The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

19 NEWS OF THE TERRITORY ! ..... ' DEL-MAR-VA Milford Plaza reopened April 8. EDWARD C. EVANS, long the manager and part owner of the house, remains the manager in the new set-up, with WILLIAM BROWN as assistant managerdoorman; SUSANAH EVANS as cashier; C. E. CLARK, chief projectionist; GEORGE RUSSELL, EDWARD MURPHY, PIERCE WILLIAMSON, ushers. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington What with Holy Week, Passover, spring fever, news from the Nation’s Capital is indeed slim this week, but what there is here, together with more "thoughts while strolling’’ about Film Row, the theatres. Branch manager B. BERNARD KREISLER is supervising the new, rejuvenated garden that beautifies the Universal exchange. Republic’s JAKE FLAX is almost always with his favorite cigar. MIRIAM HIRSCH, stenographer, Republic, has herself a time with a sack of peanuts. MORRIS CLETSKY, supersalcsman for SAM, JAKE FLAX, watches the passing scene. Big, rollicking DICK HARRITY, UA, looks like he might have been a pretty good football spieler. Pretty GOLUEM KETCHUM, who holds down this end of HUNTER PERRY’S Dominion Theatres, comes out of a screening laughing — with tears in her eyes. NELSON B. BELL, Washington Post drama critic, comes out of the same screening, no smiles, no tears. Popular BOB SMELTZER, Warners, tells about his big farm down in Maryland. Metro’s office manager, FRED RIPPINGALE, stares at the picture of the little boy on his desk. Projectionist LOUIS U. ROSS, Leader, enthuses about the bowling league, the trophy that The Exhibitor is donating. Big wigs of the industry were here for the Neely Bill doings. Actor ROBERT MONTGOMERY was also a visitor. LORRAINE MIDDLEKAUF tells about the tooth she lost in a struggle with the dentist. Her co-worker in HARRY BROWN’S Grand National office, takes time out for lunch in the ad-sales department, managed by JACK KLEIN. Salesman SAM DIAMOND, 20th CenturyFox, looks over his big accounts as the sun sets in the golden west. The sun comes into the salesmen’s room, making it cozy, warm. Thoughts of Film Row are turning toward April 17, when the 1 939 baseball season will open, with President FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT again (probably) officiating by throwing out the first ball. Of those who make of this event a date of great national significance, it is difficult to tell who is the most eager, SAM or JAKE FLAX, or BEN LUST. What cinema personality spends a lot of time at Bowie watching the dogs run Salesman SAM TABOR, Universal, watches the seeding of BERNIE KREISLER'S "plot o' green” with interest. Booker IRA SICHEL.MAN, 20th Century-Fox, goes into a huddle with branch manager SAM WHEELER. Office manager JOSEPH M. COHAN, 20th Century-Fox, is always ready with a big smile. Booker SARA YOUNG’S that way, too. Have you heard that your correspondent has started something — growing on his upper lip? (Film Row’s comments are not for a polite, family journal like this.) FRANK LaFALCE, DANIEL STARR TERRELL, WILLIAM C. (but not for Clementine) EWING — the trio that makes Washington Warner-theatrewise — pause to watch the mobs trying to get into the Earle to see KAY KYSER. Kyser put on his weekly broadcast from the Mayflower Hotel, which place was also mobbed. Branch manager HARRY F. BACHMAN characterizes the territory’s exhibitors as "swell gents.” Baltimore exhibitor AARON COPLIN, his aide JOE WALDERMAN talk business with Metro salesman FRANK SCULLY. Metro’s PHIL BOBYS is rated by his fellow salesmen as one of the trade’s best. PHIL BOBYS’ latest enthusiasm is a model home of the bungalow type, to cost some $20,000 furnished, to all of which Metro salesman HARRY COHEN, exploiteer CARLTON DUFFUS, your correspondent lend six attentive ears. Busy ARTHUR A. JACOBSON, National Screen Service, is never too much so for an interview by yours truly. BLANCHE "Buddy” HALL, secretary to branch manager RUDOLPH BERGER, Metro, gives a cordial welcome to all exhibitors, including The Exhibitor. Proud pap AL MILLER, who is making records with his ad-sales department, 20th Century-Fox, shows off pictures of the youngster (now 15 pounds) . Barrister JOSEPH RAYMOND BELL, publicist chief for Loew’s Washington theatres, who wins more exploitation campaign prizes that any 16 other publicists, is making plans for his trip to Paris, won for his campaign on Metro’s "Marie Antoinette.” HENRY LEGO, in from his Herndon, Purcelville (Virginia) theatres, tells all about his farm. Office manager J. RUSSELL HILDEBRAND, RKO-Radio, disproves a "law of nature”: he conducts two telephone conversations, talks with your correspondent — all at the same time. Gallant SAM GALANTY, Columbia, hails a cab in front of the exchange, is off for a business appointment. Pretty MARGE DERMODY, Metro, has just returned from Florida. It is "so long” to HAZEL MANN, National Screen Service secretary, who leaves with her hubby for South America. The NSS gals gave her a swell send-off. Friends of United Artists’ FRED ROHRS are attending the Senate committee hearings on the Neely Bill. Among them were FRANK CASSEL, head of the Missouri Theatre Owners Association; FLORENCE F. PARRY, critic, Pittsburgh Press. Did you know that FRED ROHRS was a rancher in Canada many years ago? News here has MILTON "Chubby” CAPLON, former GB salesman here, as manager of the Linden, Baltimore. FRANK BOUCHER, former manager, is now with the Schine circuit, Gloversville, New York. They say that WILLARD I. "Buddy” SILVERBERG, exhibition aide to his father, WALTER, has returned to the practice of law in the Monumental City. He will, however, continue to keep an eye on the Park. (Your ex-correspondent tells me that he well recalls those days of the NRA boards when Buddy, then prior to his admission to the bar, eloquently argued his cases on grievances and clearance.) Jockey MANNIE BERG, of the near-by Maryland tracks, is a friend of UA’s MARK NORBERT SILVER. Is DICK HARRITY on a buttermilk diet, or is he? We are told that ABRAHAM and J. COHEN are putting bowling alleys in the basement of their New Essex, Essex, Maryland. Did you know that BILLY HICKS, Baltimore’s Hampton, Bridge, has returned from a Florida vacation. Vitagraph’s ROBERT F. SMELTZER has been acting as eastern sales manager during the vacation of ROY HAINES. HENRY LEGO is planning to install cooling systems in the Herndon, Purcelville (Virginia) houses. In town last week was Republic’s JAMES R. GRAINGER, enroute to Houston, Texas, to open the company’s first regional convention to have been highlighted by the premiere of "Man of Conquest.” Republic’s local contingent — SAM, JAKE FLAX, MORRIS OLETSKY, EDDIE MARTIN — left for the convention at New York’s Park Central. Visitors to the exchanges last week were WILL GEORGE, MATT CREMEN, Baltimore’s Perry, Lafayette. SAM SALTZ, New Howard, Baltimore, says everybody is going to the races. Lichtman Theatres’ ED HALEY, general manager, was a visitor along The Row. April 12, 19)9 NAT