The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

THE EXHIBITOR 37 Plainfield Kiddie Hour shows catch on for Saturday and Sunday matinees, Oxford, with selected short subjects suitable to children. Rahway George Nichols, Rahway manager, was about to reveal display story which worked so succesfully for “When Rains Came,” when a patron came questing for his hat. George found it, and before resuming talk showed interviewer bureau full of lest hats, caps, parasols, sweaters, etc. — not forgetting a dainty pair of shoes from the feet of a woman patron. For “Rains,” electric power arrangement created illusion of rain falling in realistic fashion. His aide, Fred Sheppard, at Empire, made collection of torpedoes, airplanes, etc., for “Torpedoed.” Summit “Screen Tally-Ho” and “Jack Pot Nites” at Lyric, are held every Saturday. Same house gave out turkeys for Thansgiving. Union Victor Scrivens, door-man, resigned at the Union. . . . Manager Jack Hegarty got a big surprise with recent added Saturday night attraction. ... He says middle-aged and older folk got big thrill, crowding in to see Charlie Chaplin and other screen vets throw pies. Program also included regular show and community songs, with soft-pedal organ stuff and patrons singing. . . . Frank Lawrence, Hegarty ’s chief aide, local boy, says Union is livest town for size and fast-growing. Union City RKO Capitol will be scene of show December 5 for benefit of Mayor Joseph Stilz’s Christmas Fund, West New York. — P. C. NEW YORK STATE Albany Mike Kallett is now completely recovered from an attack of the grippe. . . . Lou Golding, Fabian circuit division manager, was in New York. . . . Wedding bells will ring out in June for William Clark, exhibitor of Fort Covington. Waddington. His bride-to-be is Mrs. Lillian Toth, daughter of Frank Kuras, owner and operator, Rialto, Massena. Kuras is one of the most popular exhibitor in the North Country. ... A last-minute change in plans took Moe Grassgreen and his 20th Century-Fox sales staff to Boston for a district sales meeting. Salesmen Ben Dare and Fred Sliter and head booker Danny Houlihan made the trip with Moe. Branch managers, salesmen and head bookers from New Haven and Boston, as well as Albany, took part. . . . Mrs. Grassgreen and daughter Jacqueline Sandra accompanied Moe on the trip, visiting with her family. . . . “Mr. Tucker,” Skye terrier belonging to Dick (Warner) Struwe, is completely recovered from an accident in which his leg was broken. . . . Artie Newman, Republic, was trying to fight off a cold. . . . Ted Berkeley, Harrisville, repainted the front of his theatre. . . . Ernie Wolfe, Avalon, Lowville, came back from a hunting trip with two fine bucks. . . . “Dead End” Kids, in town for a personal appearance at Fabian’s Palace, crashed sport pages. Paul Krummenacker, Warner branch manager, joined Charlie Rich, Buffalo manager, in Syracuse for a conference with district manager Eddie Schnitzer. . . . Cecil Patten, Adams, has invested in a movie camera and equipment and plans to take local movies for showing in his theatre. John Youanakis, Pottsdam, is all smiles as a result of Clarkson University (Pottsdam), defeating Canton’s Saint Lawrence University on the gridiron. Tony Ryan, Universal, was off on a two-week trip through his territory. . . . Elinor Paradeis, Pamo Films, was expected in. . . . His friends in Albany and throughout the area were grieved to hear of the death of Ralph Crabill’s wife. . . . Lew Bucken, Amenia, installed two new projector heads. . . . Ernie Wolfe, Avalon, Lowville, took his wife on a trip to Canada. . . . Mrs. Klein, Hunter, was a row visitor. . . . Young Bob Van Deusen, son of the RKO office manager and booker, was on the sick list. . . . Mike Boumasour, Plaza, Malone, has set December 15 as the definite date for his departure for Florida. . . . Joe Engel, Universal, drove to West Point to take in an Army game. . . . Fred Waldecker, stage manager, “Dead End” Kids act, which played locally at Fabian’s Palace, was literally worn out by the pranks and gags of the irrepressible crew. Mrs. Frances McGraw, veteran theatre owner, Little Falls, died