Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

C IIHI IK C A G O pEARLESS Freddie Rides Again! Such was titled a letter from the dim distant past which the column received the other day from none other than Fred Mindlin, whom we once dubbed “Fearless Freddie,” and who since his insisted that he likes the moniker. Fred is still press-agenting hither and yon, and writes an interesting missive about his present endeavor. He is ballyhooing “Murder in the Red Barn.” All of Filmrow was stunned to hear last Monday of the sudden death of Louis Newhafer, Balaban & Katz district supervisor over the Tower and Maryland theatres. Newhafer passed away suddenly Monday morning following a heart attack. H. Lisle Krieghbaum, who operates the Char-Bel Theatre in Rochester, Indiana, was a visitor on the Row the other day for the first time in several months. He buys all his product out of Indianapolis except Fox which he gets from Chicago, and came in to see about some bookings. He also came to attend Cole Bros. Circus, currently playing here, as one of their annual guests from Rochester where the circus winters every year. That picture “Ecstasy" has finally wound up its run in the Chicago loop, with a total of 18 weeks to its credit. It played 13 weeks in the Playhouse, and then was moved to Warner’s Orpheum for the past five weeks, where it not only finished its run but also the theatre. The house is to be dismantled May 1, when the Warner lease expires and will he made into a store building. William Kassul, who hails from Spring Valley, 111., has been made manager of Alger’s Hub Theatre in Rochelle, 111., succeeding Ralph Taflinger, who has taken another job in Lima, Ohio. Another new manager in the territory is R. S. Helson, who goes into Fred Anderson’s Naper Theatre in Naperville, III. He was formerly manager for Anderson at Sandwich. In speaking about his election to the presidency of the Chicago Film Board of Trade, Clyde Eckhardt recalled that he was the first president of that body back in 1919, or thereabouts. Other members of that first Board, which acted only locally, and later affiliated with the Hays organization when it came into being, were Ed Ashmann, now in Milwaukee; Carl Harthill, now in Indianapolis for Monogram; I. Lesserman, now living in Florida; and Fred Aiken, who is now the Mayor of Bocaraton, Florida. Abe Teitel has taken the distribution in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin on “Carnival in Flanders," prize winning picture now playing at the Playhouse. Another publicist is back on the local scene. Jack Baker is handling the pressagentry on “Smashing the Vice Trust” for Henri Elman. The Fargo Theatre in Geneva, 111., which recently was all but destroyed by fire, has again been rebuilt and was opened on Saturday, April 10. It is operated by Fred Anderson and Glen LeKander. The Dale Theatre, formerly the River dale in Riverdale, 111., has been opened after complete remodeling by Cooney Bros, and Phil Dieter. We exteiid our sincere condolences to Al Teplitz of the Circle over the recent loss of his mother. CAPA'S "GOING AWAY" PARTY DRAWS CROWD Chicago — Members of the Chicago Amusement Publicists Ass’n held a “going away” party last Tuesday night in their clubrooms in the Sherman Hotel for the CAPA president, Herb Elisburg, and the local movie critics who left Friday on the steamer Gripsholm for a trip to Sweden and other European countries. Essaness Theatres have arranged and are paying for the entire trip which will include not only the European vacation lasting four weeks but also a trip through the Swedish motion picture studios where are produced the pictures which have been so highly successful in the circuit’s Julian Theatre, located in the heart of Chicago’s large Swedish settlement on Belmont Ave. The critics who will accompany Elisburg on the trip are Doris Arden of the Daily Times, Dorothy Deere of the American, Carol Frink of the Herald aiid Examiner, and Clark Rodenbach of the Daily News. They were all present at the party as guests of honor along with Elisburg. Other guests of honor were Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope, both of the “Red Hot and Blue” show currently appearing in Chicago. About 60 members of CAPA, their wives and friends were in attendance. The party was arranged by Bill Crouch, Chicago representative of Quigley Publications, who acted as master of ceremonies and presented Elisbiirg with the club’s traveling gift. Cashiers Sharpen Bogus Money Eyes Chicago — A meeting of all the cashiers of Warner Theatres here was held in the company’s offices last Wednesday morning for the purpose of hearing from P. G. Drautzberg of the United States Secret Service on the subject of detecting counterfeit money. A prevalence of spurious bills right now prompted the meeting, which was presided over by Charles H. Ryan and A. H. Barron of the Warner office. Drautzberg told the girls that the best way to detect “phoney” money was on the “green” side of the bills. A green color, he said, is the most difficult in the world to match, and just a slight difference in shade of green is usually to be noted. Another point he made is that the quality of the paper is also usually slightly different, and can be detected by the “feel” of the bills. He spoke for over an hour to his highly attentive audience of smart young women, all of whom left with a feeling of having learned a great deal. Hamburg Fire Hamburg, III. — Fire destroyed the projection booth of the theatre here last week. Quick work on the part of local firemen and theatre employes confined the blaze to the booth and permitted orderly evacuation of the house. FRISINA ADDS TWO Springfield, III. — Announcement has been made by J. B. Giachetto, general manager, that the Prisina circuit has taken over the two theatres in Fulton, Mo. The Dreamland Theatre THE HOUSE OF GOOD PICTURES L. C. and F. E. Caswell. Jr. CARSOIV CITY, MICHIGAN January 25, 1937 BOXOFFICE 4704 E. Ninth St. Kansas City, Mo. Gentlemen: I am a subscriber to your magazine and as I have had no occasion to write before I wish to take this opportunity to express my complete satisfaction with it, and especially the Picture Guide; there is certainly nothing lacking in it. Yours very truly, (Signed) F. E. Caswell Manager. BOXOFFICE :: May 1, 1937. 117