Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

SiEATiriLE (Continued from page 26-A) on the Row. Stan has now gone on to Los Angeles to visit his sister for a few days before returyiing home. Ethel Dow, for the past five years with Warner as secretary to the branch manager, has resigned to devote her entire time to keeping house. Aldean Hawk has moved up into Ethel’s spot and Frieda Deitch has been added to the office staff. Frieda is well known to many on the Row, for she worked here some ten years ago. Rose Bloom, who has been in the hospital for many weeks, is finally back home again . . . Erik Brattstrom has written a song, "Sunset in Seattle,” and has received word that the Saunders Publications in Hollywood have published it. Erik ivas also notified that the number might be used i7i the forthcoming picture based on early-day Seattle. The town of Renton, in keeping with a celebration, has ordered all men to grow whiskers. Exhibitor Fey was standing in front of his theatre with an excuse for a chin-piece when the sheriff drove up with the black maria and took Fey before the judge. Result was a ten dollar fine for not trying to cultivate a better beard. Don Beckman is having his Western Poster company quarters completely remodeled. Jim Hone will move his offices of the MPTO of Washingt07i to the upstairs part of the buildmg and the front window will now be used for displays. The Mercy circuit in the Yakima Valley has installed Burch popcorn machines in its theatres . . . J. T. Sheffield, president of Republic Pictures of the Northwest, announces that Art Huot has joined the sales staff of the Seattle office. Art will cover the territory east of the mountains. Junior Mercy ajid his wife Dorothy have taken the youngsters to Pacific Beach over the holidays . . . The theatre in Dishman, just outside of Spokane, will reopen again in a couple of weeks. New owner is from Montana . . . Mrs. Emil Johnson, mother of Dorothy Cooper, here from San Francisco to bury her husband who passed away suddenly. Bill Englen, booker for Grand National, was rushed to the hospital where he is under observation . . . Harold Sheffield, manager of the Portland branch of Republic, is in town for a conference with his boss, J. T. Sheffield, who by the way is Harold’s uncle . . . Norman Clyde and his family in from Langley . . . Buck Seale starting his vacation by entering the golf tournament, then leaving for the lakes to camp for two weeks. Buck manages the Liberty in Spokane. Joe Kendall ) 'om Ellensburg, and his brother Sam, from Yakima, in for the golf match, likewise Paul Mercy from Yakima . . . George Blair, Mac Rubenfeld and Jimmy O’Neal played the course with a club between them. They started with three balls but lost two of them at the "Mr, Chips" Extended After 9 Weeks Los Angeles — After a nine-week run in which grosses ore expected to climb to approximately $45,000 — a record for the house — Metro's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" will move out of the Four-Star Theatre and into the Carthay Circle, July 17, for an extended run. The British production wound up its seventh week at the Four-Star with a gross of $5,018, within $10 of the opening stanza. Another Metro picture, "On Borrowed Time," will replace "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" at the Four-Star. secojid hole so they coiitinued with the one ball. Bill Shartin being presented with a radio by the Film Club board of trustees for his swell job of handling the tournament . . . Bob Laing, artist for Hamrick-Evergreen, off for his vacation with Mrs. Laing. The couple will spend their time in California . . . Leah Hanson back from the vacation trip to Chicago . . . Chuck and Mrs. Charles back from the Alaska trip . . . E. W. Pollock, gradually recovering from his recent serious illness, was down from Mount Vernon vhth his son, Eldon. Kathryn Brobeck, called to eastern Washington by the illness of her brother, is notv in Walla Walla visiting her family . . . Bob Estill off the sick list and back at his booking desk at Paramount . . . Friends of Mr. and Mrs. Al Clapp surprised the couple with a party to celebrate their 2bth wedding arniiversary. Alys Johnson, Gladness Gollofon, and Ethel Daigler to the Olympic Hot Springs for a week . . . Eddie Lamb, Jack Burk and Louie Goldsmith back from the RKO convention in New York . . . Cecil Gwinn contributing a dash of pictorial charm to Filmrow when he arrived from Centralia — there was Mrs. Gwinn whose hair is black; the Gwinn’s pretty daughter, Elaine, whose hair is brown; the Gwinn’s nieces, Janet Talkington, blonde of the Joan Bennett type, and Joan Talkington red-head and equally attractive. The Talkington sisters are the daughters of Wayne Talkington who operates a circuit in Harrington and other eastern Washington towns. Cecil Gwinn handles theatres in Centralia and Chehalis. Ira Genet, director of Vitaphone shorts, and Jerry Marfleet, cameraman, planed into Seattle from New York to take passage for Alaska where they uyill make a number of short subjects for Warner . . . Among the prizes for the best golfers was a $25 order for golf shoes, donated by David O. Selznick. Into Receivership San Francisco — Oakland’s Roosevelt Theatre has gone into the hands of the receivers, due to shortage of fimds to pay help and taxation. A complete loss for all creditors is reported. ^^ILLIAM FOREMAN, general manager of John Danz’s Sterling theatres in Seattle, was a Portland visitor during the closure of a long-term lease on the Orpheum Theatre. Foreman said the Orpheum’s stage and interior will be remodeled prior to the opening of the house under the Danz banner in September. No manager has yet been selected. Rumor has it Danz will purchase the building at the culmination of the lease. Portland’s Filmrow was shocked at the sudden death of Henry J. Updegraff, one of Portland’s earliest suburban operators, who suffered a heart attack July 2. He owned the Roseway and State theatres and was president of the Mount Tabor Theatre Co. Updegraff came here in 1924 after spendmg 16 years managing a chain of Dakota houses. Previous to that, he opened a string of theatres in Minnesota. Up Washington way Morrie Nimmer, Wenatchee theatre operator, ran afoul of the law by shooting firecrackers in the streets of Cashmere as a send-off to a pair of newlyweds . . . Ted Gamble calling J. J. Parker about a change in programs at the United Artists and Broadway . . . Walt Finney claiming some kind of a record with three changes in bills at his downtown Mayfair in one week. Arlington Theatre Delays "Camerateur Night" Santa Barbara, Cal. — Management of the Arlington Theatre, Fox West Coast house, has postponed the projected “test" booking of “Camerateur Night,” a new boxoffice stimulant, indefinitely. Along with several other new stimulators, it will be submitted to further scrutiny before a definite decision is made as to whether to use it, or some other audience game, in the house. Coy Seeks Writ Against Union at White Center Seattle — W. T. Coy jr., operator of the Center Theatre at White Center, testified at a hearing in which he seeks an antipicketing order against the motion picture operators union. Local 154, that an intoxicated picket struck Coy outside the theatre. Harry Lampman, president of the union, testified that Coy failed to live up to three agreements to employ a union man parttime. "Ecstasy" to Majestic Los Angeles — Majestic Pictures, owned by Hi Peskay, has acquired reissue rights for this territory to “Ecstasy,” foreignmade film starring Hedy Lamarr. Theatre for Carlsbad Carlsbad, Cal. — Vincent Araiza has leased a store building and is remodeling it into the Carlsbad Theatre for opening between August 1 and 10. 38 BOXOFnCE :; July 8, 1939