The Film Daily (1937)

THE 12 Argentina Biggest Foreign Market for U. S. Pictures Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — For the past two years, Argentina has been the biggest foreign market for U. S. films but European competition and adverse exchange conditions have retarded sales of American motion picture sound and projection equipment in that country, Assistant American Trade Commissioner Joe D. Walstrom, Buenos Aires, has just reported to the Department of Commerce. Of the 1,200 motion picture theaters listed in Argentina, 750 are regularly active and of these approximately 550 are equipped with sound equipment which may be termed adequate. Two hundred and sixty-five of these installations are American, Walstrom reported. Of the 1200 projectors in active use in the theaters in Argentina, 720 are of German origin, 300 British, 120 American, and the remainder are of Dutch and French manufacture, it was stated. Dylong to Hollywood Milwaukee — ■ Mieczyslaw Dylong leaves Milwaukee June 1 to become assistant director of the newly organized Polish Motion Picture Co. of Hollywood. "The Peasant Wedding" in color is slated as the first picture. Third Miner Co. House Chippewa Falls, Wis. — Miner Amusement Co., operator of the Loop and Rivoli theaters here, has announced plans for the remodeling of a mercantile building into a 900seat theater at an estimated cost of $20,000. The new house will be known as the Falls. One Darkened, Two Open Milwaukee — The Cameo Theater at Kenosha has been closed, while the Viking at Loyal and the Opera House at Green Lake have been reopened. 34 Holdovers For "Prince" With the addition of 14 holdovers on Warners' "The Prince and the Pauper" in its key city engagements, the total of extended runs on the feature is 34 to date. "Dance" Sets Heilig Mark Portland, Ore.— "Shall We Dance" set a new opening day mark at the Heilig theater here. Ruddy in New Post Chicago — John Ruddy has been named manager at the Valley Theater, Spring Valley, replacing "Lindy" Kassul who goes to the Hub Theater at Rochelle. Bartzen In Sheboygan Sheboygan, Wis. — Eugene Bartzen is the new operator of the Star Theater here, which has adopted a single feature policy. The house has been redecorated and renovated. -<^3 DAILV Friday, May 21, 1937 ® Coincidence's Long Arm H Being the Best Remembered Exhibitor Experience of L. S. Bach, President of Bach Theaters, of Atlanta, Ga. As Told to Film Daily Coincidence is such a favorite of dramatists and screen writers that there is a tendency to scoff when it is mentioned. Yet there is such a thing as coincidence's long arm. Last year, in our Hilan Theater, we could not find a picture for a Saturday date that had any action, so to speak. We finally contacted the local RKO Branch and booked Victor McLaglen in "The Informer," a picture that did not get a first run in Atlanta, for this particular date. Mind you, this booking took place at least three months prior to The Film Daily's announcement of the winners in the "Ten Best" symposium for that year. On the day that we played this picture, the news broke in all the daily newspapers and was carried on the front pages, to the effect that "The Informer" was third among the Ten Best. As a result, when our doors opened for business, we could not handle the crowds and consequently a record was established which we do not believe will ever be equalled in that house again. The following day, upon our arrival on Film Row, everyone was patting us on the back and giving us credit for being the smartest showmen that ever lived. Even the daily newspapers carried a story to the effect that we were on the job to such an extent that we picked this picture simultaneously with the breaking of the news. No one ever dreamed that the picture was booked at least three months prior to this date. I trust that this will make a very interesting news item for those exhibitors who pass up pictures that have quality and box office appeal simply because they, themselves, do not like the picture. Editor's Note: This is No. 11 of a feature series. Watch for the next in an early issue. Testimonial Dinner Will Be Tendered James Clark Philadelphia — Testimonial dinner for James P. Clark, president of the Horlacher Delivery Service and Civil Service Commissioner, will be held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel