Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

Moves 3 Times in 1 Day; Some Sort of Record! HOBBS, N. M. — In these days of housing shortages and no vacancies signs, Jo Baucom, Theatre Enterprises employe, set some kind of a record. Jo moved three times in one day! Writer Sues for Pay HOLLYWOOD — Seeking to recover $13,000 allegedly due him in salary Jay Dratler, screen writer, filed a breach of contract suit in superior court against Cardinal Pictures, owned by Harry Popkin, local exhibitor turned producer. Dratler’s complaint avers he was retained by Popkin to work on the screenplay of “Impact,” from Dratler’s own original, and the amount named in the suit is due him for such services. The picture, one of a pair Cardinal planned to make, was never filmed. Jack Willard Installs New Sound ORTING, WASH. — New sound and an air cooling system have been installed in the Orting Theatre by Jack Willard. He also bought fire extinguishers for the projection room. mm ATTRACTIVE POPCORN BOXES ■■ Top Volume Popping Purdue Hybrid Popcorn. Popsit Plus Popcorn Seasoning Cocoanut Oil in 50-lb. Cans. Popcorn Salt— Scoops — -Bags — Seasoning Measuring Cups Best Quality Merchandise — Quick Service ~ ARTHUR UNGER CO. 105 Golden Gate Ave. San Francisco 2, Calif. WE HftVE VT \ CAN GET IT ! OB WILL MAKE IT! W&dwn IheatnkaL $ (jMipmmt Co. 337 GOLDEN GATE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO 2, CALIF * Pham HEmlock 8302 SAN FRANCISCO jyjr. and Mrs. C. E. Peasem, owners and operators of the Exeter Theatre in Exeter, have announced their intention to build a 1,000-seat theatre in Exeter as soon as building restrictions are removed. The lot is located between Wheeler’s Firestone store and the drive-in. The new house will be of stadium type construction with modern colonial interior decoration. It will be associated with the Westland Theatre Corp. Harry Weaverling, MGM salesman, is ill but improving . . . Maurice Wolf, public relations man for MGM, arrived in town from the east to spend several days here. While here Wolf will make several appearances in behalf of the industry. Laura Ross, astrologer, lectured to the girls of the Film Colony club at their June meeting. A word of comfort to many was “the stars impel — they do not compel.” The girls were glad to greet Ruth Moeller Ortiz as a guest at the meeting. Ruth was with Consolidated Amusement Co. before her retirement from the business world. The new Peninsula Drive-In Theatre, which opened recently, has the largest picture screen and the most powerful projection equipment in the western states, according to Guy Mick, owner and operator. The screen is 70 feet high. The State Theatre in Sacramento had another incendiary fire last week. It was discovered in time to prevent destruction of the building. Walter Tooley, manager, said it was the fourth such fire in the theatre in a month. An investigation is being carried on. R. E. Vaughan is the manager of the new drive-in theatre south of Mooney Grove Built at a cost of around $100,000, it is a unit in the Robert L. Lippert circuit. Vaughan previously had been manager of the local Pixley Theatre . . . The local board of supervisors still is considering a tax on admission tickets to amusements . . . Reports have it that the Oaks Theatre management will soon own the Berkeley ice rink. A writer to the Sacramento Bee asks for better films: “Write to your senators and congressmen and demand better pictures. I have done it, but if all mothers and grandmothers write we soon will get better pictures!— (Signed) A Mother.” See! It’s really so simple. Kay Grothman, receptionist at FWC, had a birthday last week. Kay said she’s 200 . . . Lilian Siegel, FWC, finally found an apartment . . . Claire Creighton, Navy Motion Pictures, had another birthday last month . . . Celia DeMartini, former secretary at Republic, gave birth to a boy June 2. Abe Kaplan of New York and Sid Newhoff of Los Angeles, representatives of Kaplan Textiles, were in town promising fabrics to the various equipment houses . . . Barney Gurnette of the Santa Cruz Theatre was on the Row . . . Stan Myers of the Western Theatrical Equipment Co. flew east on business. Don Beck was in from the Princess Theatre in Modesto . . . Leo Reese was in from his Orpheum Theatre, Lakeport . . . Bill Peters was on the Row booking for his new Salida Theatre in Modesto . . . Seen on the Row were H. S., D. B. and A. E. Levin . . . Sid Kalin also was seen on the Row . . . Frank, Sam, Tony and Salvedore Enea, of the Enea circuit, were in town together last week . . . Ray Hanson of the Kerman Theatre, Kerman, was on the Row . . . Ruth Fox, contract clerk at MGM, has been home ill with a mouth infection . . . Ruth Gogelman, biller at MGM, is vacationing. Jack Wadsworth, remembered by many as associated with the Heywood-Wakefield Chair Co., is now associated with the Western Theatrical Equipment Co. . . . Harry Sarber, boss man at WTE, flew to Los Angeles for several days . . . Mac McKinstrey, field supervisor for RCA Service Co., rested his weary bones at the WTE office last week. He was just too tired to move anything but his big blue eyes. A1 Shmitken, Warner Bros, manager, went to Los Angeles to attend his daughter’s commencement exercises . . . Jack Tillman, manager at Columbia, has returned from a sales meeting held in Chicago . . . Phyllis Cooley, cashier at Republic, married . . . Jack Goodwin, Motion Picture Service, is waiting for an offer for his novel, “Immortal Empire.” “Fifty thousand dollars should do it,” said Jack "Down payment, you know.” James Schiller, exploiteer from Monogram, was in from Los Angeles to supervise the opening of “It Happened on Fifth Avenue.” Following a screening of the film for the critics, a cocktail party was held at the Mark Hopkins . . . Joyce Johnson, assistant booker at Monogram, will dance in a program to be presented at the Rotary convention here. Carl Scott, city salesman for Columbia, is still looking for a house. He’s being evicted from his present abode . . . Donald Spear opened his outdoor theatre last week in Lane’s Redwood Flats, 20 miles this side of Garberville . . . Paul Sprague has turned over the Quincy Theatre to Vernon and Fred Cleays . . . L. Davis has taken over the Lake Theatre in Lower Lake from Mrs. V. Laurie. Mike Newman, former exploiteer for Columbia, was in town last week on business. Mike has his own agency now . . . Sammy Sigel, exploiteer for Columbia, was in town for a few days. Robert Borovoy and his wife are off to Los Angeles to see how pictures are made. Borovoy is manager of the Rex Theatre in Oakland . . . Ben Stevenson, manager of the Metro Theatre before the war, has returned to the Golden State circuit . . . Nat Nathanson, UA manager, flew to Los Angeles on business . . . John Leo resigned his position as salesman at the PRC Eagle-Lion exchange. Visitors to the Golden Gate Smoke Shop at 2:30 p. m. would think Emmett Cannon, former film salesman who is operating the shop, runs his business on credit. Kids rush into the store from the school across the street, grab everything in sight, and yell: “I’ll owe it to you, Emmett!” Hannah Oppie, ITO secretary, formerly associated with MGM, is busy getting her daughter Patsy ready for the big day, June 21. On that date Hannah will become a mother-in-law. MAURICE WOLF AL SHMITKEN BOXOFFICE :: June 14, 1947 61