Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

STEINBERGS OPEN NEW SUPPLY FIRM Pittsburgh— -A. & S. Steinberg have opened their new theatre supply sales and display rooms at 1705 Blvd. of the Allies, a three-story building which they have purchased and which is being remodeled and modernized. Now occupying their new quarters, the Steinbergs announce that they have completed negotiations with the Air-Loc Seat Industries, Minneapolis, Minn., for the handling of this firm’s product. D. A. Brennan of Air-Loc Seat Industries was here this week in connection with the deal, and the Steinbergs announced on Monday one of the largest order for theatre seats ever placed here. The order was for 2,450 chairs and was sold to the Alpine Theatre Circuit of West Virginia. BLATT BROS. TO ADD NEW SOMERSET UNIT Somerset, Pa.' — A new theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000 will be erected by the Blatt Bros, circuit in Somerset, Charles R. Blatt announced this week. A site has been obtained almost across the street from their Par-K and Grand theatres here, and work on the new building will be started immediately. Blatt Bros, also expect to open their Berlin, Pa., theatre about May 17. This theatre, formerly known as the Pastime, has been completely remodeled and equipped and will be known as the Blue Ridge Theatre. Berlin hasn’t had a theatre in operation for several years since this property was partially destroyed by fire, but will now be provided with one of this section’s most modern small theatre. PITTSBURGH VARIETY CLUB TO AID SHUT-INS Pittsburgh — ^Local Variety Club, which founded the Pittsburgh Milk Fund to which radio fans contribute annually, has a new charity project. Members of the club are planning construction of a projection booth “on wheels” and portable equipment, to be taken to orphanages, children’s homes and hospitals once a week for the screening of talking pictures for little patients and shut-ins. John H. Harris of this city recently was re-elected as national president of the Variety Clubs of America at the annual convention which was staged in Omaha. Modernize Roosevelt Pittsburgh — Roosevelt Theatre, Center avenue, has been extensively remodeled, feature of the modernization being the installation of fine acoustic cork boards throughout the walls and ceiling of the auditorium. Mark Browar, operator of the Roosevelt, is so pleased with the job that he will have his own “private den” finished with this material. Della Opens in Flint Flint, MiCH.—More than 1,200 persons jammed into the Della Theatre here, last Wednesday night, as it was formally opened by Lester Matt. Representatives from practically all of the exchanges in Detroit were in evidence the opening night. BOXOFTICE : : May 8. 1937, Two Are Censured by Cleveland MPEA Cleveland— r/ie Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association in meeting May ^ unanimously adopted a resolution condemning Paramount and Columbia for allegedly withholding pictures on their 1936-37 release schedule for release during the 193738 season at advanced cost to the exhibitor. Specifically, the association named “Souls at Sea” and “High, Wide and Handsome” from Paramount and “Lost Horizon” from Columbia as pictures bought for 1936-37 release and held over for 1937-38 release. DETROIT (Continued from page 64) With rumblings of the Hollywood strike reaching this far the first of the week, Harlan told us: “Yes, sir, they’ll certainly have to look to England and GB now for product.” Bill Sturgess, formerly with Universal, is now telling of the virtues of Grand National’s lineup to exhibitors out in the state. Illness of Lily Pons this week caused the postponement of the Detroit Civic Opera Society’s performance on Monday of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” It will be given in the fall. Thanksgiving Eve. Jimmy Minter, Lester Matt, and Doc Eisman, Flint exhibitors, drove into Detroit Tuesday. Glenn Cross of Battle Creek was here conferring with H. M. Richey on Allied matters. Joe Mellon, formerly with Grand National, has been added to the state sales force of Monogram Pictures. Jack Saxe, who has just become associated with Monogram here, is attending the convention of the company this week in Chicago. Most of the film colony braved the rain Tuesday to take in the Tiger -Yankee series opening game. Charles E. Boyd, secretary of the Detroit Retail Merchants Association, was the speaker at the weekly luncheon of the Variety Club Monday. Carl Shalit and his staff from Columbia Pictures will be hosts at the luncheon on Monday. Bill Green, with Rubinoff and “his violin” for the last two years as advance man, was here this week visiting his mother, who has been ill in Grace Hospital. Bill was formerly a publicist and trade paper correspondent in Detroit. I. J. London plans to return to Florida next week for another couple weeks’ vacation. More than 200 attended the film exchange union party last Sunday night at the Eastown Ballroom. BISSELL ACQUIRES THREE NEW FEATURES Cleveland — Holbrook C. Bissell, president of Imperial Pictures of northern Ohio, who last week was named to the directorate of Imperial Pictures, Inc., has acquired three new feature pictures for immediate territorial release. They are: “Manhattan Butterfly” with Betty Compson, Dorothy Burgess, Kenneth Thompson, Dorothy Grainger and William Bakewell; “Murder by Television,” with Bela Lugosi and June Collier; “Forgotten Women,” originally titled “The Mad Parade” as released by Paramount, starring Evelyn Brent, Louise Fazenda and Irene Rich. Bissell announces that he and his associate, Cornelius Linehan, have extended their original three-year Imperial franchise to five years. AROUND 100 THEATRE GROUPS IN PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh — Don M. Hall, conductor of “The Little Theatres” column for the Pittsburgh Press, estimates that in this city and vicinity, there are about 100 producing groups. Counting various miscellaneous productions, he judges that there are nearly 750 amateur shows in the Pittsburgh vicinity per year. About 4,000 people actually work on little theatre productions in this city per year. Hall states. Crowded staging problems is given as the reason for the changing of the local “little theatre front.” Old groups disband and new groups are born as a matter of routine. Hall states that Pittsburgh’s little theatre circle is the most expansive in the country — “except in Hollywood where it has become a racket.” COSTARELLA TAKES STATE AT LIBRARY Library, Pa. — The State Theatre here has been acquired by Dominick Costarella of Suterville, who took possession on May 1. Negotiations for the sale of the property were conducted by Costarella and Andrew Battiston, Library exhibitor for a number of years. Joseph Costarella, formerly operator of the Grand Theatre, Suterville, is managing the local house. Battiston continues his exhibition activities at Export, where he operates the Ritz Theatre, and at Roscoe where the house of that name is in his possession. Costarella states that the Library house will be remodeled. Digs for Water; Finds Gas Wauseon, O. — It was a bit of luck for P. R. Touney when he recently decided to air condition his Princess Theatre. He was drilling for water on the property adjacent to the theatre to supply water for the cooling system. But instead of finding water, he found gas. And now, according to report, he is getting some 10,000 cubic feet of gas a day. Which isn’t so bad at all. 67