Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

MONTREAL handsome monetary award came to Grattan Kiely, Montreal district manager for Warners, and Archie Cohen, salesman, for winning the short subject sales contest for 1946-47 . . . Tom Dowbiggin, Paramount manager, and Romeo Goudreau, salesman, attended the sales convention at Toronto in the King Edward hotel . . . Raymond Gouge, proprietor of the Rialto, Quebec, was a visitor to the 20th-Fox office on Filmrow . . . Frank Fisher, sales manager for Eagle-Lion, was here from Toronto on business. George R. Giroux of Hollywood, who visits the exchanges once a year to check up on performance and print conditions in Technicolor pictures, dropped in at the Paramount exchange . . . The new Chateau Theatre opened at Rawdon June 14. Theodore Lachapelle is owner. Mrs. Eileen Chalifour has been added to the RKO staff here. Leo Smith, mayor of Gatineau Mills, has opened a new theatre there, the Laurentian . . . P. Beaumonsour, owner of the Royal, Louiseville, invited the young ladies of the RKO office to lunch with him at Ruby Foo’s. Now, they want to know when. N. Rozon, owner of the Roya, Hudson, played "The Best Years of Our Lives’’ six times in four days and 550 persons attended out of a population of 1,500 . . . P. E. Theriault of Maniwaki will run motion pictures in the Mont Laurier arena while rebuilding his theatre . . . Shirley Levitt, daughter of John Levitt, Columbia salesman, has returned to Montreal after four months spent in Mexico City, where she learned to speak Spanish fluently. Herman Vosberg is the new booker at PRC replacing Douglas Brais. Before his five years overseas service Vosberg was associated with Empire-Universal: He is a brother of Max Vosberg, assistant booker at Regal Films. Brais has left PRC to undergo training as an operator in an out-of-town theatre . . . Charles Trenet, Parisian star, has bought ground at Ste. Adele in the Laurentians as a site for a permanent home. Trenet recently appeared at the Gayety Theatre. L. M. Bleackley, vice-president of Perkins Electric Co., distributors of projection and sound equipment throughout the Dominion, and R. V. Shale, Toronto office manager, attended the recent conference of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers in Chicago. Opera Stars in 'The Mill' Lauritz Melchior and Marina Koshetz, opera stars, have been ticketed for featured roles in Metro’s “The Red Mill.” Toronto's Boxoffices Affected by Weather TORONTO — Variable weather continued to disturb traffic to Toronto’s downtown theatres at a time when grosses were leveling off. “The Farmer’s Daughter” seemed to like the weather, however, having a good third week at Shea’s while “Sinbad the Sailor” continued for a second week at the Tivoli and Eglinton. “Stallion Road” had fair play at the Imperial; ditto for “Living in a Big Way” at Loew’s. Three of the first runs had double bills. (Average is 100) Capitol — That Way With Women (WB); Jewels of Brandenburg (20th-Fox) 95 Eglinton — Sinbad the Sailor (RKO), 2nd wk 100 Imperial — Stallion Road (WB) 95 Loew's — Living in a Big Way (MGM).. 95 Shea's— The Farmer's Daughter (RKO), 3rd wk 85 Tivoli — Sinbad the Sailor (RKO), 2nd wk 100 Uptown — That's My Man (Rep); Winter Wonderland (Rep) 90 Victoria — That Way With Women (WB); Jewels of Brandenburg (20th-Fox) 95 Vancouver Still Is Suffering; 'Boomerang' Tops the Town VANCOUVER — Boxoffices were a little more active, but takes were still low. “Boomerang” at the Orpheum topped the town. “The Guilt of Janet Ames” gave the Vogue a record low and was yanked after four days. “The Fabulous Dorseys” was another disappointment at the Odeon-Hastings. The weather was warm. Capitol — Imperfect Lady (Para) Fair Hastings — The Fabulous Dorseys (UA); Shadows Over Chinatown (Mono) Moderate Orpheum — Boomerang (20th-Fox) Good Paradise — She-Wolf of London (U-I); The Trap (Mono) Fair Plaza — Death Valley (PRC); Come and Get It (PRC revival) Fair Strand — Wake Up and Dream (20th-Fox); Backlash (20th-Fox) Average Vogue — The Guilt of Janet Ames (Col) Poor Calgary Grosses Spurt As Rain, Cold Persist CALGARY — Cool, wet weather has been beneficial to the theatres, curbing almost all outdoor activities. Full