The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

22 THE EXHIBITOR Bridgeport Manager Matt Saunders and his aide, Otto Esposito, Loew-Poli publicist, were arm weary after handing out buttons for the 2,000 members of the Mickey RooneyJudy Garland Fan Club. . . . Harry Rein¬ ers, RKO Radio field ace, did the town. . . . Between modernizing the Colonial and keeping an eye on the early plans for his new house on Park Avenue, Lew Anger is busier than the proverbial one-armed paper hanger. . . . Manager Harry Rose, Globe, helped his lovely blonde wife cele¬ brate her birthday. . . . Max Rudnick takes over the Lyric for 10 weeks start¬ ing November 10, with girl shows week¬ days and movie-vaudeville bills Sundays. Hiring five new ushers at one fell swoop, manager Howard Pettingill, Warner, hopes he has licked the inroads made by local factories on the staffs of local houses. New ushers are William Henderson, Joseph Grosso, Robert Cornwel, Leon Rosenbaum, and Velio Mancini. . . . Hallowe’en patrons at the Loew-Poli helped them¬ selves to free cider and doughnuts. . . . Sam Hadelman, Capitol, made another trip to Washington. . . . Manager Morris Ros¬ enthal, Majestic, set the high school swingsters jittering by presenting the girls with portraits of bandsman Artie Shaw, as part of his campaign on “Dancing Co-Ed.” New usher at the Globe is a handy man to have around in a pinch. He is William Taylor, well-known middleweight boxer. . . . Manager Matt Saunders, Loew-Poli, was one of the civic leaders chosen to act as the committee for the Hallowe’en party and dance held in the Plaza square under supervision of the Police Department. . . . Pretty Ann Chermin, Devon, is the fiancee of her boss, manager Ralph Civitello. . . . Justine Prusin and Mary Basik are new usherettes at the Loew-Poli. Manchester Jack Sanson, manager, State, entered Manchester Memorial Hospital for a checkup. Earlier in the week with Henry Needles, Warners’ district manager, he went to the State, Waterbury, to sit in on that theatre’s “quiz contest.” . . . Tom Grogran, assistant manager, State, was presented with a daughter by Mrs. Grogan during the past week. New Britain Theatre men of the town really made the celebration of the city’s new Main Street a success. They put on the jitter¬ bug contest that brought out 10,000 as onlookers or participants. Other planned parts of the program did not materialize, but theirs was enough. Those who helped were owners Peter Perakos, Palace; John Glackin, Arch Street; managers Joe Bornstein, Embassy; Randy Mailer, Strand; Frank Linnehan, Rialto; John Kata, State; exchange managers Lou Weschler, United Artists, and Ben Pitkin, RKO, New Haven. Palace plans to adopt “pay night” soon. Each patron gets an envelope which may contain one cent to a sawbuck. . . . Don¬ ald, small son of Joseph Borenstein, Em¬ bassy manager, is recovering from opera¬ tion for appendicitis. . . . New cashier at Palace is Mildred Mancarella. . . . Randy Mailer, Strand, manager, ran a spook show for Hallowe’en. . . . Peter Perakos, Palace owner, has a new coupe. Nortvalk James Darby, Norwalk, ran a successful cooking school, and the results helped overcome some of the resentment when the house shifted from first to third-run policy. The local paper helped because of the school. Ridgefield Irwin Wheeler, president, Fairchester Theatres, Inc., has contracted for RCA Photophone High Fidelity sound repro¬ ducing equipment for the new 700-seat noues the company is building here. Christened the Ridgefield, house will be operated as part of the Prudential circuit. Waterbury Peter Paul Mounds is sponsoring the Sil¬ ver Dollar Quiz being held at the Warner Brothers’ State. . . Ed Fitzpatrick, man¬ ager, Loew-Poli, attended a managers’ meeting recently in the New Haven home office. . . . Golly, radio announcer, WELI, is the Professor Quiz of the Kash Kwiz, being played at the Loew-Poli. . . . George Loukides spends all his days off around the theatre. . . . Marian Sciascia, Loew-Poli cashier, attended a dinner dance given by her sewing club. . . . State held a midnight spook show. . . . Loew-Poli held a Hallow¬ e'en costume contest on the stage. MAINE Camden Richard C. Welch, projectionist, Graphic Circuit’s Comique, and Mrs. Welch, with their six-months-old Robert and Mrs. Welch’s father, returned from a six weeks’ visit in Central Valley, New York, and the World’s Fair. Cornish Stanley Hussey, wife and son, of Mars Hill were visitors with the Sam Kimballs. Latter is expecting to re-open the Sokokis, Limerick, later in the month. . . . Deer and birds are plentiful in York