Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1940)

THE near-epidemic siege of influenza that has held the city in its grasp has played havoc with the theatre business. The city’s health director has closed several schools and requested the people to refrain from going to shows and other gathering places. This, together with the usual poor audiences that come with the holiday season have left the theatres mighty empty. The English troupers who gave their services for the benefit of the British War Relief were highly enthusiastic over the approximate proceeds which amounted to $8,000. So, the screen stars will return in January to give three more of the six plays in the “Tonight at 8:30” group . . . Marty Weiser, Warner exploiteer, off to Denver after several days here working on the “Santa Fe” opening . . . Robert Young in town on a social visit. Joseph Sunn, theatrical man of San Francisco’s Chinatown and president of the Grand View Film Co., has invented a new technique for translating to English the titles of Oriental films. Sunn’s method results in display of the English titles on stereoptican slides immediately beneath the theatre’s screen and carefully synchronized by machinery with the sequence of the story. This saves considerable on the expense of the old method whereby English titles were superimposed. All the Harvey circuit managers will come to town on Tuesday, December 17, for a managers’ meeting and the annual Christmas party. The meeting will be held in the afternoon and the party at the Bal Tabarin in the evening . . . Cameraman Rey Scott’s natural color picture, “China’s Comeback,” was shown this week at the War Memorial Opera House under the auspices of the Chinese Children’s benefit. Shirley O’Neil, 12 years old, had a day of fun when she was “Nellie Kelly for a Day” in connection with the picture’s opening at the Fox. She had a private car and liveried chauffeur at her disposal, lunched with Russ Morgan at the Palace, and went on a shopping tour. Shirley was from the St. Joseph’s Orphanage. Lawrence Borg has bought the Playhouse in Calistoga and will remodel before reopening . . . Mel Hulling is back from a week’s trip to Portland and Seattle . . . Ed Gates was on the sick list and the Esquire, which he manages, had to get along without him for a few days . . . The Warner Club Christmas party will be held at the Alexander Hamilton this year. Lew Lindley in town to open the Coulter line office here. Pat Patterson will manage . . . Harry Kaiserstein up from the L. A. West Coast Automatic Candy Co. office to visit here . . . Pacific Premium is now the agent for the Joan Blondell cosmetics . . . RKO is remodeling their club room at the exchange to accommodate the big Xmas party to be held on the 20th . . . Don Condon is pinch-hitting for Rex Stephenson at the Golden State office. The new Tower in Marysville is opening on Xmas day. The San Carlos, latest Golden State theatre, will open on the 28th although a special preview opening will be held on the 21th . . . Larry Killinsworth has sold his Healdsburg in Healdsburg to the Redwood circuit . . . Eleanor Stillian has resigned from her Columbia post. She will retire to domesticity . . . Mike Newman in town working on the “Arizona” opening on the 19th . . . The Nicholas Bros., currently at the Golden Gate, have been contracted by 20th Century. Will go right into “Road to Rio.” Dick Crosby and Harry Rice of the Embassy Theatre certainly hit the jackpot this week when their Pressman’s ticket brought them $1,000! Harry will put his $500 into the new house he is building and Dick, at home with the flu, could not be reached for a statement . . . Dan McLean, the town’s popular exhibitor, will share the m. c. duties at the Call-Bulletin Party with Rudy Vallee and Fanny Brice . . . George Schaefer, RKO prexy, in town for the “No, No, Nanette” sneak preview. The world premiere of “Convoy” was held at the Gate this week. The theatre looks like the camping ground of the U. S. Army as the house has tied in with the government on exploitation. The IbOth Infantry is on the premises and they sure stop the crowd even if they don’t bring them into the theatre . . . Ben Fisher, UA district manager, up for business . . . Anna Neagle, Herbert Wilcox, Betty Grable. Bob Hope, and many others from Hollywood up for the Charity Week at Bay Meadows . . . Producers Releasing Corp. previewed “Devil Bat” for the circuit heads this week. Dorothy Foley is receiving the congratulations of the Row on her marriage this Thursday to Bill Hamlyn . . . “The Great Dictator” bowed out this week after a fine four-week run. “Kit Carson” followed . . . Most of the studios have sent representatives to buy up dismantled exhibits, pavilions and furniture, etc., now being sold and auctioned at Treasure Island. Plenty of good stuff for property room stock. Some of the exhibits and collections have been acquired intact. » IE W V IE IR jyjOTION PICTURE operators union negotiated new contract with 21/2 per cent increase. Ralph J. Batschalet, manager of the Bluebird Theatre, has been re-elected president of the East Side Board of Trade and has been elected to the same office in the Co-Op Club. This club will hold its national convention in Denver next year. Alex Singelow, salesman for United Artists, has been transferred to Seattle, and is succeeded here by Frank Roberts, long in the business as auditor. