Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1940)

POIRTIILAWIH piLMROW’S annual dance at the Aero Club was a big success. The dance and get together was sponsored by the Independent Theatre Owners of Oregon. New arrivals to the film colony are numerous. Miss Beverly Pearson has joined the RKO office force, Miss June Victor is secretary to Banjo Miller, the Misses Virginia Gibson and Edythe Schuhmann are stenographer and billing clerk, respectively, for Columbia; Don Brown is poster clerk, replacing Ray Logan, who was promoted to the shipping department, also at Columbia. A. W. Smith jr., general salesmanager, and J. H. McIntyre, western district manager for RKO, dropped into the local exchange for a sales meeting. Mrs. Ethel Smith, ex-Columbia steno, reports the arrival of Sharon Marie Smith as of December 12. She didn’t say whether her bundle of joy would grow up to be a steno or not. Influenza is playing havoc with the local theatre business. The theatre at Camp Clatsop is closed temporarily on account of it. Art Hile is laid up with the same epidemic. New theatre owners in the territory include Noel Nelson of the Peoples at Oakridge, Mrs. Dickenson at Grass Valley and W. M. Saunders opened a new theatre in Kinzua. Mr. Watrus’ new theatre building is nearing completion in Forest Grove and Western Sound announced the start of a “from the ground up’’ installation of booth equipment, seats and all the trimmings in J. S. Tews new theatre in North Bend. W. E. Robbins of Wheeler is remodeling with chairs and sound. Portland visitors; Sig Tully, sound man with Western Sound, in from Montana for a vacation; Mike Newman, Columbia publicity whiz, here to supervise the “Arizona” opening; Denny Hull, North Bend; George Gould, Dallas; L. A. Moore, Hermiston; Milt Odem and wife, Redmond; Jack Williams, Illwaco, Wash.; Harold LaDuc, Nehale; Claude Smith, Tillamook, and Ken Spears, Winlock, Wash., all on the Row doing booking and buying advertising. J. H. Sheffield, head man of Republic’s western division, was in town for a sales LOS ANGELES, GREETINGS from REPUBLIC PICTURES. INC. Frances A. Bateman, Branch Mgr. 1826 S. Vermont PA 1131 GREETINGS FROM • HARRY STERN. D.S.B.* and J. E. "DOC" SHAW. C.E.D.* 1912 So. Vermont Avenue — Los Angeles *D.S.Bi. — ^Doctor of Sick Box Offices *C.E.D. — Clinical Expert and Diagnostician Lobby Decorated to Help Sell Xmas Club Tickets Inglewood, Cal. — Manager Dave Martin and his assistant. Bill Erickson, made full use of front and lobby of their Fox Granada Theatre in selling Xmas Club tickets. To begin with, above the doors a 25foot-long space was covered with blue sateen on which trees and stars were airbrushed in silver. A blowup facsimile of the ticket on sale plus a cutout Santa Claus in full color, and the lettering “Buy Now and Save” were stapled on the background. Two ceiling spots illuminated the display. In the lobby were several easel boards. One board, six feet in height, featured a cutout pink Cupid. Copy read: “Cupie says — Get on the inside track by giving her a book of Fox Granada Goodwill theatre tickets.” Another easel (30x40) had attached to it 33 keys, from the lost and found department with punchline reading; “The key to sensible savings” followed by ticket copy. In the boxoffice window Martin and Erickson displayed a card, on the upper part of which was pasted two authentic Irish sweepstakes tickets. A red cellophane “X” ran across these two tickets and copy on the lower part of the card read: “You’ve not taken a chance when you’ve bought Fox Granada’s Goodwill Tickets.” conference and to aid in the installation of a new booker. That Christmas feeling prevails in Portland as indicated by the decision to give the viewers a present of new sound equipment in both B. F. Shearer’s and Star Film’s screening rooms. A rush is anticipated to have pictures screened. Mrs. Harold Dow, Meronia, is operating the Joy at Tigard during the service period of Reserve Captain J. J. Taggart in the army. Mark Corey jr. became a Looie in the same army. LOS ANGELES I Season's Greetings rt From I Exhibitor's Service, Inc. I I 1914 S. Vermont Street ■& Los Angeles i i Season's Greetings When It Is All Decided!! That It Cannot Be Done CALL 5 MIKE J. LEVINSON I « g 1909 S. Vermont Ave. — Los Angeles 4 i 1D> IE M V IE R QEEN at the premiere of “Santa Fe Trail” at Santa Fe were these theatre and film people from Denver: Harry Huffman, Fox city manager; Bernie Hynes, Denver manager; Earl Bell, Warner exchange manager; Henry Friedel, M-G-M exchange manager; Charles Gilmour, president Gibraltar theatres, and Jimmy Briggs, critic of the Rocky Mountain News. L. F. Flowers has bought the Pix at Johnstown, Colo. . . . Boys on the Row now have their baths handy, and don’t have to wait until Saturday night. A “Scientific Bath Parlor’’ has been opened right in the middle of the Row. A1 Hoffman, United Artists exchange manager, to Deadwood, S. D., to close a deal with the Black Hills Amusement Co., and Fred Zekman, the Black Hills Denver booker, also there to sit in on the deal. Seen on the Row: R. D. Irwin of the Irwin Circuit, headquarters in Kremmling, Colo.; Harry McDonald and Bob Spahn of the McDonald theatres at Torrington, Wyo., and Mitchell, Neb. DENVER CHRISTMAS CHEER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR NATIONAL THEATRE CALENDAR CO. I 2165 Broadway Denver Merry Christmas Happy New Year REPUBLIC EXCHANGES DENVER, COLO. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year TO ALL GRAHAM BROS. THEATRE EQUIPMENT 546 Lincoln Denver i I PREMIER HLM EXCHANGES SELECT ATTRACnONS George and Harry Kerer Denver and Salt Lake City COMMERCIAL FILM EXCHANGE Distributor ASTOR PICTURES !NAT WOLFE 2044 Broadway Denver BOXOFFICE : : December 21, 1940 37