County and between the deer re-opening in Lim¬ erick and the operation of the Cornish Sam is expecting a busy November, so film salesmen take notice (phone ahead). . . . “The Rains Came,” reports Sam, came on the same day as plenty of moisture and the business was good. Portland Theatrical Guild of Portland made its debut on local amateur boards with ‘The Silver Cord,” the Sidney Howard prize play. Scheduled for a two-night stand the group did not repeat after the first night. . . . Automobile Show all week drew re¬ cord crowds. Theatre managers did not suffer, according to reports. . . . Playing “The Women” at the Strand, Leo Young tied up with many local advertisers. . . . The Sagamores, offering Sunday profes¬ sional football, were forced to cancel for the remainder of the season. Patronage fell off, undoubtedly due to Sunday movies. Construction at the Casco almost suf¬ fered because of disaster. Chief contractor Joseph Britton and one of his carpenters Albert Loore were on their way to Boston for the week end when Loore suffered a heart attack and died at the wheel. Car crashed into a tree, but Britton suffered no injuries. Shock necessitated Britton’s taking a two-day lay-off in Boston, but the work at the Casco pushed ahead try¬ ing for the Thanksgiving Day opening. . . . Portland has a new relief cashier, Lillian Mitchell, replacing Alice Mottrom, re¬ signed. Strand marquee is getting a new coat of paint and new lighting. . . . State lobby is shining resplendently and proudly in a new covering of rubber mats. . . . Peter Marcous, State projectionist, lost his wife this past week. She had been ill for the last year. . . . Big doings at the State— what with unusual list of strong attrac¬ tions booked in for the months of Novem¬ ber and December, manager Botwick is planning a mammoth campaign to sell the pictures. Harry wears a broad grin. When asked, about the big plans, “Wait and see,” sez he. . . . Motor-In, Saco, Scarboro, closed for the season. . . . Peggy Seyford, State cashier, is home ill with a severe cold. . . . Bill Romonoff, State chief of staff, has taken up hiking as a winter sport. Bill sold his ancient and honorable jallopy. . . . Mrs. Harry Botwick has returned from New York where she at¬ tended the week’s National Convention of Senior Hadassah. . . . Opening of the Maine Civic with the San Carlos Opera Company gets $2.75 top and $1.10 mini¬ mum. . . . Visitors, J. T. Loftus, Standard Theatre Supply, Boston. New type sidewalk broadcast launched in front of the State met with instant suc¬ cess. Program was signed up for the winter months, thus extending a program that has been on every week for the past three years into a definite fourth year. . . . Double horror bill at the Maine was quite in keeping with the Hallowe’en season. It packed in the customers, so manager John Divney reports. MASSACHUSETTS Amesbury Strand, under manager James O’Loughlin, held a Hallowe’en party for kiddies. . . . Strand is to have a streamlined lobby, with new fixtures and enlarged booth. . . . Amesbury High School football team were guests of the Strand for “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Brighton Joe Marquis, Egyptian, worked a stage show to advantage, and got results with a cartoon carnival. Brockton Park, Morris Ralby, manager, is aiding the Brockton Community Fund campaign with the notation, “Give Your Share to the Brockton Community Fund,” in its daily advertising. Bob Reid, operator, Strand, was on the sick list after hunting trip to Connecticut where Bob fell into swamp on first day of trip. . . . New carpets are now being laid in manager Cahill’s Brockton. . . . Larry Weinberg, doorman, Strand, is still at work regardless of bad injury to hand. . . . Personnel of Strand are trying to figure whether they have two new cats or tigers. . . . Frank Clements, manager, Strand, made a very successful tie-up with local candy manufacturer and gave all kids candy bars Saturdays. . . . Frank Carroll, chief usher, Brockton, can’t get to theatre early enough mornings to ask doorman Frank Nelligan of progress. . . . Marguerite Perry is the new usherette at the Strand with Charlotte Nelson now cashiering. Myrtle Johnson, also cashier, had a swell little birthday party and was remembered by entire staff. Cambridge Maurice Corkery, Central Square, clicked with a special children’s amateur broadcast. Fall River Manager Bill Canning, Interstate Em¬ pire, has dressed up his eight-piece or¬ chestra in snappy uniforms. . . Chris Joyce, manager, Interstate Durfee, visited his mother in New Haven, Connecticut, the November 8 , 1939