Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1938)

L°u WALTERS, who manages National Theatre Supply’s local office in his spare moments, put on a one-man show at last week’s Film League Bowling contest rolling five strikes in one game which automatically raised him from his former position of bringing up the rear in a list of individual average scores. P. J. Wood, ITO secretary who likes nothing better than a good scrap, was in town last week to attend an inter-organization conference and also to mount the stage of the new Embassy Theatre the night of its opening to tell the paying guests what place the motion picture theatre holds in the community. George W. Weeks, Monogram sales manager, spent Thursday here with local Monogrammers, Nate Schultz and Holbrook C. Bissell, leaving for Boston via Detroit . . . E. Arthur Simon and M. M. Jacobs operating Lake Shore Sales Co. have added a complete line of cosmetics to their assortment of theatre premiums. Bob Bial of Art Guild Studios has enlarged his plant to include half of the sixth floor in the Film Bldg. The added space is required to handle his extended service which now includes complete theatre decorative equipment . . . Jack O’Connell’s new Loop Theatre in Toledo opened October 21 . . . Sam Fine of the Mt. Pleasant Theatre has taken over the Arion, Cleveland, from Meyer Kaplan and Nate Schultz. The Warner Club, under the leadership of Evelyn Friedl, has inaugurated a program of monthly “nationality luncheons’’ for members only. The first one, to be held in the club rooms from noon to 2 p. m. on Tuesday, October 25, will be a Chinese Luncheon. Jane Meisel, club secretary, suggests members bring along their chop sticks. Variety Post 313 will install its new officers October 28 with a suitable program befitting the occasion. Howard Roth, Paramount booker, is this year’s commanderin-chief, succeeding Harry Goldstein. Leroy P. Langford, head of Oliver Theatre Supply Co., was called to Fort Wayne, Ind. last week, by the death of his father, I. W. Langford. It was strictly business that took Nat Lefton and Sam Gorrel of Republic Pictures to Youngstown last week . . . George Davis of Wellsville, who owns a string of theatres in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and southern Ohio, was one of the few out-of-town exhibitors of the week. Maloney in Group of Ten Collecting a Prize Trip Cleveland — J. J. Maloney, M-G-M district manager, was in town saying his farewells before setting forth on his prize trip to Europe. With nine other M-G-M-ers, Maloney sails October 22 on the Conte di Savoia to spend five weeks in France and England at the company’s expense. The prize was for winning M-G-M’s last sales contest. Extension of Quiz Contest Past December 31 Opposed in Cleveland Ohio Study Shows 22% In Movie Quiz Mansfield, Ohio — A survey of the percentage of the public participating in the Movie Quiz, conducted here by Nat Wolf, Warner's Ohio zone manager, revealed 22.1 per cent of the filmgoing public is in the contest. The survey was conducted by a random selection of names from the telephone book, which were then called and asked whether or not they were entered in the contest. Of those questioned, 30.8 per cent were in possession of quiz booklets and declared they might enter. Lyric in Cadillac , Mich., Keeps Up Drive Interest Cadillac, Mich. — Daily, the Lyric here has been offering 15 free tickets to participants who answer correctly a question pertaining to the Movie Quiz picture playing at the theatre. The tickets go to the first 15 submitting their answers. Through cooperation with the Cadillac Daily News, the question appears each day in a one-column complimentary ad. Fifty Panels by Outdoor Advertising Company Cincinnati — General Outdoor Advertising has contributed 50 panels to the local "Greatest Year” committee, for posting with advertising for the industry drive and Quiz Contest. The panels, with advertising material, are spotted favorably throughout the city. Cleveland — Cleveland independent exhibitors, operating subsequent run theatres, are definitely opposed to the proposed extension of the Movie Quiz contest beyond the original date of December 31. Their opposition has been registered with M. B. Horwitz, local Quiz chairman, who has notified George J. Schaefer, head of the drive committee, of their attitude. Horwitz says he is in agreement with the exhibitors who are against prolonging the contest. His reasons for opposing it are two-fold. As chairman, he says, he secured exhibitor pledges for the contest’s support on representation that it was to close December 31. Further reason for his opposition is his opinion that while the original four months contest period was fair alike to affiliated first-run and independent subsequent run houses, extension of the contest period would throw the balance of preference in favor of the firstruns. As originally conceived, Horwitz stated, no preference for any type theatre was in mind. Although it was readily admitted that the first-runs had the better breaks during September and October, it was also admitted that the subsequents came in for their benefits during November and December. “Business has definitely shown an upturn since the beginning of September,” Horwitz said in a further discussion of the Quiz, “but how much of this was due to the contest, it is difficult to estimate. My personal opinion is that wherever the exhibitor has gone out and worked to put the contest over, business has shown an increase of not less than ten per cent.” Emmit Opens Park Bethesda, Ohio — The Park Theatre here has opened under the management of J. P. Emmitt, with a policy of three changes a week. Emmitt was formerly connected with the Roxy Theatre in Minerva, Ohio. Cooperative Full Page Ad in Westchester, Pa. Westchester, Pa. — A full page cooperative ad with streamer head, “Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment,” was carried recently in the Daily Local News. A slug line read: “Trade Follows the Movies.” The ad was carried in connection with a “Star Hunt” contest sponsored by the local board of trade and the Warner Theatre. The same issue also carried three complimentary institutional ads on the industry campaign. Assign Margaret Lindsay Hollywood — A feature role in Columbia’s “There’s That Woman Again” has been assigned to Margaret Lindsay. PERMANENT construction that means lowest upkeep cost at a surprisingly low first cost. Write for details THE F&Y BUILDING SERVICE 328 E. Town — Columbus, O. BOXOFFICE : : October 22, 1938 75