Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

J^AIN topics of conversation last week were the proposed 10 per cent state amusements tax and AFL activity toward unionization of ushers, doormen, cashiers, etc. Allied Theatres of Connecticut met to discuss what to do further about the former. lATSE officers here claimed two New Haven meetings on the latter. For Hartford, lATSE reports application for a class B charter under the stage employes’ union, with 100 of the 140 eligible ‘‘front of the theatre” people already signed up. A promised conference of union and distributor executives in New York on the exchange employes’ wage scale for New Haven on May 7 did not materialize, and the meeting was tentatively moved to the following week . . . Bob Hoffman, Edward Fitzgerald and Homer Downing scheduled to be on hand. Attendance at the Warner Club annual dinner-dance at the Gables exceeded 350. The sudden wave of summer weather last week crippled matinee business . . . The excellently-attended K. of C. circus at the Arena and the Horse Show which followed also affected theatre attendance. 7. Levine of Grand national off for the coast this week . . . Ben Simon leaving a week ahead to stop off at San Jose for a visit with parents . . . Erie Wright, Sam Germaine and Morris Weinstein to join him on the coast . . . John Pavone and Michael Anderson the only local Warner delegates to the convention in New York. Maurice Bailey reports city plans to widen Blake St. are the only holdup to proceeding at once with construction of the Westville Theatre. The annual symposium by all school film study groups in the city scheduled for May 19 at the Paramount Theatre, 9:45 a. m. ‘‘Alibi Racket” will be the picture discussed. An unannounced representative of the Hays office will also speak. Last year’s symposium produced some remarkable student papers, especially on technical angles of the film studied. Hannah Ginsberg, secretary to John Pavone, back at the Warner office after a ten weeks’ advance on account of illness. Add theatre improvements: New carpets at the Paramount. Business for the first quarter of 1937 is generally conceded to be 25 per cent better than the first quarter of 1936 . . . The season looks good for summer theatres. The first spell of sunshine brought a mad scramble for shore cottages. The author of ‘‘Box Office,” a new threeact play to have a K. of C .-sponsored presentation May 18, is Benn Martin, alias Ben Cohen, College Theatre manager. The cast includes James Milne, WELI manager, Stuart Aggett, Sid Goluboff and Don Abies of the WELI players, Muriel Salomon, Yale drama student who recently won a Columbia screen test, and other prominent Yale and city talent. WOULD BUILD NEW SO. PORTLAND HOUSE Portland, Me. — Negotiations by a local group are underway to secure a permit to build a new 640-seat theatre at Davis St. and Cottage Road, Meeting House Hill, South Portland. The Seville, a small house operated by Russell Mack at Knightville, is the only theatre in the South PortlandCape Elizabeth section. Plans call for construction to begin within a few days if the permit is granted. The house will be called the Cape Theatre. Council Elects New Haven — New Haven Council of Theatre Patrons held its final meeting and election Monday and heard addresses by Robert Buckner, New York dramatist; Dr. Mark A. May of Yale, retiring as president of the Council; Alfred F. Mayhew, assistant superintendent of schools; Timothy E. Curran, Junior Council of Film Patrons adviser, and Jack Schaefer, editor of Theatre News. Timely Stage Show New Haven — In coronation spirit, Lou Schaefer of the Paramount Theatre booked “King’s Scandals,” stage show, for the week of May 13, with “Girl Overboard” on the screen. Schaefer arranged a “King’s Scandals Night” at the Hotel Taft Grille the night before the opening, with headliners from the show appearing, as well as a radio broadcast on WELI. Two Under Kalmenson New York — Boston and New Haven Warner exchanges come under the supervision of Ben Kalmenson, new eastern district manager who also will oversee the New York, Albany and Buffalo branches. LARRY HERMAN IS HONORED Boston — Larry Herman, booker for the Snider circuit, was the guest of honor at a well-attended bachelor dinner at the Georgian Room of the Statler this week. Ralph Snider was in charge of the affair. E. J. BOLAND DIES Boston — E. J. Boland died last week in Saco, Me. He was formerly architect for A1 Black, theatre operator, before Publix absorbed his holdings. Boland was operating the Mutual in Saco at the time of his death. Black is now in the oil business. JATSE and MPO are out to organize “front of house” employes in Rhode Island theatres into a Class B local affiliated with the AFL. Some time ago CIO organizers anounced intentions of signing up all types of theatre workers, from managers on down, to take in the entire state down to Westerly. Little more was heard about this till last week, when the AFL union delegates announced their intentions. Then CIO representatives claimed they had already started such a union hereabouts and had 40 members signed up. What the outcome will be remains to be seen. Loew’s State is holding over ‘‘A Star Is Born” for a second week. Howard Burkhardt, manager of the State, left town May 8 for a business trip to his home in Baltimore for a few days. Assistant Manager Harry Rose is in charge in his absence with Vaughn O’Neil, who used to be chief of staff at the State but of late assistant manager at the State in Boston, coming down to act as Rose’s assistant until Burkhardt gets back. J. Franks, formerly at E. M. Loew’s Gaiety, Boston, has been appointed resident manager of the Loew circuit’s Colonial in Newport. The Lieberman interests of Boston are rumored to be holding on to their lease of the Modern, although the house has been dark for several weeks. While several Rhode Island theatre managers sounded the Mothers Day motif in their ads for Sunday, with the RKO-Albee having an oil painting of Whistler’s famous work displayed in its lobby, the Stanzler’s went a step further and, through a tieup loith a local florist in Wakefield, gave every mother attending the Community Theatre in that town. Sunday, a rose. Harry “Buck” Owens, western film actor, and his wife, Rita Ty-Bell, trapeze artist, who ran into contract trouble with Hagenbeck-Wallace circus while playing here in 1934, leading to court action, won a verdict in the supreme court here May 8 which upheld the $4,000 superior court award given the couple in February, 1935. During that trial judge and jury visited Fays Theatre one morning to see privately films in which Owens was a featured player. LILA IZEN says: g Everybody else has had his day . * HOW ABOUT * A DATE DRIVE ■ FOR THE LITTLE INDEPENDENTS? ■ Wholesome Film Service, Inc. • Century Pictures m 48 Melrose Street HANcock 0155-0156 BOSTON ^ BOXOFFICE :; May 15, 1937. 61