Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

ILOS AI^CJIEILIES JJ F. “ANDY” ANDERSON will replace Norman Newman as office manager at RKO, when the latter leaves for Chicago next week. Newman terminates a 12-year association with the exchange to go into business for himself. Anderson, former head booker, will be replaced by William Pitzhenry. As part of thfi National Boys' Week Celebration, Paul Swickard turned over the operation of Ms Boulevard Theatre to three students from Garfield High School. The three boys, Kenneth Holzman, Jack Ellis and Carl Kirkwood, took complete charge of the management, publicity and stage management of the house. Mike Rosenberg opened his new Circle Theatre, Brawley, Sunday, May 9, with Paramount’s “Internes Can’t Take Money” and Republic’s “Two Wise Maids.” The house, a 450-seater, will operate on a first and second-run policy during the summer, dropping back to second run during the winter. Erwin Wagner, head of the Wagner Sign Co., who has just opened his offices here, leaves this week for an extended tour into Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Canada, where he will visit exchange cities. Expects to return here in about ten days. Among the visitors: Harry Goldfarb, National Theatre, National City; Ronald Vincent, Laguna Theatre, Laguna Beach; George Pink, Sierra Theatre, Eagle Rock; A1 Minor, State Theatre, Azusa, and George Robb, head of the Robb and Rowley circuit, operating in Pasadena and Texas. Grand National is getting its pre-convention selling campaign off to a flying start, announcing a sales drive named in honor of the first sales convention ever held by the company. Glen Harper, Corona Theatre, Corona, was in to announce that his new theatre at Fontana would be opened by June 15. The theatre is to have all of the latest innovations in seating, air conditioning and modern decorations. Elmer Sedin, RKO’s home office representative, is in Los Angeles for his regular check-up of the exchange’s books and accounts. A1 Goldstein, newly appointed manager of the Monogram exchange in Seattle, arrived here this week for a short business conference with Ray Olmstead and Howard Stubbins, Monogram franchise holders, before the trio train out for Chicago where they will attend the annual sales convention. J. J. Sullivan, Fox West Coast film buyer. left this week for New York on his first business assignment after being seriously ill here for nearly a year. Sullivan will sit in on the product gabs with Warner, RKO, Columbia, Republic and First National executives. Opening date for Louis Berkhoff’s new Esquire Theatre, Los Angeles subsequent run house, has been set for May 20. Announcement of a new theatre, to be (Continued on next page) "Lost Horizon" Winds Up 3-Month Run San Francisco — “Lost Horizon,” Columbia spectacle, will end at the Geary Theatre here May 16, making way for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Captains Courageous.” When it closes, the Frank Capra production will have piled up the record-breaking mark of a three-month roadshow policy run at the city’s ace legitimate house, with receipts maintaining a steady high average throughout the run. Because “Brother Rat,” roadshow production of a current New York stage success, is slated to play the Geary house early in June, “Captains Courageous” is already being advertised as being booked for a limited run only. Pages Into Exeter Los Angeles — Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Page, operators of the Ritz Theatre, Hanford, were in town this week to announce the building of a new theatre, to be called the Ritz, at Exeter, 30 miles from Hanford. The new house will be opened about June 1, and is being completely equipped by John Filbert. The spot will have about 600 seats. NSS Officials Depart Los Angeles — After spending several weeks here, during which they made arrangements for a new National Screen Service office building, Herman Robbins, president, and George Dembow, general sales manager of National Screen Service, have returned to their headquarters in New York, "Spain in Flames" Good San Francisco — “Spain in Flames,” propaganda treatment of the current civil conflict in Spain, did good business in a twoday showing at the Columbia Theatre here. Presentation was endorsed by the North American Committee to Aid Spanish Democracy. Hunting Fatally Hurt Seattle, Wash.— -Percy Hunting, veteran retired actor, was killed here in an auto accident. He was well known in the northwest. Apart from his acting, he stagemanaged and produced important presentations. BARON, NATHAN PLAN SECOND San Francisco — Ed Baron and Carol Nathan, operators of the Marina Theatre here, will shortly open a second house in the Marina district, as yet unnamed. They will continue operation of the smaller theatre. » IIE M V IE K S C. lO^OX, district superintendent for Erpi, has left Denver to join the Los Angeles office. Don Cameron, Erpi engineer, has gone to Los Angeles for his vacation, and Miss Helen Winters, secretary, has gone to Utah for her vacation. The Center Theatre has lined up a considerable number of picture names for personal appearances for the early summer. They include Joe Morris, Polly Moran, Betty Burgess, Benny Rubin, Joe Fresco and Ted Lewis and his band and stage show. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Sonney have gone to Parkersburg, W. Va., for a visit. Sonney has been roadshowing “Gambling With Souls” in this territory. Ed Mapel, producer of sex and other films, is in town and has booked “Forbidden Thriller” in the Rialto, and has arranged for the showing of “Missing Girls” in the Gem, which theatre he owns with his brother. Robert H. Sparkman is operating portable outfits a day or two a week in school at Kim, Vilas, Two Buttes and Walsh, all in Colorado. It’s getting the time of the year when theatres get new names, some of the changes in this territory being: Crystal at Hayden, Colo., reopened by John A. Greves as the Auditorium; Sun at Holly, Colo., reopened as the Pontiac by Frank Northup; the Princess at Meeker, Colo., now the Rio; Jewel at Minturn, Colo., now the Minturn; Sun at Otis, Colo., now the Star; the Westcliffe at Westcliffe, Colo., now the Canda (owned by C. L. Canda jr.) ; the Princess at Roswell, N. M., changed to the Pecos; the Coley at Coley, Wyo., now the Armada; the Princess in Douglas, Wyo., now the Mesa. The following closings have been reported: Gala Theatre, Eaton, Colo.; Frazer Hall, Frazer, Colo.; Victory, Kremmling, Colo.; Norwood, Norwood, Colo.; Alamo, Rifle, Colo.; Royal Theatre, Stratton, Colo.; Diamond, Hagler, Neb.; Temple, McCook, Neb.; Merriam, Merriam, Colo.; Rex, Hobbs, N. M. Openings and new theatres are the Princess, Hotchkiss, Colo., by C. O. Wenholz; Plains at Clovis, N. M.; Couchas at Conchas Dam, N. M., and the Reel at Hobbs, N. M., by R. E. Griffith Theatres, Inc.; a new theatre to open June 1 at Grants, N. M., by H. S. Farley. The Indian school at Dulce, N. M., is again using films. Chas. A. Meyer is managing the Lode Theatre at Silverton for Chas. Diller. The name of the house was recently changed from the Gem. Chas. Bumstead has added the Princess at Keystone, S. D., and the community hall at Oelrichs, S. D., to his portable circuit. P. D. Bishop has opened the Bishop Theatre in Ft. Laramie, Wyo., using a portable outfit. BOXOFFICE :: May 8, 1937. 49