Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

WASHIlMCiTOM Albany Area General Business Upbeat; Grosses Are Spotty JJERMAN WOBBER, W. Sussman, and Moe Levy visited the 20th-Pox exchange and participated in the final meeting of the current S. R. Kent drive . . . Raymond Burch, manager of Warner’s Seco, was presented with a baby girl by his wife . . . Sidney Lust’s new Hyattsville Theatre will have a formal opening November 21 . . . UA’s Marcie Plant weekended with Margaret Stant in Salisbury . . . Columbia’s Lillian Levy is recuperating from a recent tonsillotomy. Ray Bell, Loew publicist, was the recipient of a gold watch from Eddie Cantor for his exploitation efforts prior and during Eddie’s engagement at the Capitol . . . Miss Ida Barezofsky has joined the Metro contract staff . . . "Buster” Root, Tivoli, sandbagged and machine-gunned the wall of his lobby for bally on "All Quiet” . . . Roy Schatt, Warner theatres artist, received honorable mention for his exhibit in a recent mural contest, same now being on display in Corcoran Art Gallery. John Miller, Henry’s, Hagerstown, is saving nickels to defray his junket to the rotary convention in Rio next summer . . . RKO’s Steady Knox’s ability as a football diagnostician has his co-workers agog . . . Metro’s Rudy Berger visited the accounts in the Roanoke area . . . Charles Fogle of Metro’s home office maintenance department is visiting the local exchange . . Ivan Rosenbaum, Neighborhood Theatres, has been hospitalized in Richmond for a spell . . . Dick Eason has become a member of Abingdon’s Rotary club . . . First International’s “Ballerina” is being distributed through Clark Film. Horlacher’s Oscar Neufeld was a recent visitor . . . Jake, Gertrude, and Hattie Flax have moved into their new home in northwest Washington. Birthday greetings to Warner theatres’ Bill Ewing and Mary Horner . . . Incidentally, Bill will celebrate his I5th wedding anniversary November 25 . . . Mrs. Paul Smith, formerly of the Warner theatre contract staff, feted her former fellow-workers at her home . . . According to Republic’s Morris Oletsky the new hillbilly theme "Jeepers-Creepers” is in great favor . . . Harrold Weinberger, former Metro office manager, has won a bit part in M-G-M’s "Strange Cargo,” featuring Clark Gable . . . The Warner Club will hold its annual party December 16. The christening of Sam Tabor’s newly born son was held in Baltimore November 13, with Bernie Kreisler, Joe Young and Barney Frank attending the ceremony . . . Helen Ulman of Salisbury is proud of her nephew’s gridiron feats for Maryland University . . . Dick Farr has joined the Paramount accessory staff . . . Mrs. Frances Naftal, formerly of the Metro staff, entertained M-G-M’s ladies ensemble at her home . . . Metro’s Buddy Hall and Marge Dermody are making extensive plans for the annual Xmas party . . . Harry Anger, stage director at Warner’s Earle, plans to repeat four popular stage presentations, namely, “The Minstrel Show,” “The Youth Parade,” “Say It With Girls,” and “Battle of Swing.” Albany — Another general increase in employment and payrolls at New York state factories from the middle of September to the middle of October, with the percentage gains the largest recorded in any October of the 26 years the state labor department has been compiling these figures, coincided with general though not unanimous reports on Filmrow of some pickup in theatre business throughout the Albany area. In contrast to the optimistic picture by exchangemen — even they say it could be brighter and spread down further to small non-industrial towns — is the darker one by an executive focusing his eye on boxoffice receipts over the upstate territory. He concedes that strong pictures, a number of which have been released during the past six weeks, are drawing good patronage. However, he adds that they usually profit at the expense of competing theatres. At one time, this man says, a big picture would attract crowds downtown in a city and other houses would get their share of the “overflow.” But not so in many cases today, an important reason in his opinion being that the number of regular film patrons has decreased, due to economic conditions. While the executive quoted grants that general business and payrolls are on the upbeat, he says there is a lag between them and theatre receipts. Filmrow men also speak of the lag. An explanation advanced is that many people who have returned to employment are paying back grocery and other bills, even setting up their own homes again. The “reorganization” has not yet been completed. Until it is, film houses generally will not experience a boom. Reduction in WPA rolls is mentioned as another factor working against bullish boxoffice receipts. WPA people have more time to attend theatres, and in some cases at least receive more pay than in private industry. The three-shift plan of operation in mill towns affected by the business surge is said by an observer to be hurting weekday trade, especially matinees. However, it helps Sunday patronage. Small towns without industries and depending mainly upon dairying, are said to have felt the effects of the business pickup less than larger communities. However the prices paid to farmer-producers are going higher. A branch manager estimates that film Writ Against Picketing Is Denied F&M in St Louis St. Louis — An immediate injunction against the picketing of nine Fanchon and Marco houses here by the lATSE Local No. 143 was denied by Circuit Judge Julius R. Nolte, who ordered counsel for both sides to file briefs within 17 days. Co-op Heads in East New York — Frank Wetsman and Carl Buermele, executives of Co-operative in Detroit, were in town during the week for conferences with various sales managers on new product deals. business in the Albany territory has increased “at least 20 per cent” in recent weeks. Salesmen, who do not call on chain accounts, report either that patronage has increased or the prospects for it doing so soon are brighter, in a number of spots. Not all exhibitors tell such a story, however. Exchangemen detect a dimunition of complaining by operators. Here again, it is not universal. How much the independents, especially those in city last runs, have benefited by the general upswing is a subject of dispute. Too costly film rentals and “milking” by first runs still are exhibitor complaints. State labor department statistics, as well as other indices and newspaper stories, show an upward trend. Five of the seven districts into which the state is divided for factory-reporting purposes by the labor department, had both employment and payroll increases from mid-September to mid-October. A sixth, Binghamton-Endicott-Johnson City (where the dominant industry is shoes) reported a payroll hike, despite an employment dip of 0.3 per cent. Rochester was the only section to experience a statistical minus in both employment and payrolls: 3.4 and 1.0, respectively. The Utica area, which has been making a comeback since summer, despite the fact picture grosses there are said to be still poor, gained 13.9 in payrolls and 7.9 in employment. Syracuse showed the largest factory employment increase, 11.9. Payrolls in that area went up 11.8. Buffalo reported pluses of 9.6 and 13.7, respectively; Albany, 4.9 and 7.5; New York City, 3.2 and 4.7. Principal gains were in the metal, machinery and textile groups. Largest increases, ranging between 13 and 17 per cent, were reported by primary metal and transportation equipment industries. Ten industries reported advances in employment of more than 10 per cent. “The great majority of plants in almost all industries of the state continued to expand their operations in October,” the labor department states. Index numbers for the month, based on the average of 1925-27 as 100, rose to 90.7 for employment and 87.5 for payrolls, the highest points reached in any October since 1929. Number of industrial building plans submitted to labor department was highest for October in 16 years. Examine Story Head in 20th-Fox Sherwood Suit New York — Supreme Court Justice Isador Wasservogel has ordered the examination before trial of Franklin Underwood, eastern story editor of 20th-Fox, on November 22 in connection with the suit of Robert E. Sherwood and Playwrights Producing Co. against 20th-Fox. Sherwood was also ordered to submit a bill of particulars. Suit charges the defendant’s picture, “Young Mr. Lincoln” deceives the public into believing it is based on the plaintiff’s play, “Abe Lincoln in Illinois.” BOXOFFICE :: November 18, 1939 24-C