Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

ILOS AWCr.lElllES Ramish to Washington ■ "P ■ n P' l_i in Lonspiraci] right QEORGE Hickey, Metro district sales supervisor, has left for his first tour of the western territory since the recent M-G-M convention. He will stop at San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Denver, returning to Los Angeles in about three weeks. Arthur Lee, vice-president in charge of American distribution of GB films, arrived here this week from his New York headquarters. Lee will announce the date for the GB sales convention before returning to the East. Fox West Coast house managers in Cullen Espy’s Los Angeles district are to compete for $150 in prize money offered for the best publicity and exploitation stunt in connection with the circuit’s subsequent run of Paramount’s “Internes Can’t Take Money.” The money, promoted at the studio by W. C. Ricord jr., will be split three ways, $75 for the winner, $50 for second best and $25 for third prize. Harry Vinnicof’s Yosemite Theatre, Eagle Rock, recently acquired from Ed Baffa, has been closed for extensive remodeling and redecorating, including new seats, drapes and lights. House will be opened later in the summer. It has been reported that Dave Cantor, owner of the New Park Theatre, Highland Park, has purchased Nate Schienberg’s theatre at Canoga Park. Details of the deal are being withheld by both parties. Mina Berg, daughter of Joe Berg, San Diego exhibitor, has been booked for a week’s engagement at the Orpheum Theatre, as a featured vocalist. Miss Berg was formerly a member of the San Francisco Civic Opera. Manny Feldstein and Paul Dietrich have started construction on their new Columbus Theatre, San Bernardino, which is replacing the old Columbus, and expect the house to be open by July 15. Policy of the new theatre will be part Spanish and part American, as was the Columbus’ old policy. F. O. Been and W. H. Thayer have purchased the Sierra Theatre, Eagle Rock, from George Fink and Harry Goldfarb. The latter operators only had the house a few months, having recently acquired it from Ed Baffa. Deen and Thayer formerly owned the Adams in San Diego. Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Page, Ritz Theatre, Hanford, were in town last week purchasing equipment for their new theatre which is being built at Exeter. The house will be opened about July 1. Hi Peskay, Grand National exchange manager, has returned from a weekend to Las Vegas. Among the visitors: Joe Venable, Huntington, Huntington Park; Earle Strebe, Plaza, Palm Springs; Harold Cahn, La Mesa, La Mesa; Wade Loudermilk, Roxy, Buckeye; and Charles Stillwell, Big Bear, Big Bear. C. W. Blake, operator of the Sunset Theatre, is planning to build a new 150-seater (Continued on page 40) ITO Charts Monthly Studio Visits Los Angeles — Replacing the regular monthly business meetings of the Independent Theatre Oivners of Southern California, Jack Berman, president, and Robert Poole, secretary, have announced, instead, a monthly studio luncheon-previewmeeting, the first of which has been set at Universal studios for May 24. Members are invited to bring their wives, but only 100 tickets will be sold for each meeting. Members will meet at ITO headquarters and an auto caravan will leave for the studio at 11:30. Idea behind the stunt is to give the exhibitor an insight into the production methods and problems. Bridge Fiesta Mag Drop Theatre Takes San Francisco — Local exhibitors are faintly apprehensive of the affect on theatre grosses of the week-long Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta set to start May 27 and continue through the first week of June. Expect 250,000 Visitors Elaborate activities have been planned for the 250,000 visitors expected here from all parts of the Pacific Coast, ranging from parades through costume balls to an elaborate outdoor pageant at which John Charles Thomas, famous baritone, will sing. A1 Jolson and Parkyakarkus will act as masters of ceremony at a special Labor Ball in Civic Auditorium, while Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland are among Hollywoodites who plan to attend. While local theatre managers are alive to the possibility of increased patronage from among the many visitors, some recall that the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opening six months ago offered so much entertainment in the way of parades, torchlight processions and other attractions that houses were virtually empty despite the fact that special offerings had been booked for the week of the festival. Dowain Wright Moves Salt Lake City — Dowain Wright has recently been transferred from the management of Intermountain’s Studio Theatre to that of the Mario Theatre, Helena Mont. Lynn Westover, who was the assistant manager at the Victory, has been upped to the management of the Studio. Los Angeles — Determined to carry his charges of alleged conspiracy direct to department of justice heads, Adolph Ramish, head of the Franklin Theatres, Inc., of Honolulu, has left for Washington, D. C., where the will confer with government agents. The charges, filed over a year ago, allege that all the major distributing companies, excepting United Artists, are refusing to serve him subsequent run product, because of contractual obligations with first run theatres. J. J. Franklin, circuit executive with headquarters in Honolulu, spent several months here last fall awaiting a call to appear before an investigating board in Washington, but returned to the Islands when no action was forthcoming. Ramish plans to be gone about three weeks. FRISCO STILL FREE OF THEATRE PICKETS San Francisco — Reports received here last week by San Francisco exhibitors and union officials to the effect that a group of CIO officials were on their way here to organize picketing against local theatres have failed to materialize into concrete action. A checkup with principal exhibitors, and officials of theatrical crafts, revealed that no militant action was contemplated against local theatres. WHITNEY HEADS TWO FOX DENVER HOUSES Denver — Gerald Whitney, formerly district manager of the northern district for Fox Intermountain, has resigned that position and has been made manager of the Webber and Hiawatha theatres (Fox) in Denver. Ray Davis, city manager for Fox at Cheyenne, succeeds Whitney as district manager, and will retain the Cheyenne spot until the end of the present contest. Hotels Strike-Bound San Francisco — San Francisco’s 16 principal hotels, including the Palace, St. Francis, Whitcomb, Sir Francis Drake and William Taylor, continue strike-bound with both camps, employers and employes farther apart than at any time since the strike started May 1. Atkins Building One Marysville, Calif. — Edmond Atkins jr., manager of the Lyric, is building a new $20,000 theatre with a seating capacity of 350, next door to the present Lyric, which will go dark. Atkins plans to be in his new house June 1, 1937. BOXOFnCE :: May 22, 1937. 37