Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

CIIIMCIMMATII I^AURY WHITE’S Dale Theatre, Dayton, Ohio, opened this week with complete new equipment including canopy, seats, Motiograph machine and air conditioning. The opening was an enthusiastic occasion, with the house crowded. White received high praise and many congratulatory wires from friends. Word comes that the Broadway, So. Parkersburg , is again closed . . . C. Pitcher is 7iew owner of the Vienna at Vienna, West Va., and Messrs. Christ and Kolter have acquired the theatre at Spencerville, Ohio . . . At Spencer, W. Va., the receivership has been lifted from the house operated by H. H. Robey. "Lost Horizon” opened at RKO Shubert with lines of fans formed on the sidewalks early in the day. Contests in newspapers and covers for the tires of all public cabs in Cincy were utilized for publicity. Charley Behlen, operator of theatres in Stanford, Nicholasville and Lancaster, Ky., has returned from a trip to the coast. Warner’s new theatre at Danville, Ohio, is scheduled for opening June 15. Their Columbia at Portsmouth, closed since the flood in January, will reopen May 8. Charley Huneston of the Lyric, Lawrenceberg, Ky., was a visitor at the Row, checking over his bookings. Cincinnati friends of Arthur Levy, Universal manager for the Pittsburgh branch, kept the wires humming with words of congratulations on the arrival at the Levy home of a son and heir, the first born. Nick LeVene jr., departing with the Universal gang to the coast sales conference, will spend his first visit in 20 years with his father in Los Angeles. LeVene pere is owner of the LeVene Advertising Agency in Los Angeles, a warm welcome is assured LeVene on his arrival. James Conn has been added to the MidWest Theatre Supply Co. as Kentucky and W. Va., representative. Conn has already signed up for complete equipment Fred Mays’ new theatre at Carrolton, Ky. Annabelle Kelley of the ad-sales department of 20th-Fox left with the locals on their trek to the coast, being one of the five females in the entire organization chosen to attend the conference. Visitors stopping at the Row this week included; John Dugan, Charles Albert, Warner, Cleveland; Chris Pfister, Mayflower, Troy; Joe Lee, Cove, Covington, and the Ohio at Tippecanoe; Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Renfro, Savoy, Alexander, Ohio; Peter E. Klein, attorney from Cleveland, handling local accounts. Following protests from the Civil Liberties Union and state-wide vigorous complaints, the Ohio film censor board at Columbus rescinded their ban on “A Greater Promise.” The Union held a meeting in Cincy at the Mayfair Theatre, at which a private showing of the film was given. The film may be shown with deletions, according to word received May 1. At present writing a list of the deletions had not been received. MOTIOGRAPH SALES POST TO PETERSON New York — Eric Peterson has been appointed eastern sales manager for Motiograph, Inc., manufacturers of sound projection equipment. His sales territory extends along the eastern seaboard from Canada to Florida. He formerly was a dealer for Motiograph in New England. Because of his sales record and experience, as well as technical knowledge, Joseph B. Kleckner, president and general manager of Motiograph, prevailed on him to take the post of direct factory representative for the company in the eastern territory, where he will assist Motiograph dealers and exhibitors. Was Submarine Engineer Peterson had an unusual war experience. After graduating from the University of Copenhagen, he went to Keil, Germany, to learn submarine engineering. He was there when the war broke out, and the Germans pressed him into the submarine service, in which he served a total of five and a half years. Upon his discharge, he came to the United States and immediately applied for citizenship. He married an American girl and now resides at Longmeadow, Mass. FARKAS TO OPERATE ROXBURY, PA„ HOUSE Johnstown, Pa. — Adolph Farkas, operator of the Rialto Theatre here, will construct a new theatre in suburban Roxbury, plans for which are now being prepared. The property acquired for the new theatre is 50x189 ft., and the seating capacity will be at least 500. Construction work will be under way within a month. Farkas, who has been an exhibitor in Johnstown for 21 years, states that the Roxbury house will be modern in every department. 275 OPENINGS SCHEDULED FOR "PRINCE" New York — Warner’s “The Prince and the Pauper” is scheduled for simultaneous openings in 275 situations throughout the country during the week of May 8. The billboard campaign heralding the film covers 1,400 cities in the U. S. Educational Films No Problem New York — Will H. Hays is ‘‘the great white father” to educational institutions i7i the 77iatter of motio7i pictures, if the reactio7i of the film department of Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pa., is a criterion. The Hays office sends a questio7i7iaire to educatio7ial groups spo7isoring 7iontheatrical film showings as a guida7ice for servicing by the local film exchanges. One of the questions is, ‘‘What class of picture programs do you desire to exhibit?” Mercyhurst College answered: “Educational, musical comedies, historical— a7iy kmd that Will Hays says is good.” PITTSBURGH (Continued from page 68) Harry Finkel, his parents, who have been there for a number of months, will return with Bill. Nixo7i Theatre, “the world’s perfect playhouse,” which recently closed its best legitimate season in a number of years, will be reseated during the summer. Renovatio7i of the house will cost $30,000, it was annou7iced following a visit here of the Nirdlinger brothers of Philadelphia, owners of the Nixon. Daniel O. Morton, associated with the Albert M. Greenfield and Co. realty office here for the past two years, has been named as resident vice-president for the company which handles all real estate for Warner Bros. Complete reports of the MPTO’s legislative committee were made at a meeting of independent theatre owners in the Hotel Schenley last Friday afternoon. Members of the local exhibitor organization’s committee have been active m Harrisburg since the first of the year and their job has not been a happy lot, although their services have bee7i excellent. They urge better cooperation and support. Fred J. Herrington, William J. Walker and William L. Brown, comprising the MPTO’s committee, were back in Harrisburg on the job this week. Variety Club’s two free trips to Hollywood have been won by C. A. Dietrich, projectionist at the Stanley Theatre. The body of William Lynch, 65, brother of Jim Lynch, former Bridgeville exhibitor, was found two weeks ago in a woods near Bridgeville. Death was attributed to natural causes. Jim Lynch announced several months ago that he would reenter exhibition at Bridgeville, but there are no new evidences that he will do so. Sam Galanty, Columbia district manager here several days ago, told us that our old friend, Charlie Kranz, former local film man and for a long period UA branch head at Washington, has resigned this post and has acquired the Imperial franchise for the Washington territory. Bill Davis, popular operator of the Triangle Theatre, East Liberty, made his first appearance on Filmrow in about seven weeks, having recovered from pneumonia. Jim Thumpston, until recently manager of the Rialto, Brownsville Road, city, is out and around again after a several weeks siege with laryngitis. John Gorris, McKeesport and Clairton exhibitor until about seve7i years ago, visited Filmrow friends this week. He is m the restaurant business in eastern Pennsylvania. Joe ‘Barney” Krenn, assistant to M. A. Rosenberg at the Rialto, uptown Fifth Ave. for the past eight years, is celebrating the birth of a son. The Krenns are parents of a daughter who also is welcoming the new arrival. 70 BOXOFFICE May 8, 1937.