November 3. For many years she had owned the Gem there, prior to her building the Rialto in 1925, which she leased to the Schine circuit in 1926. For several years she acted as contact and maintenance operator for the Schines, selling the theatre property to them. Surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Nick Kaufman, wife of the present manager, Rialto. . . . Chris Buckley, Bennington, Vermont, exhibitor, was off on a hunting trip to Canada. ... If Bill Barney, Grand, Watervliet, has been hard to find of late, as several salesmen report, it’s because he’s been busy repainting his home. . . . Cal King’s son is recuperating from an influenza attack. King operates the Waldon, Williamstown, Massachusetts. . . . Mrs. Joe Miller and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Armm, entertained Mr. and Mrs. Alec Papyanakos, Canton, during their weekend visit. Bill Haynes arranged a “Colgate Night,” at the Stanley, Utica. . . . C. A. Smakwitz, Warner district manager, arranged a short subject show for a dinner and rally held by the combined Cornell and Dartmount alumni clubs of Albany, couple of days before the two teams met. . . . Max Friedman, Warner theatres booker, made one of his trips to Buffalo. . . . Neil Heilman arranged an organs matinee at his Paramount, showing “Wizard of Oz” to children from Brady’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, La Salle School and Saint Vincent’s Orphanage. . . . Warner theatres zone manager Moe Silver, week-ended in New Haven. Fay Steinback, secretary to Warner zone manager M. A. Silver, was taken to a hospital for an emergency appendix operation. . . . Joe Miller arranged simultaneous Thanksgiving Day premiere for Columbia’s “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington,” in Albany, Troy, Schenectady. This is understood to be first time a big picture has opened day-and-date in the three towns on a holiday. . . . Bob Lane, former exhibitor in Millertown, was seen in town — attending a convention of the International Harvester Company. He’s associated with his father in a hay-grain and farm implement business. . . . Charlie Ost, genial National Screen Service representative, has been unusually busy these days, selling his firm’s Christmas and New Year’s trailers. He closed Smalley and Benton circuits and numerous independents. . . . Ralph Pielow, Metro resident manager, was very happy about Walter Winchell’s air plug for “Ninotchka,” which W. W. called “The finest picture to come out of Hollywood this year.” Ralph was enthusiastic, too, about “Secret of Dr. Kildare.” . . . Ruth Millberg, secretary to Warners’ C. A. Smakwitz and Jules Curley, became an aunt for the third, time when her sister Gloria Zuckerman, gave birth to a boy, Gerald Ellis, her firstborn. . . . Jim Spadaro, Shadowland, Ellenville, was in town on construction details of the new house he intends to build in Ellenville. . . . Annual Metro Christmas Party, exclusively for the exchange forces, has been set for December 18, at Cap’s Restaurant, Rennselear. Gene Vogel is reported cast as Santa Clausprovided he can be persuaded to forego his inevitable cigar. . . . Louis Schine and George Lynch attended the Variety Club Dinner in Washington and inspected Schine circuit houses in Chesapeake Bay. . . . One exhibitor who prays for snow is Sam Davis, Phoenicia— Catskill Mountain village famed for its skiing. . . . Monte Steele, United Artists representative, got stuck in the snow between Tupper Lake Ms!l°d ItqaiN sdo|/\| sjappeq sspj Oj }03SU | JBAOiuay lung pmbpi Buyoojj atuejj }U0wdmb3 9J!J s}ue}08ju|S!Q sdnQ ajxiQ sjuejopoaQ saqsrug siuoojg subq qs\/ saijddng Buiudsiq Pud -*o}iuDf • 4-9S99-9 3P->ID AIID XHOA M3N 3DN3AV H1NIN 0£9 (ss3uaav M3N) 3N| SlSflOOHJ AHV1INVS 31V1S snssix }8|ioi S}B»S }9|!01 S8|0B}dS03y doj. Simms J3Z!|BJ}naM qaiog qouajs sdEOS s|0Aoqs sujq pubs J0UB3|O 6ny s*B Jaqqny sSBy sXBJds awnpay S| 9mo_l jaded sjsBuum pus s| jBy LUCKY The ONLY and GUARANTEED OMJCBCY Theatre Qames! DENNIS GAMES, Inc. N. E. Cor. 13th and Race Streets, Philadelphia RUS COHEN, 353 W. 44th Street, N. Y. C. “Pioneer of Theatre Qames” November 29, 1939