Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1939)

PI III A PI I Jj^S ITS third world premiere of the current season, the Lincoln staged a gala presentation of Deanna Durbin’s “Tliree Smart Girls Grow Up” Friday evening in the big Wometco deluxer on the fashionable beach thorofare after which this house is named. Sonny Shepherd corralled celebrities from Palm Beach to Key West, not forgetting Nassau, for this event. Newest of the local houses to inaugurate vaudeville is J. I. McKinney’s Grove Theatre where a seven or eight act bill is being tried out on Friday nights. The new regime starts March 24. This Coconut Grove house is attractive and unusual enough to be well worth a visit of inspection by “visiting firemen.” The drive down from Miami along beautiful Brickell Ave., past that $1,000,000 estate which Deering ploivs et al. built, Vizcaya, and the even more exciting Pan American International airport on Dinner Key by which one reaches the Grove is an added inducement for a visit of inspection if the unusual seating arrangement with a broken garden space two-thirds of the way back is not sufficiently strong. Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, cashier at the Olympia, has been in Cleveland for the past week at the bedside of her mother, Mrs. Anna Pfrum, who died Monday . . . Al Wilkie, down from the New York offices of Paramount to confer with the Max Fleischer Studios about promotion and advertising for “Gulliver’s Travels,” returned north last weekend after a quick fishing trip down to Key West. Chick Lewis of Showman’s Trade Review is dividing his time between resting and golfing during his brief midwinter vacation being spent at the Roney Plaza Hotel on the beach. Continuing to pack ’em in with his weekend stageshows, Al Weiss jr. is headlining lovely Terry Lawler this coming week-end with the Three Radio Ramblers, remembered for their Vitaphone shorts, in the second spot. The following week he is featuring Pinto Colvig, the new “voice” at the Fleischer studios. Previously associated with Walt Disney, Pinto’s is the personality behind the voice that -spoke several parts in “The Three Little Pigs” and in “Snow Wlrite” notably that of Grumpy. Pinto Colvig joined the Fleischer staff in February. When Lili Damita flew over to Nassau recently for a brief visit with friends there, her name appeared on the Pan American passenger list as Mrs. Liliane Flynn. Returning to Miami, she caught a northbound plane for Atlanta where she was joined by Errol. They flew west from Atlanta. Newest of proud fathers in the local theatre clan is Larry Johnston, comptroller for Wometco Theatres. Mrs. Johnston and the son and heir, their first child, are both doing nicely. Earl Fain is running the recently inaugurated “Code Night” in all of his nine theatres. He has two houses in Leesburg, and one each in Bushnell, Wildwood, Williston, Inverness, High Springs, Dunnellon and Apopka — all in the midwestern portion of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Will Hays have arrived for a brief Miami vacation, to be spent on the beach at the Roney-Plaza. Their vacation plans include a clippership trip to Nassau. Also newly arrived are Jack Cohn, vice-president of Columbia, and Charles Stern, UA district manager at Washington, D. C. Present — And accounted for is Doak Roberts, Warner branch manager in Dallas, at the annual sales parley at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Grove Theatre Destroyed When Boiler Explodes China Grove, N. C. — Tire Grove Theatre here, was destroyed by fire last week, when a boiler exploded and fire was scattered over the theatre by air blowers of the ventilating system. The damage, estimated at about $30,000, was covered fully by insurance. Tire house was about half full of people, but they filed out in orderly manner and no injuries were reported. Cooper in "Glory" Hollywood — Having signed a new contract with Samuel Goldwyn, Gary Cooper’s next film for the producer will be “The Real Glory.” Lili Is Reticent Atlanta — The ranks of the “Ay tank ay won’t talk” screen personalities was increased by one last week when Lili Damita, wife of Errol Flynn, halted here. She arrived by air at 1 o’clock in the morning, and was joined by Flynn at noon. Then both left on a west-bound plane. Reporters and photographers who were informed by airline officials that “Lili Damita is in town and you can get a good story from her” were led on a wild goose chase by the lady. Remaining in seclusion at a hotel until Flynn’s arrival. Miss Damita evaded efforts to interview her. Finally cornered, however, she said she had nothing to say. Flynn grinned. ^ A M T €> M IE pROM Ingleside, Tex., comes the news that the Studio Theatre was destroyed by fire on the night of March 6. The estimated loss was placed at $12,000. Firefighters from nearby Aransas Pass fought the blaze, which was of an unknown origin. The Empire Theatre, downtoivn house, and the three Interstate suburban theatres, recently started the new game, “Buzzo,” which is going over great with the natives. Our Cotulla correspondent informs us that the Ramirez Theatre recently added 100 seats, making a total of 370. Jose Juaquin Jimenez jr. is house manager. Use of motion pictures in school rooms as an educational purpose, was the topic of discussion at a meeting of the San Antcmio Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution here March 9. Due to increased business in the film shipping field, the Texas Valley Film Service here has added another new Ford V8 truck to its fleet. Sack’s “Bronze Buckaroo,” an all-Negro western, will be the midnight offering at the Empire here next Saturday. The entire house will be reserved for the colored race. Manager Johnny T. Floore of the Texas Tlieatre and his wife, Patricia, are back from a recent trip to Comfort, Tex., where they attended the Goat and Sheep Raisers’ Convention. The directors were given a barbecue and beer luncheon at the home of Adolph Steiler, located between Fredericksburg and Comfort. Jimmy Klien’s orchestra furnished the dance music for the party. Janice Jarratt and Tom Deely were married here March 9 at St. Paul’s Church in true “Hollywood style.” The bride has worked in pictures on the west coast and ivas a former model. The happily wedded couple are spending their honeymoon in Mexico. In for bookings at the Azteca Film office here last week were Bruce Collins, city manager, R&R Theatres, Corpus Christi; Rubin Frels, Victoria; Humberto Gonzales, Zapata; George W. Spence, Robb and Rowley city manager, Laredo; J. Luna, Crystal City and La Pryor; V. Ruiz, Pearsall, Dilly and Encinal, and A. Aguirre, who will soon open a house in Sonora, Tex. His new theatre will use Mexicanmade product exclusively. J. J. Jimenez jr., skipper of the Ramirez Theatre, Cotulla, reports that since he recently started amateur night and merchants gift nite, his business has been steadily increasing. "Square" Is Finished Hollywood — Completed at 20th-Fox this week was the high-budget “Rose of Washington Square,” with Alice Faye, Tyrone Power, Al Jolson and Marie Wilson. Roy Del Ruth directed for Producer Nunnally Johnson. 80 BOXOFFICE :: March 18, 1939