Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

MINNEAPOLIS J^LLEN USHER, Paramount district manager, a visitor . . . Columbia preparing for Exhibitors’ Goodwill Playdate campaign, starting March 6 . . . Norman Pyle, M-G-M exploiteer, had Bert Wheeler and other members of the Earl Carroll’s “Vanities” cast in tow after the show at the Orpheum last Saturday night. James McKechnie, manager of the troupe and brother of the famous Bill who has led the Cincinnati Reds to a National League pennant twice, was among those present. Earl Carroll himself spent several days in town, coming with the company from California, and on one evening visited the Minnesota Terrace with Manager Bill Sears of the Orpheum. Out-of-town exhibitors visiting Film Row included Klug and Klug, Zumbrota, Minn.; Weslie Faulkner, Plum City, Minn.; H. C. Carlson, Big Lake, Minn.; Jack Heywood. New Richmond, Wis., and Don Buckley, Redwood Falls, Minn. . . . Universal exchange here making nice showing in Bill Scully anniversary drive. It’s in eighth glace nationally and climbing . . . Ruth Evans, World Theatre secretary, went to Devils Lake, N. D., to help John Piller, veteran exhibitor, and Mrs. Piller celebrate their thirty-third wedding anniversary. Abe Kaplan, independent circuit owner, out and around again after fully recovering from his minor operation . . . Norman EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES Peterson "Freezem" Mfg. & Sales Co. Blowers, washers, spray nozzels, office and home units. Special Offer — Priced to Sell. Why Pay More? G. A. Peterson Victor 4075 322 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, Mo. A. A. Electric Machinery Co. Ernest Amoneno, Mgr. 1117 Cherry St. Phone: Victor 8796 Holmes Projector Sales Co. Projectors and Sound for the Largest and Smallest Theatre. John A. Muchmore and R. H. Patt. 1820 Wyandotte St. Kansas City, Mo. HA. 7472 Missouri Theatre Supply Co. Distributors for RCA, Brenkert, U. S. Air, Heywood-Wakefield 115 West 18th St. 708 West Grand Ave. GR. 2864 Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Mo. Okla. Stebbins Theatre Equipment Co. 1804 Wyandotte St. C. H. Badger, Mgr. Phone: GRand 0134 Southwest Theatre Equipment Co., Indp't Wichita, Kas. C. D. Peck, Mgr. Phone 2-2153 Bieranger, Warner’s special exploiteer, in town . . . Earl Tetting, Minnesota Theatre publicity man, continuing to hold the managerial post there, while Hale Kavanaugh, who handled the exploitation during the Gordie Greene regime, is taking over Tetting’s publicity duties . . . Jack Thoma, Columbia exploiteer, in town for a day . . . These are tough days for Warner salesmen, two of them having had their new automobiles smashed in accidents. Charlie Jackson and Ernie Hill were the unlucky ones, but both escaped injury. Rose Witzman, M-G-M booker’s secretary, vacationing in New Orleans . . . Bill Smith, Menominee, Minn., exhibitor, reported home ill with the flu . . . George Miner of Chippewa Falls., Wzs., independent circuit owner, passed through en route to Florida where he’ll vacation for two months . . . Rud Lohrenz, Warner district manager, a visitor . . . Joe Wolf, Paramount city salesman, had a good year 1939-40, but the current one is even better, he says. Allen Usher, Paramount district manager, in town . . . Susanna Foster and Dorothy Loehr, the former a Minneapolis girl, at the Orpheum for a personal appearance to exploit their picture “Hard Boiled Canary,” visited the Paramount exchange . . . “Nickey” Goldhammer, RKO district manager, visited South Dakota accounts . . . Joe Podoloff, 20th-Fox branch man HOTELS HOTEL MONROE MAIN AT 19TH ST. Two Blocks From Filmrow Completely Renovated . . . FireProof . . . Innerspring Mattresses and Only $1.50 with Bath . . . 1.00 Without CLEAN AND FRIENDLY Weekly Rates EXHIBITOR ASSOCIATIONS K. M. T. A. 221 W. 18th St. — Harrison 4825 R. R. Biechele, Pres. Fred Meyn, Sec.-Treas. SCREEN PUBLICITY Alexander Film Company Motion Picture Advertising E. L. Harris, Dist. Mgr., Mo., Kan., Neb., Iowa 239 East 72nd Terrace Phone: Hlland 2G94 FILM LABORATORIES ~ MISSOURI FILM LABORATORIES Charles O. Siebenthaler 110 W. 18th GR 0708 Kansas City, Mo. Complete Advertising Trailer Service ager, accompanied his new South Dakota salesman, Warren Branton, on a trip through the territory. The latter resigned from National Screen to take the post. He succeeds Harold Lyons who was transferred to the Des Moines branch. LeRoy J. Miller, Universal branch manager, back from a week in Chicago at his company’s sales meeting . . . Harry Dryer off to Florida to visit with W. A. Steffes. His wife already is there . . . “Western Union,” highly acclaimed 20 th-Fox picture, goes into State March 7 . . . Another eagerly awaited picture, “Andy Hardy’s Secretary,” is scheduled for the same theatre March 14 . . . Ray Pearce, Fox theatres’ city manager in Milwaukee, in town to catch the Earl Carroll’s “Vanities” which he plays at the Wisconsin the ensuing week. Harry Hirsch and Harry Katz bringing back burlesque to Minneapolis at the Alvin, starting February 28. They have Ann Corio as their initial star . . . The Lyceum expects to get the big musical show, “DuBarry Was a Lady” next month . . . Bennie Berger, independent circuit owner, back from Florida, where he visited with W. A. Steffes. He reports the latter greatly improved in health — in fact, on the road to complete recovery. Hollywood Advertising O tiers New Service Kansas City — Nat Hechtman announces that his flag and valance business has been absorbed by the Hollywood Advertising Co. of New York. Hechtman is now regional representative, temporarily headquartering at the old address, 118 Southwest Blvd. Samuel D. Steinberg, president of the Hollywood Advertising Co., was here from New York last week to conclude the deal. The same service will continue except for 40x60 posters from California, according to Hechtman. Orders will be filled from the Chicago office. "Sky Devils" "Scarface" Combination Clicks Kansas City — The reissued dual combination of “Sky Devils” and “Scarface” is doing a big volume of business in this territory, according to William Wintroub, manager of Majestic Pictures. The films are playing the Fox Midwest and Commonwealth theatres. The Fox Apollo doubled its average with a twoweek run. Also outstanding business is reported at the Fox theatres in Topeka and Pittsburg. Lee Sproule Disposing Of Kansas Theatres Winfield, Kas. — Impelled by ill health to retire, Lee Sproule, prominent Kansas exhibitor, has sold his Ritz Theatre here and leased three others. The Winfield house has been sold to C. H. Zile, a former Fox manager. The houses leased are the Rex at Newton, to Ray Roberson, formerly of Winfield; the Isis at Marysville, to Leonard Smith, and the Mac at McPherson, to George Sproule. TRADE DIRECTORY A HANDY GUIDE FOR THE EXHIBITOR KANSAS CITY TERRITORY 52 BOXOFFICE February 22, 1941