Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1940)

^JIKE CIANCIOLO, who is affectionately known on Filmrow as “Uncle Mike,” and his son. Augustine, held the formal opening of his Luciann Theatre on Saturday, November 9. The house seats approximately 1,200, and was built at a cost of $100,000. Part of the building is of two story construction with offices on the upper floor and stores on the lower in addition to the theatre lobby. Leroy Renfro and Ralph Abramson of the Grove at Holly Grove. Ark., paid the Roio their first visit in many rveeks . . . Malco Theatres. Inc., have invited all holders of No. 158, in this territory, the first draft numeral, to see “The World in Flames” at the Malco as its special guests . . . Buster Clark, formerly manaaer of the Linden Circle and Memphian Theatres, is the neiv shinper and poster clerk at Monogram Southern. Exhibitors recently on the Row: P. E. Morris. Revent, Tndianola. Miss.: Mi.«s Emma Cox. Gem. Osceola. Ark.: Earl Vandiver. Vandiver. Kennett. Mo.; Miss Elise Hanks. Ritz. Crenshaw. Miss.: A. J. Tilghman. Tchula. Tchula. Mi.ss.: John Shannon. Shannon. Portageville. Mo.: C. N. Jenkins. New. McCrory, Ark.; C. N. Eudy, Ackerman. Ackerman. Miss.: Burris & Henley Smith. Imnerial. Pocahontas. Ark.; Mrs. G. H. Brewer. Savoy. Clarksdale, Miss.; W. O. Tavlor. Untown. Dresden. Tenn.: W. G. “Buster” Clark. Alamo. Pine Bluff. Ark.: W. E. Rine-ger. New. Leachville. Ark.: W. N. Hammer. Town, Collierville, Tenn.: Norman Fair. Fair. Somerville, Tenn.: W. F. Ruffin. Ruffin Amusement Co.. Covington. Tenn.: G. H. Goff. Rustic. Parsons. Tenn.: Miss Louise Mask. Luez. Bolivar. Tenn.: W. H. Caver, Von. Booneville, Miss. M. H. Brandon, president of Film Transit. Hic.. of Charlotte, has svent the last three weeks in Memphis, working with his local office . . . Juanita Scruags. Warner cashier, is back at her desk after a vacation in Chattanooga. Tenn. . . . M. A. Lightman sr. and ir. .spent several days on a combination business and pleasure QPENINGS of major importance in both local circuits marked the current w'eek in Miami. Tuesday evening saw the doors of the Surf reopened for the season with the showing, currently with the Lincoln, of “The Great Dictator.” Both of these beach houses are Wometco. The long looked for opening of the new Paramount neighborhod de luxe house, the Boulevard, was celebrated Thursday evening with official pomp and ceremony. Charles Whitaker, formerly in charge of the Cinema, is manager of the new house. Stanley Stern supervises activities at the Surf as well as the Cameo. Fred Greene has returned to officiate as his assistant manager at that newly reopened North Beach deluxer, the Surf. Stanley is much relieved these days, incidentally, since a wedding picture of the “other Stanley Steam” has been published. He has indisputable evidence to back up his denials now. The new face presiding over activities in the publicity offices of Paramount Enterprises. Inc., is M. E. Pettingill, recently arrived in Miami from the east. Several other major changes in the circuit are in trip in Chicago, after which Lightman flew to the west coast, and M. A. jr. returned to his office at the Malco Theatre. The two local exhibitors who never miss a football game, regardless of the weather, E. R. Gillette, of the Bristol and Walter Parham of the Royal, sat through the downpour until the final whistle blew for the Tennessee-Southwestern game, blissfully unaware of the fact that practically everyone else had left the stadium long before. Merritt Davis, Republic salesman for Arkansas, who makes his headquarters in Little Rock, paid the local office a visit . . . True Thompson, who operates three Colored theatres in Dallas, besides other business interests, has been taking part in the Memphis Little Theatre production. “Margin for Error.” Prances McIntyre, cashier, and Ilene Lindsay, assistant cashier at Universal, are back from a visit to Hot Springs . . . W. P. Sonneman, who operates theatres in Fayetteville, Springdale and Bentonville, paid the Row his regular monthly booking visit . . . Dave Flexer is very busy these days supervising the construction of a new front and marquee for his Ritz Theatre. K. H. Kinney held the formal opening of his new Hays Theatre at Hughes. Ark., on Wednesday, November 13. The local Warner exchange and the Warner Theatre are joining in the drive to finance an ambulance, a mobile feeding unit, and 21 hospital beds and equipment for the British cause . . . Wilfred Bonds has taken over the operation of the theatre in Dyer, Tenn., which is now known as the Dyer. Barney Woolner closed his Drive-In in Memphis November 16, after a very successful