Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1936)

78 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 18, 1936 CHICAGO PUBLICISTS ELECT HARRY SMYTH E Theatre Remodelings Proceed in Middle West; "Ziegfeld" Closes After 1 3 Weeks Run Harry K. Smythe of Affiliated Enterprises is the new president of the Chicago Amuse ment Publicists Association. He was elected by unanimous vote of the membership at a meeting in the Sherman Hotel last week. Other new officers are Ted Weber, Chicago Daily Times, vice-president; Louis Abramson, Allied Theatres of Illinois, secretary; C. E. Dennison, Neisser-Meyerhoff Agency, treasurer, and Bellman D. Jones, Edgewater Beach Hotel, publicity director. Members of a newly created executive committee, comprising representation of all branches of the profession, are: Herb Elisberg, Essaness Theatres, theatre press agents division ; Duke Hickey, Universal Film Co., film company press agents ; Jack McPherson, National Screen Service, motion picture trailer division. Other branches of amusement publicity are represented by the officers, who were also elected on the committee. V Notes on train-hopping Warner theatre managers : Gene Hopson, manager of the Orpheum, on his way to Dallas ; Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Brazee (Avalon theatre) to California ; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barry (manager of the Capital theatre) and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ryan (he's chief projectionist of Warner houses) also on their way to the West Coast. V Walter E. Withers, father of Jane Withers, juvenile star, came into Chicago last Wednesday to attend a furniture convention at Chicago's Furniture Mart and was met at the train by 12 girls from the B & K Oriental theatre and presented with a threefoot key to the city. Jim Luntzel, B & K press agent who was recent guest of the Withers family during his three-week vacation in Hollywood, arranged the affair. V The local Softball craze has entered the ranks of the motion picture trade here. Balaban & Katz and Paramount Films, with eight victories each, met over the weekend and the B & K boys, after withstanding a ninth-inning rally of 5 runs, emerged victors by a 1 2 to II score. V Edward Everett Horton, the film comedian, passed through Chicago on his way to England to fulfill his contract with London Films. His first picture there will "The Man in the Mirror," in which Genevieve Tobin will have the leading feminine role. He was to spend several days at his New York summer home at Lake George. V En route to Hollywood, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, his lovely blonde wife and 3-year old son, stopped off in Chicago. Sir Hardwicke was still surprised that American directors want him to play the role of the cathedral dean in Warner-Cosmopolitan's "The Green Light" rather than the villainous roles in which he has made his greatest success. V Roy Blass, theatre architect, has just completed remodeling the lounge rooms of the Tiffin theatre in Chicago and is now starting the refurnishing of the Marshall Square theatre. V Mrs. Richard M. McClure of Chicago, president of the Better Film Council, has just returned from an extensive tour of the studios on the West Coast. V James Rennie, Broadway leading man, former film luminary, and ex-husband of Dorothy Gish, passed through Chicago on his way to a West Coast vacation and business trip. While in Chicago he visited the Duncan Sisters, who are appearing at the Oriental theatre. V The Crown theatre, an Essaness house on Chicago's Northwest side, opens every Saturday at 7 A. M. for an all-day Bank Night pool. Last Saturday between 7 and 8 A.M. more than 200 cash admissions were clocked into the theatre. Another Essaness theatre, the Norcenter, has a Bank Night pool running to $3,000 this week. V _ MGM's "The Great Ziegfeld" closed in Chicago with a roadshow mark of 13 weeks and a gross exceeding $135,000. V Dixon, Illinois, will soon have its second motion picture theatre. Leonard Rorer, owner of the Dixon theatre, is building a second house which will open the first part of September. Warner's West Englewood closes August 8th for three weeks, for remodeling. V The Capital theatre, first-run house in Canton, 111., burned to the ground over the weekend. V JACK GARBER (Pinch-hitting for William F. Crouch) Pierce Named Manager Of Milwaukee Houses L. Roy Pierce has been appointed supervisor of all Fox theatres in Milwaukee except the Strand and Miller. Mr. Pierce, who joined the circuit last fall, continues as manager of the Wisconsin and Palace in Milwaukee. Henry Toilette will be his assistant. Equity Plans Closing Of Office on Coast Actors' Equity will close its office in Hollywood on July 31st according to Frank Gillmore, president, because of the downward trend of theatrical productions. I. B. Kornblum, attorney, will handle all business for Equity in the territory after the unit closes. U. S. Film Showing Set First Time at Salzburg Festivals by DR. ADOLF NICHTENHAUSER in Vienna For the first time the motion picture will participate in the Salzburg Festivals this year. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Romeo and Juliet" will have its world premiere there, and "The Great Ziegfeld" its European premiere. Each picture will be shown only twice, running in midnight gala performances, to which the lowest admission fee will amount to 20 schilling (about $4). MGM will give these performances and the Festivals publicity throughout the world. The Festivals at Salzburg (the old Mozart-town) were established by Max Reinhardt 12 years ago. They are held every summer (this year from July 25 till August 31), and are acknowledged as the most prominent periodical institution of musical and stage exhibition, with a selected international public. Their program consists of a large series of concerts and opera performances (especially of Mozart's operas) conducted by celebrated masters, such as Toscanini, Bruno Walter, de Sabata, and sung by singers of international fame. Among the performances of dramas are Goethe's "Faust" and the old play of "Jedermann" ("Everyman"), directed by Reinhardt. The Festivals are not a private enterprise, but are protected by the Austrian State. Therefore, the permission of the Salzburg Provincial Government had to be obtained in order to show films. It was the idea of Felix Bernstein, MGM's Vienna branch manager, to introduce the motion picture to the Festivals. He led all negotiations, worked out every detail. Perkins Named Head Of Warner Legal Staff Robert W. Perkins, for many years a member of the legal staff of Warner Brothers has been named general counsel and head of the department. He succeeds Abel Carey Thomas who resigned because of ill health. Arthur Loew Acquires 353 Shares in Company The semi-monthly report of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington shows acquisition by Arthur Loew's holding company of 353 shares of Loew common stock, bringing its holdings to 3,530 shares. McConville in New Post John McConville has been made managei of the Davis Square theatre operated by E. M. Loew at Somerville, Mass. James Allen recently resigned from the position. Advertising Budget Raised The advertising budget for the GaumontBritish production, "Nine Days a Queen," has been doubled from the original appropriation, according to an announcement by G-B advertising counsel.