Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1940)

Councilman in Detroit Acts To Regulate Coin Projectors Detroit — Legal regulation of coin-controlled projectors in Detroit night clubs and other locations is sought through an ordinance introduced by City Councilman John Hamilton. Provisions of the ordinance are: 1. Each machine to be licensed for $2 annually. 2. Each machine must be owned by the owner or operator of the store or other location where it is placed, not by a regular coin machine operator. 3. Distributors of the machines to pay an annual license of $50 each. 4. Police will have power to enforce regulations against exhibition of immoral, obscene, or indecent pictures — essentially the same powers now defining local censorship. 5. Fine of $500 or imprisonment of 90 days provided for violations. Several UDT Houses to Thursday Openings Detroit — Predicted switch from Friday to Thursday openings for second and key runs went into effect this week at United Detroit houses. The Fisher, Riviera, Cinderella and Broadway-Capitol, rated as second runs, made the switch with these subsequents — the Regent, Varsity, Annex, Ramona, and Vogue — slated to follow suit. The change is also being made by the Hollywood, a second run and the third largest theatre in the city operated by the Cohen Brothers. John Wagner Wed Akron, Ohio — Norma M. Lewis and John Wagner were married in the rectory of St. Martha’s church here. Wagner is assistant manager of Keith’s Palace. r, Cleveland Club Is Formed on Coast Cleveland — Milton Harris, who resigned as publicity director of Loew's Theatres to establish his own publicity firm in Hollywood, writes that the latest social group out there is the Cleveland-Hollywood Club. Duke Clark, recently transferred from the Paramount managership here to branch manager in Los Angeles, is president of the club. Vice-president is Lew Wasserman, who was in charge of publicity for the late Mayfair Casino before going to the coast. The other officers are Milton Krasny, former head of the Cleveland Musicians Local, and Harris, in the capacity of director of public relations. Business of the club consists of sharing Cleveland news. J poUR-STAR THEATRES, INC., filed articles in Covington, Ky., with J. E. Crawford, Joseph M. Luhn and John R. Loofbourow incorporators. The new company will operate the new theatre nearing completion at Dixie Highway and Horse Branch Road, Fort Mitchell, Ky. . . . Other theatre news includes the closing of M. M. Rothstein’s East Columbus, Ohio, house indefinitely, and the definite closing of H. C. Geesing’s Times at Roseville . . . Jim Rogers will break ground within a few days for a new theatre at East Huntington, W. Va. Overlings include RKO Shubert, set for midAugust; also the new Grand and Times theatres, in down town Cincinnati, rapidly nearing completion . . . Cecil Tipton, manager of the Orpheum and State, Huntington, has returned from a vacation at Port Huron on St. Claire River . . . Queen City Variety Club met August 5 at the Netherland Plaza to further plans for the annual golf tournament which looms as the major event of the late summer season. Warner trade screening of “The Sea Hawk’’ at the RKO Palace was the mecca for an unusually large number of exhibitors . . . Carl Rohs, Cynthiana, Ky., visited the Row well pleased with the progress on his new house at Cynthiana which will be opened by fall . . . Popular Roy Wells, St. Paul, Dayton, stopped in to pick up available features, taking time out from his vacation camp at Buckeye Lake where he is settled for the summer with his family. Paramount’s screening of “The Great McGinty” was excellently received by an enthusiastic audience of exhibitors and the press . . . Claudia Miller, Avon, New Vienna, Ohio, visited . . . Warner’s Chester Stacey is touring Ohio on his vacation. Paramount’s Mary McGee is in New York City. Universal’s Frank Schreiber is off on a fishing jaunt . . . Mrs. Turner and Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Childress have opened a modern 500-seaf house at Jackson, Ky. Jimmy, twin son of Lawrence Keathley, Martin, Martin, Ky., is suffering from a rare streptococcic infection in his arm . . . Special publicity will inaugurate UA’s feature, “Pastor Hall,” now ready for release. Metro is booming “Boom Town,” and special publicity also will inaugurate its showing here next week . . . 20th-Fox’s J. J. Grady announces “Brigham Young” is expected any day now ... Ed Keyesling, Freeman & Newbold circuit, has returned from an extensive motor trip with his family through the west and northwest . . . William Devanney announces a meeting of the Metro Pep Club to lay plans for an outing and picnic. Anthony on "Driftwood" Hollywood — Stuart Anthony is adapting “Driftwood” for Producer Jack Moss at Paramount. Detroit Shells Out For "Proven Hits" Detroit — Three months of steadily increasing patronage have proved the success of the new Madison policy of “proven hits.” Background of the setup is a card listing features available for bookings at the house. All have proved moneymakers in the past for UDT theatres. The list is mailed to a select group of downtown offices and are distributed in the theatre lobby as a guide to bookings at the house. The cards on which the list appears provide a space to check off the films each patron wishes to see, and may be mailed back to the management at no cost to the patron. Harris and Gould Will Plug Movie Machines Hollywood — Publicity Associates, formed recently by Milton Harris and Howard Gould of Cleveland, announces it has made a connection with Globe Productions, headed by James Roosevelt and Henry Henigson, whereby Harris and Gould will each take one of the Globe movie machines on a press preview tour of the nation starting early in the fall. They plan to visit all key cities, inviting to the preview members of the press, hotel managers and cafe owners to secure advance publicity prior to the release of the machines for public patronage. Velas Will Build Bridgeport, Ohio — C. G. Velas of the Affiliated Theatres Corp. has acquired the property on which the new Home Theatre stands and has closed the house. Following razing of the building, he plans to build a modern theatre on the site. Bride for Henry Fetzer Plymouth, Ohio — Henry Fetzer, exoperator of the Plymouth here, has taken as his bride the former Janice Ann Volk of Shelby, Ohio. d So, Crestiallen, They Retired Detroit — The "Invisible Man" almost got shot at the Krim Brothers' Harmony the other night. Manager Eddie Jacobson, after displaying a dummy, minus hands and head, in the lobby for "The Invisible Man Returns," tossed it in the basement for storage. Then somebody forgot to lock a door at night and the policeman on the beat went in to investigate. In the basement he saw somebody's legs, pulled his gun and warned, “Stick 'em up or I'll plug ya." When no action resulted the officer and his companion, who entered the scene through another door, found the dummy had no hands to put up and retired crestfallen. VS - 44 BOXOFFICE :: August 10, 1940