Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

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NO "DIVORCE" BILL PUSH AWAITS Theatre Building Again Is Soaring Minneapolis — Theatre building activity again is at a high level in the territory. With one new theatre nearing completion and several others constructed during the past year, applications were filed with the city council for permits for two more large neighborhood houses. The applicants, Harry F. Griffith and William H. Donahue, are not now engaged in the show business. 1,000 Seater Nearly Ready The 1,000-seat Avalon, representing a $100,000 investment, is the local neighborhood showhouse now nearing completion. It will be one of the William Frank company chain of independent theatres and will be one of the city’s most beautiful uptown houses. Three other Twin City neighborhood houses have been completed during the past year. The Frank company also is building a new house at Hutchinson, Minn., and Eddie Ruben will increase his chain with a new theatre at Montevideo, Minn. The Wetstein company is building at Dickinson, N. D. At Livingston, Mont., H. W. Knutson is building a new theatre. The Miner Amusement company just opened a 700-seat theatre costing $60,000 at Chippewa, Wis. A1 Stern Injured Minneapolis — A1 Stern, RKO office manager, suffered painful burns when an oil burner at his home exploded. Despite his injuries. Stern refused to lay off from work. Grengs Buy House North Mankato, Minn. — Nick Greng and his sons have bought the North Mankato Theatre here from Irving Gilman of Minneapolis. They also operate house at Spooner, Cloquet and Lake City, Minn. Continued Boycott Is Urged by Allied Minneapolis — In a second bulletin just issued by Northiuest Allied States urging independent exhibitors to hold their lines and refrain from buying new season product on percentage, the organization declares “the independent exhibitor is facing annihilation and he knows it.” Denying claims of some of the exchanges here, the bulletm, mailed to all independent exhibitors in the territory, insists there have been no new-season percentage contracts signed thus far by Twin City exhibitors. Seeks Bank Night Return in St. Paul Minneapolis — J. L. Stern, distributor of Bank Night in the territory, says that he plans to take steps to have the stunt resumed in St. Paul, pending a decision of the state supreme court on its validity in two cases that have been appealed to the court. All theatre gift nights have been out in St. Paul for approximately two months following convictions of theatres and Stern for violations of the state anti-lottery law. Two of the convictions, those of Stern and of Dave Gilman and the Northland Amusement Co., are being appealed to the state supreme court. Stern was fined $75 and costs for supplying the Bank Night trailer to the Dale Theatre, St. Paul. Gilman and the Northland Amusement Company’s “gift nights” at the Arcade Theatre were adjudged lotteries in violation of the state law. Declaring that the De Luxe Theatre, St. Paul neighborhood house, cannot operate profitably without gift nights, Gilman has closed it. St. Paul now is the only city in the state where exhibitors are not using gift nights. Special Minnesota Session Has No Molestation for Theatres Minneapolis — Boxoffice learns on good authority that no effort will be made to pass the theatre divorcement bill or any other legislation affecting the theatre industry at the special session of the state legislature starting May 24, other, of course, than general tax measures. W. A. Steffes apparently is resigned to a wait of two years before pushing again the bill which would compel producers and distributors to refrain from theatre ownership or operation and to rid themselves of showhouses now under their control. Confident of Passage in ’39 However, Steffes, who is in charge of the national Allied States’ campaign to bring about divorcement, makes it equally clear that the next two years will be devoted to intensive work in all legislative districts, creating sentiment for the Allied bill. And he is confident that he will succeed in effecting its passage in 1939. The one thing that can avert enactment of this legislation in Minnesota two years hence, according to Steffes, is to have the U. S. supreme court rule the North Dakota divorcement law unconstitutional. MINNY LYCEUM WILL ROADSHOW "HORIZON" Minneapolis — “Lost Horizon” goes into the Lyceum, downtown theatre off the beaten loop path, for its local roadshow engagement for a week starting May 14 with two shows a day and all seats reserved at $1.10 top. Lyceum has had few bookings during the past several years and most of these have been lectures. Inability of Columbia and W. A. Steffes to agree on terms prevented the attraction from going into the much more desirable Alvin Theatre where other roadshow pictures have played. The same inability is keeping “Good Earth” out of Minneapolis as a roadshow attraction. M-G-M has stated that this picture now will not be brought here until next fall. MIDWEST EDITION Is One of the Seven Sectional Editions in Which BOXOFFICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are: NEW ENGLAND, MIDEAST, CENTRAL, WESTERN, SOUTHERN, EASTERN. sslT.'vi'i.iv,.; JESSE SHLYEN, Midwest Editor, 4704 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo. Phone CHestnut 7777. MAURICE WOLFF, 801 Wesley Temple Bldg., Minneapolis, Minn. PAUL JAMES, 2711 N. 56th St., Omaha, Neb.