Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

DENVER T J. GOODSTEIN has applied for a building permit for a new $100,000 theatre to be built in the Park Hill section, from which the house will derive it’s name. The house will cost $100,000, be of stadium type, and be modernistic design with construction of terra cotta, glass brick and stainless steel. Goodstein formerly operated theatres in several cities in the Denver territory. The new theatre will be 124x66, and will seat 1,000. The Palace Theatre is using three features on Saturday and Monday. C. A. Mulock is managing the house for Paul Hoppen, who recently took the house back after selling it three months ago . . . Jack Kramer has resiguned as assistant manager at the State Theatre and expects to go to New Mexico on doctor’s orders to seek a lower altitude. Frank Bond has bought the Hermes Theatre at Springfield, Colo., and by changing one letter has made it the Harms . . . Betty Notheis, daughter of Roy Notheis, manager of the Mayan Theatre, Denver, and Ruth Rose, daughter of Boxoffice’s Denver correspondent, graduated with high honors from the University of Denver. Both were members of Mortar Board, highest honorary group for senior girls, and both were among the five outstanding senior girls, the selections being made by the faculty and senior class. Both expect to teach. Robert Selig, Hiawatha manager, experienced a siege of streptococcic throat . . . Casey Edinger, Zaza Theatre manager, is spending his vacation in the east, visiting Chicago and New York . . . John Lindhart, operating the Park, Denver, and a string of portables in CCC camps, is also showing films to the boys in the state national guard camp at Camp George West. . . . Chas. Gilmour, president of Gibralter Enterprises, went to Craig, Colo., to inspect their theatre there. Larry Starsmore, manager of Westland theatres in Colorado, and Miss Cecelia Heid of Colorado Springs, were married at Taos, N. M. The ceremony was held in the Chapel of the Nativity with the Rev. Gerken officiating. After a honeymoon they will make their home in Colorado Springs . . . Back from the Paramount convention in Los Angeles and plenty enthusiastic over the 1939-40 product are C. J. Bell, manager of the local exchange. Salesmen C. J. Duer, R. C. Ryan and Wm. Williams; John Voss, head booker, and Wm. Plunkett, ad sales manager. A. J. O’Keefe, Universal west coast district manager, spent a few days conferring with Jack Langan, exchange manager . . . L. L. Dent and T. B. Noble of Dallas and Oklahoma City, respectively , spent a few days in Denver conferring with theatre and exchange men. En route they spent some time at the headquarters of Westland theatres in Colorado Springs with Larry Starsmore, manager . . . Fox Intermountain is reopening the Rialto at Walsenburg, Colo., and the Coronado, Las Vegas, N. M. Both have been closed for some time. Spanish films will be used for one change a week at the Rialto. Market "Lucky Colors" as New B. O. Stimulant Los Angeles — A new boxoffice stimulant has been copyrighted and is being marketed under the supervision of the Shattuck and Ettinger advertising agency under the title “Lucky Colors.” It consists of a “Lucky Color” wheel, containing 36 different hues, with the correct name of each color printed on the section where it appears. Wheel, mounted on the theatre stage, is spun three times, after which patrons examine their clothing to determine if any individual is wearing three articles of apparel which match the three colors turned up on the wheel. Winners then step up and claim their awards. Distribution has been established in various territories. A deal has been closed with the Metro Premium Co. to handle “Lucky Colors” in New York, Boston, Buffalo, New Haven, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City. A1 Wolf of Dallas, Tex., will distribute the stimulant in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. John Mednikow has signed to handle it in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis, and William C. Quinn has the franchise for Los Angeles. Its sponsors stress the flexibility with which the stimulant may be handled. Awards can range from nominal prizes of inexpensive merchandise up through various scales to cash handouts, this phase having been left to be determined by the individual theatre operator according to his needs and pocketbook. The creators of “Lucky Colors” point out it not only can be used as a medium for distributing these awards, but also creates goodwill among, and entertainment for, audiences through the manner in which the stunt can be conducted; humorous methods of determining whether or not various shades of clothing match the colors selected by the wheel; and, in some instances, the type of garment brought forth for display. “Preview” tryouts have been staged in several local spots, including Bard’s Colorado Theatre in Pasadena. Dick Simms, house manager, conducted the test with George Montgomery supplementing the stunt with a personal appearance as “The Lone Ranger.” Building the Willow Buttonwillow, Cal. — A new 400-seat theatre, to be known as the Willow, is under construction here. It will be owned and operated by Marino Pierucci and Gino Per a. S’ IFRAMCMSCO XJARRY FARRIS, former owner of the Liberty, is now back at the helm there . . . Golden States’ Strand in Berkeley is closed for remodeling . . . The Capitol here seems destined to remain dark a little longer, as it seems Eddie Skolak will be unable to reopen it as originally planned. Report is the Sutter Theatre is on the auction block and will probably change hands and managers with the transaction . . . Joe Conner is the new manager at the Granada here . . . Charles Skouras of Fox West Coast was in town looking over the local scene. Dan McLean is now in Sacramento. He is a former Harvey circuit manager . . . Ed Coffey, formerly at the Colusa which was taken over by the Nassers is now in Santa Clara. Bill Mitchell replaced Coffey. RKO’s local exchange manager, Bill Wolf, and his salesmen, George Seach, Earl Stein, and Charlie Crowell, all attended the company convention in New York . . . “Tobacco Road,” starring John Barton, starts an engagement at the Curran, June 18. Vacations have overtaken Henry Wisner, Warner booker, and Bert Gelling, Warner shipper. Gelling is en route to Seattle . . . Ruth Karski, sister of Gerald and daughter of A. C., was married to Irving Rosenbaum of Des Moines. Rosenbaum is nontheatrical . . . Frank Austen, doorman at the Egyptian here, has deserted the benedicts, and Mark Ailing, assistant manager at the Golden Gate Theatre, is now honeymooning with his new wife in Yellowstone. Kay Kyser opens at the Golden Gate, June 21 and Artie Shaw comes in the Fourth of July . . . Bob Allen of the Grand in Tracy was in town . . . Ditto Ernest Howell of the Monachi, Porterville. A party was held by employes of Goldberg Theatres at a local niterie. It seems the workers were getting married so fast they had to call a general get-together to catch up on each other . . . Louis Winters of the American Theatre here announces his engagement to Estelle Cohn, nontheatrical. Jack Mills, national organizer for the American Federation of Actors, has taken over the reins of the actors’ union here, temporarily. CAUTION TO EXHIBITORS It has come to our attention that electrically operated slides, in imitation of our electrically operated projector slides, are being offered to theatres. These slides, in our opinion, are infringements of the Patent rights held by us and we will enforce the same to the full extent of the law. Exhibitors are warned against such infringing acts. Hollywood electrical projector slides are protected by U. S. Letters Patents No. 2042604 and No. 2069304. Before using any electrically operated projector slides, we urge your careful investigation. HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO., Inc., 831 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, III BOXOFFICE :: June 17, 1939 41