Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1939)

Clipped From the Press News items concerning the trade as recently appearing in Canadian weekly and daily newspapers. Students Hear Carson Ft. William, Ont. — Gordon Carson, Royal Tlieatre manager, a former student of the Vocational School, was a guest speaker at the student assembly. Heads Sovereign Firm Sovereign, Sask. — L. Alber has been reelected president of the Sovereign Theatre Co. J. E. Burt, secretary-treasurer for the past five years, resigned, and E. T. Hambly was elected to that position. Back From Southern Cruise Aylmer, Ont. — Gordon W. Calhoun, proprietor of the Capitol Theatre, is back from a month’s cruise in the West Indies, South America and the Canal Zone. Will Build Two Freeholder, Ont. — Construction on two theatres will be started here in April by the Palace Amusement Co. One, a de luxe house, will seat approximately 1,000. Tlie other, to be erected in East Cornwall, will seat about 600. May Build in Orillia Orillia, Ont. — Inquiries aimed at determining the advisability of constructing a new theatre here have been directed to local civic officials by a Barrie law firm acting for a Mr. Sprachman. ^ A. TAYLOR, head of the Exhibitors Booking Ass’n and vice-president of the Independent Theatres Ass’n, Toronto, has left for a month’s stay in Florida. Manager D. Krendal of the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Toronto staged a successful Saturday morning show for hoy scouts at ten cents admission, the feature of which was “Peck’s Bad Boy at the Circus,” the shorts including “Mother Goose Goes Hollywood” and March of Time. The regular attraction at the Tivoli was “Moonlight Sonata.” H. Freedman, manager of the Circle in North Toronto, held over “The Cowboy and the Lady” for a second week. Manager D. Gordon of the Oriole Theatre placed several window displays for the introduction of a new line of dinnerware, for which an extra fee of five cents is charged. “Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment” has become the permanent slogan on every page of Picture Patter, the weekly house organ of the Village Theatre. The latest “pet” of Manager Jack Purves of the Village is a neatly fenced parking lot complete with uniformed attendants. Harry Lester, owner of the Bonita Theatre, who does much in the way of pro Deal for Air Conditioning Toronto — Air conditioning contract for the B&F Theatres’ Grover here has been awarded to W. G. Price, Ltd. Port Colborne House to Rise Port Colborne, Ont. — The fire-destroyed Strand here will be rebuilt by the Tlieatre Holding Corp., Ltd., which has leased the site. Lauds Films Victoria, B. C. — That the motion pictures are an everyday miracle was the gist of an address delivered by L. C. Shelly, managing director of a screen advertising firm of Vancouver, before Rotarians. Campbellton May Get New House Campbellton, N. B. — A new theatre became a likelihood here with the acquisition of a mid-city site by the F. G. Spencer Co., Ltd., a real estate firm with extensive theatre holdings in the Maritimes. Coyle Will Build St. Catherines, Ont. — Definite promise of a theatre next to the Capitol here, has been made by L. T. Coyle, manager of the Granada. Coyle stated that tenders for summer building have been asked. Holds Model Plane Contest New Westminster, B. C. — The Columbia Theatre here publicized “Dawn Patrol” with a model plane contest held in conjunction with the Kresge Co., Ltd., store. moting amateur sports as a hobby, has been elected an officer of the Gerrard Businessmen’s Ass’n. Sir William Mulock, former chief justice and also once postmaster-general of Canada; Hon. Harry Nixon, acting premier of Ontario; Hon. Harold J. Kirby, minister of health; Hon. Dr. L. J. Simpson, minister of education, and Hon. Peter Heenan and their wives attended the Uptown Theatre as an official party for a performance of “The Mikado,” with Manager Jack Arthur acting as host. N. L. Nathanson, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., has been made a member of a committee of prominent citizens which has undertaken to raise a fund of $35,000 to assist the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A visitor in Toronto was W. E. Mason of Sudbury, owner of the Grand Theatre, proprietor of the Sudbury Star and president of the local radio station, as well as chairman of the high school board. W. A. Summerville is proud of the handsome new semi-circular marquee on the front of his Prince of Wales Theatre. Gordon W. Calhoun, owner of the Capitol Theatre, Aylmer, Ont., has returned from a month’s cruise of the West Indies and South America, his one regret being that he came back to find the Ontario winter still in full sway. Frank Giaschi, in Toronto on business for his King George Theatre, HuntsviUe, reported that his wife had recovered from a long illness. Despite heavy snows in the Georgian Bay district, Nicholas Trebish, proprietor of the Capitol Theatre, Meaford, managed a trip to Toronto’s FUmrow. The two Stewarts made a tour of the exchange offices in quest of pictures. One was Bill Stewart, pioneer operator of the Rex, London, and Bus Stewart of the Lyric at Hamilton was the other. A. E. Rolston, proprietor of the Princess at Little Current, made one of his infrequent trips to Toronto the other day but a frequent caller was evident again in the person of Mrs. B. K. Moore who has been the proprietor of Moore’s Theatre at Grimsby, Ont., for years. Other out-of-towners noted in the vicinity of Victoria, Dundas and Bond Streets were Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Sutherland of the Lyric, St. Mary’s; W. G. Goodman, Brock Theatre, Whitby; M. T. Craig, Palace Theatre, Ridgetown, and L. H. Vicary of the Princess, Orillia. A. Rappaport, owner of the Hollywood Theatre, Campbellford, made his second trip to Toronto within a month to make preparations for a big season at the resort town this summer. Clarence Markell of the Capitol Theatre, Cornwall, has been disturbed by the closing of schools for one week because of the ’flu epidemic. Ambrose G. Summers, native Canadian formerly in vaudeville, has taken screen tests at the Booth-Canadian Films, Ltd., Toronto, for a series of Canadian short subjects. Named after Ambrose J. Small, Toronto showman who has been missing for 15 years. Summers has been a freelance radio announcer for several years. George Law Resigns as Hanson Chief Booker Toronto — The resignation is announced of George F. Law as chief booker of the chain of theatres in Ontario operated by the Hanson Theatre Corp., following the retirement of other members of the chain personnel for economic reasons. Law is one of the real pioneers of the film business in Canada, having been identified with the General Film Co., Toronto, one of the first film exchanges in the Dominion. Law also operated one of the early theatres in Brantford, Ont., and was a theatre manager in cities of the Canadian West as well as being a film exchange manager over a period of years. He plans to enter another branch of the film business in the near future. For Crime Club Film Hollywood — Metro has purchased “They Can’t Hang Me,” a magazine story by James Ronald, to be made into a Crime Club production. 28 BOXOFFICE :: March 4, 1939