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sheffield are spending their vacation in California . . . Budd Rogers, vice-president of Alliance Pictures of New York, was in town calling on Monogram exchange. The theatre at the Ft. Warren, Wyo., army post, closed for five days because of the prevalence of flu . . . Ed Mapel, owner of the Gem and Colorado theatres, to Hollywood . . . Coppell Amusement Co. moving to 828 21st St. Jim Thompson has opened a 400-seaf house, called the Tunnell, at Couches Dam, Colo. . . . Films are being used at the new Federal Correctional institution near Denver, where a new 300-seaf theatre was included in the buildings . . . Mrs. M. L. Gollogher has taken back the Mancos at Mancos, Colo., from Fox. Arthur J. Fountain has opened a 300seat house in Messila, N. M., and named it the Fountain, and in Madrid, N. M., the Madrid Employe’s Club has arranged to show a few films . . . Rick Ricketson, manager of the Fox Intermountain division, has built a private theatre in his home in Circle Drive. ^HE eight-pound boy born to Mrs. Myrtle Kavanaugh at the Altadena Hospital in Altadena will answer to the name of Michael. Papa books for the Jimmy Edwards circuit in the San Gabriel Valley . . . Fox Westcoasters are planning their annual Christmas party for December 20 at the Ambassador Hotel . . . Jerome Safron, Columbia’s western district manager, has checked in from San Francisco, where he attended a regional sales meeting . . . Ben Kalmenson, Warner western and southern district chief, has returned to New York after studio and exchange conferences . . . “Birth of a Nation” has closed a two-week revival run at the Tele-View Revival Theatre in Hollywood and has been supplanted by Norma Talmadge in “DuBarry.” Bess Emanuel, the only feminine foreign distributor in this part of the country, has added another item to her growing list of accomplishments. Bess is now writing a motion picture column for three Spanish newspapers — El Heraldo de Mexico, El Cine Grafico and Cine Nacional . . . Walter Hammond, brother of Jennie LeFavour, Universal inspectress, died suddenly of a heart attack and was buried at Inglewood cemetery ... On the Row: Murray Hawkins of the Swan circuit; Phil Greenbaum, Castle and Mecca theatres. Booking: Phil Pecharitch, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz.; C. A. Simons, in from Needles . . . Mary Ross, Altec Service secretary, is vacationing for two weeks — and spending most of her time at home ... Ed Shriver and Bob Quinn of Altec Service have returned from their trip through the Arizona territory . . . A1 O’Keefe, Universal’s western district manager, is in from Salt Lake . . . Mike Newman, Columbia exploiteer, off to Seattle and Portland to handle “Arizona” openings. Bookers at M-G-M have been having duck dinners all week. Charles Stillman of the Grizzly Theatre in Big Bear bagged some ducks over the weekend and surprised the boys at the exchange on his regular weekly visit by handing out a goodsized bird to each one of them . . . Herb McIntyre, RKO Radio western district manager for United Artists, has checked in to assume his new duties as manager of the local UA office. He succeeds E. A. MacLean. It was something of a surprise to UA employes when Hazel Vaara, one of the office clerks, became Mrs. Leon Grant over the weekend. The new husband is an interior decorator. Marriage took place in Yuma . . . On the Row: George Diamos, Lyric Amusement Co., Tucson, Arizona; Joe Sloate of the Maynard; Boris Posner, operator of the Arlington; Bill Kohler, Valuskis Theatre, Willowbrook. Bill Ring, head shipper at Paramount, back on the job after a bad siege with the flu .. . John Ash, M-G-M auditor, is in from Salt Lake City for a few days . . . Ruben A. Calderon, Azteca exchange manager, in from his selling trip through the Imperial Valley . . . Mike Levinson, independent distributor, has checked out for San Francisco and points north on a week’s selling trip. B. F. SHEARER COMPANY “Theatre Equipment Specialists” Heywood-Wakefield Seats Wagner Silhouette Letters Motiograph Projectors 1964 So. Vermont RO. 1145 LOS ANGELES BOXOFFICE ;; December 14, 1940 45