on July 12. Affair, informal stag, is sponsored by friends in the film industry, and a large delegation from New York City is anticipated. "Mayerling" Version Sold A. K. Lopert, president of Pax Films, Inc., has purchased the French version of "Mayerling" from Dr. Saul C. Colin, pres;dent of Inter-Continental Productions, Inc. It will be released in September. GB Film For RKO Met. Circ. The RKO Metropolitan Circuit in New York has booked the GB comedy-drama, "You're in the Army Now," for its Memorial Day holiday program. Will Transfer Organist Syracuse, N. Y. — Con Maffie, Loew's State organist, is slated for a transfer to Loew's Rochester at Rochester. New Theater for Boone Boone, N. C. — Working drawings will soon be completed for the construction of a $40,000 theater here for Ralph Winkler and A. E. Hamby. Missouri Senate Passes 2% Sales Tax Measure Jefferson City, Mo.— The State Senate passed Governor Stark's 2 per cent sales tax bill which is designed to raise more than $36,700,000 for unemployment relief, oldage pensions and other emergency purposes during the next 19 months. The measure now goes back to the House for concurrence in Senate amendments. Hode to Give Talks Hal Hode, Columbia executive, will be the guest of honor at a dinner-meeting of the Committee on Motion Pictures, Department of Secondary Education, of the National Education Association, which is to be held at the Hotel Woodstock tonight. Hode will also speak before the students at Hunter College, at 6:30 P. M. on Tuesday on "Lost Horizon." Four New Houses Open Charlotte, N. C. — E. L. Swinson is opening a new theater at Lillington, while at Mt. Gilead R. A. Goodman has opened a new house. At Loris, S. C, A. C. Thompson's new theater is now open and at Mooresville, the Rex, a colored house, has been opened by R. B. Brantley. New House for Hot Springs Hot Springs, Ark. — Construction of a new 1,500-seat Malco theater will begin early in June, W. Clyde Smith, city manager for Malco Theaters, Inc., has announced. Openings, Closings, Name ^ Changes in Denver SedC^> Denver— Wave of closings, openings and new names has swept through this territory. Darkened are: Gala theater, Eaton, Colo.; Frazer Hall, Frazer, Colo.; Victory theater, Kremmling, Colo.; Rex theater, Hobbs, N. M.; Norwood, Norwood, Colo.; Alamo, Rifle, Colo.; Temple, McCook, Neb.; Royal, Stratton, Colo.; Diamond, Hagler, Neb.; and the Merriam, Merriam, Colo. Openings and new theaters: the Princess theater, Hotchkiss, Colo., by C. O. Wenholz; the Plains theater at Clovis, N. M.; the Cuocha^ at Couchas Dam, N. M.; the Reel at Hobbs, N. M., by S. E. Griffith Theaters, Inc.; and a new theater to open June 1 at Grants, N. M., by H. S. Earley. Theaters under new names are: the Princess in Douglas, Wyo., now the Mesa; the Coley, Coley, Wyo., now the Armada; the Princess at Roswell, N. M., changed to the Pecos; the Westcliffe at Westcliffe, Colo., now the Canda (owned by C. L. Canda, Jr.) ; the Sun at Otis, Colo., now the Star; the Jewel at Minturn, Colo., changed to the Minturn; the Princess at Meeker, Colo., now the Rio; the Sun at Holly, Colo., reopened as the Pontiac by Frank Northrup; and the Crystal at Hayden, Colo., reopened by John A. Greves as the Auditorium. Joins RKO Holland Branch Roberto Trillo, acting manager of RKO Radio's Holland exchange, working under Harry Leasim's direction has appointed A. Zomerplaag as sales manager, with headquarters in Amsterdam. Zomerplaag managed sales for Fox for eight years prior to his entering j the Croeze-Bosman Distributing Organ'zation for Universal and Columbia Pictures. Screen Craft Club Elects Detroit — Screen Craft Club, social organization of Detroit projectionists, has installed these new officers: Ray Doyle, president; Harry Burns, vice-president; Burton London, secretary and treasurer; and Ralph L. Ruben, corresponding a-*id recording secretary. Karr Circuit Adding One Sylvania, Ga. — Construction of Sylvania's new 600-seat theater building has been started. The new house will be one of the circuit operated by William H. Karr of Swainsboro, heaid of the Dixie Amusement Co. Gildemeyer to Porto Rif, F. H. Gildemeyer, formerly of( Erpi's Detroit field technical group, is en route to Porto Rico where he will be stationed as branch manager of the Western Electric Co., Inc., of Cuba.