The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

Newark Mosque re-opens shortly with a vaudefilm policy. A group of his friends tendered Bob Flex, manager, Hawthorne, a bachelor dinner in Newark. Among those attendant on the presentation of a check were Warner assistant zone manager Frank Damis, booker Sam Blaskey, district heads Rudy Kuehn, Dick Hill and Tony Williams; ad man Bob Paskow; Bob Ungerfeld, Proctor’s; Arnold Eisen, George Morgenroth, Sam Flex, Joe Graff, Abe Krasnoff; managers Jack Levy, Capitol, Newark; Charles Bechtoldt, Stanley, Newark; Lou Stein, Roosevelt, Newark; Walter Jacobs, Ritz, Newark; Spitzer Kohen, Globe, Newark; George Baehr, Savoy, Newark; Marty Ingram, Castle, Sam Engelman, Sanford, Irvington; Nat Mutnick, Capitol, Belleville; Clem Murphy, Ritz, Elizabeth; Bill Kane, Millburn; Jack Hegarty, Union; A1 Barber, Cameo, South Maple. Norman Cohen succeeds Bruno Kern as publicity man, Branford. Kern left to under-go six months training in the U. S. Quartermasters Division at Fort Benning, Georgia. . . . George Baehr, manager, Savoy, rigged up a full sized dummy with bandaged head to stimulate interest in “The Invisible Man Returns.” . . . Bill Schell, Regent, is giving his patrons an encyclopedia. Gertrude Schlenger, Warner booking department, is to be married April 18, to Jack Stiglitz, Elizabeth attorney. . . . Bob Paskow, Warner ad man, distributed 50 sets of recordings of Raymond Massey’s voice presenting several of Lincoln’s immortal addresses. These records are to be used by the theatres in effecting school tieups. Several theatres have reported the splendid co-operation of school authorities in making auditoriums available for playing the recordings to the pupils, with mention being made of course of picture playdates, etc. ... To follow through this promotion, the records were turned over to the schools to dispose of as they desired. In some cases the records were used as prizes in the school for essay contests based on the life of Lincoln. George Berkner, assistant manager, Capitol, Passaic, has been promoted and will take over the Eureka, Hackensack. . . . Eddie Maillard, former manager, Eureka, has been transferred to the Ritz, Jersey City, to succeed Bob Dietch, who in turn will take over the Central, same city. . . . Harold Weidenhorn, former manager, Central, will take up his duties at the DeWitt, Bayonne, while Leto Hill will transfer his activities to managing the Branford, Newark. Union City “Banko” was one of the most popular features at Strand, Union City. . . . United States, Hoboken, is showing old-time films weekly. . . . Alvin, Guttenberg, is giving away dinnerware and ovenware. ... In conjunction with “Sidewalks of London,” RKO Capitol, Union City, held contest to select Hudson County Vivien “Scarlett” Leigh. Photograph of Miss Leigh was published in newspapers and contestants had to submit a photograph of themselves to manager Jerry Baker from which a preliminary judging was made. Leon Rosemann, assistant manager at theatre, handled publicity for stunt. . . . When Loew’s Embassy, North Bergen, plays “GWTW” Mayors of Union City, THE EXHIEITOR West New York, Weehawken, Fairview, Palisades Park, Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Ridgefield and Guttenberg will be guests of house. A special section of the theatre will be reserved for the official party and their wives. Embassy management will be the only current booking for this section of the state. Emanuel Light is manager. — P. C. NEW YORK STATE Albany Dick Struwe, Warner salesman, rushed the moving season, getting set in a new domicile April 1, and his branch manager, Paul Krummenacker, will be installed, appropriately enough, in the new Dutch Village apartments, Menands, May 1. . . . Johnny Milligan, Sckuylersville, is home from Florida and can hardly wait for the fishing season. . . . John Youanakis, manager and booker, Jim Papyanakos’ Rialto, Pottsdam, spent a week in Erie, Pa. Joe Miller attended a Columbia sales meet over a week-end in New York. . . . Norman Prager is the new manager of the Palace, Pittsfield, Mass., with Albert Fowler transferred to Boston. . . . Lt. Commander Larry Cowan, Fabian circuit, arranged a press screening of “Beyond Tomorrow.” Charlie Gordon, Olympic, Utica, is expected back from Florida. . . . Tony Ryan, who resigned as Universal salesman under b.m. Joe Engel, expects to announce his new connection shortly. . . . C. R. “Tip” Roseberry Knickerbocker News movie critic, will “batch it” this summer, his wife and children being away