Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

Construction Restrainer Outgrowth of Contract Aaron Copland, composer-author, who wrote scores for “Of Mice and Men’’ and “Our Town,” lectured here last week on “Music in the Films.” Douglass Montgomery will appear at the Nixon the week of March 3 as “Danny” in “Night Must Fall.” A revival of “Blossom Time” is scheduled for the following week and a return engagement of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” opens St. Patrick’s Day. Opening March 31 at the Nixon will be Helen Hayes and Maurice Evans in “Twelfth Night.” Pete Dana, Universal manager, and his salesmen, Dave Barnholtz, Lou Hess, Bill Satori and Leo Cantor, were in Cleveland over the last weekend attending the company regional sales conference presided over by Dave Miller, district manager . . . Tommy Beedle, son of Eddie Beedle, was a Filmrow visitor the other day with his dad and Uncle Fred . . . A1 Schwalberg and Herman Goldberg of the Warner home office were here this week inspecting progress made to date on the construction of the new exchange building which this company will occupy at the corner of the Blvd. of the Allies and Miltonberger St. in early spring. Harry M. Kalmine, local chairman of the Greek War Relief Ass’n, met with members of the Pittsburgh area committee Wednesday morning to formulate plans for the drive which is dated for March 25 to 30. All exchange managers are members of the committee under the chairmanship of Harry A. Seed, Warner branch manager. Detroit — Detroit’s perennial problem of overseating and over-construction of new theatres, received a history-making solution here when Circuit Judge Guy A. Miller handed down an injunction restraining completion and operation of the new Carmen until February 16, 1945. The house, being built in Dearborn, was nearly finished and its opening was being discussed for about two weeks hence, with equipment partly installed. Earlier history of this situation has been reported in detail in Boxoffice as it occurred. Briefly, Joseph Stoia and Joseph Miskinis were partners in the Midway and Circle theatres, splitting up in 1939 with Stoia purchasing the property for $135,000. The agreement provided that the partner selling out (Miskinis) would not operate in any way a theatre within four miles of the Circle and Midway for five years, from February 16, 1940. Stoia complained that Miskinis was building the Carmen within the prohibited area — about four blocks from the Midway. The court found that it was located upon properties acquired by Miskinis and wife. An earlier injunction was granted and Miskinis, as well as Joseph Miskinis jr., who was involved at the time, withdrew from the Carmen project, leaving Gorelic and Marshall as the builders. In a highly involved series of corporation and other moves elaborated in the decree, Miskinis started two other theatre projects elsewhere — the Carthay and Civic theatres, both under construction, with Gorelic building both for Miskinis. The court therefore concluded: “It is a normal probability that the Miskinises have somewhere, somehow, an interest in the Carmen ... It seems very improbable that Miskinis would have advanced in connection with the Carthay and Civic $9,000 or $10,000 more money than enough to pay for the work that had been done upon them. It is much more likely that $9,000 was advanced to pay for work that had already been done somewhere. That amount of work had already been done on the Carmen. It seems a fair conclusion that its apparent advancement was only for the purpose of covering up its true destination. “I think testimony establishes that Gorelic participated knowingly in Miskinis’ scheme by underhand means to evade his solemn contract obligation.” JIM ALEXANDER'S 21st Annual "Round-Up" APRIL MAY JUNE MAKE A DATE WITH SAM HYMIE LOU JOE AND "LASSO" ONE OF OUR SWELL GIFTS — IT WILL PAY YOU DIVIDENDS During Our "Round-Up" We Will Release Such Outstanding Pictures as HIT PARADE CITADEL OF CRIME SIS HOPKINS MELODY RANCH DOWN MEXICO WAY ARKANSAS JUDGE LADY FROM NEW ORLEANS GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY BACK IN THE SADDLE Etc.. Etc. REPUBLIC PICTURES CORP. OF PITTSBURGH Corral: 1701 Blvd. of the Allies ATlantic 4858 BOXOFFICE :: February 22, 1941 55