The Film Daily (1942)

"Sldhu ^8\ DAILY : Monday, August 10, 1942 Expect D-J Action On UMPI Within Week Some kind of action by the Department of Justice on the UMPI sales plan is expected to be taken within a week, it was learned on Friday. It was said that Thurman Arnold, assistant Attorney General, had indicated that he would make an announcement, but there was no hint as to whether he would report favorably or unfavorably on the issue. Meanwhile, it was reported that M-G-M and Paramount would announce their sales policies during the week. W. F. Rodgers, Metro sales chief, left for the Coast Friday night and it was understood that he would make the announcement from Hollywood. Confer on Peace Terms In Warner Office Strike (Continued from Page 1) Walsh, IA head, was made by the company on Friday when it learned that the strike, which had been called by Motion Picture Office Employes Local 23169, AFL, on July 30, threatened to assume serious proportions. Talk was rife on Friday of immediate sympathy strikes by members of other AFL unions employed at the company's home office, exchange, laboratory and theaters. Unions involved were Local 1, stagehands; Local 306, operators; Local 702, laboratory technicians; and Local 51-B, exchange back-room workers. All of these locals were understood to be prepared to call out all members working for Warner Bros, if the company persisted in its alleged refusal to arrive at a settlement of the dispute. The MPOE was prepared to throw picket lines in front of the Strand and Hollywood Theaters, the company's Broadway showcases, when it was notified of the Warner request for a conference at Walsh's office. Plans also had been mapped for picketing of the company's theaters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it was understood. Chi. Operators Meet on New Pact Chicago — Directors of operators' union meet today to decide on terms of new contract for the year beginning September 1. Norma Shearer W. Scon Andrus Walter Lang Harry Bernstein r.seph R. Fliesler Harry J. Gumbin Exhibitor Profiles: Jimmy Coston • • • HARK to the saga of this celluloid solon. — zone manager for Warner Bros. Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin theaters Now those who know James Everett Coston will understand his pride-plus in his employers' far-famed "Yankee Doodle Dandy" Like George M. Cohan, our hero is a real live nephew of Uncle Sam, born on the Fourth of July The year was 1889 The place, classic and glorious Greece And he was educated under the watchful eyes of his parents, Everett and Jane (Nicholan) Coston, at the Franciscan Fathers preparatory school on the picturesque and historic Isle of Corfu, 1898 1902 Then attended Business College in Piraeus, the seaport of Athens, 1902-1905 In 1906, he came to the U. S. A. and matriculated for two years at the high school in Derry, N. H Y Y V • • • THEN it was paths westward In Chicago, he found fortune, fame and romance Briefly, 'twas this wise: Got a job [incidentally the start of his film career) ushering and taking tickets at the little Federal Theater, 61sf St. and Prairie Ave., and later at the Vernon Theater Found the "flicker" field fascinating, applying himself with unflagging enthusiasm Came 1916, and he was made manager of the Harvard But the big "booking" of the span was his marital merger with the attractive Louise O'Connell on Feb. 29 Their children are Betty and Audrey Daughter Betty is the wife of Gene Ling, Fox West Coast booker When a son was born to the latter couple, making Jimtnie Coston a grandfather, gifts were in order, not the least of which was a rocking chair, pipe and tobacco, presented to Grandpa Coston by his Milwaukee employes Daughter Betty is wed to Chris Paschen, Jr., son of the prominent contractor y w w • • • IN 1918, Jimmie became a naturalized citizen When 1921 came around, he organized and directed the Coston Booking Circuit which handled the film bookings for 215 theaters, and was also prexy of the Chicago Theater Corp. which, from 1924 to 1930, operated some 16 theaters In 1927 he had acquired a third interest in the Federal Playhouses of Chicago, then operating 1 1 theaters This was the era when sound was hatched by the Warners, and their circuit was soon to blossom forth In 1930 the Brothers shrewdly eyed the Mid-West sector and bought Jimmie's theatrical interests, making the now-veteran Mister Coston zone manager for the Chi. and Indiana stands, later turning over to him the management of various WB houses in Wisconsin Since his tenure, his territory has been standout as an example of operational enterprise and genuine showmanship genius Adept promotion of product has been productive of plentiful patronage And the patronage has been productive of solid goodwill T ▼ ▼ • • • JIMMIE is an active member of the committee operating Mayor Kelly's Service Center, and is strongly interested in the Will Rogers Hospital at Saranac, N.Y Is a member of the South Shore Country Club and has a Summer home at Eagle River, Wis., where he devotes whatever liesure possible to his favorite sports,— hunting and fishing Is a devout Episcopalian; a 32nd Degree Mason; and politically a staunch Republican Has been and is unusually prominent in the activities of Ahepa, the national society of the American-Greeks, and has served in many official capacities for the organization Is vice-prexy of Federal Theaters Co.; Warner Bros. Theaters, Inc., of Indiana; and Illinois Theater Co.; president of Ashland 95th St. Properties, Inc.; Longwood Manor Bldg. Corp.; Longwood Towers Bldg. Corp.; Williams Bldg. Corp.; 372 Normal Parkway Bldg. Corp.;. and a director of Standard Theater Co. of Wisconsin T T T • • • AVENGE PEARL HARBOR! ! ! Set Drive Premiere In Wash. Aug. 31 (Continued from Page 1) in Hollywood on the same day and it is hoped to give the departing stars — who will be on the tours^ "jumping off" from Western point/. — a "going away" present of miT>— lions of dollars in War Bond sales. The other "premiere" cities will be San Francisco and San Jose, Tour No. 1; Fresno, Tour No. 2; Dallas & Waco, Tour No. 3; Chicago, Tour No. 4; Chattanooga, Tour No. 5; Philadelphia, Tour No. 6; New York City, Tour No. 7. The New York City committee already has plans under way to make the New York premiere an "explosion point" for the national drive. Sears and Levey Close "Jacare" Releasing Deal (Continued from Page 1) UA will distribute Frank Buck's "Jacare," a wild animal picture filmed in South America. It will be released early in October. The expedition which shot the material recently returned to this country and the film is now being cut. Buck will do the commentary, written by Tom Lennon who also did the screenplay, and both Buck and James Donaldson, star of the picture, will appear in the prologue and epilogue. Otho Lovering is supervising the editing. MacFarland in Real Estate James H. MacFarland, publicity director of many of the leading motion picture companies and theaters in New York, is now associated with the Joseph G. McCue Agency of Rumson, N. J., specializing in farms and estates, and will have charge of the recently opened Red Bank office. He also operates one of the large dairy farms in that locality. TManagerette' Named Gettysburg, Pa. — Believed to be the first woman to be appointed by Warner Brothers theater, Miss Vestal Stallsmith, former cashier, has been named assistant manager of the Majestic and Strand theaters here. She first became affiliated with the houses as a relief cashier six years ago. Mayor Is Mightier Than Meteorology No matter what the weather man has to say (or the Floridians who like to disparage California's sunny clime), August 12 will be a "Dandy" day out in Los Angeles. The city's Mayor saw to that on the week-end when he formally proclaimed it "Yankee Doodle Dandy" Day, which marks the advent of Warners' ace current picture at their Hollywood Theater there.