Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Sunday Shows Make Strong Advance in Pennsylvania Boom With New Year Seen for Industry Cleveland — Theatre owners will have to jog along at their present business pace until the first of the year when they will be rewarded with a boom which will last just as long as the present high peak of employment is maintained. This is the opinion of a leading local film man who knows the theatre business inside and out and who, through long years of experience, is well qualified to predict the future on the basis of past events. “The Chamber of Commerce,” states this film man, “has given out statistics showing that industries are operating at peak capacity with the result of general re-employment. The result of this re-employment will not be felt immediately at the boxoffice in my opinion. Debts will have to be taken care of. Christmas presents will come high-up on the must list. Replacement of wardrobes, depleted during the unemployment period will absorb the first few pay envelopes. So, taking these things into consideration, I think that there will be no noticeable improvement in boxoffice grosses until the first of the year. But after the first of the year I think the business will come into its own, and again take its place in the economic sun.” The motion picture business, it was pointed out, was one of the last industries to be affected by the recession, and it is the opinion of local industry leaders that it will be among the last to show a gain. AMPTO of W. Pa, Plans a Luncheon Meet Nov, 28 Pittsburgh — AMPTO of W. Pa., will hold a meeting and luncheon Tuesday noon, November 28, in the Roosevelt Hotel, exhibitor headquarters announced at press time. The meeting is for members only and important subjects will be discussed, according to Fred J. Herrington, secretary. A full report of this week’s eastern regional conference of Allied States units, held at Philadelphia in the office of the Allied ITO of E. Pa., will be made by M. A. Rosenberg, local unit president and regional vice-president of the national association, who attended the parley. In addition to the November 28 meeting, Rosenberg is considering calling a mideastern regional conference, it is understood. Local prexy stated that he obtained valuable information at the Philadelphia meeting and that it would be divulged at the meeting a week from Tuesday. Begins New Theatre Wauseon, Ohio — P. R. Toumy of the Princess Theatre has started construction of a new 300-seat house just across the street from his other house. He expects to have it completed about Christmas. Six Dislribulors Are Signed by Mutual Detroit — Mutual Theatres of Michigan, booking combine, has signed deals for new season product with six majors, Raymond E. Moon, general manager, disclosed this week. Deals are for the 18 Detroit theatres which are Mutual members, and were originally delayed pending the progress of the general Detroit booking situation, which has been going very slowly this season, particularly with the largest booking group. Co-operative Theatres. Majors signed on by Mutual are Paramount, 20th-Pox, M-G-M, United Artists, Universal, Columbia, as well as Republic and Monogram. Not all product, of course, will be used in all the member houses. Deals for upstate members, who constitute the far greater portion of Mutual’s membership, were made several weeks ago. Two majors have not been signed up — Warner and RKO. Mutual had contracts with both these companies last year, but has not taken steps to sign up so far this season, although Moon said there was a possibility they might be added later. Ray Moon Refutes Report That Chicago Combine Is Underway Detroit — Reports emanating from New York that Raymond E. Moon, general manager of Mutual Theatres of Michigan, would head a similar group of independent exhibitors in a new booking combine in the Chicago territory were branded as totally unfounded by Moon in a statement to Boxoffice. Moon said that the report apparently arose from a misinterpretation of a recent visit he made in Chicago, on entirely different routine business. “In fact, I hardly know any Chicago exhibitors,” he said. “There is nothing whatever in the fire that even concerns me. I further think that if anything like such a combine were under way, I’d know about it. I’ve been asked about it by some exhibitors, but no proposition has even been put to me. “My impression is that Chicago exhibitors don’t want such a combine, and that it would be impossible to organize.” "Beau Geste" Pleases Mutual Detroit — “Beau Geste,” booked for a large number of Mutual Theatres’ members over the weekend, did phenomenal business, reports Raymond E. Moon, general manager. Grind Burlesque House Opens Youngstown, Ohio — The new Grand, formerly the Princess, only dark theatre here, has reopened with a grind burlesque policy, at 35 cents top. Pittsburgh — Sunday film exhibitions were approved by voters of 14 Pennsylvania communities at the recent election, the issue being defeated in but one community. Four communities approved Sunday baseball and other sports between the hours of 1 p. m. and 7 p. m., and two other communities rejected such sports in the local-option voting. The ancient “blue law” ban on Sunday film exhibitions was lifted as follows: Freedom, Koppel, Beaver county; Bigler township, Coalport, Clearfield county; Shinglehouse, Potter county; Roscoe, Washington county; Mt. Penn, West Reading, Berks county; Bristol township, Bucks county; Blossburg, Elkland, Westfield, Wellsboro and Mansfield, Tioga county. Sunday film exhibitions were rejected by voters of Forty Fort borough, Luzerne county, which has a blue law tradition dating back to Connecticut settlers. Sports on Sunday were approved as follows: Newburg, Clearfield county. Lansford, Carbon county. Blossburg, Tioga county. West Middlesex, Mercer county. Taboo on Sunday sports was continued in Palmyra, Lebanon county, and East Hanover township. Dauphin county. The five Tioga county communities voted to reopen theatres on Sunday after District Attorney Charles M. Elliot ruled in July they must be closed until a vote was taken. Under the five-year-old state law which permitted communities to decide for themselves what kind of amusement they would sanction on Sunday, referenda can be held every five years on films and every three years on sports. Pitt Exchange Union to Seek Wage Increase Pittsburgh — Local Film Exchange Employes Union, affiliated with AFL, will seek increased wage scales for members, it is understood, when negotiations are opened with distributing home office representatives. Present two-year contract expires November 30. Ted Tolley of M-G-M is president of the Pittsburgh local. New Thompson House Watsontown, Pa. — Ground has been broken here for a new theatre, his tenth, by Howard J. Thompson. His other houses are in Clearfield, Bellefonte, Curwensville and Coalport. Seeking Site in Ebensburg Ebensburg, Pa. — Pending definite selection of location, complete plans have not been developed for the theatre announced for construction several months ago by the A. N. Notopoulos interests. Sketches have been prepared by F. J. Shollar, Altoona, architect. BOXOFFICE :: November 18, 1939 ME 53