Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

Exhaustive Survey To Improve Sound Los Angeles — Out of a total of 200 theatres scattered throughout the nation, ten houses in the Southern California exhibition area will, within the next week or ten days, be offered as guinea-pigs in an exhaustive survey of acoustical qualities and measurements being undertaken by the Academy Research Council with the cooperation of Altec Service Corp. Prom this survey, according to Gordon S. Mitchell, chairman of the Academy group, it is hoped a standard system of acoustical measurements can be worked out which eventually will vastly improve sound quality and strongly effect the design of new motion picture theatres. Representing Altec on the committee which will conduct the local analysis are G. L. Carrington, vice-president in charge of the engineering department, and Stanley Pariseau, manager of the Los Angeles branch. As yet, Pariseau declared, just which theatres will be used has not been decided, although Fox West Coast and many independent operators have offered their houses for the experiment. Committee here, in addition to Carrington and Pariseau, includes Jack Durst, Lloyd Goldsmith, John Hilliard, Homer Tasker and M. C. Rettinger, all studio sound engineers. A tentative system of acoustical measurements was first worked out by this group over a period of a month or more, using a Columbia Broadcasting System theatre turned over to it for that purpose. It is expected that the 200-theatre survey, which has already been launched in some territories, will take at least another month to complete. Money and Goodwill in A Boy Scout Program Glendale, Cal. — Extra business and customer good-will was the reward when Ed Harris, manager of Fox West Coast’s Glendale, presented a special “Boy Scout Anniversary Program” on a Saturday matinee in observance of National Boy Scout Week. Harris piped in the broadcast of President Roosevelt’s address to the Boy Scouts as the program’s finale. Preceding the broadcast, Scouts participated in a stage show demonstrating their activities, presenting merit badges, community singing and a short address by the local Boy Scout commissioner. Local schools cooperated and the stunt received considerable publicity in newspaper columns. Mrs. Helen E . Berry Seattle — Mrs. Helen E. Berry, owner of the Princess Theatre in Edmonds, just 15 miles from Seattle, died suddenly last week at her home. She had lived in Edmonds the past 20 years. Her husband died last May. Mrs. Lionel Brown, a daughter, will carry on at the theatre. Every exchange on Filmrow was represented at the funeral as well as many exhibitors from the Northwest. San Franciscans Fete George Smith — Standing, left to right: Herman Cohen, manager United Artists Theatre; Hugh Braly, newly appointed district manager; George Nasser, Nasser Brothers theatres; Gerald Hardy, Hardy circuit; George Smith, newly appointed western division sales manager. Paramount Pictures; Sam Levin, S. F. Theatres, Inc.; Arch Bowles, FWC Theatres; Charles Thall, FWC Theatres; Abe Blumenfeld, Blumenfeld circuit; George Mann, Mann circuit; Vern Taylor, McNeil & Naify circuit; Neal East, Paramount branch manager, S. F.; Jack Curry, district short subjects manager. Paramount; Roy C. Cooper, McNeil & Naify Circuit. Seated, left to right: William David, George Mann circuit; Robert McNeil, Mike Naify, McNeil & Naify circuit; Fred Williams, Consolidated Amusement Co., Honolulu; Rotus Harvey, Harvey circuit and president S. F. Theatre Owners Ass’n. Luncheon lor Grainger On Visit to Seattle Seattle — A luncheon was tendered J. R. Grainger, president of Republic, on his arrival here Wednesday, by J. T. Sheffield, franchise owner of Republic Pictures in the northwest. Forty prominent exhibitors and newspaper men were present, among them Frank Newman, A1 Rosenberg and Frank Christie of the Fox-Evergreen Theatres Corp.; John Danz, president of the Sterling Theatres Corp., and William Forman of the Sterling Theatres; J. Von Herberg, president of the Von Herberg circuit; Fred Murphy sr. and Fred Murphy jr. of the Murphy Washington and Oregon Theatres; Ben Shearer of the B. F. Shearer circuit. Grainger Sets Deal With J. J. Parker for Portland Portland — James R. Grainger stopped over in Portland as a part of his itinerary to the Republic convention in Los Angeles. He spent a great deal of his time with J. J. Parker who will exhibit Republic pictures first run in Portland. Contracts were signed by Parker and Grainger covering product for Portland and Astoria. (f -ft "Wind" Showing Seven Times Daily in L. A . Los Angeles — In its first popular-priced run in this area, M-G-M's "Gone With the Wind" is being screened four times daily at the United Artists downtown, and three times daily at the Four Star. » George Smith Feted By Oregon Trade Portland — Friends of George Smith, newly appointed western sales manager for Paramount, gave a dinner party in his honor at the Benson Hotel last Wednesday evening. Exhibitors from all over the state attended the affair along with film men and representatives of the press. Jack Curry of the Paramount organization in Oklahoma City, and Hugh Braly, George Smith’s successor as western district manager, also attended. Representing the theatres were Dutch Stover, Carl Porter, Walter Leverette, Bill Ripley, Loring Schmidt, Dude Smith, Frank Newman jr., Banjo Miller, Joe Bradt, Kenny Ames, Bob White, Jesse Jones, Mose Mesher, Roy Brown, Herb Sabottka. Bob Farrell, speaker of the house of representatives at Salem, was there and from the Row, Lou Amacher, Mark Cory, Howard Mapes, A1 Anderson, Jack Flannery, Joe Warren, Jack Kloepper, Glenn Broger, Lou Stang, George DuWade, and Tom Shearer. Palmer Hoyt, publisher of the Oregonian, also attended. A1 Finke officiated at the presentation of a brief case to Smith, and Ted Gamble was master of ceremonies. "Huskiest Engineer" Los Angeles — Russ Holcomb, Altec engineer, claims to be the father of “the world’s smallest engineer.” His son, who weighed two pounds, seven ounces at birth, has just emerged from an incubator, and is now, Russ says, on his way to becoming “the world’s huskiest engineer.” BOXOFFICE February 22, 1941 35