Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

J^EW LEPTON, who checked out of a local hospital the other day and went out on a business trip to West Virginia, reported back at the hospital this week for an operation . . . Mike Cullen has returned to duties at Loew’s Penn, the Loew district manager taking charge at his old spot as a relief manager while Charlie Kurtzman vacations and takes in the World’s Fair . . . Johnny Harris, now at his summer home in Longport, N. J., is all wrapped up in his new 19-foot speed boat . . . It’s a little early for such discussions, but the boys are talking about the annual corn roast at Dr. Herman’s, which looms bigger and better than ever . . . There’s a Mrs. Chuck Shanon now. Chuck is the Homewood manager for WB at the Belmar. The Enright is offering triple features with serials, shorts, stage attractiojis and radio features for their Saturday matinee Kiddie shows. “Nazi Spy” is one of today’s (July 8) three features at the Enright . . . Art Levy asks “How about taking a minute off and writing a check for $7.50 and sending your reservation for the Variety Club’s golf tournament, scheduled for Friday, July 14 at Wildwood Country Club?” Mrs. J. B. Christy of the Tidioute, Pa., theatre, has returned to duties after an illness which confined her to a hospital. She used to work at the Fox exchange here . . . William R. Wheat jr., spent the weekend at Annapolis visiting his daughter . . . William Serrao, Arnold exhibitor, dropped us a card from his honeymoon which took him and the wife to Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and the New England states. In New York he was the house guest of Christy Wilbert, 20th-Fox exploiteer who at one time was a publicity representative for WB theatres here. Serrao previewed “Second Fiddle” at the 20th-Fox home office and he reports that it is very good. The Serraos took in the World’s Pair, too. John Finnegan, assistant to Bob Lieber at the Paramomit, Braddock. has been promoted to the position of manager at the Grand, Hazelwood, another M. N. Shapiro-Archie Fineman house . . . Herbert Schaefer and Herbert Staminger, who closed the Blair Station theatre for the summer, are located in East Keansburg, N. J., and are operating park shows in that area . . . Harry Walker is out to take off forty pounds. Among others reducing or attempting to rid themselves of excess weight, are Andy Battiston, Pete Aiderman, Don Mungello, Gus Vaveris and Irving Dietz. Members of the local trade are loud in their praise for Harry Kalmine’s decision to retain Mrs. Mary McCartney as manager of the Jefferson Theatre, Punxsutawney, as a sucessor to her deceased husband, W. P. (Penn) McCartney. Mrs. McCartney was associated with her husband in the management of this house before he sold it to Warner Bros, and became the Warner manager. H. Windt, who holds interest in the Beacon Theatre, is vacationing in Ger many . . . Harry R. Cromwell, Bedford exhibitor, is vacationing . . . Frank Fairgraves of Erie was at the Shriners’ convention at Baltimore . . . Monarch exchange screening room is being dolled up with new upholstered chairs, and other improvements are being made. The independent product is coming through okay too, says Duddy Lefton, booker. Jack Judd and the Mrs. are vacationing . . . A Filmrow visitor the other day was John Lang, former McKees Rock exhibitor, who has worked for a wholesale grocery firm at Monessen for the past four years . . . Mrs. H. J. Thompson, wife of the Clearfield theatre owner, is recovering from an operation performed at the Clearfield Hospital . . . Ted Perrine of Sandy Lake, who returned from a New York vacation which included taking in the Fair, was here on booking duties . . . An honor student graduate of Taylor Alderdice High School last week was Reva Ruth Rosenberg, daughter of the M. A. Rosenbergs. Billy ZeVan, with National Theatrical Valance Co., reports recently decorating of the Victor, New Castle, Pa.; Penn-Lake, Sandy Lake, Pa.; Strand, Seibring, Ohio; Alpine, Kingwood, W. Va., and the Alpine, Salem, W . Va. Charles Mergen, Harry Passarell and Phoebe Homer of the Paramount exchange were vacationing this week. Other Filmrow folks vacationing included Roy Davis, UA; Alice Jahns, Sophie Pincus, 20th-Pox; Marlene Leff, Columbia; Milt Prankel and Grace O’Neill, Vitagraph; John Zomnir, Joe Stack, Allan Douglas, Abe Finkel, left, of the Finkel circuit of Pittsburgh, meets Alan Hale on the set of Warner’s “On Your Toes.” Finkel paid a recent visit to the film capital. Hilda Alvin and Bess Fehl, M-G-M . . . Bess Fehl Noah is now Bess Fehl, you will notice . . . L. Beresin, vice-president of Berio Vending Co., was here on business this week with Nat Lazier, district manager. James McHugh has been transferred from the WB Regal, Wilkinsburg, to the Plaza, Bloomfield, succeeding Ernest Lieberman, who has been assigned by the circuit to the post as manager of the Squirrel Hill Theatre. Jules Green resigned from duties at the latter house last week and he is traveling to California to try his luck. The WB boys gave him a sendoff party last Saturday night. McHugh, who has moved to the Plaza, is succeeded at the Regal by Edward Salamon, formerly assistant manager at the Arsenal. Ira H. Cohn, 20th-Pox branch manager, was visited by four home office executives the other day; Edgar Moss, district manager; Clarence HiU, assistant to William Sussman, division manager; Harvey Day, Terry Toon sales manager, and William Clark, short subject sales manager . . . John Hargrave is filling in at Loew’s Penn . . . The Currey Bros., who have acquired the Strand, Monongah, operate an automobile agency at Fairmont, W. Va. Father Edivard J. Flanagan of Boys Town will attend the 11th annual banquet of the Variety Club at the William Penn Hotel, Sunday, October 29. Firemen were called to the Palace Theatre, Diamond street, Sunday evening when a blaze started in a ventilating fan motor atop the three-story building. The fire was extinguished without the theatre patrons being aware of the blaze . . . Edna Hinch has returned to duties at the Vitagraph exchange after an absence of three years. Her sister, Helen Hageter, also recently returned to work at this office . . . Mel Barrett of the Paramount exchange, Cleveland, was here over the weekend . . . Ann Cohen was back on the job this week as secretary to A. I. Weiner, UA manager, after suffering injuries when struck by an auto two weeks ago . . . Charles Lynch, who recently roadshowed a picture through West Virginia, will handle a new theatre game. Irene Fisher of the Republic exchange has returned from a three-week vacation in Hollywood. Readies Cairo House Pennsboro, W. Va. — Bill Heaton, local exhibitor, is busy with construction details in connection with the remodeling of a garage building at Cairo, which is being converted into a theatre. Seating capacity will be in excess of 300. The Cairo construction is under way. Another for F. & S. Ashtabula, O. — Feiber & Shea, circuit operators, with houses in several Ohio cities have acquired the Beulah Theatre here, giving the circuit control of the four theatres in the city. 56 BOXOFFICE July 8, 1939