Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1945)

SCRANTON WILKES-BARRE JJ. O’Leary, Comerford circuit general manager, is a team captain in the sustainingfund division in the annual membership drive of the Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Dorothy Ann McAndrew, Comerford Theatres, and Sgt. Paul J. Conway were married last week in St. Ann’s Church ... In a name contest sponsored by Comerford Theatres for a new theatre in Olyphant to replace the former Granada, destroyed by fire, Miss Anne Kennedy was awarded a war bond for suggesting “Olyphant.” Lieut, and Mrs. T. J. Walker are parents of a son, born in New York. Walker, on naval duty at sea, is the son of the former postmaster general, Frank C. Walker, of this city . . . Through the courtesy of Manager Frank Loftus and the projectionists at the Globe Theatre, a special filming of “The Keys of the Kingdom” was shown last week for Catholic nuns of the Scranton area. Mrs. Willard Matthews, Clarks, Summit, was spending a few weeks with her husband in Georgia. Matthews, former manager of the Strand, is an officer candidate at Fort Benning . . . Harold Bell, former manager of the Roosevelt, spent the weekend at home with his family on naval leave. Cpl. and Mrs. Keith Martin, Hollywood, spent last weekend here with Mrs. Martin’s mother, Mrs. Harry Madden. Mrs. Martin is the former Jeanne Madden, singing star of screen and stage . . . John Gilroy has been named assistant manager of the Capitol. William T. Larkin, former assistant manager of the Strand, was home on navy leave . . . James Coyne, formerly of the Comerford, has been assigned to a newly-commissioned destroyer . . . Ensign James Clancy, now in the Pacific, a former employe of the Granada, Olyphant, suffered a fractured arm. Gerald Joyce, formerly of the Strand, graduated from the USNR midshipman school at Chicago . . . Harry J. Hengler, former Comerford home office employe, has received the meritorious service plaque with star for the African campaign. The award was given to the entire 591st engineers, of which he was a member. It was one of the first outfits in Europe and participated in five major landing operations. The front of the Rex, Dickson City, has been remodeled . . . M. J. O’Toole, Comerford publicist, spent a few days in Harrisburg last week . . . Micky Chapin, former Comerford employe, was home on navy leave . . . Sgt. Donald Drake, Globe, twice wounded with a ranger outfit in Italy, has been given limited service and now is doing clerical work. John Coyne, formerly of the Strand, spent four months in an English hospital following wounds received in Germany . . . Tom Comerford is recuperating from an operation . . . Sgt. John Schultz, Capitol, Lebanon, has received the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters. He has been a B24 nose gunner in the South Pacific since May 1944. Lieut. Richard Smith, Capitol, Danvjlle, was married to Miss Elsie Heinbach there when home on furlough . . . Roy Miller, Comerford, Carlisle, in the Pacific as a marine air corps mechanic, now is a sergeant. Stage and Wall Drapes JOE HORNSTEJN has it! PHILADELPHIA GREETINGS— James Cagney was guest of honor at a reception in the Bellevue -Stratford Hotel given by exhibitors. A private screening of “Blood on the Sun” was given. Shown here are: Mort Magill, UA branch manager; Clint Weyer, Cagney, Mike Felt and Henry Friedman. John L. Miller, also of the Comerford, has been made a first sergeant. Clyde Shoop, formerly of the Hollywood, Pottsville, was in Germany on VE-Day. Another Hollywood employe, Robert Morgan, was in Italy. James Rogers, formerly of the Capitol, Williamsport, has receved a medical discharge from the navy after participating in five engagements against Jap bases . . . Sgt. Roger Ritter, formerly of the Keystone, Williamsport, recently married Miss Jean Phipps of Huntsville, Ala. Cornelius McElwee, navy, formerly of the Capitol, Plymouth, is with the NSS Bath . . . Michael Fedor, Liberty, Exeter, is in Dutch New Guinea . . . Edward Anuskiewicz, Parsons, was in the crew of the USS Savannah when it was hit at Salerno. