Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

THIS WEEK WE MEET MANNY PERLSTEIN •pHIS, just in case there is anybody in the Cleveland territory who doesn’t know him, is Manny Perlstein of Warner Bros. He has recently been appointed assistant exploitation and publicity manager by Zone Manager Nat Wolf as successor to Mort Goodman who has been promoted to the Warner West Coast publicity and advertising department. Seven Years With WB Manny Perlstein has been with the Cleveland Warner outfit for the past seven years. He has consistently risen from the ranks, starting with the statistical department and gradually working into the publicity end of the business via the theatre route. He has originated many of the stunts that have made Warner pictures first page copy during the past several years, but what is probably his outstanding effort to date is his reciprocal tieup with Radio Station WGAR in Cleveland. Through persistent effort and the proper approach, he succeeded in selling Ellis Vanderpyle, in charge of WGAR sales, that it would be to their mutual advantage to spot broadcast a 100-word announcement relating to the current film attraction at the Warner Hippodrome some four or five times a day. Screen Space for Air Time These spot broadcasts over WGAR occur only when some prominent radio or film name is involved in the picture. And then the station goes for it in a big way. The spot announcements occur, as a rule, just prior to the opening of a coast-tocoast hookup, when the air audience is the largest. And what does the Radio Station get in return? It gets a trailer on the Warner Hippodrome screen, advising the theatre audience that the star of the picture will be heard at a specified time over WGAR. If they were to be paid for, these announcements would be costly. But, as was stated in the beginning, they are reciprocal. Warner Bros, get the air announcements. WGAR gets the trailers. Perlstein worked on this plan of reciprocal advertising for several years before he finally succeeded in putting it over. A few more ideas like that and Manny Perlstein will soon be riding high and handsome. CLEVELAND (Continued from page 117) ly. Manager Michael Levin had placed most of the cash in his safe. W. H. Johns, assistant manager at Loew’s Stillman, was wearing a limp last week — result of a strenuous ball game. Leo Jones, owner and manager of the Star Theatre, Upper Sandusky, has the new title of "Daddy.” The Jones family now consists of Mr., Mrs. and Master Richard Thomas Jones. June 28, remember, is the date of the testimonial dinner in honor of I. J. Schmertz in celebration of his 30 consecutive years of service with the Fox Film Corp. Frank Drew, M-G-M branch manager, spent the week in the territory. Tom Cudmore, son of Ray Cudmore, manager of Superior Theatre Supply Co., was graduated last week from Dennison University and was one of several hundred applicants selected to attend lectures of the Aetna Life Insurance Co. at the home offices in Hartford. SOTUS' MELBA LEASE GOES TO MAX ARNOLD Pittsburgh — Melba Theatre, Lincoln Ave., has been acquired under long term lease by Max Arnold. The young theatre operator is a former exhibitor at Morgantown, W. Va. For the past several years the theatre on Lincoln Ave. was operated by Peter Sotus, an exhibitor in the Pittsburgh film territory for 32 years. Sotus’ health has been poor in recent months and he was forced to withdraw from exhibition. Arnold states that he will spend six weeks in remodeling and renovating the Melba and that when reopened the house will be newly equipped. REPORT BLATT BROS. ANNEX GREENVILLE Pittsburgh — A. “Mickey” Sleissinger was preparing this week to withdraw from exhibition at Greenville, Pa., with a report that the Blatt Bros, would acquire the Mercer Square and Main theatres. At press time a transfer had not been confirmed by the Blatts. A new theatre is under construction at Greenville for L. C. Haughton and P. V. McKay, exhibitors at Franklin and Grove City, Pa., and Montgomery, W. Va. CIMCIIIMWATII piLMROW enjoyed the recent visit of J. C. (Doc) Newbold, of Bramwell, W. Va. He manages theatres at Bramwell and Omar, W. Va., and at Stone, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Zieverink are sending out invitations to the marriage of their daughter, Alberta, at United Features. Miss Zieverink is marrying J. Robert Schoeny June 22. The Colonial Theatre at Davenswood, W. Va., was destroyed by fire Friday night. The amount of the damage is not yet known. J. C. Christian, booker at 2Qth-Fox, is off on a vacation that will take him to Washington, New Richmond and Gettysburg. Miss Hilda Knoekleman of 20th-Fox is spending her vacation quietly with her mother who has just recovered from a serious operation. Miss Shirley Ripley is vacationing from 20th-Fox. There is a rumor that she is using part of her time to invest in a trousseau. E. W. Freeman and E. L. Keesling of Freeman and Newbold circuit theatres in West Virginia visited RKO and other Filmrow offices this week. William Maeir, president of Mayflower and Jewel theatres in Troy, O., visited Filmrow this week, taking the place of Christian Pfister, secretary of the company, who is at present in Europe. At the RKO office five men were absent on a convention tour to the coast Saturday. They left last Sunday morning and will be gone for another week. Stanley Jacques, A1 Sugarman, Joe McKnight, Les Rosenthal and A1 Kolitz made stopovers in Dallas, Tex., for a trip to the Exposition. M-G-M’ s Olga Thelen is vacationing in the south. W. B. Urling of Urling and Davis circuit visited the Row. This circuit operates theatres in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Also J. L. Hatcher of Ohio Theatre, Zenia, visited. Ed Deitz, the new Grand National salesfor the Kentucky territory, has been successful in closing deals for 1937-38 prod( Continued on next page) COOL VALANCES FLAGS & BANNERS LIBERMAN 502 Film Bldg. Cleveland BOXOFFICE : : June 26, 1937. 121