Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

(Continued from page 27) “Peck’s Bad Boy,” and “ Ferdinand the Bull,” all at once. I. Weiner, formerly with Columbia in Omaha, is the new salesman at Universal . . . Jimmy Winn, Grand National district manager, and Lou Levy got their heads together over lunch at the Savory the other day . . . Lloyd Lind, assistant general manager from Monogram’s home office in New York, knows now how they put a capital “E” on an evening in the Tall Corn state. Frank Greenland at National Screen waited until it got old-fashioned to have the flu . . . Ben Lass says a weekend at home with the new daughter and two admiring relatives makes him appreciate the sleep he gets out on the road ... We almost drowned in a pool of tears Monday ivhen we heard that classic, “The Sad, Sad Story of Chick Friedman” ... Is Jerry Spandau peddling those cute postage stamp photos he had taken of Jerry Spandau? Nobody on the Row missed that I’vejust-et-the-canary picture of Art Anderson in last week’s Boxoffice . . . Frank Rubel donated a buck to Art playing pingpong, which makes him the heel on the foot of the class . . . Nate “I-git-around” Sandler went on a secret buying tour to Minneapolis. Several Filmrowers are dying to help him open his packages . . . Two bits Lionel Wasson is glad Boxoffice couldn’t hear his early remarks during that telephone conversation with Friedman at 4:48 p. m., Monday . . . Herman Coffman over at Monogram is said to have two speeds, slow and stop. Reporters are trying to chase dow7i that man Johnson who won a Hollywood trip in a “Men With Wings” contest handled through an aviation magazine. Seems he won the trip, but isn’t much interested. He’s broke and would prefer coffee and cakes. Credit Tri-States’ Dorothy Day with finding the human interest angle hi the situation . . . They’re holding their breath in some quarters here. Could it be because M-G-M’s Barrett Riesling is coming to town? Joy Hodges is remembering her home town newspaper these days. When Joan Roberts, a former East Des Moines High schoolmate of Joy’s showed up in Universal City to become Joy’s stand-in, pictures and a story zoomed across the Rockies by airmail to the Register office. And enclosed was a note saying the step was Joy’s suggestion. When it appears in Ted Ashby’s column (it hadn’t when this was written) , local readers’ll be glad Joy was on her toes. Miss Roberts is widely known here as a former member of a radio trio called Jean, Joan and Jerry. Memo to Art Anderson: You owe Ken Clayton one bottle of red Burgundy wine — and if you don’t believe it, ask Sam Clark . . . Not satisfied, with two wires and a long distance call, Warner’s added an invitation from Kansas’ Gov. Payne Ratner to make that Dodge City premiere look good to Feature Editor Clayton. Did those go to all the newsmen or is that what he gets for being coy? . . . Stanley Mayer scores again. The Ritz Bros.’ “Three Musketeers” drew a two-day holdover at the Orpheum. Things to remember along Filmrow: The subdued beauty of Stanley Mayer’s office at Fox . . . The two steps down after you open the door at Monogram (forget and you’ll break your neck!) . . . The handsome desk lamp on Mel Evidon’s desk at Columbia . . . The good-natured raillery of the Iowa Film staff . . . The theatre chair Film Transportation keeps for guests . . . The friendly atmosphere at Republic . . . The business-like air of Paramount offices . . . The enormous stack of trade publications in Sid Rose’s place . . . S. W. & the 7 D’s leering at RKO visitors . . . Constant theatre chatter handed inquiring patrons by the switchboard operator at Tri-States . . . AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS TO FORGET, TOO, (but it would be just like us to list them also). . . .AW, SHUCKS! iiUi" (Continued from page 27) able jack-of-all-trades. He