Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1940)

H LL LOCAL theatres are preparing for the holiday week during which it is expected the boxoffice will recover from the slump of the past three weeks. There was rain this week to break the cold spell and it was more like California for a change. The flu, apparently, is on the wane, news that is certainly music to the ears of the exhibitors as the widespread illness was boxoffice poison. From where we sit it looks like a big Christmas week. Charley Koerner up for a visit to the Golden Gate. He was accompanied by Fred Meyer . . . D. J. McNerney back from his Chicago trip to find his son Jack down with the flu. Jack is assista7it maiiager of the Esquire in Sacramento . . . Howard Moody has been chosen by the Fox chain to manage their new house in San Carlos. The big opening is next week . . . Sid Kahn is back in the industry, managing the Roxie in Visalia. George Mann played host to Redwood managers at a cornbeef roundup and a preview of “Hudson’s Bay.” It was a big day and everyone reports a fine time . . . Paramount has booked Republic’s “Melody Ranch” for ten days starting this Saturday. This is the first Saturday changeover here in many years. Works out fine. LOS ANGELES XMAS GREETINGS and the SEASON'S BEST From the PARAMOUNTEERS G. A. SMITH DUKE CLARK ISH WHITE HARRY HAAS CARRY BRISTOL MOSE BURLES BEN ALBERTSON • BILL RING I however, for a change to catch the New Year’s Day celebrators . . . We are glad to hear that Gene Stephanie of Isleton is recovering from a ruptured appendix. Edgar Bergen was in town without Charlie. Bergen stated that he was looking for talent — supposedly for his next film . . . Ground was broken for a 7iew theatre in Fall River Mills. The Tyler interests are building the house . . . The ope7iing of the Tower in Marysville has been moved back U7itil the middle of January . . . There was a bookers’ brawl in 07ie of the Row’s liquid refreshment cor7iers this week. There were words, fists, some hurt feelings, but no serious damage. The laugh of the week occurred at the Harvey office. “Red” Fishback, manager of the McCloud, sent 12 Xmas trees to the Harvey home office for the employes. Before the gang could cart the trees home, one of the boys in the back room had cut them up for use as decoration in the office. The Harvey headquarters look fine but you should hear the grumbles of the staff who had to buy trees — at 40 cents a foot! Cleve Church has take7i over the America7i in Kingsburg fro77i Sam C. Levin . . . Ed Cox i7i town tellUig the boys about his huntmg. Ed is doing his best to deplete our supply of ducks and geese . . . Golden State is moving its headquarters next m07ith. The organizatiori will take two floors in the Hisurance Bldg., across the street from their present address . . . Patricia Moriso7i i7i town. Also Na7i Grey 07t a shoppmg tour. Quite a Jiumber of the film folk fi7id the San Fra7icisco shops attractive. Tory Roberts received painful hand burns when he extinguished a fire in his hotel room on a recent selling trip for Columbia . . . John Rowberry has taken over the managership of the American in Winnemucca . . . Wally Feehan has located here and is busy booking his roadshow attractions about the state . . . A1 Dunn is back with Fox West Coast after a long illness. Al, formerly with the Paramount and St. Francis, is now at the Warfield . . . Dave Bolton on the Row booking for all his houses. Bob Crosby has been booked for a personal appearance with his band at the Golden Gate. He will play the week his picture, “Let’s Make Music,” premieres at the theatre on Ja7iuary 8 . . . Bob Lippert has returned from two tveeks in Los A7igeles on Pacific Premium business . . . George Blume7ithal checked in at the Producers Releasing office after a selling trip in the valley . . . The field is opening up agai7i for the Harry Bridges-Martin Dies short since the FBI opened up on Bridges. I MERRY CHRISTMAS I To All Our Friends ED SHRIVER STAN PARISEAU BOB QUINN KENNY KAISER Altec Service Corporation Alberl Law Named PCCITO Counsel Los Angeles — Indications that the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners is to launch into a renewed and thorough study of the consent decree and the effect it will have upon the PCCITO membership are seen in the appointment of Albert J. Law as general counsel for the organization. Law has resigned his post as special assistant to the U. S. attorney-general, which position he has held for the past 11 years, and will begin his term of service with the PCCITO about January 1. During his years of service as a department of justice deputy he conducted numerous investigations into all phases of motion pictures. He has been on the Pacific Coast for three years, working with Harold Collins, also of the department of justice, on local angles of the government’s recent all-industry suit, from which the consent decree resulted. PCCITO spokesmen had no comment to make on Law’s appointment beyond the bare disclosure that he had been retained. It is believed, however, that an expanded statement will be forthcoming following a meeting of the PCCITO trustees, scheduled for the near future. Xmas Bonuses in Store for Several on L A. Row Los Angeles — A fair share of Filmrow's personnel is going to find a bonus in its Christmas stocking this year. Fox West Coast has earmarked between $50,000 and $60,000 for distribution to its employes as a Yuletide reward for work well done during the year. The major portion of it will go to those earning $75 or less weekly in the form of an extra week’s salary. The balance will be distributed to house managers, bookers and others in the form of contest awards. The M-G-M exchange workers have, for the past several years, been given an extra week’s wages, which procedure local attaches say, will almost certainly be repeated this year. Bonuses on the same scale are in prospect at Paramoimt and may be forthcoming at the other exchanges, although as yet no word on the matter has been received. Among the service and equipment firms. National Screen Service and Altec Service have announced bonuses will be distributed in the form of an extra week’s salary or a percentage of weekly earnings. LOS ANGELES Seasons Greetings Charles A. B. Emanuel Bess Emanuel "SPIN AND WIN" 1909 S. Vermont PA 1372 34 BOXOFFICE :: December 21, 1940