Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

H. J. Griffith to Kansas City To Seal Dickinson Deal Kansas City — The Glen W. Dickinson Theatres, Inc., Monday becomes the Griffith-Dickinson Theatres, Inc., when H. J. Griffith and Partnership Theatres, Inc., R. E. Griffith’s company, take over half interest in the Dickinson chain. H. J. Griffith will be here personally to assume joint operation of the 28 houses in western Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa, with Glen W. Dickinson. Active theatres included in the deal are the Dickinson and Carleton, Manhattan; Dickinson and Varsity, Lawrence; Dickinson and Cozy, Junction City; Dickinson, Herington; Booth, Independence; Dickinson and Uptown (closed), Parsons; Dickinson, Hiawatha; Dickinson, Osawatomie; Dickinson, Paola; Dickinson, Beloit; Dickinson, Olathe; Dickinson, Ellsworth; Dickinson, Great Bend; Dickinson, Osage City — all in Kansas; the Peoples, Pleasant Hill; Dickinson, Slater; Dickinson, Fayette; Chief, Marceline; Macon, Macon; Dickinson Chillicothe; Karyl, Milan; Booth, Rich Hill; Ritz, Cameron — all in Missouri, and the Dickinson at Creston, la. The Dickinson in Mission Hill Acres, a new house, is not in the deal. Fire Damages Dickinson Junction City, Kas. — The Dickinson Theatre here was slightly damaged by fire last week. ^LVTN HENDRICKS expects every mail to announce he’s an uncle. Message will be from his sister in Texas . . . Ray Holtz and his Mrs. were in town last week, en route to Omaha. Says the fishing has opened up and Bonnie, the cashier down in Fairbury, has been having bullhead breakfasts already. Mike Roth dropped in to see if he could get a good review on a trailer. He thinks the ideal dual feature would he two of his trailers ballyhooing the same coming attraction . . . Joe Scott slipped down to see if Joe Cooper really meant what he said when he promised to be back in two weeks. Spent the day visiting on theatre Row, because there was no Joe . . . Good Friday not tough enough anyway, theatres will be faced on opening night with Blue Barron at pop prices at the dancery, Turnpike Casino. By the time youse guys read this, Boxoffice may be bruised and battered trying to get to the head of the list to hold Ann Sheridan’s hand in Dodge City, Kas. ... Ed Vaughan and Bob Huffman helped make up the Sunday Journal and Star special section which was devoted to the Nebraska. Had to get up about the time they usually go to bed . . . Bob Livingston, with no more legislative worries, is ducking to Tucson, Ariz., to see his wife who is recovering from a severe attack of flu. Homecoming Dinner For John Moffitt Kansas City — Around 50 attended the steak dinner at Variety Clubrooms Monday night to welcome back to Kansas City, John C. Moffitt, cinema critic of the Kansas City Star, who has been in Hollywood scripting for Paramount. Senn Lawler of Fox Midwest emceed the show, and Arthur Cole introduced John c. moffitt Mary Jo Louth, four-year-old child the club has adopted for medical care. Mary Jo is crippled from the effects of infantile paralysis. Moffitt told several amusing stories on the stars at work and play. Especially funny was W. C. Fields’ sherry drinking. Moffitt wrote the screenplays, “Ride a Crooked Mile” and “I’m From Missouri.” Bob Moon, who used to handle the Hollywood news for the Lincoln Theatre Corp. on KFOR here, was signed this week by CBS, Hollywood. He’s the youngest announcer on the CBS staff, making the grade in an elimination contest with 100 others and he’s only 21 . . . Harvey Traylor was taken from the Lincoln to the Nebraska for the assistant manager’s stint . . . George Monroe jr. didn’t know there were so many bones where he sat down until he took up horseback riding and swore to high heaven they all were punching through . . . Wally Johnson, who used to be a familiar dancehall figure around here, hasn’t been seen about lately. Business must be pressing in Friend. Unless Lincoln gets its dual feature mess straightened out, Izzy Kuhl, in Seward, is promising to go to two on weekends. The attorney general, Walter Johnson, just ruled against Izzy’s pet “job night” . . . Lincoln’s theatre Row laid out the welcome mat for two newcomer managers this week, Sid Rose at Warner and Joe Jacobs at Columbia. A couple of nice gents to meet . . . “Dodge City” is rivalling “Union Pacific” in ballyhoo in this territory. The Sunday Journal and Star got out a five-page special section for the bow of the •new Nebraska Theatre, when the entire proceeds of the first night’s ticket sale More Unionization Efforts Worry Minneapolis — Independent exhibitors' woes, occasioned by poor business and other worries, are being aggravated currently by efforts under way to unionize their theatres. Organizers now are trying to line up ticket sellers and takers, ushers and janitors in St. Paul. When this task is completed they will move in on Minneapolis. Previous efforts along these lines have been unavailing. The present organizers, however, are confidently predicting success on this occasion. Exhibitors claim that many of their numbers will be forced out of business if operating costs are increased. They insist, in fact, that it is imperative that these costs be reduced. While operating costs are at a peak level, incomes are scraping rock bottom, they point out. Skouras Drive Plan To Fox Midwest Kansas City — Details of the Spyros Skouras showmanship campaign to be conducted by National Theatres, Inc., were presented this week to Fox Midwest executives by Arch M. Bowles, northern California division manager for Fox West Coast and leader of the campaign. Present also were E. C. Rhoden, Fox Midwest president; Senn Lawler, head of advertising and publicity, and District Managers H. E. Jameyson of Wichita, Fred Souttar of St. Louis, and Ed Haas, Harry McClure and Lon Cox of Kansas City. Bowles emphasized the showmanship keynote of the campaign and said that the six participating divisions will be awarded prizes totaling $26,000, the contest to be launched April 9 for a 13-week period. A total of $5,350 will be split among the winning districts, prizes ranging from $1,000 down to $350. Further, $1,350 wiil be distributed to 12 bookers in the competing territories, in amounts from $275 to $75. As a reward for the best showmanship ideas turned in during the campaign, $1,000 has been set aside. The balance will be split among high-ranking theatre managers. went to charity, each of the 1,236 seats going for $1. Speaking of Barney Oldfield, the Sunday Journal and Star film columnist and his working tools, John Bentley, sports editor, committed a typographical error while punching out his own stint. Inadvertently, he claims, he wrote: “. . . Oldfield and his trypewriter . . .” Fellow employes agreed whole-heartedly. 26 BOXOFFICE :: April 1, 1939