Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

JJRNEST L. MILLER and William P. Tilley of Brazil, Ind., owners and operators of the new Cinema Theatre, Indianapolis’ newest neighborhood theatre at 16th and Delaware Sts., held their formal opening June 27. Both Miller and Tilley are well known in the motion picture industry in Indiana. Miller, who will manage the house, has been in the theatre business in Brazil for the past six years, and is a past president of the Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana. Tilley is associated with the Beverly Theatre in Brazil and the Capitol Theatre in Clinton. H. E. Hart, operator of the Court and Smart theatres, Auburn, Ind., was severely bitten by a dog and narrowly escaped rabies. The Paramount salesforce including R. W. Baker, D. C. Newman, W. H. Esch, Allen Fromouth, display manager, and Gus Embach, head booker, left for Chicago to attend a special sales meeting. Barney Barnard, exchange manager, stopped off to attend the meeting on his way back from the west coast Paramount convention. The Cotter Theatre Corp., Peru, Ind., has been formed by John Cotter, Russel R. Rhodes and Dorothy A. Becker. Capitalization is 1,000 shares of no par value. Purpose: Operate moving picture theatres. Earl Penrod, Indiana Bank Night representative, is attending the annual convention of the company in Colorado Springs. Mildred Winer, formerly with Ger-Bar Equipment Co., has resigned to join Carl Harthill, in the Indianapolis Exchange, distributors of Capital and Monogram pictures, 435 North Illinois St. Larry Shubnell, head Columbia booker, went to Detroit Saturday to attend the wedding of his brother. B. J. Curry, operator of the Strand Theatre, Horse Cave, Ky., is confined to a Louisville, Ky., hospital recuperating. Marty Solomon, Columbia manager, Abe Gellman, Guy Craig and Herbert Kaufman will leave Thursday for the west coast to attend the Columbia Pictures convention. Bob Hudson, Richmond circuit operator, is confined to his home with influenza. Visitors: J. Goldberg, LaPorte; H. H. Johnson, Madison; Roy Harold, Rushville; Joe Schilling, Connersville ; Billie Connors, Marion; V. U. Young, Gary and Frank Forrest, Boonville. E. L. Miller operator of the State Theatre, Orleans, and wife are vacationing in Virginia. PARAMOUNT ROADSHOW SET New York — The first definite roadshow date for Paramount’s “High, Wide and Handsome” has been set for the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood on August 4. The first two-a-day engagement will open at the Astor here early in July. Close Skouras Action (Continued from page 123) several other theatres through shares in the Buneau Amusement Co. which was owned by the Skouras Brothers Enterprises, Inc. Skouras Sold to WB in 1928 The corporation was formed some years ago by Spyros P., Charles P. and George Skouras. In the fall of 1928 they sold control of the company to Warner Bros., Pictures, Inc. The Downtown Lyric had been managed in recent months by Clarence M. Turley and associates, along with the Uptown Theatre. Both of those houses are to be managed in the future by the Fanchon & Marco interests on arrangements somewhat similar to those that apply to the St. Louis Amusement Co. chain and the deal with the Ansell Brothers for the Ritz, Empress and Varsity theatres, effective on July 1. Turley has been treasurer of the St. Louis Amusement Co. for some time. It is known that the Fanchon & Marco interests have been dickering with other local theatrical interests for management and booking arrangements somewhat similar to those that will prevail as to the Ansell houses and the Uptown and Downtown Lyric. The Fanchon & Marco interests already have something of a gentleman’s agreement with Harry Greenman, former manager of the Fox Theatre, one of their firstrun houses, who has the Dakota and Yale theatres in South St. Louis and the Normandy in St. Louis County under his wing. F. & M. Dickering for Five Other houses that may shortly perfect a working agreement of some kind with F. & M. are said to include the Avalon, the Columbia, the Roxy, the Powhattan and the Whiteway. Bessie Schulter and Alex Papand are interested jointly in the Avalon and the Roxy, she has the Columbia, while Papand owns the Powhattan and the Whiteway. Harry Koplar, associate with the Fanchon & Marco interests in the management of their growing chain here, is said to be the controlling factor in the Montgomery Investment Co., owner of the Montgomery Theatre at 2705 N. 15th St. It is even reported in motion picture circles that the F. & M. leaders have approached Fred Wehrenberg, owner of the Cinderella, Melba, Michigan and Virginia theatres in South St. Louis and the Savoy in Ferguson, Mo., on the question of pooling theatres for booking purposes, and gossip also has it that the final consummation for the gigantic plan for controlling the local motion picture exhibition field may find some deal worked out with the Kaimann Bros, who have a number of houses in North and Northwest St. Louis. Harry C. Arthur jr., who presently is the dominant personality in the local F. & M. situation, has gone to New York City to spend the summer and is not expected to return here until early in July. During the summer months he will make periodical short trips to St. Louis to check up on what is happening. And in his absence from St. Louis no one is authorized to speak authoritatively for him. "HOLLYWOOD" GAME INFRINGEMENT SUIT Chicago — Suit for patent infringement has been filed in the U. S. district court of eastern Wisconsin by the Hollywood Amusement Co., Inc., of Chicago against the Northwest Amusement Co., Inc., of Milwaukee, Edw. W. Moore of Milwaukee, and Screen Games Attractions, Inc., for patent infringement. Phil Fischer, president of Hollywood Amusement, stated that his firm has the exclusive rights, under U. S. letters patents Nos. 2042604 and 2069304 and that whenever it is called to his attention that their patent rights are being infringed upon that they would take immediate court action to stop same. The present action claims infringement upon “Hollywood” patents by the use of a slide featuring an electrically operated dial, upon which the “Hollywood” patents are passed. "THE GIRL SAID NO" CLICKS AT PREVIEW Chicago — On Tuesday midnight, June 15, the local Grand National office presented a screening for the trade of “The Girl Said No” at United Artists Theatre. Before a well-filled house and an enthusiastic preview audience of exhibitors and local film folks, the screen’s first filmization of the immortal Gilbert & Sullivan operettas unfolded. A cast of screen players, including Irene Hervey, Robert Armstrong, Paula Stone and Ed Brophy carried the plot which works up to the climax where the operetta material is presented. Such seasoned Gilbert & Sullivaneers as William Danforth, Vera Ross, Vivian Hart and the almost immortal “Lord High Executioner,” Prank Moulan, carried the musical end in their own Inimitable and capable style. — C. H. PHOTOPHONE’S Magic Voice Sound Systems 1. 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