Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1939)

MEW IIHIIAVIEM •pWENTIETH-FOX feted Helen Hanley, resigning assistant booker, at a luncheon in the projection room of the exchange and presented her with a Kodak camera. Miss Hanley, with Fox for the past eight years and on Meadow St. several years prior to her association with the company, will go to Hollywood next week, where she will be married. Sal Popolizio, former assistant shipper and poster clerk, steps up to the assistant hooker’s job, and George Somma of Republic is the candidate for the accessories department job. Empress, Unionville, Joe Faith’s newlyconstructed 500-seat theatre, will be opened January 25 on a full-week schedule, four changes. Faith personally will supervise Terryville, Collinsville and Unionville. The Loeuo-Poli staff tendered Richard Carlson a luncheon at the Hotel Tafe when his personal appearance at the opening of the musical comedy, “Stars in Your Eyes,’’ at the Shubert coincided with the opening of his picture, “Duke of West Point,” at the Poll. Carlson has written a play which has been produced, played loith Ethel Barrymore on the legitimate stage, made two pictures, and now makes his debut in musical comedy. The dual opening in tovm grabbed off good space in the local press. Returning to Boston from a Florida vacation. Bob Cobe, former Republic manager here, is reported to have resigned from his new Grand National association in the Hub City — and gone right back to the sunny south. Jane Withers paid a visit to delighted Municipal Hospital patients while appearing personally at the State, Hartford. She met patrons in the lobby and radio-broadcasted. I. J. Hoffman and Mrs. Hoffman are among the latest to depart for Florida on vacation . . . Milton Hyams has returned from a visit to his daughter in St. Louis and side trips to French Lick, Ind., and White Sulphm Springs, Va. . . . Tim O’Toole has returned from his southern cruise . . . Dave Kaufman, Poli artist, is on vacation. Nathan Lampert, still confined to a hospital in Poughkeepsie, will be greeted by trouble in the borscht circuit on his return. Family disagreement is reported to have caused rifts in the operation of the theatres. Progress has been rapid on the new Forest and opening will be in February. A maroon concrete dustproof floor is being poured now . . . Connecticut Films has POPCORN MEANS PROFITS Burch Popcorn Machines Are Made Especially lor Theatres Sales Representative Conn. — Maine Vermont — N. H. available 12 feature length pictures pointed at the Lenten season, including five of the leading Passion Plays, such as “Christus,” “St. Anthony of Padua,” etc. Dick Cohen is working on Catholic clubs for the distribution of these films in 16 and 35mm. Vincent Fiore has a contract with the Hippodrome, Bridgeport, for construction of a new booth . . . John Gatelee, New England organizer for lATSE, visited in town last week for the reported purpose of proceeding with organization of ushers, cashiers and other front-of-the-house employes, started last year, but cut short by other union negotiations. Speedy recovery to Frances Silverman, who is confined to Grace Hospital because of a tooth infection . . . Plans for a Variety or Friars Club are being revived. Meetings for discussion of the idea are in the offing . . . Cannen Mascoli, of the Alhambra, Waterbury, is in the Waterbury Hospital for some surgery. William Jefferson of American Display stopped in New Haven on a lobby-checking round of the Poli houses . . . Irwin Wheeler of the Playhouse, New Canaan, paid Meadow St. one of his infrequent visits . . . Max Hershman of National Screen stopped off en route to Hartford. Sam Badamo rapidly was going continental last week when he received word of the unusual event of a foreign picture booking at the College — “Grand Illusion.” Illusion it was, for two hours later the booking was canceled . . . The Sam Badamos are now residents of New Haven, having taken an apartment on Edgewood Ave. . . . Ed Morey and Nat Furst were visitors frojn Boston. Congratulations to the Max Tabackmans, who have a brand new sevenpound baby boy. Mi’s. Tabackman and son are doing well at the Grace Hospital . . . Nick Caviliere, native New Havener and ace cameraman, is filming the breeding of Kentucky thoroughbreds . . . Capitol Theatre, East Haven bowling team, only known theatre team in these parts, is still in the lead in the Milford Industrial League. A race track similar to the one voted out in Agawam is being planned in Great Barrington . . . The much-discussed “Professor Mamlock” has been playing the Lincoln as the first of the new year’s foreign attractions. Alice Kingston is the new secretary to A1 Daytz at the Metro Premium office. Pelson to New Haven To Manage Lincoln Boston — S. Ernest Pelson, recently appointed office manager of the local Imperial Exchange by Harry Segal, has left Boston to take over the managership of the Lincoln in New Haven. Wally Rosenthal is assistant to Pelson. J. J. CONROY 104 Bison Road Waltham, Mass. "Protection" Topic Of Depositions (Continued from page 61) instead of wasting time over protection, business would be better.” Grainger “Fed Up” To Leon Netter, Grainger wrote a more personal note. He said: “Supplementing all previous correspondence regarding protection, and with particular reference to the Boston territory, it seems to me a mistake for Ralph Branton to set himself up as an authority on Boston protection. I am in no way criticizing Ralph Branton (you will note I am sending him a copy of this letter) but, after aU, Ralph is a new resident of Boston and Harry Campbell has been in Boston since his whaling ship went aground on Minot Light, and that was a good many years ago. I, personally, saw the first light of day in the old Bean Town myself. “Frankly, I am just about fed up on this protection bunk. The latest is that Branton wants Pittsfield to have protection over Great Barrington. Anyone that would drive from Great Barrington to Pittsfield to see a picture show in the winter should be stopped at the Pittsfield line and escorted to the nut factory. Anyone that would go there in the summer time, and leave the beautiful, gorgeous country of Barrington to go into Pittsfield is crazy anyway. I drove from Barrington to Pittsfield during this past summer, and you know I have a pretty good automobile, and it took me 40 minutes. “Let’s stop wasting any more time about protection and let’s sell some tickets at the boxoffice. In the future, the letters I receive regarding protection will be relegated — you know where.” George S. Ryan introduced a note from Leon Netter to Charles Rosenzweig of RKO in which Netter countered RKO’s objections to Paramount’s Scollay Square playing ten days after RKO’s Memorial by asserting that the location and clientele of the Scollay Square was such that such a practice “does not interfere with Memorial in any way.” “Your Honor will note that is a reversal of the position usually taken,” Ryan remarked to Master Hendrick. “I trust your Honor will not make that note unless there has been some evidence on the position usually taken,” McClennen, lawyer representing the defendants, broke in. “Hasn’t the position of Publix always been that they needed protection, whether it was 25 or 50 miles away?” Ryan asked. “Here they are within a few blocks.” “In reply to your inquiry,” McClennen said, “I should answer, ‘No’.” Extend Joe E. Brown Hollywood — Joe E. Brown has been extended for two years at Columbia. “Call Me Joe” is his first assignment since the pact renewal. 64 BOXOFFICE :: January 21, 1939