in the country with relatives until Fall. . . . Bill Thornton. Saugerties, Tannersville, took bis family on a trip to New York City. . . . Bernie Mills, who has been spending most of his time in New York on business of BM Pictures, was a welcome visitor. . . . Jack Walsh, Metro exploiteer, recently celebrated his first anniversary. It’s a boy at the Jimmie Moore’s. . . . Proud papa is short subjects booker at the Vitagraph exchange. . . . Leon Herman’s eight-year-old son Bobbie spent his Spring vacation visiting an aunt. Minute Mysteries is a new movie game in the local area, with cash prizes offered. ... It is already playing at several houses in the territory. . . . Harry Berkson, Monogram, Buffalo, was reported taking the former Grand National location for the local office. Ben Smith, Pamo, was forced to make three postponements of a trip to Toronto he had planned with his wife because of bad roads. . . . Neil Heilman, Paramount, Royal, is contemplating a trip to sunny (?) Florida, now that his dad and mother are back from their southern vacation. . . . Rowites are hoping to see Percy Quigley in on a visit from Coxackie now that he is recovering. M. A. Silver, Warner theatres zone manager, with booker Max Friedman, hopped to Buffalo. . . . Moe Grassgreen, 20th Century-Fox headed for Chicago for his firm’s sales convention. Accompanying him were salesmen Ben Dare and Fred Sliter, and booker Danny Houlihan. Joe Engel, Universal, waxed rhapsodic regarding the Florida vacation. . . . Morris Rosen, Union Square, Pittsfield, made one of his infrequent visits. . . . Carl Nilman, Shulman Falls, Mass., was an accident victim. Ralph Crabill, Warner theatres western district manager, postcarded from Florida the news that he’s breaking records for catching fish. . . . Cupid has been hovering over the Metro and Warner exchanges, resulting in the engagement of Warner switchboard manipulator Alice Smith to Metro booker Bill Gaddoni. Nate Sodikman, former Buffalo salesman for Monogram franchise-holder Harry Berkson, is now Albany sales manager and representative, with an interest. . . . Mitch Pantzer continues as office manager and booker, and exchange will take up new quarters May 1, in the old Grand National building. . . . Sodikman will move his family in from Buffalo, May 1 as well. Former salesman Gene Lowe will shortly announce his plans. As expected, Pari-Mutuel bill passed both houses of the New York State legislature, and was signed by Governor Herbert H. Lehman. . . . Albany Chamber of Commerce made an emphatic appeal to Mayor Thacher for a trial of parking meters, because of serious trade losses in the downtown area due to parking difficulties. Batavia Ralph Booth, New Family, booked for Holy Week two features on Sunday, something not usualy done, so he gave both pictures 50/50 space and topped tbe advertising with “An accumulation of pictures due to the extended engagement of ‘Gone With the Wind’ makes it possible to offer on one program Two-A-Plus Features.” Sunday gross was high. Manager Ralph Booth, New Family, tied up a large service station to give away cards that were good for two gallons of gas with every 40 cent ticket to the theatre. . . Dean Emley, assistant manager, Family, worked on schools for “Swiss Family Robinson.” Buffalo Jules Berinstein, in town from Ithaca, was noted making the local night spots with Bob Murphy, Shea circuit, and Elmer Lux, RKO. . . . Thomas Ranee was seen cavorting with Ralph Maw on their way to join the Film Table at Old Spain, Tom’s initial effort in wielding the hardware there. . . . Manny Woronov was seen clocking Emmie Dickman on Grover Cleveland golf course at 6 A.M. . . . Nick Basil, Basil brothers circuit, stricken ill upon his return from a Florida vacation, is under going treatment. . . . John Scully, Jr., son of Universal’s John and Mrs. Scully, was expected from Cleveland with a house guest. . . . Bill Dipson, DipsonBasil circuit, is about to install a new air conditioning system in the 20th Century. . . . Jack Bellman, Republic branch manager, got a kink in his neck from watching Niagara Falls. . . . April 6 was the occasion of 20th Century-Fox night at the Variety Club. . . . Syd Samson, 20th Century-Fox local manager, returned from a sales meeting in Cleveland. . . . Gus Basil, Basil brothers circuit, is taking respite from his theatre duties at Miami Beach. . . . Oviatt McConnell, formerly, Times, is the new exploiteer at the 20th Century. Nickitas Dipson upon returning from Florida, reports visits with George Skour April 10, 1940