Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1940)

JJLEX S. MOORE’s $500 Newfoundland dog was killed the other day at the local theatre and tavern owner’s farm near Bedford Pa. Glenn James, of an adjoining farm, was arrested by state police on a charge of shooting the animal . . . Mike Cullen, Loew’s district manager, was in looking over the “GWTW” situation . . . Andy Devine made an appearance at Mr. and Mrs. Tony Stern’s family night party at the Variety Club last Friday . . . Office and Filmrow showroom of Alvin Seilor, supply dealer, has been remodeled. A counter and several shelves have been installed. Julian Tonkay remains on the job as office manager. The William R. Wheat jrs. and the William Walkers are vacationing in Florida . . . Miss Harriet Pettit, secretary at the Warner circuit office, also is in Florida . . . Walter Huston will be seen in a new play, "A Passenger to Bali” at the Nixon the week of February 12, and the legit house has lined up the following attractions: February 19, Earl Carroll’s "Vanities;” February 26, Katharine Cornell in "No Time for Comedy;” March 4, Cornelia Otis Skinner; March 11, “ The Streets of Paris;” March 19, Paul Muni in "Key Largo.” Local Warner circuit managers will be in charge of the Variety Club’s family night party February 16; Harry Feinstein will be King for the Day at the February 19 dinner, and Sid Jacobs will do the honors February 26. Tent No. 1 delegates to the national convention at Dallas will depart from the Pennsylvania station at 1:30 a. m., April 17. C. J. Latta, chief barker, has announced that the Warner managers are conducting a drive during Harry Kalmine’s vacation, and the first prize in each of the four local circuit districts will be a round-trip ticket to the national Variety convention. Jim Alexander, now engaged in his 20 th annual "Round-Up,” arid his Republic associates, Sam Fineberg and George W. Collins, are in attendance at an eastern franchise holders’ meeting at the Republic home office in New York. James R. Grainger, Republic prexy, who spent several days here last week, reported that the company is progressing and that the studio was ready to put ten pictures into production. William Satori, New Universal sales representative, has returned from Miami Beach, which he says “could be a Paradise if it had warmed up a little.” The cold spell also brought back George Jaffe of the Casino . . . Sympathy to John Bixler, the Scottdale exhibitor, whose mother died last week . . . Will of Ben Browarsky revealed that the late city showman left a personal estate of $10,000 and real estate of $1,000. His brothers, Ike and Harry Browarsky, were named as executors. Florence Fisher Parry, Press columnist, who testified in W ashington on several occasions against the Neely bill, has used several recent editorials which bitterly opposed its passage, stating "the amazing thing about this bill is its impracticability . . . an inoperable piece of legislation, unless the motion picture industry takes shel ter in the same recourse that followed the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, and resort to bootlegging its products. For under no system of enforcement can the industry survive the exactions of so impractical a law.” Bill Kane, son of J. B. “Pop” Kane, Pitcairn exhibitor, is a candidate for representative to the state general assembly . . . Harold Lund, Ross Federal Service district manager, visited in Youngstown the other day with Dick Powell, who was making personal appearances at the Palace . . . Fernel A. Thomassy, McDonald exhibitor, has returned to his home from a local hospital after a serious double mastoid operation and he was able to make a visit on Filmrow this week. Pennsylvania department of agriculture reports 1,300,000 persons attended the 1939 Allegheny County Free Fair, this being more than a third of the total attendance at 97 fairs throughout the state. Also, reports show the grand total of attendance at all fairs in the state last year was 3,608,355 and that 47 fairs were operated at a financial loss, despite state aid in premium offers. Hymie “Gene Autry” Wheeler has invested in a new Dodge . . . Jack Cohen, un( Continued on page 60) £jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 1 Yes Sir ! Here We Are Again | (JIM ALEXAN | and His Round-Up Gang | Soliciting Dates — Dates and More Dates | | for their | | Twentieth Annual Round-Up | February March April 1 TAKE A WINTER VACATION— | 1 —BOOK REPUBLIC AND RELAX | | GENE AUTRY ROY ROGERS | | "South of the Border" "Days of Jesse James" | | THREE MESQUITEERS | | "Heroes of the Saddle" | 1 "Money to Burn" "Thou Shalt Not Kill" | | HIGGINS FAMILY CHAS. BICKFORD — DORIS DAY | | "Wolf of New York" | | EDMUND LOWE — ROSE HOBART E | "Village Barn Dance" | | RICHARD CROMWELL — DORIS DAY | E ---Coming— = 1 "THE DARK COMMAND" | | JOHN WAYNE — CLAIRE TREVOR E | REPUBLIC PICTURES CORP. of PITTSBURGH | | 1701 BLVD. OF THE ALLIES ATlantic 4858 | ^1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 IIS 1 1 1 II I II BOXOFFICE : : February 10, 1940 57