Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

MlilWMlIEAPOllLIII^ Kaqcee to Play Host to Columbians Going West ^HE Paramount bunch returned from the Chicago regional sales meeting all wound up about their company’s newseason product and they seemingly never stop talking about the line-up of forthcoming pictures. “Hy” Chapman headed the local Columbia delegation which departed Thursday for the Los Angeles convention. The Minneapolis M-G-M office ranks sixth nationally in sales gains over 1936. Edna Walsh of Columbia is vacationing in Duluth. Out-of-town exhibitors glimpsed along Filmrow included Frank Bogumill, Thorp, Wis.; Lester West, Caledonia, Minn.; Art Johnson, Aberdeen, S. D.; Paul Perizzo, Blue Earth and Winnebago, Minn.; Kay Jahnig, Wheaton, Minn.; Ed. Koeniger, Bristol, S. D., and Jack Heywood, New Richmond, Wis. Dorothy Anderson, M-G-M contract clerk, is off on an Alaskan tour. The Columbia office will throw a shower party next week for Bess Ackerman, “Hy” Chapman’s secretary, who will become a bride June 30 . . . Lillian Jensen, secretary to Rud Lohrenz at Warner Bros., sings on the job. She likes her work . . . Stella Carlson of Warner Bros, office staff is vacationing in northern Minnesota. Bill Grant, National Screen salesman, is spending his vacation with friends at Ortonville, Minn. . . . Leo Blank, Warner district manager, a visitor . . . Ella Herrod, National Screen office manager, spent the weekend in Chicago, visiting with friends and having a good time generally. Kenny Gaines, Warner Bros.’ shipper, is visiting at his home in Glen, Minn. . . . Maurice Moorman, National Screen biller, is spending his vacation at the lakes around Minneapolis . . . Morry Abrams, M-G-M live-wire exploiteer, has been out in the territory working on “Captains Courageous.” Frank Mantzke, Universal branch manager, visited southern Minnesota . . . Joe Podoloff, 20th-Fox branch manager, back from a swing through the territory. These are big days for Reuben Aved, United Artists’ shipping department head. He’s driving a new car, but that’s not all. On July 24 he will march to the altar with Rose Brenes. Helen Sullivan of RKO is spending her vacation at home in Minneapolis . . . Betty Dee, secretary to Ralph Cramblett at United Artists, is spending three weeks at Excelsior Springs, Mo. Recent heavy rains flooded the basements of the Universal and 20th-Fox exchanges. They had to pump 48 hours to get the latter dry. Earl Lorentz, 20th-Fox salesman, will summer at White Bear Lake. He has rented a cottage there . . . “Nickey” Goldhammer and his RKO boys are back from the Los Angeles sales convention. Mo.*Kas. Film Ads Sales Tax Exempt Kansas City — In neither Kansas nor Missouri is the new two per cent sales tax applicable to screen or radio advertising . Forrest Smith, state auditor and collector of the tax, last week ruled that neither advertising nor freight transportation (which lets out Film Delivery) is subject to the tax. Under the one per cent tax, Missouri collected on screen, newspaper and radio advertising. The Kansas ruling was handed down by the tax commission. REDMOND REPLACES MURRAY AT TOWER Kansas City — C. C. Murray, house manager of the Tower, is being shifted to the management of the Lincoln and Washington theatres, Belleville, 111., both Fox Midwest houses. Murray will be succeeded by Joseph Redmond, who has been managing the Fox Apollo, but who formerly was at the Tower from the time it opened. Henry Roderick, Tower chief of service, becomes assistant house manager at the Fox first-run house. Kansas City — En route to the Columbia Pictures sales convention, opening at Los Angeles on Sunday, June 27, a delegation of home office executives and sales personnel were scheduled to arrive at the union station here Friday, June 23, in a special New York train. Plans were set to entertain a number of the Columbians at the local Variety Club between trains. Headed by A. Montague, general sales manager, the party will arrive in Los Angeles on Sunday morning for the opening session of the sales meet at the Ambassador Hotel. Both Harry Cohn, president of Columbia Pictures, and Jack Cohn, vicepresident, will attend. First L. A. Meet Since 1929 Tlie gret-together is making Iiistory for Coiuinbia, for it is the first to be held in Los Angeles since 1929, when the company, then newly established as a national distributing organization, held its initial convention in that city. Forty-seven delegates attended at that time, as compared to the group of more than 250 who will be present at the coming event. The Columbia special which pulled out of New York at midnight on June 23, and made stops en route to pick up delegates at Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago, was to be joined in this city by conventioneers of the local staff, as well as branch managers and their sales forces from Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, Charlotte and Winnipeg, Canada. Home office executives expected to comprise the party: A. Montague, J. McConville, R. Jackter, L. Weinberg, L. Astor, M. J. Weisfeldt, J. Seidelman, J. Friedman, H, Daab, H. C. Kaufman, M. Grad, G. Josephs, M. Hannock, A. Seligman, L Jaffe, B. E. Zeeman, V. Borelli, W. Brennan, S. Liggett, J. Martin, C. Roberts and branch managers and members of the sales force from New York, Boston, New Haven, Philadelphiai Washington, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and part of the Canadian contingent; including Montreal, St. Johns and Toronto exchanges. 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