Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

WARNER SIDELIGHTS LESTER M. BRAGDON, operator at the State Theatre and former president of the Central Labor Union, was again elected president of the union at a meeting May 5 in Carpenter’s Hall. The State Theatre scooped the town with the first pictures of the Hindenburg crash, flashed on the screen late Friday night. May 7. On Thursday evening the theatre used its PA system to bring the news of the crash to the audience, through a tieup ivith the Portland Press Herald, 20 minutes after the tragedy occurred. John Gatelee, lATSE representative, arrived in Portland May 5 to organize local theatre employes. A meeting of motion picture operators and general help was held in Carpenters’ Hall last Tuesday evening. A second meeting for operators only followed on Thursday evening and Friday. A mass meeting, under the auspices of the Central Labor U?iio7i, was also called for Sunday evening when the Wagner Act was to be explained by Francis P. Fenton, AFL organizer. New cars along Filmrow: A Packard owned by A. J. Moreau, branch manager for M. & P.; an Olds, driven by Bill Benjamin, NS salesman. The golfing bug has hit Portland with Bill Benjamin, NS, Harry Botwick and Nate Press of the State Theatre, its latest victims. Harry got in his one good shot on a certain water hole, quite by accident his opponents declare, but Harry still has the 20 cents. Sunday play, mind you. Henry Hays will verify that. The creation of 4,000 jobs by lumber and agriculture booms in Aroostook county for the coming summer was predicted recently by informed sources at Presque Isle. Major pulp-wood operators plan to start operations employing 2,750 persons early next month. Railroad ties and telegraph pole business is also expanding with large contract orders already in hand. All of which should be good news to theatre operators whose business heretofore has been controlled chiefly by the potato industry. The Boston bunch attending the Monogram convention at Chicago May 7-8: Standing'. Leo Britton and Phil Sherman, salesmen. Seated'. Steve Broidy, manager; Ben Welansky, president. Has 'Three" Prints Boston — Harry Asher now has prints of “Three Legionnaires” in his 50 Piedmont St. offices ready for bookings. The comedy feature has already played several New England key spots. It stars such players as Robert Armstrong, Lyle Talbot, Fifi D’Orsay, Donald Meek, and Man Mountain Dean. Besides heading Specialty Pictures, Inc., which is New England distributor for “Three Legionnaires” and other General Pictures releases, Harry Asher is also national president of Epilogues, Inc., as well as New England sales manager for the Theatre Trailer Corp. and for Ad-casters. The later device projects a moving advertising message, for both day and night displays, up to 12 feet by 75 feet in size. Van Doren Renovating Waterbury, Conn. — Frederick Van Doren, operator of the 680-seat Hamilton Theatre, will begin extensive renovation to his house, estimated at $12,000. The work will include a new boxoffice and lobby, interior redecoration, new carpet, drapes and lighting fixtures, under the supervision of Mod New York — Convention activities of New England delegates to the Warner sales meet held May 10 at the Waldorf-Astoria: Mike Anderson, New Haven, didn’t get away with a thing. That’s because Mrs. Anderson was very much on the scene. Mike did all right, though, when it came to passing out the ducats for “Tcvarich” and “Brother Rat” — he got his in pairs while the others got singles. Nat Furst, Boston branch manager, remained very much in the background. Said he, “When you break into a new territory you’ve got to develop a new technique.” Jack Magann, Boston salesman, practically took his life in his hands when he induced his colleagues to place bets on Harp O’ Gold, one of the horses owned by his brother. Ernie Warren made the trip from Boston by boat. He wanted to be exclusive. He succeeded. He was the only member of the contingent that got seasick. Ben Abrams of Boston got a special dispensation from Branch Manager Nat Furst of Boston to get inebriated one day durmg the conclave. But for some reason still puzzling the boys, he failed to take advantage of it. Bill Horan was voted the official “bouncer” of the Boston delegation. He chucked the job when he discovered there wasn’t anything to exercise his power over. Maurice Roche stopped off at New Haven en route to the Waldorf. Said he wanted to deliver some parting admonitions to some of the “sweeties” he has missed since he covered Maine. Johnny Pavone of New Haven, Mussolini’s gift to Warner, almost made the headlines with a specially constructed sartorial effect. Warner Club Event New Haven — The annual Warner Club dinner-dance was held at the Seven Gables Inn on Saturday evening. Sid Wiener of the theatre department was in charge. NEW ENGLAND'S MOST MODERN THEATRE • THE WINCHESTER New E. M. Loew's $200,000 House has chosen KOOLERAIRE Engineering Co. 1300 Tremont Street BOSTON E. A. BERMAN New England Repr. U. S. Air Conditioning Co. Is cold water available in your town? If so, we have information of special interest on the low cost, economy and efficiency of our system. COLD-WATER'^ KOOLER-AIRE 58 BOXOFFICE :: May 15, 1937.