operates the Niles and Circle theatres, publishes the local newspaper, and has a finger in the political pie most of the time. E. Recknagel probably will be interested to know that the new blower he recently installed in the Arnuzu at Fonda used to keep one of D. M.’s hottest night spots from boiling over! This is U. A. Christenson’s busiest season. He runs a large hatchery over at Lost Nation, in addition to the theatre, you know. C. A. Pratt, eastern Iowa salesman for Republic, and his brother Ralph are in kahoots now on the Fox Theatre in Washington. They’re spending several thousand dollars to make it an “A” house. Ralph’s daughter, Marjorie “Petie” Pratt, was married last week. National Theatre Supply has sold complete new projection equipment and a screen to the new Nebraska Theatre in Lincoln: installed lamp houses for the Smith Bros, (no beards, remember) at Corydon; and set up projection equipment, lamp houses and rectifiers for Beulah DeNune at Tipton. George Frick of Greattinger, who seldom lets anything interfere with his card playing, managed to take time off the other day to stop in Des Moines and order new modernistic lights for his theatre. Nan Frandson of Britt, la., won a season pass to M. H. Nicol’s Cecil Theatre at Mason City, but she’s an invalid and can’t use it. George Caldwell, who has recently moved from Nashua to Lime Springs, got his amateur radio operator’s license the other day. George has a theatre at Staceyville, too. Cresswell Maintains Top Spot in Bowling Race Kansas City — Another week finds Cresswell leading the Variety Bowling League race by two full games, although the club lost two out of three matches to Don Davis last Monday night. The sixthplace Barkers scored the only triple-victory, whipping Dubinsky Bros, that many times. RESULTS LAST MONDAY W. L. Barkers 956 899 946 2801 3 0 Dubinsky Bros. 893 864 888 2645 0 3 Cinema Club 824 790 848 2462 2 1 Finton Jones 800 835 832 2467 1 2 Don Davis 851 841 815 2507 2 1 Cresswell 781 861 719 2361 1 2 National Screen 814 788 925 2527 1 2 Film Delivery . . . . 842 826 817 2485 2 1 TEAM STANDINGS Won Lost Pet. Cresswell 41 28 .594 Don Davis 39 30 .565 C inema Club . 38 31 .551 Finton Jones .... . 35 34 .507 National Screen 34 .507 Barkers . 32 37 .464 Dubinsky Bros. . 29 40 .420 Film Delivery •>7 42 .391 INDIVIDUAL HIGH SCORES Leon Abraham, 61.!; W. Pritchett, 606; Bill Kubitzki, 582; P'rank Lambader, 580; Emory Duncan, 566 ; Jack Gregory, 562 ; C. Decker, 558. NEXT WEEK’S SCHEDULE Cresswell vs. Pinion Jones. Barkers vs. National Screen. Cinema Club vs. Film Delivery. Don Davis vs. Dubinsky Bros. Don Woods Joins Warner Kaycee Sales Force Minneapolis — Don Woods, one of the most popular local film men, has resigned as Paramount sales manager to join the Warner sales staff in Kansas City, his hometown. He will work with one of his closest friends, Rud Lohrenz, recently named Warner district manager for the Kansas City territory. Woods left Paramount once before to become Grand National branch manager. He quit that post to return to his first love. Hill Leaves Magic Eye ; Firm Will Continue Kansas City — Ormond P. Hill, a partner with R. W. McEwan in the Magic Eye Distributing Co. since last summer, leaves April 1 for Kearney, Neb., to assume personal management of a newspaper, the Kearney Hub, he purchased January 1. McEwan continues in charge of the Magic Eye firm and is expected to transfer his present headquarters here from Des Moines. Easter Opening Osmond, Neb. — The Osmond Theatre, owned by R. J. Dalton, will be formally opened on Easter after undergoing extensive remodeling. “Gunga Din” will be the feature. Capitol to Werden Hartley, Ia. — The Capitol has been purchased by C. E. Werden from Mrs. C. A. Sartorius. Werden also operates the Star at Sioux Rapids, la., and the Broadway at Centerville, S. D. 32 BOXOFFICE :: April 1, 1939