Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

HWIANAPOLIS gOL GREENBERG, booker for the past three or more years at RKO Radio, has resigned his position to take effect June 17 and has accepted a position with the Olson Theatre Enterprises of Indianapolis. His new duties probably will entail booking for the newly-acquired Olson theatres. Several personnel changes have been made at RKO branch. Betty McNew has replaced Mrs. Charlotte Lawhorn, who has been promoted to a stenographic position; Norma Rennegarbe has been assigned to a secretarial post. A record that we understand is not equalled by any other legitimate vaudeville house in the United States is that of the Lyric Theatre. Stage shows have been running constantly through summer slumps and winter booms with surprising regularity during the past five years. The theatre is operated by Charles Olson. We are curious to know if any other vaudeville house can tie that record. From the newsreel shots now showing at the downtown theatres of the 500 -mile race, we are wondering if these cameramen didn’t have horse shoes around their necks. What kept these careening cars that piled up in the wreck which killed Floyd Roberts, race driver, from running over the cameramen, we can’t imagine. Anyway, the newsreel really give the public a thrill. Roy Harrold, operator of the Princess and Castle theatres in Rushville, is planning a trip to New York to see the World’s Fair. He will leave June 25 and expects to be gone for a week. Harold Braun, preview theatre operaator, entertained the city’s bookers at his home recently. These parties are a regular monthly affair. The Strand Theatre managed by Claude Allison, as a result of a recent purchase, will soon have facilities for parking 600 cars. W. A. Brennan handled the deal for the Olson Theatre Enterprises. Among the early vacationists along the Row are Cressah Hindbaugh who spent her’s at McCormick’s Creek Canyon State Park. Cressah is an assistant at the Universal branch office. Helen Coghlan of the RKO Radio office staff, spent her two-week vacation in Texas. Harry Hayes of the United Artists exchange has returned from a week spent in Kansas City, his former home. Chas. Acton, assistant shipper at RKO, is on a two weeks vacation. Irwin Fredericks, noted theatre architect from Chicago, was a recent visitor to Filmrow . . . Jerry Adams, salesman for M-G-M, recently spent a few days in Fort Wayne on a visit. Among Indiana exhibitors who attended the Allied national convention in Minneapolis, were Mauric Rubin and wife of Michigan City, who drove through; Trueman Rembusch, wife and two children of Franklin, who drove and made this part of their vacation; Isaac Holycross and Harry Markun of Indianapolis who went by train; Don R. Rossiter of Indianapolis and V. U. Young of Gary, took to the airlanes. Efficient Bureau Chicago — Even the weather man accommodates the New Deal. Oliver Griswald, heading a production crew that was filming Paul de Kruif’s “Fight for Life,” was in Chicago, taking scenes of Dr. Myron McCormick, hero of the government reel. The script called for shots of Doctor McCormick looking in windows in the loop’s State Street in the evening, with the weather — wet. For quite a time it had not rained here at night, and Griswald had arranged to have Chicago’s fire department set to simulate a rain storm. But the evening the government film crew decided to shoot, the city had the heaviest rain storm it has had in many weeks. And so Mr. Griswald and his crew got what they wanted. ATO Displays Prizes Held for Convention Indianapolis — The prizes gathered by the Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana for distribution at the convention and fun fest July 5-6-7 at the Spink Wawasee Hotel at Lake Wawasee, Ind., are on display in the window of the association’s office and have occasioned considerable comment. Donors of the prizes so far include RKO, Fox Films, Universal, United Artists, M-G-M, Roth Park Hotel, Oscar Kuschner, Filmack Trailer Service, National Screen, Coons Drug Store, Earl Penrod, Antlers Hotel, Sentinel Printing, International Seat, and Confection Cabinet. Liability Insurance Rate For Theatres Increased St. Louis — The liability insurance rates affecting motion picture theatres in Missouri have been increased approximately 40 per cent. In St. Louis and Kansas City the former rate of 15 cents per $100 of protection has been raised to 21 cents per $100, while the outstate rate that was formerly 10 cents for each $100 of protection has been increased to 14 cents. Stanley Levine Buys Out Midwest Theatre Supply Chicago— Stanley Levine, proprietor of the Stanley Theatre Supply Co., here has bought out the Midwest Theatre Supply Co., also of Chicago. The latter firm will continue as local dealers in theatre equipment and supplies. The Stanley company will serve as wholesalers and distributors of specialized items. Exchanges in Windy City Operate on 5-Day Week Chicago — Practically all exchanges here are again on a five-day week for the summer. In some of the offices, skeleton crews are in effect on Saturdays, but, in general, full business is transacted only Monday through Friday. B&K and some of the other circuit offices are also on the same schedule from June to September. ■pHE Variety Club’s annual charity boat ride commencing at midnight June 10 proved very successful. The net proceeds will be used for under-privileged boys. Two orchestras provided music for the trip. The new Bond Theatre, Greenville, III., a 600 -seater, opened recently under the management of the Frisina Circuit. John Sturm is house manager. Opponents of the two-cent per package cigarette tax ordinance recently passed by the board of aldermen plan to carry their fight into the courts. An announcement to this effect was made by Former Circuit Judge Fred L. English, attorney for the Tobacco Merchants Ass'n. The Theatre Service Concessions Co., Inc., has been incorporated here by J. E. Patton, Mary B. Karty and Lawrence McDaniel. It will start with $2,000 capital and is authorized under its charter to own and rent theatre accessories. The Florissant Airdome has reopened under the management of the St. Louis Amusement Co. Harry Crawford, manager of the Ambassador Theatre, in his haste to fill a recent speaking engagement before a civic club at Hotel Statler, forgot to put a copy of the speech in his pocket. The guests thought his embarassment was due to his rumpled collar. Advices from Springfield, 111., are that the state senate probably will defeat the Sandquist 15-minute intermission bill that recently passed in the Illinois House with only three opposition votes. Benny Benjamin, new district manager for Republic Pictures, is making his headquarters in St. Louis. His territory includes in addition to St. Louis the Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines exchanges. These four offices were formerly under the wing of Midwest Division Manager Max Roth who now is confining his supervision to Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Detroit and Milwaukee. Leo Sullivan, booker for the local Columbia Pictures office is on the rip track for a few days. He strained himself in a friendly wrestling bout while on a picnic. Casper M. Bassman, Hermann Theatre, Hermann, Mo., was a Filmrow visitor. Other out-of-towners included Mrs. I. W. Rodgers of Cairo, III., and her son, Carson Rodgers, manager of the important Rodgers circuit of southern Illinois and eastern Missouri, and Leland Allen, booker for the Commonwealth Amusement Company Circuit of Kansas City. Also H. Clarke of Mattoon, III. Fred Wehrenberg, head of the Wehrenberg circuit and president of the MPTO of St. Louis, is a visitor in New York City. Rialto to Berglin Walkerton, Ind. — Jack Berglin, who formerly operated houses in the northwest, has taken over the Rialto here. BOXOFFICE :: June 17, 1939 47