The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

23 NEW YORK CITY Crosstown Immediately after visiting Detroit, Joe Louis, who defended his world’s heavyweight championship against Johnny Paychek, returned to make an all-Negro film in serial and feature form. Story will be of G-Man motif and will be called “Sign of the Zombie.” Tentative plans call for use of Bronx Biograph studios. A new theatre, with stores, to cost $60,000, will be built at 36 West Greene Street for Sailor’s Snug Harbor, it was announced last week. . . . An exhibit of stills, studio drawings and sketches from the motion picture, “Dr. Cyclops,” is on display at the Film Library of the Museum of Modern Art. Original drawings by Ernest Schoedsack, studio drawings, and completed stills, as well as Kodachromes from the picture, which is in Technicolor, are included in the exhibit. Ambitious choreographers, who think they can create a dance that will express their own feelings of New York City, will get their chance to vie for cash prizes April 18 during the contest sponsored by the soon-to-open New York, at the Fiesta Danceteria, directly opposite. The New York, newest in the Consolidated Amusement Enterprises circuit, scheduled to open with first-run pictures the last week in April, has joined with the management of the Fiesta Danceteria in an effort to select a dance routine that will qualify as an “official” New York dance to be called “The New York.” “Son of Ingagi,” all-Negro feature distributed by Sack Amusement Enterprises, completed an extended engagement for white patrons at the Harris. Booking was made by Ted Krassner because of the picture’s exploitation angles. Harry H. Buxbaum, 20th Century-Fox exec, is a 25-year member of the West Side YMCA and was recently honored at the 10th annual dinner. ... A. A. Schubart, RKO exchange operations head, and the Mrs. went to Florida for a vacation. . . . Joseph Bernhard, Warner theatres head, returned from his Florida recuperation. . . . Inde exhibitor Rudy Sanders was another Floridian. . . . Frank McGann, Columbia exploitation head, and Frank Rosenberg, assistant, went to Williamsburg, Virginia, in connection with the “Tree of Liberty” unit. . . . Monogram’s Joe Felder came back from Florida. Kutisker Associates are converting a building at 10th Street and 40th Avenue, Long Island City, into a 600-seat theatre, April 10, 1940 it is reported. . . . Select Attractions, Inc., announced last week it has under consideration for production six pictures authored by Bernard P. Aarons, namely “Dead Man’s Auction,” “Whispers of Warning,” “You Little Rascal, You,” “Between Us,” “I Did It,” and “Out of Luck with Love.” Metro’s basketball team defeated National Screen Service 39 to 34 last fortnight and thereby gained the championship of the motion picture industry. Hy Malitsky, Metro co-captain, with 14 points led the scoring in the game. Charles C. Moskowitz, Marvin Schenck, Eugene Picker, Mike Rosen, and Miss Pat Reis, Loew’s Inc. and Metro were present as were Herman Robbins and son and Mr. and Mrs. Gaston Stern, National Screen Service. (Also Charlie Cohen.) Returning from the Coast was Harold Rodner, who went out on Will Rogers Memorial Week business. . . . Joe Vogel, Loew’s, came back from Havana. . . . Republic’s Herbert J. Yates and James R. Grainger hopped to the Lawrence, Kansas, “Dark Command” premiere. A mere matter of some 3,000 miles was the little mistake made in this column last week when we reported that Harry Doniger’s son, Walter, was in from the coast. The straightened facts are son Mike was visiting here from the University of North Carolina during his Easter vacation. Mrs. Doniger just returned from Hollywood where she was visiting Walter, a writer on the Metro lot. . . . Rugoff and Becker’s Eddie Stern is Florida sun-tanning. . . . Herman Feinberg, principal of Fairmont Winston, Inc., re-opened the Parkway, Bronx, closed for a number of years. . . . Brooklyn’s Lido, which had its walls knocked down as a result of a fire in a building next door, was re-opened by Joseph Sergei, president, Baltic Amusement Corporation. . . . Cocalis’ Harold Kline, Bookers Club prexy, is back from his honeymoon. Ernest Schoedsack, director of “Dr. Cyclops,” arrived from Hollywood to