Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1941)

Page 8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 12, 1941 Holiday Business Terrific Rainy Week-End Drives Crowds to Movie Houses; New Records Set in Many Places; Attractions Held Over 20-Fox Names Field Force WB Meet In Chi. July 28 300 Delegates to Attend; Separate Canadian Meet Warner Bros, will hold national sales convention at the Blackstone Hotel, Chica"" beginning July 28 and extending through August 1, it was ^innounced this week by Gradwell L. Sears, general sales manas-er. About 300 delegates will attend with Sears presiding. He will precede the delegation to Chicago by about a week in order to supervise the local arrangements and consummate plans for the Chicago roadshow engagement of "Sergeant York." At the convention, he is expected to announced the make up of the first group of five pictures. For the Canadian territory, where selling under the consent decree does not apply, a regional meeting will be held July 15 to 18 at the Mount Royal Hotel, Montreal. Wolfe Cohen, district manager, will preside at these sessions, with Sears, Carl Leserman, Roy Haines and Norman H. Moray attending. Pa. Only Tough C@nsor Board Civil Liberties Union Finds Difficulties Ease A report of the American Civil Liberties Union released this week shows that film censorship is ofifering little in the way of problems except in Pennsylvania. One of the seven states which censor films, Pennsylvania has long been known to have one of the "tougher" censor boards. Chief example of its proclivity for severity was the banning of "The Ramparts We Watch" on the ground that it was pro-Hitler. The report cited that when litigation was threatened the Pennsylvania Board withdrew its ban on "World in Flames." Elsewhere, such as in New York, censors held up some pictures but none of these were major company releases. In Chicago, however, where the police exercise a moral and political censorship, according to the ACLU, "Pastor Hall" was held up until cleared by the Chicago Civil Liberties Union. Referendum on Duals Slated for Evanston The Better Films Council of Evanston, III, Chicago suburb, long an opponent of double features will seek a municipal referendum in the Fall, according to President Mrs. G. C. Graham. Petitions are ready for circulation. Operate on Roberts George A. Roberts, district manager for 20th-Fox in Cleveland, was operated on last wef'J<-end for gallstones. Rain in most sections of the week-end highly prosperous for first run, although neighborhood downpour which left the crowds un ' able to pursue outdoor enjoyment. In New York, the Paramount Theatre had its biggest single day's business with the exception of New Year's Eve, with $15,000 pouring into the box office for "Caught in the Draft." The three day week end grossed $40,000 within a week of $70,000, nothing short of terrific. Even at the Criterion, where a $3,000 day is exceptional, Abbott and Costello "In the Navy" grosses $5,000 on the holiday with almost equal business for the succeeding two days. "Man Power" at the Strand enjoyed the biggest week end business the house has had in a year. Every Broadway house held over its attraction for another week. "Caught in the Draft" also set a new record at the Fox in Philadelphia. Even in Atlantic City, with crowds rained out of the ocean, business was exceptional, aided by the closing of the Bingo shops. In Omaha, "In the Navy" broke the house record and in Washington, already a boom town because of the War, new records were again set. So the story went all over the country. Bingo Continues In Three Buffalo Spots Bingo will continue to operate in two theatres and an amusement hall in downtown Bufiialo throughout the Summer, pursuant to an order by Supreme Court Justice David Diamond. Justice Diamond continued temporary injunctions restraining the police from interfering with the Bingo games, stating that the operators had showed that irreparable harm would be done them if they were not permitted to continue until the trial of the suit. Frankel Back in Pittsburgh for RKO Irving Frankel, formerly Main Line salesman in Pittsburgh for Fox, has returned from Hollywood, where he has been residing, to handle the same territory for RKO. Dark Ten Years House Reopens The defense boom in Connecticut is responsible for the reopening of the Devon Theatre, Beacon Falls, closed for the past ten years. Ralph Civitello has signed a five year lease on the house, formerly operated by the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Co. Give 5-Min. Newscast To keep patrons abreast of . the news and as an exnloitation stunt, Fanchon and Marco Theatres in St. Louis will give a five minute newscast during every performance. country made the July Fourth most theatres, particularly the theatres also benefitted from the Para, 20th-Fox Group 1st Blocks Also Set Dates for Trade Shows Required by Decree Paramount and 20th-Fox announced this week their first groups of five pictures each for selling under the consent decree. Paramount's group consists of the following : "Nothing But the Truth," "Bu Me That Town," "Hold Back the Dawn," "New York Town" and "Henrv Aldrich for President." