The Film Daily (1929)

10 -. &&% DAILY Friday, July 19, 1929 Another Film Service Platte City, Mo. — Farmers in the vicinity of Platte City, Mo., have found a market for their surplus corn shucks because a woman hot tamale vender of New York City attended a picture theater recently. Mrs. S. M. Van Dyke of New York,, who is a big time dispenser of delectable tamales, saw a picture of a Missouri corn-husking contest and instantly her business mind became alert. Corn shucks are the indispensable wrapper for good tamales, so she took down the name of one of the judges of the husking bee, Gates Wells of Platte City. The net result have been that she has contracted for 200 pounds of Missouri corn shucks monthly. PLUGGING PICTURE FROM ALL ANGLESDOES TRICK St. Louis — Ingenuity in arranging for a variety of publicity angles on the showing of "Broadway Melody" was exercised by Charles Gilfauck. exploiteer for M-G-M, in cooperation with Charles Raymond, manager of the State at St. Louis. Showmen can garner some good suggestions from the following stunts: Placed 200 window cards reading, "Utilize week end reduced rates to St. Louis— visit Loew's State Theater and see." This was printed in the date panel on regular window card. One of these cards was placed in all railroad stations within a radius of about 100 miles on eight of the railroads coming into St. Louis. Billed five outside towns. All towns within a radius of 25 miles were sent readers on the picture and used them. "Post-Dispatch" used a two column story one week in advance. Broadcasting was done one week in advance by the Jefferson and Coronado hotels orchestras. Organ solo broadcasting the numbers two weeks in advance from the theater, victrola in lobby playing numbers two weeks in advance. Gave a special screening for 35 sales ladies from the 25 record dealer's stores, newspaper critics and some exhibitors. The object in inviting the sales ladies was to get them to boost the picture when making sales and play the records. This was done one week in advance of the showing. Two cut-outs of individual girls holding large music notes and carrying the title ' Broadway Melody" (in extra large letters measuring 18 ft. in height) were set on each end of the marquee. They were artistic and especially attractive. Placed 25 window displays with the Brunswick Record dealers through the Brunswick Co., the Brunswick Co. taking a quarter page ad on the records and part of it was given to the picture. Fifty souvenir programs were placed on the tables in the offices of many doctors and dentists. Film Boards of Trade Report Additional Theater Changes NEW HAMPSHIRE Changes in Ownership Rumney — Town Hall, sold to R. Hall by M. Percy. NEW JERSEY Openings Union Hill — Embassy. Changes in Ownership Berlin — Palace, sold to Jacob Stern by H. Hoffman ; Newark — Colonial, sold to Dashkin & Annis by Cohen & Shenk. Closings Arlington — Arlington ; Atlantic City — City Square; Bradley Beach — Palace; Clifton — Clifton ; East Orange — Lyceum ; East Rutherford — Park ; Elizabeth — Capital, Elmora, New Melba, State and Victory ; Glassboro — Roxy ; Hoboken — City ; Jersey City — Academy and Lyric ; Keansburg — Casino ; Lavellette — Lavellette ; Lyndhurst — Star ; Newark — Clinton Square, Columbia, Lewis, Lincoln, New Amsterdam and Playhouse; New Brunswick — Cozy Bijou and Opera House ; Seabright — Seabright ; South Plainfield — Palace; Westwood — Westwood. NEW MEXICO Openings Hatch — Playhouse. Changes in Ownership Greenville — Arcade, sold to Scamahorn & Duffy by J. L. Gusler ; Hatch — Palace, sold to C. Woodard by Walter & Heitl ; Magdalena — Casino, sold to Van Pelt by Leo Fay. Closings Mountainair — Pinto. NEW YORK New Theaters Argyle — Community. Changes in Ownership Brooklyn — Apollo, Fulton Auditorium and New Classique, sold to Adonis Amuse. Co. by Stamatis ; Art, sold to M. Feely by Peacock Holding Co. ; Endicott, sold to Geo. Manning, Jr., by Roma Realty Corp. ; Victory, sold to V. Vannata by F. Di Somma ; Antwerp — Gateway, sold to Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Sangster by Mrs. Taylor ; Corinth — Starr, sold to Severance & Dailey by R. P. Eastman; East Rockaway, L. I. — Atlantic, sold to Phos. Theater Corp. ; Maybrook — Sweeney's Hall, sold to S. Arabella by Vance & Pine ; Moravia — Opera House, sold to Thomas Anz by A. E. Bauer; New York City — Acme, sold to Good Amuse. Corp.; by Sol Raives; Chatham, sold to Chas. Cohen by Lee Wah Gee; Lincoln, sold to Leafrac Corp. by Illustrative Amuse. Corp.; Palace, sold to Essex Capital Amuse. Corp. by M. & S. Circuit; Royal, sold to Cassio Theat. Enter. ; Oakland Beach — 'Scenic, sold to Albert J. Lambert by Adlard H. Lambert; Philadelphia— Town Hall, sold to Wm. E. Leuze by D. C. Aldrich ; Syracuse — Langan, sold to Langan Estate by F. M. Croop; Troy — Gardner Hall, sold to Wm. H. Rose by Harry La Mont, Jr. ; Water vliet — Grand, sold to A. E. Battaglia by Peter Elliott ; Wilmington — Wilmington, sold to Frank Watt by Mr. Ross; Woodbridge — Lyceum, sold to M. Freeman by Jack Kaplan. Closings Astoria, L. I. — Arcade, Franklin and Meridan; Bayside, L. I. — Bayside; Bedford, Hills — Community ; Bridgehampton, L. I. — Community ; Broad Channel, L. I.