Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

ITOfBUIANAliroiLlilS ^HE local showmen pulled their regular annual stunt Saturday night at the Variety Club, entertaining the 500 mile race visitors. It was announced as a “Racy Speedy Stream Line Mile-A-Second Party” and all that it takes to make it one. Special music and entertainment was one of the features stressed. It didn’t miss it. Douglas Haney, operator of the Indiana Theatre, Ft. Wayne, Ind., has leased his theatre to the new Suburban Theatre Corp. Robert J. Schmidt will manage the house. The Royal Theatre, Garrett, Ind., has just installed a new air-conditioning system and made some minor improvements. Exchange managers were presented with demands from the Film Exchaiige Employes Special Department Local Union B. 35. They are as follows: Forty hour maximum working week, with time and one-half for all overtime; double time for Sunday; three week’s vacation with full pay; and a closed shop. In some instances the new scale is nearly 100 per cent over the present wage scale. No definite arrangements have been completed, and no hearings have been set. Despite the handicap of the recent great flood covering much of the territory served by the Indianapolis exchanges, RKO Radio has just completed 22 weeks sales and billing campaign, showing a great increase in business for the same period of last year. Martin Solomon, who wants to be called “Marty,” Columbia’s local manager, has returned from the south with a splendid coat of tan and plenty of pep and energy. He has regained his health and says he feels excellent. William Rosenthal, United Artists manager, has returned from Atlantic City where he spent two weeks vacation, Milton Starr, Nashville, Tenn., and southern circuit operator, spent the weekend in Indianapolis attending the 500 mile auto race. Barney Barnard, Paramount manager, is on his way to the west coast and will take his vacation en route to the Paramount convention. 7. Landau, formerly of Louisville, Ky., with Big Feature Rights Corp., is now in charge of the city sales department in Indianapolis. A new Independent Theatre Operators organization has been formed in Indiana, to be known as the United Theatre Owners of Indiana, Inc. Incorporators are N. N. Bernstein, Edward C. N. Pilipiak, George Neary and George Cohan. Headquarters, 504 Broadway, Gary, Indiana. Johnnie Davis, Terre Haute, Ind., and former Brazil boy, has signed a long-term contract with Warner Bros., according to advice from Hollywood. Among visitors on Filmrow: J. Goldberg, LaPorte; Billie Connors, Marion; Joe Schilling, Connersville ; Oscar Fine, Evansville and Roy Harold, Rushville, Ind. Mirisch Gives Up Warner Film Buying Milwaukee — Harold Mirisch has resigned his post as chief film buyer of the Warner-Saxe Theatres here to take over the management of the Oriental and Tower theatres for Annenberg, Inc. Mirisch has been identified with Warner Theatres for many years. He rose from an office boy to general manager of Warner’s Wisconsin houses in 1935, succeeding Dave Weshner who was transferred to Philadelphia. Eight months ago, when the WarnerSaxe pool was made, A1 Kvool, Saxe manager, was made Wisconsin general manager and Mirisch became head of the film buying. He has announced no future plans. NEW SALEM THEATRE SOLD TO PRESTONS Salem, Mo. — The New Salem Theatre which is under construction has been sold by F. V. Mercier of Perryville, Mo., to Miss Mae and Kenneth Preston who operate the Lyric Theatre here. The purchase price was not revealed. The New Salem is to be one story and of brick construction. Monogram Incorporates St. Louis — Monogram Pictures, Inc., of St. Louis has been incorporated here to distribute, buy, sell and deal in motion picture films, negatives, prints and photoplays, etc. It will have 100 shares of no par value stock. The incorporators: Harry Scott, St. Louis, 96 shares; Harold J. Sherman, Brooklyn, N. Y., 2 shares, and Eleanor Brook, Brooklyn, 2 shares. CHICAGO (Continued from page 69) training at Golfmore, new Lake Michigan resort, and his whole training staff over. J. A. Dauntler has started excavating for a new addition to the Prophet Theatre at Tampico, 111. He plans to add 30 feet to the house, which will accommodate 100 more seats. Another list of recent RCA installations from Addie Klein, who sells ’em includes the Milwaukee Theatre, Milwaukee; National, Milwaukee; Avan, Peoria; Mar, Wilmmgton, III.; Majestic, Madison, Wise. Leo Blank, Warner Bros. Pictures executive in charge of sales in the midwest district, left last Friday by air for Hollywood to preview a number of film productions recently completed. Dan Cupid has taken a couple of potshots at the film business here resulting in two weddings, one recent, and the other scheduled. Dorothy Pinsky of the United Artists office was married on May 22 to Mr. William Saranow of Chicago. The other one is the approaching marriage of Maxine Fieldman of the Langley Theatre who will join hands in matrimony on June (Continued on next page) ]yjRS. IDA ULRICH, and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Smith, mother and brotherin-law and sister, respectively, of Lenore Ulric, famous stage star who has made several pictures, have left for Groton-onthe Hudson, N. Y. to visit Miss Ulrich, who is seriously ill with a leg infection. William Berg, projectionist at the Riverside Theatre here, was slugged while on the way home from the theatre. Berg was felled from behind and does not knoiv who the assailant was. Arthur Desormeaux is installing a new RCA sound system in his Majestic Theatre at Madison. Claude Wadkins and Lee Macklin have closed their Grand Theatre at New London during June for remodeling and renovations to cost approximately $6,000. A cloudburst at Richland Center resulted in the flooding of the basement of the new Eskin Theatre there, doing damage estimated at over $500. Picketing of the city hall by Lazar, Angel, Anton and Dr. Joseph Atanasoff ended abruptly when the four were arrested for disorderly conduct. The brothers have figured in various demonstrations to secure the return of their World Theatre, which they claim they lost in an alleged conspiracy . The Milwaukee Warner Club held its annual party May 28 at the Chateau County club. The committee in charge of arrangements for the event included Esther Spero and Joseph Reynolds. Robert Hicks, formerly of St. Louis, has been named director of publicity and advertising for the Warner-Saxe Theatres here. Eddie Vollendorf is the new booker and buyer for Warner-Saxe here, replacing Harold Mirisch, former booker, who has taken over the management of the Oriental and Tower theatres for Annenberg, Inc. Bob Hicks, formerly with Warner in St. Louis, has been named advertising manager for the local circuit. EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS Chicago & Indianapolis Film Territories FOR MOTIOGRAPH MODEL HU DE LUXE PROJECTOR • Everything For the Theatre GUERCIO & BARTHEL CO. 908 So. Wabash Ave. CHICAGO GER-BAR. Inc. 442 N. Illinois St. INDIANArOLIS BOXOFFICE ;; June 5, 1937. 71