Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1938)

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Picture Boosting Campaign Wins Balaban' s Endorsement Chicago — John Balaban, head of the B&K circuit here, this week heartily endorsed the forthcoming industry campaign to encourage theatre attendance. At the same time he admonished exhibitors throughout the country not to expect too great returns immediately. “For years we have felt here that the motion picture industry, like the automotive, furniture and other great industries, should call attention to its new products in an outstanding fashion," Balaban told Boxoffice. “However, we felt that merely a “greater movie season” was not strong enough. “The present plan of bringing before the moving-going public that ‘motion pictures are your best entertainment,’ emphasized by the gigantic $250,000 contest, is just the method to put across the new season’s pictures. Everyone, from circuit theatres down to last-runs, will obtain considerable goodwill and word-of-mouth advertising on the pictures included in the contest. “However, since the plan was evolved on short notice, we in the exhibition end of the business should not expect tco great tangible results immediately. Everyone working on the campaign is doing his best to help us. If there are mistakes made, everyone should attempt to criticize constructively, in order that next year the campaign will be an even bigger and better one.” B&K have sent in an initial order for 250,000 contest booklets to distribute in their theatres here, as a beginning for the campaign. "Drums" for Delegates Milwaukee — United Artists’ “Drums” will be given a trade showing here next Tuesday night, August 30, at 11:30 o’clock at the Warner Theatre. The screening is being held during the convention of the Allied exhibitors of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Art Catlin, exploiteer for UA. is to be here to handle details. Gordon H. Simmons Co. Theatre Dir Conditioning We can purchase suitable apparatus for your needs at a substantial saving to you, and specify its proper installation. 926 North Cass Street MILWAUKEE, WIS. Phone, Daly 2552 Records Fall in Three Days St. Louis — Harry C. Arthur jr.. Fanchon <S Marco general manager, announced that during the first three days of its run at the Fox, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" broke all house records. Following its current engagement at the Fox, it will move across Grand boulevard to the Missouri for an indefinite run. Mednikow Acquires Trailer-Made Rights Chicago — Johnny Mednikow has acquired the midwestem franchise of TrailerMade, Inc., with headquarters to be in Chicago. Mednikow will open an office with complete vault space at 1300 South Wabash. Mednikow will handle the Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and upper peninsula of Michigan territories for the trailer concern. Starting as an operator at the White City Amusement Park in 1905 when the feature was “The Great Train Robbery,” Mednikow has been constantly identified with the industry ever since. He was with Universal, Celebrated Players, Pathe, Tiffany and other exchanges before going with Advance Trailers in 1926. He remained there until Advance was taken over by National Screen Service and was with that concern nine years, until the first of this year. The franchise Mednikow has is for 10 years and designates his firm as TrailerMade Service of Illinois, Inc. Promote Langdon Kankakee, III. — William G. Langdon, manager of the Grand Theatre at Blue Island, has been named city manager for Great States here. He succeeds George Rice, who has resigned to go into the theatre business for himself in Houston, Tex. Langdon has been with Great States since 1927. WARNING I Exhibitors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana beware of bootleg prints of “VANISHING GANGSTERS” We are the sole distributors of this feature in this territory. Do any booking of this film ’with us only. ALBERT DEZEL ROADSHOWS 831 South Wabash, Chicago, Illinois "Alexander" Draw Deemed Unusual Chicago — While “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” did bigger business for its initial week at the Chicago Theatre last week than any stage or screen attraction there since World’s Fair days of 1933 and 1934, B&K executives felt that the week’s attendance was even more remarkable because of other factors. The picture drew 123,000 persons during its first seven days here. During the Fair here, there were an average of 300,000 to 500,000 visitors in the city daily throughout the summer months, which accounted for the staggering grosses rolled up during those two seasons. This summer the picture is drawing entirely from local population and a few from neighboring cities. Too, during the Fair, several “names” appeared on the stage to help attendance figures. The current 20th Century-Fox sensation is in itself responsible for the big business, with the stage show an entertaining one, but lacking in outstanding name value. The SRO sign was out at the Chicago practically all hours every day during the first week of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and continued for many shows during the second week. The picture was expected to go for a third stanza at the house. Nearly every morning since the picture opened, there has been a crowd of 200 to 400 persons waiting in line by 8:30 or 9 o’clock. The last of seven daily shows is not over until nearly 1 o’clock in the morning. Holds Big for "Alexander" Second Week Business Business continued “great” on the Berlin film over the second weekend at the Chicago, with business off only about 12 per cent over the record-breaking 45,000 attendance of the first week. The picture was to be held over for a third week. The big business of the Fox film helped other first-runs in the loop this week, M-G-M, with two holdovers, was doing above average with “The Crowd Roars” in its second week at the United Artists, with “Love Finds Andy Hardy,” in its fourth week at the Apollo. Universal’s “Letter of Introduction,” moved into the Garrick for a third week, after two weeks at the Palace, did almost as much over the weekend as in a normal week for the house. Subsequent-run houses found business spotty over the weekend, with the right combination of pictures doing business, despite considerable non-theatrical competition such as the Hearst regatta which drew 200,000; the Cub-Pittsburgh Pirate double-header which drew more than 40,000, and the Chicago Tribune musical festival which drew about 100,000 on Saturday night to Soldiers’ Field. 46 BOXOFFICE :: August 27, 1938