signed (Continued on page 118) MIDEAST EDITION Is One of the Seven Sectional Editions in Which BOXOPPICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are: NEW ENGLAND, CENTRAL. MIDWEST, WESTERN, SOUTHERN, EASTERN. ELSIE LOEB, 12805 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. K. F. KLINGENSMITH, 1701 Blvd. of the Allies. Pittsburgh. Pa. EUGENE D. RICH, 2425 Cass Ave., Detroit. Mich., Phone Randolph 7978. CLARA HYDE, 127 Tremont St.. Ft. Thomas, Ky., Phone Highland 1657.