The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

21 TERRITORY NEW YORK CITY Crosstotvn National Allied biggies A1 Steffes, Ben Berger and Ray Branch payed a visit to the Stem before going on to the Washington meetings. March of Time director Jack Glenn was in town on a visit from Washington. . . . Frank C. Walker, Comerford Thetres chief, went west to Butte, Montana, for the funeral of his sister. ... A. L. Simon, former Loew publicist and present publicity director of WHN, may fly out to tbe coast on a vacation and take up Hy Gardner’s “cuff” invite. The Cinecitta has pledged five percent of one week’s receipts to Herbert Hoover and the Finnish Relief Committee. A slide was also used to urge patrons to contribute to the fund. Eighth Avenue house is an Italian film showcase. . . . Cameo, first-run Soviet house, hit the headlines last week when it became known that it was the target for a planned bombing by a local Fascist group. . . . Bernard Shore, formerly with Maxon, Inc., is handling advertising and publicity for the French Cinema Center. Final clearance of the world music rights on “Cheri-biri,” French film starring Pierre Fresnay, was announced by Edwin Fadiman, National Pictures. Following are some Broadway bookings which are really something for the books: 20th Century-Fox’s “Grapes of Wrath” makes its Stem bow at United Artists’ Rivoli; United Artists’ “Of Mice and Men” gets its local premiere at 20th CenturyFox’s Roxy at the same time; 20th Century-Fox’s “Bluebird” is playing its world premiere engagement at Warners’ Hollywood; Warners’ “Brother Rat and a Baby” becomes the first WB picture to play the Roxy since “Earthworm Tractor” was shown there in 1936. It is tentatively marked in for January 26; extended run of “GWTW” at the Capitol has caused headaches aplenty re local Metro openings. Latest “Hardy Family,” for instance, bows at the Criterion, the first Hardy to open away from the Capitol. Film Alliance of the U. S. has readied two for release. “Face Behind the Scar” will be made available January 25 and “Suicide Squad” will be released February 10. Bert Gold, formerly a newspaperman, is now managing the 55th Street Playhouse. . . . Although the wording would seem to the contrary, Assemblyman Bennett’s chain store bill in the legislature, he says, doesn’t apply to circuit houses. . . . The Brandt Carlton, Jamaica, has returned to vaudeville four days a week. Bob Benjamin, attorney in the Phillips and Nizer office, is in Hollywood on business. . . . Herman Weinberg, formerly with the French Cinema Center, is handling publicity for Gil Josephson’s World Cinema. . . . Speaking of the World, it looks as if “Harvest” is eventually nearing the end of a long and profitable run at the little 300-seater. Gil says he has booked Jean Giono’s “The Baker’s Wife” as his next offering. He’s doing raves on it. Dan Shepherd resigned as manager of Dave Rosenzweig’s Taft to take up another job he hasn’t made known as yet. . . . Metro Premium’s Henry M. Mulstein and his missus celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary last week with a dinner and show. . . . Circuit operator Dave Snaper is resting in St. Peter’s Hospital, New Brunswick, following a slight illness. . . . Chester Didsbury, operator, house bearing his name in Walden, was in. . . . Irving Moskovitz returned to work after an illness which kept him away from the Amusement Supply offices for a few weeks. . . . Upon his return, he was surprised by a renovated sales room. While racing to New York from Goshen, Wally Neitbold picked up a ducat for speeding or some other type of traffic violation. His brother, Carlisle, is vacationing in Florida after stopping off in the Carolinas and Georgia. . . . Prudential’s Eddie Seider returned from the Southlands. . . . Milton Schneiderman, formerly with Vitagraph here and Paramount in Buffalo, sailed for Panama for an important sales post with RKO. New Jersey Allied’s representatives at the eastern regional and board of directors meetings in Washington last week were to have given a report on their activities during yesterday’s (23) general business meeting at local headquarters. Members were also to have discussed the posibilities of co-operating with Herbert Hoover and the Finnish Relief Fund. A buffet luncheon was held before the meeting. Sixteenth annual conference of the National Board of Review will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania February 1-3. . . . Warner Brothers had a cocktail party for Errol Flynn, William Dieterle and Miriam Hopkins at the Waldorf-Astoria January 19. . . . UA was host to Mr. and Mrs. Enst Lubitsch and Miss Ingrid Bergman, Selznick star, at a cocktail party January 18 at the River Club. