Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

^HE Martin M. Terners will celebrate their silver anniversary November 3. Marty has purchased a new Buick and is thinking of taking Mrs. Terner on a 25th wedding anniversary trip . . . Miss Emmaline Fineberg, former local film board secretary and with Grand National until two weeks ago, is now connected with the RKO exchange . . . Herman Silverman, brother of Meyer of this city and Jake and Ike of Altoona, passed away recently at London, Canada . . . Bernard Davis is now manager of the WB Victor Theatre, MvKeesport, succeeding the late J. A. McDonald. Davis had been assistant to the veteran theatreman who died several weeks ago . . . Joe Hiller is booking Parkyakarkus with a stage show in the local area. Miss Mathilda Kiel, assistant secretary at the MPTO office, was hard at work this week in connection with the issuing of the exhibitor convention program . . . On his Filmrow booking trips, Vernon F. Scott, the Johnston circuit exhibitor, is usually accompanied by F. E. McClellan, general manager of the company . . . Hayes Garbarino, until recently manager of the Garby Theatre, Clarion, reports he is looking around for a new spot . . . June E. Baker and several of his local Alexander Film Co. representatives, are expected here for the MPTO convention . . . Anthony Antonoplos, son of Peter Antonoplos, has withdraivn from the University of Pittsburgh and is assisting his father at the East Pittsburgh theatres. Ed “Hip” Siegal, former local WB theatre manager, has joined the Filmrow colony as local representative for two new theatre games, Whirlwin and Sweepstakes . . . Don Mungello is no longer connected with his brother Tony in the operation of the Slovan and Burgettstown theatres . . . George Wheeler, Columbia sales representative, was ill and unable to work last week . . . Ben Amdur has returned from a vacation in New York . . . Sophie Pincus of the 20th-Fox exchange has taken a new job here with the government’s immigration department. Filmrow’s well-known motorcycle patrolman, George Stone, who was seriously injured iveeks ago in a crash with a machine, is coming along nicely at Merey Hospital . . . John A. Woffington jr., formerly employed as manager at the Palace, Tarentum, before the house was recently acquired by Warners, was seen in the celluloid center . . . Phil Grabowski, Sun-Tele bowling editor, looked on the other evening while the Filmrow boys were doing their stuff at the new Triangle Reereation Center . . . Larry Aurie, coach of the Pittsburgh Hornet hoekey team, has been cojiferring with Owner Johnny Harris on plans for the new season which will be under way soon . . . KDKA broadcast the eastern premiere of “Hollywood Cavalcade’’ from the lobby of the Alvin Theatre. The boxoffice ceiling collapsed last Wednesday in the third mishap in the new Gerard Theatre, being built in Perrysville avenue. West View. On September 12, Clarence J. Vogel, exhibitor and theatre building contractor, fell 25 feet to his death while working on the roof. Several weeks later a wall bulged four and a half inches after it was completed, and had to be rebuilt. Three workmen escaped injury last week when a delivery truck which was unloading lumber caught a beam and loosened the boxoffice ceiling, a steel structure. Henry Armetta, star of the Stanley stage show this week, was guest of honor at a spaghetti dinner which was staged the other evening at Viviano’s spaghetti factory in Carnegie . . . Al Glazer has been visiting his folks at Scranton . . . David B. Franz of Clarksburg, W. Va., who is introducing a neiv giveaway plan in connection with Coat-O-Fur Nite, states he is expanding his operations . . . Pittsburgh Playhouse will begin its new season October 24 with “I Wajit a Policeman.” Non-eommercial Thespians will present seven plays during the season. The seating capacity of the Playhouse has been increased 50 per cent, aecording to Frederick Burleigh, director . . . L. L. Chamberlain of the Dale Theatre, Johnstoivn, is on the mend after undergoing an operation in the Memorial Hospital there. Art Himmelein, who is recuperating from a serious illness, is visiting at the home of his brother, Charles Himmelein, in Altoona . . . Bill Walker of Crafton has been vacationing in New York . . . Louis Krieger, Alliance distributor here, spent the weekend in Philadelphia visiting with his son, Lester Krieger, WB branch manager . . . Sam Soltz, Baltimore exhibitor, visited Filmrow friends here this week . . . Art Morrone was in New York on business for several days . . . Mike Cullen, division manager for Loew’s, hurried into town to view the Stanley stage show and to okay the new theatre orchestra under Max Adkins. Pittsburgh Quartet — Harry M. Kalmine, B. F. “Dinty” Moore, Art England and C. J. Latta are pictured on a fishing trip at Lake Kawanga, Canada. The fifth member of the party, Tony Stern, did the picture taking. Tent No. I's Banquet Draws Celebrities Pittsburgh — Rudy Vallee, Father Edward J. Flanagan, Senator James J. Davis and many stars of stage, screen and radio together with a hundred film and theatre executives and civic and sports leaders will be among celebrities in attendance at the 11t h annual banquet of the Number 1 Tent of the Variety Club, staged in the William Penn Hotel, Sunday evening, October 29. The affair honors the retiring chief barker and associates together with the new officers, headed by C. J. Latta. Variety Club of Cleveland Elects Leiton as Head Cleveland— Nat L. Lefton, Republic franchise owner, was elected chief barker of the Variety Club at a meeting of the “crew” held in the club rooms Monday. To serve the year with Lefton, the following officers were named: “Duke” Clark, Paramount branch manager, first vice-president; Jerome Friedlander, attorney, second vice-president: I. J. Schmertz, 20thFox branch manager and Frank Boyd, secretary. The “crew,” which in accordance with the new constitution and by-laws of Variety Clubs of America take the place of the former board of directors, and from whom the officers are chosen, consists of Dave Miller, Universal district manager; Bert Steam, United Ai’tists district manager; A. M. Goodman, United Artists branch manager; “Duke” Clark, Paramount branch manager; Prank Boyd, local American Seating Co. representative; Jerome Friedlander, attorney; Nat L. Lefton, Republic franchise owner; Lester Zucker, Columbia branch manager; I. J. Schmertz, 20th-Fox branch manager; Eddie Miller, manager of Warner’s Hippodrome and Manny Landers, orchestra leader. Nat Lefton succeeds Nat Wolf, Warner zone manager, to the high post in the Variety Club. Krieger Books "Warning" Into Warner Circuit Pittsburgh — Louis Krieger, of International Picture Distributing Co., who has the Alliance franchise in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, has booked the Warner circuit in Pittsburgh and six leading independent houses in key towns of his territory, for “The Warning,” a threereel subject that is proving a draw. The Astor Theatre in Reading, Pa., extended the showing of the film from four days to a full week. Projectionist Burned Pittsburgh — Charles Holmes, projectionist, was slightly burned and damage estimated at $1,500 resulted after fire broke out in the Weiland Theatre. Damage was confined to the booth. The theatre is owned by A. A. Weiland, veteran exhibitor and film distributor of the early days of the industry. 60 BOXOFFICE :: October 21, 1939