first year’s operation. He advises his re-opening will be around the first of April. After a short vacation he and Mrs. Woolner will make their home in Ft. Wayne, Ind., this winter, which is going home to Mrs. Woolner. and Barney has taken over the management of a local suburban house in Ft. Wayne. process following the appointment of George Hoover as the organization’s new city maiiager. Advancing from the Colony to the Sheridan, the circuit’s Miami Beach deluxer, is Austin Moon. Billy Pratt, down from. Atlanta, now presides at the Colony. Again in the spotlight for the second time in as many months. Commander John E. Burks, of the Max Fleischer Studio, arranged the rendezvous which local yachtsmen had, in the form of a floating reception at the Seventy-Ninth Street causeway Tuesday, with the yachts in the Southward Ho cruise of the American Power Boat Ass’n. Burks is commander of the Miami unit of the United States Power Squadron. Their usual substantial food contribution will be turned over to the Miami Salvation Army as the result of Wometco theatres’ annual “canned goods” matinee. Accepted price of admission is a can of food of any kind . . . even though in some past instances, cans marked “sample — NOT to be sold,” have been traded upon. As a matter of fact, canned matinees can usually be counted on for a new flock of nifties each year — particularly from the vicinity of the Lincoln. Ct ^ : The Carolinas : ■ 0 f Continued from page 58) that much of the understructure is by Henry Ford, and there’s a hitch-hiker named Robert on the Oldsmobile running board ! Oil Companies Fear Loss of Foreign Markets, reads a headline in the Raleigh News-Observer. Mulling the thing over, we have come to the conclusion there need be no fear of using up the surplus, so long as our car keeps to the road. Out-Hurring Ben Hur What’s this strange influence of Lum ’n’ Abner? When all returns are in, this picture may prove to be as great as Ben Hur in getting out the ungettables. E. E. Wade of the Iris in Belmont, N. C., has this to say: “We had a woman come out and praise the picture. She hadn’t been to a show in 20 years, she said. Other farmer folk handed their money to the usher. They simply didn’t understand there was a boxoffice.” News from Fayetteville is that the way to Sunday shows may be paved at last. Leon Gibson, Broadway manager, was fined $100 for permitting a Saturday owl show picture to run into Sabbath wee hours. A recorder’s court judge held the ordinance invalid, being unreasonable and not general in application, but kept open the door for an appeal by the state, if desired. With 40,000 soldiers hereabouts, Fayetteville, definitely on a boom, may get the boon of Sunday shows, which nearby Raleigh, the capital, has had for years. Like Wine, Improves With Age We’re on a still-hunt for pictures of the oldest exhibitors in the Two Carolinas. In our possession are prints of Drake at Wadesboro, Batchelor at Weldon, and Stewart at Concord. Still missing, but on the way, are likenesses of other old-timers and when we get them all together we plan to run them side by each in Boxoffice. Memories are dim when they go way back to the turn of the century. Only a few years separate the starting points of the handful, but we’re betting on L. L. Drake of the Ansonia Theatre at Wadesboro, as one of the oldest in point of continuous service, and still active. He dates back to ’06, is said to be the first in the United States to run Queen Elizabeth, and had the first motion picture theatre at Fayetteville. Of course, the daddy of them all was H. B. Wells at Newberry, who passed away a few years ago. Mr. Wells’ experience at one theatre actually encompassed 45 years, his start being as an usher before the movies were born. Incidentally, our compilation of the oldest theatres in the United States in continuous service still stands, so far as we know. The daddy is, of course, the Masonic at New Bern, N. C., conceived in 1799 by George Washington and completed in 1802 or 1803. Second comes the National in Washington, D. C., opened in 1815. Third is Freddy Weiss’ Savannah at Savannah, Ga., with an 1818 tag. All three of these houses are now running pictures, which virtually have been shown since inception of the art. A Summerville Prediction As we cavort about the Carolinas, we learn . . . Grange Cuthbert, manager of the Summerville at Summerville, S. C., expects to be a Christmas papa . . . R. S. Rogers jr. has a turnstile arrangement that virtually has eliminated the bugaboo of passes at Cheraw. If he sticks a theatre card in a merchant’s window, incidentally, he pays cash for the service! 62 BOXOFFICE :: November 23, 1940