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Miller have announced the birth of a son Jimmy. Mrs. Miller is the former Irma Ganz, this city. Miller, staff writer for PM, New York, is the former area correspondent of BOXOFFICE. Manager Fred Lee, Penn, Wilkes-Barre, held a cooperative newspaper and radio campaign last week with Bucky Harris, RKO, Philadelphia, on “Tall in the Saddle,” which opened Friday. E. C. Winegar as Receiver For Drive-In Theatre BUFFALO — Elmer C. Winegar, associated with the Telenews Theatre here, has been anpointed by Supreme Court Justice Alonzo G. Hinkley as receiver for the Niagara DriveIn Theatre on Niagara Falls Blvd. Winegar’s bond was set at $10,000. He will manage the drive-in place pending further order of the court. The partners owning the business — Louis Edward Walters of Cleveland and James Stephan Driscoll of Erie, Pa. — are having a legal contest. Walters and his wife, Theresa, are seeking to compel Driscoll to dissolve the partnership, render an accounting and sell the business. Monogram's Stock on Curb NEW YORK — Preferred stock of Monogram Pictures Corp. is now listed for trading on the New York Curb, according to W. Ray Johnston, president. Cagneys Are Tendered Philadelphia Luncheon PHILADELPHIA — James Cagney was guest of honor at a luncheon at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel tendered him by more than 150 circuit and independent exhibitors. On the dais with Mr. and Mrs. Cagney were Charles Leonard, Cagney’s New York representative; Morton Magill, United Artists branch manager; Judge Charles Klein; Sidney Samuelson of Allied Exhibitors; Lewen Pizor of MPTO, and James Clark. Jay Emanuel was toastmaster. Among the exhibitors attending were Abe, Lou, Dave and Nathan Sablosky of the Sablosky circuit; Morris and Moe Wax; Charles Steifel and J. Blumberg of the Steifel circuit; William Goldman, Lyle Trenchard and Elmer Hirth of the Goldman circuit; Martin Ellis; Ray Schwartz, Dave Nathan and Sam Milgram of Affiliated Theatres; Joseph and Sam Verbalo, Leo Posel, Ai Boyd, Frank Buehler and Lou Goldsmith of the Boyd ^.circuit; Sam, Frank and Ted Schlanger, A. Vanni, Lester Kreiger, John Turner, Lou Davidoff, Elmer Hollander, Morris Gable, Abe Einstein, Milton Young, Irving Blumberg and Ben Witth of Warner Bros. Others present were Michael and Cecil Felt, William Greenfield, Oscar Forman, Margaret Carberry, Charles and Lou Segall, Dave Barrist, Nate Abelove, Jerry Meyers, Sam Hyman, George Resnick, Charles Hirsh, Lou Rovner, L. Heddelson, H. Rosinsky, I. Yaffe, K. Katz, Ben Fertel, Sam and Morris Gerson, Jack Greenberg, Ed Avello, A. Segal, George Robbins, Norman Lewis, Harry Perelman, M. Nelson, Sam Cantor, William Fishman, Joseph McPhillips, Joe Conwell, George Weiland, Mortimer Lewis, Harry Fried, Harry Pennys, Ben Amsterdam, M. Coane and Abe Frank. Philadelphia Music Fete Nets Red Cross $100,000 PHILADELPHIA — Approximately 70,000 persons paid nearly $100,000 to attend the first annual music festival sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The show was held in Municipal stadium wth James Cagney as master of ceremonies. Profits went to the Red Cross. The bill included the Philadelphia Orchestra, directed by Eugene Ormandy; Oscar Levant; James Melton, the “Oklahoma” cast, including James Alexander, Betty Jane Watson and Dorothea McFarland; the marine band; the Westminster Chorus of Princeton, and choral groups from various colleges and schools in Philadelphia and its suburbs and the Philadelphia La Scala Operatic Ballet group. Cagney ran into complications When he came to town to emcee the show. He discovered that he was guest of honor at two simultaneous luncheons — one thrown by Publisher Walter Annenberg, of the Inquirer, and the other by United Artists. Each arranged their affair without knowing of the others plans. The problem was solved easily by Cagney. He went to Anneberg’s luncheon first and kept the exhibitors waiting for an hour and a half before going to theirs. Conklin to Abbott-Costello Film Chester Conklin has been inked for a comedy role in “Abbott and Costello in Hollywood,” a Metro production. Projector Repair and Parts JOE HORNSTEIN has it! BOXOFFICE :: June 9, 1945 49