Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

Organization of Theatre Emploges Starts in Kagcee IIL If M C €> IL M gACK from Hollywood, we find that Harry Schiller got that new house open and that Eddie Forester is now at the Omaha, in Omaha. Henry Fonda showed your correspondent a letter from Schiller asking for him to pay the old hometown a visit at the opening, but Henry was tied up with “That Certain Woman.” Although Fonda lived nearly all his life in Omaha, he was born in Grand Island. Dropped in on Wilbur Cushman, the vaude booker, who has offices in the Melba Theatre Bldg., Dallas, and says he’s taking up residence in Hollywood June 15 to start booking the coast with low-priced units. Will establish Ed Gardiner in Kansas City as the mid-west contact point. All shows go for $150 per day straight next season. T. B. Noble, the man who teased the Oklahoma legislature with 8xl0-inch passes, showed us over his new State, 1,100 seater, in Oklahoma City. Also gave us one of the passes as a souvenir. Called Pat Magee and Bert Stern, but both unable to be reached. Bob Livingston slipped out of town on a “business” trip this week. When he returned from Chicago, theatre row found all his business had been conducted with the Chicago Cubs. Mrs. Avis Rutherford, cashier at the Capitol, lit out on that two-week vacation. Situation of not knowing who is going to be manager and who isn’t in the local J. H. Cooper string is still in the fry. Walter Shuttee has been here nearly five weeks, having come in from the Denver and Colorado Cooper points. Jerry Zigmont, present city boss, is rumored in line for a move to Oklahoma City, replacing Pat Magee. Ike Hoig is still being torn between the show business and romance. Beside Columbus, George O. Monroe is a giant when it comes to discovering things. He can find more movie prints no one ever heard of than anyone in the U. S. Lambert Theatre Opens Princeton, Mo. — The Lambert Theatre, destroyed by fire last December 23 with an estimated loss of $25,000, has been rebuilt and was reopened Sunday afternoon, May 23. The new house has a seating capacity of 450, and its lobby, foyer and auditorium are finished in California stucco. Princeton’s postmaster, F. A. Lambert, has operated the house for several years. A1 McClure Promoted Hutchinson, Kas. — A1 McClure has been named by Fox Midwest to manage the Fox Strand here. McClure, who has been assistant to Ralph Bartlett, manager for the circuit at Jacksonville, 111., succeeds Tom Brennon. Brennon recently went to Kansas City as manager of ad sales for the Warner exchange. Des Moines Mapr to Name 15 Censors Des Moines — ^A movie censorship board of 15 members soon will be appointed by Mayor William Guilfoyle. The board will consist of members of the Ministerial Union, Parent-Teacher association, dramatic groups, theatre managers and newspaper reporters. In announcing the appointment of a censorship board. Mayor Guilfoyle said the preview procedure will avert responsibility of censorship from himself. He pointed to the recent one-man censorship by Mayor Dan Butler of Omaha regarding the play “Idiot’s Delight.” Another Iowa mayor who has recently secured some publicity is Mayor Myron J. Walker of Iowa City, who requested Robert Griffith, a local theatre manager, to remove a sound truck ballyhooing “The Vice Racket” from the streets of the city, deeming the ballyhoo as “very poor taste.” The mayor also asked that signs on the theatre’s front, depicting scenes in the “adults only” show which is purported to expose “unbelievable secrets,” to be covered or removed. Griffith extended an invitation to Mayor Walker to attend the movie as guest of the management, but the mayor refused the invitation. Kansas City — A union of theatre employes, exclusive of projectionists, was scheduled to be formed here this week. This union, which is lATSE-sponsored, expects to accept as members cashiers, ushers, doormen, cleaners, janitors, porters, etc. The wage scale will vary for the different types of employment, but a 40-hour week it is expected will be asked for all employes. Meanwhile the newly organized Film Exchange Employes union, also an lATSE affiliate, plans to present its wage and hour demands to branch managers sometime within the next several days. BURKETT SUCCEEDS DILLON AT MPO UNIT Kansas City — Frank Burkett has succeeded Robert Dillon as business agent for the M. P. Operators’ local 170, following, it is said, differences of the membership with Dillon on activities of the union. Burkett is the operator at the Rockhill. "DAMAGED GOODS" OKAYED Kansas City — “Damaged Goods,” Grand National release, has been approved by the Kansas censor board without a deletion, according to information from the local exchange. 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