The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

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22 M. & P. Circuit Mildred Tormey, accounting depart¬ ment, returned from vacationing to New York, as did Eva Turcotte, secretary to Edward Canter. Messrs. Martin Mullin, Sam Pinanski, Phil Seletsky, and Walter Higgins, went to New York to negotiate a film deal. Germaine Reichman, vacationed. She and a girl friend drove through the South. Jack Schwartz, one-time head usher, Morton, Dorchester, one-time M. and P. advertising assistant, will be married October 8 to Miss Muriel Harris, daughter of M. and P. projectionist “Kid” Harris. This correspondent and friends join in personal congratulations. Warners’ “A Child Is Born,” booked for showing at the Paramount, was postponed. Olympia, Boston, has a new popcorn machine. RKO-Keith’s Circuit Bill McCourt has returned from Keith’s Albee in Providence, where he was relief manager, to take up duties as assistant manager, Keith’s Memorial. A gala occasion was the single-perform¬ ance personal appearance of Anna Neagle, star of “Nurse Edith Cavell,” with Her¬ bert Wilcox, producer-director. RKO celebrities have been on tour. September 22 a Hollywood Premiere of the film was held at 9 P. M. Previous to the ap¬ pearance, a dinner was given the Boston critics, and critics brought in from 20 outlving cities of New England and New York. State and city officials were also present. A gargantuan exploitation campaign was worked out by publicitv men — three ad¬ vance men sent from RKO home office: Louis Alleman, in charge of dinner arrangements, etc.; J. Dowden, press rela¬ tions, and Louis Alleman, 2d. assisting his father — and, of course, publicity director Jack Granara, assisted by Joe Ehrlich. Jack Granara returned last week from the second lap of split vacation, spent at Maplewood, New Hampshire. During Jack’s absence, assistant Joe Ehrlich arranged with Jordan Marsh for appear¬ ance of King Sisters, featured on Artie Shaw’s program, on television display. Thirty-two columns of pictures and stories appeared in the Post, Globe, Herald. Several employees of RKO offices have heard from the coast that Charles Koerner, former division manager here, has become the owner of a Beverly home, complete with swimming pool, and all the fixings. Further news from the coast re¬ ports that Dick Mahn, in addition to duties as Koerner’s secretary, is treasurer of RKO Hill Street, that Fred Rush is assistant treasurer. September 25-28 Imperial’s double hor¬ ror thriller “Return of the Frog” and “Demon Barber of Fleet Street” scared the daylights out of RKO Boston the¬ atregoers. Snider Circuit Irving Alexander, Winthrop manager, has been made district manager of the circuit. Irving Alexander promoted interesting institutional advertising at Winthrop by giving away bridge score pads to women patrons, and a cun to the best footballer of the Winthrop High School team. Western Mass . Circuit Dave Perkins, master showman now managing the Calvin, Northampton, was in town recently, celebrating his 40th anniversary in show business. THE EXHIBITOR NEW HAVEN Meadow Street Twentieth Century-Fox has installed a printing outfit to imprint window cards. Exhibitor Hadelman, Shelton, Shelton, is going ahead with his plans for a new theatre in that town. Construction will begin in the spring. Ben Simon, Earl Wright, and Sam Ger¬ maine spent the last weekend in Boston attending a sales meeting there. Owner Lampert, Colchester circuit, is now in Florida with his nephew, and, according to reports, he is going ahead with plans to build up a small circuit in that state. Mort Katz, Metro, was on the receiving end of a speeding ticket on Hutchinson Parkway recently. But he uses a fetch¬ ing line of sales talk. Henry Germaine has named his little infant son David. Maurice Schulman was in town, telling proudly of the 24-sheet billboard cam¬ paign embarked upon by the Webster, Hartford. He claims it’s the biggest in¬ stitutional advertising campaign ever staged in the territory. Exchanges were deserted during the latter part of the week of the 11th due to the Jewish holidays. Max Tabackman has closed the Devon, Devon, temporarily. Owner Hess, owner Moosup, Moosup, will open a new theatre shortly in Groton. Construction is well on its way now. Bill Sirica was confined to his home last week with a broken ankle. This makes two breaks for Bill. Angelo Tomasino, actor son of Mike Tomasino, was in town recently and chat¬ ted at length with Hugh Maguire RKO office, on their favorite topic— sailboats. Katherine Higgins stands out in the RKO office now like a sore thumb. Rea¬ son — she recently carved off a piece of that digit while attempting to slice a roast. Ruth Goldberg and