— Channel ; Bronx — Prospect Palace and Westchester; Brooklyn — Amphion, Atlantic, De Kalb, Eagle, Elite, Empress, Evergreen, Fifth Ave., Fulton, Huntington, Livonia, Montauk, Nostrand, Park, Pearl Movies, Peerless, Plaza, Tip Top, Washington and Whitney; Cedarhurst, L. I. — Playhouse; Cold Springs — Playhouse ; Corona, L. I. — Colonial; Farmingdale, L. I. — Dale; Floral Park, L. I.— Lilly; Hicksville, L. I.— Hicksville; High Falls— Fall View; Huntington, L. I. — Palace; Inlet — Gaiety; Kinderhook — Opera House ; Kingston — Audit ; Lima — Town Hall ; Long Beach, L. I. — Long Beach; Mt. Vernon — Embassy and Playhouse ; Newburgh — Star and State ; New York City — Apollo, Arrow, Benenson, Casino, Cortlandt, Daytona, Endicott, Forsythe, Major, Melrose, Monroe, New Stand, Palace, Rose, Savoy Grant, Superior Verona, Von Steuben, West End and Woolworth ; North Syracuse — Community ; Ossining — Parthenon ; Pine Islands — Pine ; Poughkeepsie — Best ; Ronkonkoma, L. I. — Community and Fireman's Hall ; Rosendale — Casino; South Beach, S. I. — Strand; Woodbridge — Woodbridge ; Yonkers — Hanilton, Park and Riverdale. Exhibitors Daily Reminder Play up pictures under contract to prepare for new season. Friday, July 19, 1929 NOVELTY WINDOW DISPLAY PUTS OVER "THE BARKER" Bad Acoustics Close Mass. House Gardner, Mass. — After installation of Western Electric equipment at the Gardner, it was found that the acoustics were not correct which consequently closed the house for the summer in order to make alterations correcting the house for sound, it is reported. Work is to start at once with the house ready for opening by Labor Day. Estay Organ Bought by Studio American Sound Studios has signed contracts with the Estay Organ Co. for the installation of an organ at the studios. As soon as the instrument is ready scoring by organ will be the vogue for all future productions made at the studio. Dr. A. J. Bertin is director of music at the studio. Kays For Bangor Bijou Bangor, Me. — William Kays, acting regional manager for Publix houses in Houlton, Fort Fairfield and Fort Kane, Me. is to succeed C. B. Jaffrey as manager of the Bijou here. Buys Father's Theater Sandusky, O. — Earl Seitz has purchased the Star from his father, William F. Seitz. W. E. at Memphis Suburban Memphis — Sound entered its second Memphis neighborhood house recently, and Western Electric equipment its first, when the Lamar Lamar Boulevard and Kyle Sts. opened with "Close Harmony." Added to Cleveland Sales Force Cleveland — Charles Kranz, local United Artists branch sales manager, has added Lester Zucker to the sales force. Jack Flannery, formerly with the Cincinnati U. A. sales force, has been transferred to Cleveland. Paris Co. to Operate Denver House Denver — Paris Theater Co. has taken over the management and operation of the Rivoli, formerly managed by Joe Roth of the Denver Amusement Co. Butterfield Leases House Battle Creek, Mich.— W. S. Butterfield has leased the Capitol, Jackson from Glenn Cross, Claude Cady and W. S. McLaren. McLaren will continue as manager. Sells Akron House Akron, O. — Milton Bryer has sold the Waldorf to Max Federhar. One of the best novelty window displays that has appeared for some time was used by a wide-awake exhibitor in publicizing "The Barker" and collecting a load of attention that reaped results at the box-office. Manager Hugh J. Smart arranged with Montgomery's largest department store to derive a bit of publicity in conjunction with a window stunt the store was putting on, when "The Barker" playing the Strand, a Publix house. The window stunt was really an 'act' called "The Girl and the Spider Web." Looking into the window from the outside, the onlookers saw a staircase with seven or eight steps. Near the top was a beautiful girl's head protruding through the center of the web; the web being made of silver tinsel. One could see above, under and to the sides of the head — and it appeared to have no body. This made it interesting and mystifying. An attendant would occasionally take the head off, apparently, by using a net with handle. A microphone attached to the ceiling of the window with wired connections to an amplifier outside, was lowered every few minutes and the girl in the spider would tell the assembled crowds outside about "The Barker" and occasionally mention something about a sale which the store was going to put on. Cards were also a part of the window display; one of the largest cards reading, "Just as you are mystified in looking at this curious carnival character, so will you mystify at the stirring picturization of the play that held Broadway spellbound for one solid year — "The Barker."