The Film Daily (1941)

12 Friday, August 8, 1941 Boston Theaters In Grip of Slump Boston — Hub business is off. For the first time since last Winter, downtown theaters actually report a decrease. When other parts of the country were shouting bad business and groping for aid, the Boston pix houses continued to pack them in and for a long period the proximity of the military camps and the throwing of millions of defense funds into this district unquestionably aided the Hub theater section tremendously. Now it's apparently different. Operators are hoping that the slump is a temporary one but are making no secret of the fact that it is a vital one at the moment. All downtown theaters report decrease of from 10 to 50 per cent in business. The soldiers and sailors on leave over week-ends are apparently spending their time with their parents or their girl friends and not in picture shows. Business took a sudden tumble and now the local exhibitors are asking one another and the public, "are there too many defense films being shown — has the propaganda gone too far" and in most instances they are receiving truthful replies from patrons or former patrons, "yes, we like a certain amount of the defense stuff, we enjoy the military pictures, but when it gets so that all entertainment value is gone and the picture theaters become purely propaganda mills, then we are through for the duration." There is no discounting the fact that this feeling actually prevails here at the moment and Boston always one of the best of spots has become one of the problem children of the industry at the moment. The Cape Cod theaters, which expected to pack them in, are slumping badly. The great number of Summer theaters with their virtual stock companies and their really wellplayed legitimate attractions also have cut a deep hole in the box office receipts of the cinema in this locality. There are no less than 40 Summer theaters within an easy drive from the Hub, some of them actually within 10 minutes of downtown Boston. He Gets Two-Week Vacation from Ampa Winner of two weeks' vacation at Grossingers, sponsored by the AMPA relief fund, was V. J. Murray of 154 W. 18th St. The winning stub in the drawing held yesterday at the Hotel Edison was No. 1975. Alternate winner, in the event Murray does not claim his prize, was Mrs. H. J. Lorber, 190 Riverside Drive. Mrs. Lorber is the wife of H. J. Lorber of the Paramount sales department. R6UJS Of TH€ DAY Denver — The Black Hills Amusement Co. has made these manager changes necessitated by the resigning of Arthur Traylor, manager of the Majestic, Sturgis, S. D. Ted Jasteroff moves to the Majestic job from the Rex at Rapid City, S. D., and Melvin J. Olson is made manager of the Rex. Denver — J. B. McMahan has sold the Mission, Hatch, N. M., to Mrs. S. E. Allen, who also operates the Palace, Lordsburg, N. M. Boston — United China Relief will co-operate with several of the local picture theaters in putting on benefits and in arranging tieups for lobby displays. George Kraska of the Fine Arts Theater plans bringing the film "Kukan" here for a week's showing, with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to United China Relief. Boston — Scarcity of boys for jobs as ushers is causing serious consideration of the problem locally and there exists a strong probability that many of the Boston theaters will soon substitute usherettes for the present well-trained group of male ushers, many of whom have been called into military service. Chicago — The young daughter of Will DeVine, sound engineer of the Warners' Capitol Theater, is dead following an operation. Chicago — Bob Montgomery, formerly with Disney organization, has joined the staff of the Oriental Theater, as director of advertising and publicity. Chicago — John Immerman, son of Walter Immerman, B & K general manager, has joined the staff of the Chicago exchange of 20th CenturyFox as a booker. Irving Van Golder has been named poster manager at the Fox exchange. Portland, Ore. — Bud Benson has sold his Empire Theater at Anacortes, Wash., to John Danz. This will be added to the string of theaters operated by John Danz and associates in Washington and Oregon. War Themes Color British Production Oklahoma City— Fred White, formerly manager of the Tower for Standard circuit, and of the State staff here and also the Malco, Memphis, Tenn., is now manager of the Folly here, Standard subsequent-run house in the downtown area. Cleveland — Sendor Klinger, who has been active in the local exhibition field here for the last 25 years, has sold his interest in the Ambassador Theater to Max Weinstein and has retired from business. Oscar Stotter and Morris Berkowitz have retained their interests in the theater. Cleveland — James Frew, Universal branch manager, announces the appointment of Edwin H. Brauer as sales representative covering the Toledo territory. Brauer has been an M-G-M salesman in the same territory for the past 13 years. Cleveland— George Robert, 20thFox district manager, who was operated on six weeks ago, is completing his convalescence on the Atlantic seashore with his wife and daughter. Industry Coast Defense Com. Adopts New Name West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Y. Frank Freeman, Chairman of Hollywood's defense work, announces that the committee, heretofore known as the Motion Picture Production Defense Committee, will adopt as its new name the Hollywood Division of the Motion Picture Committee Co-operating for National Defense. The Committee also announced that Robert Riskin, W. R. Wilkerson and Arthur Ungar have been added as members of the group which represents Hollywood in all activities pertaining to national defense activities. Kaufman Heads Iowa Motion Picture Editors Des Moines, la. — David B. Kaufman, motion picture editor of the Bason City Globe-Gazette was elected president of the newly organized Motion Picture Editors of Iowa organization in an election conducted by mail. Ted Hammer of the Burlington Hawkeye Gazette was named vicepresident and Burton T. Burritt of the Waterloo Courier, Secretarytreasurer. The organization approved a recommendation that the world premiere of "One Foot in Heaven" being produced by Warner Brothers, be held in Mason City this Fall. " Fa nt a si a" to Remain at Broadway Theater Indefinitely; Seen by 700,000 Fans to Date Announcement that Walt Disney's "Fantasia" was in its final weeks at the Broadway Theater have been withdrawn and the run has now been extended indefinitely. Picture is in its tenth month and still going strong. To date, approximately 700,000 persons have seen it at the Broadway. London (By Air Mail) — British production, which is thinking more and more of the U. S. market as a source of vital American exchange, is coming through with a p)(2jjjivam replete with war themes andjf • 'jkgrounds. That applies especially to native companies, although American outfits producing on this side are no exception. Product recently completed, shooting or planned in this category include "Flight Patrol," "49th Parallel," "Pimpernel Smith," "Ships With Wings," "The Black Sheep of Whitehall," "The Big Blockade," "Seventh Survivor," "The Bomber Command," "Facing the Music," "Sword of Honour," "One of Our Aircraft Failed to Return," "The Traitor?", "First of the Few," "Eagles Up," "The Anzacs," "The Life," "Flying Fortress," "Spitfire," "This Above All," "Amy Johnson," "Cargo of Innocence." Cuban "Protective" Measure Is a Headache Havana (By Air Mail)— A further headache for U. S. distributors operating in Cuba is foreseen in a proposed bill to be sponsored by Dr. Marino Lopez Blanco, in the Cuban House, and Dr. Octavio Rivero in the Senate. Styled a measure to protect the Cuban film industry, measure •will ask that all Cuban theaters play one Cuban-produced picture and one foreign language picture a month. The foreign language picture would not be a U. S. picture, but would have to be in Spanish. In addition, the measure will ask for a duty exemption on all materials imported into the country which are used for the production of native films. Edward Arnold for "Achilles West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Metro has cast Edward Arnold, who has just completed a role in "New York Story," for the role of the newspaper publisher in "Achilles" in which Rosalind Russell, Walter Pidgeon, Claire Trevor and Lee Bowman have important roles. Surprise! Disney Festival Wows! San Francisco — When the Geary, legit, house, ran short of Summer bookings, the management decided to take a gamble and put in a Walt Disney festival. House officials were frankly pessimistic over the chances of drawing crowds to see "Snow White" and some old shorts at 50 cents. But the joke was on them. Mothers packed the theater with their offsprings and the results were described as a "pleasant surprise."