evening houses were the rule last week. Track racing continued, but the wet weather drew only the most ardent betters to the track. If heat follows the wet spell, as farmers hope, the result will be another decided drop at the boxoffices. Meantime the managers are raking in some welcome shekels, making hay while the sun does not shine. Capitol — Sea of Grass (MGM) ...Very aood Grand — Johnny O'clock (Col) ... Good Palace — Carnival in Costa Rica (20th-Fox); Jewels of Brandenburg (20th-Fox) Fair Palace — Fear in the Night (Para); Seven Were Saved (Para) — Good Takes Comedy Role Ruth Donnelly has been signed for a comedy role in Republic’s “The Fabulous Texan.” Most of Canada’s Newest Theatres Are Being Perkins Equipped The finest in Sound — Ballantyne'Sound Master The finest in Light — Strong Electric A COMPLETE THEATRE SERVICE PERKINS ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD. - PERKINS ELECTRIC COMPANY^LTD. 2027 Bleury Street, 277 Victoria Street, Montreal, Que. Toronto, Ont. 112 TORONTO ^Janager Ralph Wilson of the Belsize was host at a Saturday matinee performance for the patients of the Home for Incurable Children. They enjoyed “Centennial Summer” and cartoons, after which they were taken to a tearoom for refreshments. The juveniles were transported to and from the theatre by automobiles supplied by neighborhood merchants, escorted by a detachment of motorcycle policemen. For those who were unable to enjoy the outing, Ken Rolland, who organizes an amateur show for a Thursday night feature each week at the Belsize, took a group of entertainers to the hospital on a subsequent night so that all inmates would have some fun. As a windup for the season’s activities, the 20th Century Theatres Managers club arranged a picnic for the Circle M ranch at Kleinburg, a short distance from the city. The invited guests included the employes of the circuit houses, their wives and families and the head office staff. Municipal fathers are getting particular about the Civic Memorial square to the west of the city hall. At first it was proposed to ban all changing of signs on theatre marquees in the vicinity of the civic centre and to restrict the use of shadow boxes. Under pressure, the property committee decided to allow sign announcements to be changed once each week and a by-law is to be passed to prohibit the erection of any further canopies or advertising displays. During the absence of Manager Fred Trebilcock of Shea’s on his European jaunt, Arthur Race is acting manager of the downtown showcase, assisted by Alex Duguid, house treasurer. In the meantime, Ted Gee, veteran doorman, is on the sick list. The sales convention of Canadian Paramount at the Royal York concluded with a dinner of the company’s 25-year club, at which H. Q. Burns of the Toronto head office staff was formally inducted into membership. Those attending included Bob Murphy and M. Stevenson of Vancouver; W. O. Kelly and R. MacLeod, Calgary: L. Gunn and R. Lightstone, Winnipeg; Tom Dowbiggin and R. Goudreau, Montreal; P. J. Hogan, St. John: R. Simpson, Arthur Hirsch, A. Theurer and James Delaney of the Toronto branch staff, and W. J. O’Neill, secretary-treaurer; Burns, and Win Barron of the Canadian head office, with Gordon Lightstone, general manager in charge. Brockington Vice-President Of Odeon Theatres Circuit MONTREAL— Leonard W. Brockington hos been elected a vice-president of Odeon Theatres of Canada, Ltd., according to J. Earl Lawson, president and head of the J. Arthur Rank interests in the Dominion. George W. Peters also has been elected a vice-president, Lawson announced, and Allan E. Robinette has been elected secretary. Brockington, a native of Wales, was the first chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., and during 1942-43 was adviser on Commonwealth affairs to the British Minister of Information. He has been a director of Odeon Theatres since the expansion of the theatre circuit and is Rank’s legal adviser in Canada. Peters, who has been with Odeon since its organization, is a director and until recently held the office of secretary. Robinette joined the company following service overseas in the army. He is a member of the Ontario bar. BOXOFFICE :: June 21, 1947