Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1940)

CIILIIEVIEIILAWIID) pETER WELXiMAN, that indefatigable exhibitor of Girard, has received so many compliments from the boys who attended his personally-sponsored Film Folks Frolic at the Mahoning Country Club, that he is already laying plans for a repeat engagement to be held at the same place on Tuesday, September 10. You can get your tickets at any Cleveland or Pittsburgh exchange, or at Mahoning Country Club. There’ll be golf and games and dancing and eating. Annual Variety Club golf tournament will be held Friday. August 23, at the Grantwood Country Club . . . Everett Steinbuck, State Theatre manager, had to make changes in his vacation plans when he was informed that the boat on which he and his wife were to travel down the St. Lawrence River was damaged. Lou Walters, manager of National Theatre Supply Co., is now selling Rowe Candy and Advance Popcorn machines in addition to the standard theatre equipment. Both are on display . . . William N. Skirball is back from a vacation trip that took him to the cooler climes . . . “Pop” (stands for popular) Johnson, who takes folks up and down the Warner elevator, is vacationing at one of the nearby lake resorts ... As usual, Charlie Albert, Warner booker, was in charge of tickets for the Variety Club picnic which took place last Friday at Willough Beach on the Lake. Herbert Ochs, the Real Art man, his son Jack. Dick Deutsch of the Dick Deutsch Printing Co., Mrs. Deutsch and their son Jeffrey, went to New York via automobile. The fathers transacted business while Mrs. Deutsch and the two boys visited the Fair . . . Dorsey Brown. M-G-M head booker, and Miss Lucille Spencer of this city, were married last Saturday morning at St. Coleman’s Catholic Church. The entire M-G-M force turned out for the ceremony. They had previously given a party for the bride and groom and presented them with a complete flat silver service set. Warner Bros, held a trade screening of “Sea Hawk” last Tuesday afternoon at the Colony . . . George Roberts, 20th-Fox district manager, fully recovered from his recent illness, has returned from Atlantic City and is doing a full time job again . . . Domenic Grillo closed the Penn Square, home of foreign pictures, for lack of product . . . Peelee Island, located in Lake Erie, drew several leading exhibitors from the sweltering city last week, including John Kalafat, Meyer Fine and Perc Essick. Nat L. Lefton, Republic franchise owner, with his branch managers, S. P. Gorrel of Cleveland and George Kirby of Cincinnati, were in New York attending a regional sales meeting. Object of the meeting was to get first hand information about Republic pictures soon to be released . . . If you want to get a smile out of Republic Booker Leonard Mishkind.just ask him how he likes his new pearl grey Plymouth . . . Sally Cousins of the Repub lic office staff returned from a New York vacation, bringing back with her, among other things, one of the thickest coats of tan you ever saw. Philip Russo notified exchanges that he has closed his Plaza, Youngstown, until further notice . . . Charles Raymond, Loew State Theatre manager, is getting ready to join his family on the Massachusetts coast most any day now . . . Mae Pollen, secretary to RKO Great Lakes district manager, Nat Holt, left Saturday to vacation for two weeks at Wernersville, Pa. Joint Himmelein, in addition to being a cracker jack film salesman, is an amateur boat builder, mostly toy size . . . “ATAHT” was held over a fourth week downtown. It played two weeks at the Hippodrome and then moved over to the Allen for another two without a break . . . The Norman Levins were weekend guests of the Matt Goodmans at their summer home in Canada . . . Peggy Pastor, the little girl with the big job at Metro Premium, is vacationing in Detroit and Canada, leaving Manager Charles Winet in sole charge. Lee Chapman, independent distributor, has bought a new issue of “Damaged Goods” for Ohio release . . . Charlotte Bobin, secretary to Bob Bial of Art Guild Studios, was a World’s Fair visitor . . . Record heat the fore part of the week caused a dearth of exhibitors along Filmrow. However, we lamped a few of the more hardy ones, among them being: Joe Trunk and Walter Schwartz, Youngstown; Joe Shagrin, Youngstown; Leo Burkhart, Crestline; R. A. Momm, Loudenville; Earl Gibbs, Andover; Maurice Brown, Lorain; George Fettig, Sothio booker for the circuit’s houses in Clyde, Bellevue, Fremont and Marion. Martin Printz booked "Wagons Westward’’ for four days at the Alhambra and held the Republic picture over a full week, proving that even the hottest weather can’t kill a picture if the public wants to QURT LITTMAN has left Republic’s sales ranks and expects to announce another connection soon. What with the hottest weather ever recorded here it is apropos to report new air conditioning equipment in the Empress . . . That wedding on the stage of the Lancaster Palace went over with a bang . . . Clint Wander, formerly manager of Loew’s Broad, is leaving the Arabian Gardens . . . Louie Martin will take over personal management of his Circle in Circleville while the regular manager takes in the Wisconsin ONG war games. Attention fishermen: Bill Johnson, manager of the Castle in Williamsport, advises the fishing in Deer Creek is no less than sensational! Herb Kneller, Broad in Lancaster, is q A Drivers' Strike Halts Fox Flesh Detroit — Detroit's truck drivers' strike was responsible for the Fox, largest local house, dropping vaudeville and going to straight double bills this week. While hot weather was a contributing factor, the attendant slump was not enough to justify the change in policy. One act was unable to open in time for the first show because baggage was held up by the strike. The baggage was released in time for the second show, but the Fox management decided to drop stage shows for the duration of the strike to avoid the possible recurrence of a slipup in schedule. VI q see it .. . Miss “L,” secretary to G. W. Erdmann of CMPEA, left Saturday for a two-week vacation which includes a lake trip ... Another vacationist is Miss Lenore Schultz of Monogram and sister of the big boss. She is spending some time at Indian Lake . . . Sid Cohn, booker for Milt Mooney’s Cooperative Theatres of Ohio, failed to leave a forwarding address when he departed for an unknown vacation spot. When Ted Teschner completes his pinchhitting session for Loew State manager, Everett Steinbuck, he will do managerial substituting at Loew’s Canton for a week and then a week at Loew’s Akron, after which he will probably return to Cleveland . . . “Sly” Pierce of Loew’s State has only 11 months to wait for his next vacation . . . J. J. Maloney, M-G-M district manager, and Frank Drew, local branch manager, were home office visitors. Megs "I Wanted Wings" Hollywood — Jay Theodore Reed will direct “I Wanted Wings” for Paramount. The Arthur Hornblow jr. production will be based on a book by Beirne Lay jr. Adapts Maugham Story Hollywood — Warren Duff is adapting “The House on the Hill,” from the W. Somerset Maugham story, for Warner. doing plenty OK with cartoon book giveaways for the kids at Saturday matinees . . The Ohio’s assistant manager, Kennedy. vacations this week, reliefer John Hardgrove continuing . . . Johnny Barcroft. Ken Rader & Co. are planning a Buckeye Lake outing for their summer siesta. Bill Settos, Springfield theatre operator, won his fight with the union in the second district court of appeals, the court ruling a union cannot picket an employer in absence of a labor dispute to force said employer to sign a union contract. With the assistance of a sound engineer, Frank Yassenoff and Harold Beck have cut the "noise’’ doum to a point at their drive-in that the court in all probability will refuse a permanent injunction closing the theatre. 46 BOXOFFICE :: August 10, 1940