The Film Daily (1936)

Saturday, Aug. 1,1936 BUTTERFIELD MAPS REBUILDING DRIVE (Continued from Page 1) have been carried on during the past pring and summer. Recent jobs included the Strand, Pontiac; Capitol, Lansing, and Regent, Flint. New modern signs have replaced the old signs on a dozen or more of the theaters in the state. It is intended to replace all of the signs. At present no other theaters are contemplated in any towns other than those now having a Butterfield theater, but a large rehabilitation program covering the houses controlled by the Butterfield interests will be started the coming year. New seats and equipment will be installed, and all the large "A" houses will be air-conditioned by next summer. Defense Begins Its Case In K. C. Zoning Action Kansas City — The defense began its case yesterday in the trial of the Rolsky action against local zoning. Records and minutes of the I. T. 0. A. were subpoenaed for yesterday's hearing on request of Ed Raftery, defense counsel, after the court on Thursday had advised William E. Kemp, distributor attorney, that he would rather not consider a motion for dismissal before hearing the remaining arguments. Harry Taylor, Columbia district manager, testified at that session that he negotiated contracts for 1936-37 product with Fox without reference to or knowledge of deals made by the circuit with other distributors. FORT WORTH Lowell T. Bodiford, co-manager of the Tivoli and Parkway theaters, leaves today for an auto trip to Mexico with Bob Pampell, assistant manager of the Majestic here. Robert Randol, dramatic and movie critic for Star-Telegram, has begun selecting best picture shown here each month, and his readers are being asked to do likewise. These selections will be compared with Film Daily's 10-best selections at the end of the year. Heretofore he has made his selection at the end of the year only. OKLAHOMA CITY Jimmie Adams of the Folly Theater has returned from a vacation trip to New York. Jimmie Burke, manager of the Capitol, has returned from a trip to Old Mexico. Joe Hill leaves next week for Mexico. Bert Stern is wearing a Texas Centennial 10-gallon white hat, and looks very becoming under the big top. • • • A LOT of research work went into preparation for Metro's "The Gorgeous Hussy" which centers around the life of President Andrew Jackson it took Clarence Brown, the director, the better part of two months to wade through the mass of material submitted in order to sift suitable human incidents and highlights from the life of Jackson and those involved in his administration and have them re-enacted by Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Franchot Tone, Melvyn Douglas and Sidney Toler it is not generally known that there is a free-lance staff of highly specialized experts such as college professors, librarians and other scholarly folk who are subject to immediate assignments from the studios to dig up data such as in this instance most of these experts have never seen Hollywood but their work gives the big productions that authenticity that makes them impressive. • • • THE WEEK-ENDS of our new deputy sanitation commissioner Bert Adler whose official duties we understand are rather sporty in that he follows the horses with a broom but his week-ends as we started to say are devoted to his first love, the movies ....... the Commish will have a Norma Shearer yarn in September True Story, and spends his Sundays writing radio copy for the Emo Movie Club broadcasts. • • • THAT PORTABLE unit with which Sam Goldwyn started to buck the Fox West Coast situation has been stirring up excitement in Colorado and Wyoming Warren Slee of the United Artists exploitation has been handling two shows, "Strike Me Pink" and "These Three" holding the shows in various halls, armories and lodge rooms ... • Maurice Chase of Big Feature Rights, Cincinnati, was in town the other day to attend the wedding of his dotter Nathaly to attorney Harry Baum • • • YESTERDAY'S SOCIAL whirl included the Lily Pons cocktail party at her apartment on East 57th Street, followed by luncheon at Gripsholm restaurant just next door she is off for the coast today to appear in her first 1936-37 release for RKO. . . • In the lace p.m. Al Mannon hosted at a cocktail reception in honor of Isobel Lillian Steele at the Beaux Arts her experiences abroad recently form the basis for the pix "I Was a Captive in Nazi Germany" SAN FRANCISCO PITTSBURGH A. W. SMITH RESIGNS FROM WARNER STAFF (Continued from Page 1) tional in 1924 as assistant to the general sales manager, and when F. N. was acquired by Warners he was made eastern and Canadian sales executive. About two years ago he was elected a vice-president of Vitagraph, the distributing organization for Warner-First National. ATLANTIC CITY Weiland & Lewis, who operate the Strand-Apollo circuit, kept their promise to have the Ventnor, which was burnt down to the ground during the winter, rebuilt for this season. They have reopened this house in ultra-modern form with all the latest improvements in sound and architecture. Extensive improvements are reported under consideration for the Colonial, also Apollo. "Ecstasy," the much protested picture in the Auditorium, folded up this week of its own accord. Rudy Vallee will play two engagements at the Steel Pier in August. Capitol Theater playing return of "House of Rothschild" for good business. Advertising is featuring Robert Young. Rumor the Earle will reopen for road show of "Anthony Adverse". Manager Anderson of Apollo has announced return road show of "Great Ziegfeld". Eddie Cantor and his troupe here for a personal at RKO's Golden Gate week of Aug. 5th. Included in the company will be Bobby Breen and Parkyakarkas. Irving Theater in Sunset district here was recently entered by bandits who stuck up Lou Metz, substitute manager, and took $140. After phenomenally successful 10week run of "Great Ziegfeld", Geary Theater, today opens with Warner's "Anthony Adverse" on road show basis. Property has been purchased and plans are being prepared for a new neighborhood house at 26th and Irving in the Sunset district in San Francisco. House will probably be operated by Golden State Theaters. DETROIT Jack Jones, former manager of the Pitt here, is now working on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, his home town. Mr. and Mrs. Johnny H. Harris are back from Atlantic City. Lou Gilbert, Warner Theater manager, returns from vacation today. The Alvin switches to single bills again with Fox's "To Mary — With Love." Bill Scott, Stanley manager, will spend his vacation in New Jersey at the bedside of his ailing mother. Film Row visitors: J. Reichblum, George S. Otte, Dick Kemper, Frank Nalley, Jack Marks, Okey Ward and William Skirball. Clare Winne, who has managed theaters in various cities, recently acquired the Dix Theater, west side, from Del Apel. House is being improved. Del Apel plans to take over another house in the near future. Detroit Consolidated Theaters and the Sam Brown Circuit have moved general offices to 2966 Penobscot Bldg. OMAHA Jack McCarthy has resigned as GB representative here and has joined the sales force of the Universal office managed by LeRoy Miller. Walter Oehrle, former local commercial artist, has left to join the Walt Disney Enterprises in an executive capacity. Jack Hepp of Greeley, Neb., will open a new theater at Scotia, Neb. Don Meyers of Comstock and Arcadia, Neb., has finally discarded the disc equipment in the Comstock and installed sound-on-film.