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation filed an application for the dismissal of the anti-trust suit of Lenrose Amusement Corporation last week. Dismissal will be asked January 26. Twentieth Century-Fox is one of the defendants. . . . Ben Griefer, house manager, Paramount, was married to Elaine Conheim January 21. Paramount’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” Max Fleischer Technicolor feature length cartoon, closed its four-week run at the Paramount with total receipts for the complete engagement of $165,000, Robert M. Weitman, manager of the Paramount, reported. Formal installation of the officers of the New York Film Board of Trade took place January 17, with a dinner at Sardi’s following. . . . Arbitration committee on the Local 306 — major circuits’ dispute con tinued to meet last week, with another session scheduled for today (24). Statistics for the territory served out of New York City, as revealed by the new edition of the New York Film Board of Trade theatre listing follows: Total number of theatres is 1,197, with aggregate seating capacity of 1,343,883. Open theatres are 1,072, seating 1,240,304. Houses currently closed number 125, seating 103,579. Figures for 1940 show 869 houses now operating in New York State, with capacity of 991,349. New Jersey for 1940 has 328 houses, seating 352,534. Circuit theatres now number 771 and seat 1,023,016. Affiliated theatres of New York State total 129, seating 262,958. Affiliated in New Jersey number 66, seating 118,602. Unaffiliated in New York State are 450, seating 519,112. Unaffiliated in New Jersey number 126, seating 122,884. Inde houses total 426, seating 420,867. Houses in New York State number 290, seating 209,279. In New Jersey there are 136, seating 111,588. Number of sound theatres in the territory is listed at 1,179. Silent theatres currently are set at 18. Of the 125 theatres dark, 107 are equipped with sound. Lee Newbury, New Jersey Allied head, was another of the exhibitors who left for Florida trip. . . . Walter Huston is supporting Mayor LaGuardia’s campaign for eastern production. . . . Next meeting of Cinema Lodge, B’Nai B’rith will be held February 8 at the Edison Hotel, with A. W. Schwalberg in charge. Harold Rodner is program chairman. Jimmy Dunn, publicity director for the United Artists Rivoli, returned to his desk following an illness of several weeks. Paramount gets same alterations, with Otto H. Sprin the architect. . . . Pietro Garofolo, operator, Cine Roma, 53rd Street and Broadway, the only New York theatre displaying Italian films exclusively, opened another house of the same name at 215 West 49th Street, formerly the Ambassador. New Cine Roma opened with new RCA Photophone sound. 44th Street METRO: Exchange chief and newly elected Film Board prexy Jack Bowen is Florida vacationing. . . . His secretary, Dorothy Kaplan, is back in town sporting a three-week Miami sun-tan. . . . Office manager Harold Goldgraben is another Florida vacationer. . . . Dunno what they meant by it, but some of the boys lay claim to wonderment regarding Alec “Dot” Arnswalder’s “broad” grin lately. WARNERS: Arthur Sachson’s back from Florida. . . . Sam Obendorfer has been transferred from the contract department here to the Memphis branch office. . . . Saw some art on Sol Gerber’s young ’un. As Max Fried says, “The kid’s got personality.” . . . The ping pong tourney is under way. . . . Following an unexpected move which resulted in the removal of Harry Hummell and Archie Berish from posts as Jersey manager and salesman respectively, this is the personnel lineup of the local exchange: Sam Lefkowitz, general sales manager of metropolitan branch; Harry Decker, in charge of Brooklyn; Leo Jacobi, in charge of New York City; Gus Solomon, in January 24. 1940 THE EXHIBITOR NYS.