Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

MANNIE MARCUS WILL EXPAND INTERESTS Indianapolis — iMannie Marcus, general manager of the Quimby Theatres Corp., and secretary of the Harrison Realty and Theatre Co., has announced his resignation in the aforementioned companies to develop a private theatrical syndicate in Indiana. He will expand holdings in five Indianapolis theatres, and though retaining his residence in Ft. Wayne, will headquarter at the Alamo Theatre in Indianapolis. His resignation becomes effective June 26. He controls the Central City Amusement Co., operators of the Alamo, Ambassador and Cozy in Indianapolis, and the Marlene Theatre Corp., operators of the Emerson and Rivoli theatres also in Indianapolis. JOE GOLDBERG STARTS A $100,000 STRUCTURE Chicago — Joe Goldberg, Inc., started work last Monday on a new $100,000 theatre and business building in Homewood, 111. The deal was handled by Cowing Bros., Homewood real estate firm, and the house will be completely built and equipped from street to screen by the Goldberg firm. Irwin Frederick of Chicago is the architect. Republic Circuit Deal New York — “The Hit Parade,” Republic musical, has been booked over the entire St. Louis Amusement Co. circuit, according to word received at Republic’s office here. The deal covers the following 22 theatres: Aubert, Capitol, Congress, Florissant, Granada, Gravois, Kingsland, Lafayette, Moffit, Manchester, Pageant, Shaw, Tivoli, Union, West End Lyric, Downtown Lyric, Hi-Pointe, Lindell, Mikade, Shenandoah, Arsenal and Maplewood. From Lottery to Stamps for Film Financing New York — First it was a riational lottery that was to produce the revenue for the establishment of a motion picture industry in Cuba. Now it’s postage stamps. Word from Havana, by way of John P. Hoover, assistant trade commissioner there, is that the Cuban senate has passed a bill setting up a national motion picture board and seeking to “promote the development of a Cuban motion picture industry by providing for the encouragement of local talent and for the regulation of picture production.” The board’s activities are to be financed through the annual sale of a $100,000 issue of postage stamps. The present bill is essentially similar to a measure introduced in the Cuban Congress last year which provided for financing through an annual lottery. See Boxoffice Tonic in Fight Pictures Chicago — Regardless of any individual opinion on the outcome of the big championship fight in which Joe Louis supported the confidence of his many admirers by knocking the heavyweight crown from the game head of Jim Braddock in the eighth round at Chicago last Tuesday night, exhibitor opinion is thoroughly agreed with Henri Elman that the films of the classic battle will be great boxoffice medicine. Eight rounds of fast, hard, active battling with neither contestant giving nor asking ground, and a resulting clean knockout of a champion, and broadcast to millions of listeners whom natural curiosity will urge to see it for themselves, all speak volumes in favor of the draw which the fight films must necessarily account for. Prints Ready 9:30 Next Morning After an all-night, top speed job, Chicago Film Laboratories developed the negative and had prints ready for the picture’s 9:30 opening in both the B. & K. Apollo and the RKO Palace theatres, where dayand-date first runs had previously been negotiated by Elman. By noon, both houses were playing to holdouts, that at the Palace extending over a block away around the corner of Randolph and Wells streets. The picture is set to open also the B. & K. Regal Theatre, ace colored house in Chicago, on Saturday of this week, and subsequently will play the entire B. & K. circuit, as well as Great States and every other important exhibition factor in this territory. Many Tradesmen See Fight The fight itself was attended by many of the local film personalities as well as a great number who came here from out of town to see this latest addition of “The Battle of the Century.” Among the latter were Jack Cohn, A1 Lichtman, A1 Steffes, George Raft, Virginia Peine, Eddie Cantor, Jack Dempsey, Arthur Lee, Eddie Golden, Arthur Gottlieb, John O’Connor, Harry Thomas, Bill Powers, Elmer Rhoden, H. J. Fitzgerald, Lon Cox, Nat Saland, Gussie Harris, Izzy Rappaport, Harry Sherman, Harry Rathner, Jack Dietz, Ben Mayers, Max Fellerman. Elman reports that over 200 situations in this territory were closed for runs of the films by noon Wednesday. THREE NEW GB FILMS READY FOR RELEASE New York — Three new GB films are ready for release with the completion last week of the Jessie Matthews musical, “Gangway.” The other two are “Non Stop New York” and “Nine Days a Queen,” directed by Robert Stevenson and featuring Anna Lee, John Loder, Francis L. Sullivan and Desmond Tester. The American premiere for “King Solomon’s Mines” is scheduled for July 2 at the Roxy Theatre here. UA WESTERNITES IN CHICAGO By CALVIN HERMER The high spot of the convention, aside from Boss Schaefer’s product announcement, was the screening of two reels of the coming Walter Wanger’s “Vogues of 1938.” The picture is made by the latest improved technicolor process and represents probably the first time color has been put on the screen in anything like its natural state. A riot of color is used in the picture and all of it is far superior to anything yet produced, and its results in “Vogues” are are said to be the reason for recent statements credited to Sam Goldwyn to the effect that he would make only colored pictures from now on. Before *‘Vogues” was screened, incidentally, Hal Home, who now belongs to Wanger, made a short introductory talk in which he explained that it’s showing in the “rush” stage of the hurriedly brjought film really required special equipment and that it iiiight be out of “sync,” and that the colors might not blend perfectly. In fact, Hal just about \\ iped up the floor of Warner’s screening room with apologies, and it wasn’t until after the boys sayy the two reels shown and went almost wild in their approbation that they tumbled to the fact that Horne was gagging as usual. In telling us how far advanced the whole UA structure is this year over last, Monroe Greenthal explained that in 1936 they had released only three pictures by October 1. This year, United Artists will have released eight in that time, and the figure will be ten before December 1. He passed along some more release dope at the same time. The national release date of “Vogues” has been advanced to July 29, and the picture goes into the Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, August 5. “Knight Without Armor” opens the Music Hall on July 8, and “The Prisoner of Zenda” on August 26. Jack Ooldhar was just about talking on air throughout the whole session. He said that “A ??tar Is Bom” is officially the year’s biggest grosser so far. Ben Fish, now completely returned to good health and locking better than in years, led the cheering, which was plenty, every time the name of Goldwyn was mentioned, which was also plenty. Tliat “Welcome” a<l run in the local newspapers by Bill Hollander of B. & K. came in for a large share of praise by all the boys. And so did the “dummy” Daily Times which was concocted by the publicity staff. Some of the gags and ribs in it were plenty hot, especially that one on the front about the milling throng greeting the salesmen. Things looked bad for a while for a couple of V\ men coming into Chicago on a plane W^ednesday night, but they finally did all right. On the piano were George Schaefer, Andy Smith, Kodney Bush, Jack Schlaifer and Monroe Greenthal. Greenthal and Bush made a bet with George Schaefer that the plane would not get in on time. The ])]ane arrived over the aiiqKirt 25 minutes ahead of scheihile due to a favorable tail wind and the bo.\s were just about ready to pay off. But somebody had ’em by the hand and the plane had to circle the field for over 40 minutes while a flock of other plane,s were allowed to land, making the a<'tual arrival about 15 minutes late. EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS Chicago & Indianapolis Film Territories FOR MOTIOGRAPH MODEL HU DE LUXE PROJECTOR • Everything For the Theatre GUERCIO & BARTHEL CO. 908 So. AVaha.sli A’ce. CHICAGO GER-BAR. Inc. 442 N. Illinois ^t. IND1A1VAPOI.IS 130 BOXOFFICE :: June 26, 1937.