Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Morros Plans Feature For RKO Release Hollywood — Boris Morros will produce a full-length comedy with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy for RKO this summer under a deal worked out with George J. Schaefer, president. The picture will be based on a French comedy, “The Aviators.” Calgary RKO Branch Tops in 14th Schaefer Drive Week New York — As the George Schaefer Drive enters its 14th week, RKO’s Calgary branch under managership of H. F. Taylor is in the lead with Detroit in second place and New Haven third. To Ask Dismissal Wilmington — Attorneys for UA within the next week will file another motion to dismiss the amended complaint filed by Max Steuer last week on the ground the action instituted by Samuel Goldwyn fails to state a cause of action. RICHMOND ^yORD from Roanoke that Elmer Heins has selected these brother exhibitors to be on the convention committee of the MPTO of Virginia, convening there on Monday, June 12: Hunter Perry, Charlottesville; Frank Falls, Iynchburg ; R. F. Plank, Blacksburg: D. D. Query, Marion; J. M. Moody, Wytheville; Frank O’Brien, Richmond; F. L. Steele, Roanoke, and Allen Sparrow, Richmond . . . Sam Bendheim jr., general manager of Neighborhood Theatres, is the proud daddy of a baby girl, Kay, born May 6. Mother and daughter are doing well. Frances Tyler, cashier of two Petersburg theatres, was married to Ellis King . . . Charlie Hulbert, Floyd Stawls and Bob Egan have organized bowling teams at their theatres and will hold elimination matches with the winner challenging the State team, winner of the League crown this year . . . Frank Storino, manager of the Lincoln, has postponed his trip to Europe because of the war scare . . . Robert Taylor is now doorman at the Patrick Henry. Bob Campbell, veteran film salesman, is now handling “Moonlight Sonata” in this territory . . . Mercer Stillman, Berio representative, has been installing new machines in various parts of the state, his latest at Loew’s, Richmond; Lyric, Hampton, and Amelia, Amelia . . . Clarence MacDonald, chain operator of Columbus, Ohio, and brother-in-law of Walter Coulter, was in. town visiting . . . David Kamsky, advertising manager of Neighborhood Theatres, is sporting a new Plymouth . . . Walter Vincent, vice-president of Wilmer & Vincent, was here several days. Ben Pitts, Virginia theatre chain operator, is also president of the Fredericksburg Broadcasting Corp., which was granted authority last week to operate a station. A IL B jyjRS. M. A. CARPENTER has returned to Lake George from her annual winter stay in Florida and will open the Lake Theatre in the Village of Lake George about June 1. Her son-in-law, Bob Yates, well-known entertainer, having a job at the World’s Fair, will book for the Lake George house from New York. Mrs. Yates will assist her mother in operating the 600-seat theatre. The Yates play Florida during the fall and winter . . . Lou Fischer has completed repairs to the Bradley Opera House in Fort Edward . . . The Palace in Fort Covington, near the Canadian border, is closed, according to reports received on Filmrow. Bill Clark owns the theatre . . . W. E. Bird, operator of the Arlington in East Arlington, Vt., has taken a cottage two miles from town, for the summer months . . . Elmer Sichel, 20th Century-Fox assistant booker, and Bill Gaddone, Metro booker, are frequent weekenders to their respective home towns, New York and New Rochelle . . . George Jeffrey, Universal, showed Filmrow one of the most striking automobiles in a long time. A Packard with a very fancy paint job . . . Improvements made by George Stanton at Burt’s Theatre, Luzerne, include a new sound and cooling system. News from genial “Mitch” Conery, of the Conery circuit, Ravena: Dave Willig has succeeded Roger Marmon as manager of the Conery Theatre in Delmar, Albany suburba?i town; three changes of bill instead of four are being made weekly at the Valley Theatre, Middleburg, managed by D. H. Reed; the Conery in Hensonville, Catskill Mountain village, will open for the season about June 1. An extra heavy newspaper advertising 1938 Net lor RKO Corp . Reported as $18,604 New York — Irving Trust, as trustee of RKO Corp., in a federal court report, shows the company in 1938 netted $18,604 after all ordinary charges, but before providing for a dividend of $7 per share on 42,543 Keith-Albee-Orpheum shares. Estimated net for the 13 weeks ending April 1 is $388,823 after all charges. Net income for 1937 was $1,821,166. RKO Radio Pictures and subsidiaries showed a 1938 loss, after all charges, of $1,247,554 against a corresponding loss of $236,909 in 1937. Pathe News, Inc., showed a 1938 net of $97,199 against $6,011 the previous year. Rothacker Joins Quigley As V . P, in Hollywood New York — Watterson R. Rothacker, prominent in the laboratory field until 1926, when his firm became a part of Consolidated Films, has been named vicepresident of Quigley Publishing Co., with headquarters in Hollywood. He was variously connected with the original First National and Paramount companies as vice-president at the studio. campaign for the first exhibition in this section of “Zenobia,” Hal Roach United Artists comedy, was undertaken at the Lincoln in Troy. Leonard L. Rosenthal, Troy attorney-exhibitor, was the principal speaker at the annual Brotherhood Service in the Third Street Temple, that city . . . The Casino in Long Lake, and the Adirondack in Speculator, are being readied for a summer opening, according to Filmrow reports. R. P. Gallup operates the Adirondack. Bill Barney, owner of the Grand in Watervliet, recovered speedily from a tonsillotomy ... A new arrival, a boy, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Willig. Father is manager of Conery’s Theatre in Delmar. Incidentally, Willig is of an inventive bent. He recently perfected a theatre sidelight for use in smaller houses. Helen Wisper, secretary to M. A. Grassgreen, 20th Century -Fox branch manager, had a birthday, marred by a bad cold. A family party marked the event . . . Filmrow visitors: Phil Straus, Pine Plains exhibitor; Morris Slotnik, Oriskany Falls and Waterville theatre operator; Henry Freider and Henry Grossman, proprietors of three houses in Hudson; Dayton La Pointe, operator of the Crandall in Chatham; Mrs. H. L. Wodenberg of the Clinton in Clinton; Phil Baroudi, of the Happy Hour, North Creek, and the Lake, Indian Lake; Frank Wieting of the Park, Cobleskill; Morris Kronick of the Orpheum, Amsterdam. Jack Kaplan, Buffalo independent distributor, was in town . . . Grand National branch office is distributing two new pictures, “Exile Express,” starring Anna Sten, and “Panama Patrol,” a spy film with a patriotic theme ... At a night screening in the Warner Bros. Theatre downtown office were: Moe Silver, Warner upstate zone manager; Charles Smakwitz, district manager; J. E. Curley, advertising manager; Max Friedman, zone booker; Joe Weinstein, short subject booker; Arthur J. Newman, Grand National manager; Bill Murray, assistant office manager-booker, and several others. Bernard Mills, Republic franchise holder, visited New York in connection with “Man of Conquest.” Picture shoum for the first time in this territory at Charles Gordon’s Olympic, Utica ... Si Fabian is making weekly trips to Albany, Wednesday usually being his day here . . . The Star, Hudson, will close for the summer about May 15, under plans of Frieder and Grossman . . . The Community and the Warren, which they also operate in that city with Walter Reade, will remain open . . . Vivian Sweet of the Star, Salem, and the Swan, Greenwich, called on the exchanges after a two weeks’ bout with pneumonia . . . Joe Engel, Universal manager, visited Kallett circuit headquarters in Oneida and Smalley circuit offices in Cooperstown . . . Louis Bucken of the Amenia, Amenia, helloed along Filmrow. BOXOFFICE :; May 13, 1939 22-C