attend the opening of the picture at the Paramount April 10. Ray Milland and Ellen Drew arrived April 8 to appear as guest stars on Kate Smith’s radio program and take part in activities Paramount has scheduled for the premieres of their latest pictures. Stage shows go back into the Capitol, April 18, when Eddie Cantor opens with his Metro film, “Forty Little Mothers.” George Jessel will be with him, and the presentation will last as long as the picture does. Ben Kalmenson, Warner western and southern sales manager, returned from a two-week trip to the company’s branches in his territory, where he conferred with local managers on sales plans for forthcoming Warner product. New RCA sound service agreements have been signed for nine theatres of the Interboro circuit, according to W. L. Jones, national service manager. Negotiations for the renewal deal were handled by Stanley Kolbert for the circuit, and W. W. Jones and Bernard Sholtz, New York service and sales executives for RCA. . . . Theatres covered by the contract include the following: Dover, New York City; Fortway, Vanity, Harbor, Brooklyn; Island, Hollis; Linden, St. Albans; Merrick Gables, Merrick; New, Rockaway Beach, and Trent, New Rochelle. THE EXHIBITOR Ace and Metro, Bronx, recently closed by Max Felder and Sig Wittman, are to be re-opened by David Goldbaum under the corporation name of Twin Theatres, Inc. Goldbaum has also taken over the Vogue in this borough, incorporating it as Popular Theatres, Inc. WHN film spieler Sam Taylor provided plenty of guffaws for exhibitors who may have listened in when he answered a letter from a listener who asked why he does not use bells in rating pictures. . . . Said Sam, after explaining that he used bells back in 1933, “I gave it up because my mother said she didn’t raise her son to be a Swiss bell ringer.” Walter Bibo, Atlas Film Exchange, Inc., has acquired two features for distribution in all of New York State and nothern New Jersey, one entitled “Bedroom Diplomat,” which stars Reginald Gardiner, and the other Captain Moonlight,” which stars John Garrick. Arriving from the Coast were Roy Disney and Gunther Lessing, Walter Disney Corporation officials. . . . Monroe Greenthal, UA, went upstate on “My Son, My Son!” business. ... Ad chief Lynn Farnol, returned from Louisville, Ky., where “One Million B. C.” opened. . . . 20th Century-Fox chief Sidney Kent and the Mrs. came back from Florida. . . . UA home office exec Arthur Silverstone went to Philadelphia for a sales meeting. . . . Tyrone Power and wife, Annabella, came to town. Morris Somers, Mitchell Antman, and Sam Miller, attorneys familiar to movie folk, announced last week the formation of a partnership for the general practise of law at 1450 Broadway. . . . Stanley Lawton, operator, Lyric, is Florida vacationing. . . . A1 Leibman, former manager, Wallack, which closed a few days ago, is in California. . . . “Rebecca,” according to Gus Eysell, played to 117,735 customers in its first four days at the Music Hall. Mrs. Bertha Sherman, mother of A1 Sherman, Columbia, died last fortnight in Newark. Two sons and two daughters survive. Metropolitan Playhouses takes over the Tuxedo and Mosholu, Bronx, it is reported. Houses were formerly Consolidated operations. Loeiv’s Circuit Add “GWTW” promotions: Local openings of the Selznick opus are tieing-in with local newspapers for the selection of six girls in each nabe to act as hostesses for the neighborhood premiere. The Spectator, covering Bay Ridge and Boro Park, sponsored a contest to select pretty damsels for the Alpine and 46th Street. Manager Bill Nitschke and publicist George Sharf worked the same stunt with the Long Island Daily Star for the Tri-Boro. The Long Island Daily Press co-operated with press agent Tom Rogers and manager Bob Kilgore, Valencia. Brooklyn Borough President and Mrs. Cashmore were the honored guests of manager Jim Bruno and assistant Kramer at the Gates preem. Borough President and Mrs. Harvey were ditto at the Tri-Boro. Manager Murray Sharf, Alpine, and staffman Matty Mara combined on a knockout 24-sheet display over the lobby doors. Something similar was worked out by Joe Rubenfeld, Oriental. . . . District manager Larry Beatus celebrated his 28th anniversary with the NYS.