Mary O’Daynik at¬ tended the Russian convention at Han¬ over Park, Meriden, and had a swell time dancing and singing to those old Musco¬ vite melodies. Bob Carney, assistant manager, Loew's College, was seriously injured in an auto accident. Last week, he was removed from the hospital to his home where he will be forced to remain for several months. RKO office manager Hugh Maguire and booker Stanley Levin recently attended wedding of personal friends in New Haven. (Our Mr. Colavolpe, it seems has been detained by floods, etc., but a note from him in Hollywood might be of interest — Ed.) It follows, in part: A survey of some of the Hollywoodites revealed that some of the various de¬ partments were being cut down. East met West on this trip. It was good to see a Warren Stokes who has been doing a swell job in covering the Hollywood news, and your correspondent can see why this is possible for he cer¬ tainly has the contacts and has a splendid personality. Warren met your writer at the Biltmore and then we made the town together. As it was, 20th Century-Fox was having their world premiere of “The Rains Came” at Grauman’s theatre. Be¬ decked in Hollywood splendor with lights, glamour and crowds, the stars received quite an ovation. However, in talking to some of the various publicity men in the studios it seems as though the studios go in for more of the out-of-town pre¬ mieres. Your correspondent’s trip West several years ago brought him in contact with many Connecticut people. Frank Healy was one of the fellows from New Haven who was certainly making rapid strides in the movie field. Coming to RKO Radio two years ago, Frank set up a radio department to publicize the various pictures and also worked on the angle of using bits from the various pictures on the various air shows. With the advent of television Frank has already been at work getting ready the use of trailers, etc., for use over the airwaves. Frank invited your correspondent to visit with him at his home in West Holly¬ wood and among the film people in this neighborhood were Anne Shirley, John Payne. Ed Rubin, Benny Rubin’s brother, and other film people. Trekking along to Frisco over the week¬ end, it was good to hear that the news¬ papers were on the job. For the first time, the four big papers in Frisco sponsored a charity baseball game between the movie stars. Practically all of Hollywood was transplanted to the Seals Stadium for the classic September 17 between the leading men and comedians. Meeting Dick Purcell. Greenwich, Connecticut, laddie and featured player, your writer found himself in the leading men’s dugout with Preston Foster, Roy Rogers, Alan Curtis, John Howard, John Carroll, William Farnum, Wayne Morris, Buck Jones, and others. Also delving around the neighborhood were some of the comedians — Andy Devine, Allan Jenkins, Buster Keaton. Billy Gilbert. Nat Pendleton, Big Boy Williams, Keye Luther and others. Edmund Lowe, Clair Trevor, Jane Withers also cavorted on the field. Dick Purcell wanted to be remembered to his Connecticut friends as well as the numerous others. Will be back on Meadow Street around the end of next week. Here, the pinch-hitter resumes his reporatorial duties. Mrs. Harry Shaw celebrated her birth¬ day while the Loew s Poli-Crosley Cara¬ van was in Springfield. Si Felder was in town on his regular tour around the New England district. Mrs. Lou Brown and daughter, Shirley Lou, returned last week from their visit to Baltimore and Washington. Harry Rose, manager, Loew’s Poli Globe. Bridgeport, turned that town up¬ side down, according to reports here, with an exploitation campaign on his British horror show. He sent an ambulance driver around the town dressed as a frog for “The Return of the Frog.” He also set up a small barber shop in his lobby to boost the other feature on the bill, “The Barber of Fleet Street.” Globe is getting new seats very soon. Dave Kaufman. Poli New England art department, has become such a golf bug, he talks and thinks of nothing else. Jim Memery, Poli art department, ex¬ pects his wife to honor him with a little package of joy soon. State, Jewett City, opened September 19. Joe Quittner and Pete Perokos are operating it. John Barnett is manager. Seen in town: Leo Ricci, Capitol, Meri¬ den; Nat Furst, Monogram; M. E. Morey, Republic’s Boston office. Bob Schwartz, Paramount, Thomaston, will open the new theatre soon. Poli office is mighty proud of the fact that the Cavalcade floats were the first movie floats of their kind to be per¬ mitted to enter the World’s Fair grounds. Finals of the Bijou jitterbug contest will be held in the larger Loew’s Poli October 3. Matt Saunders, Loew’s Poli, Bridgeport, is receiving many compliments from his September 27, 1939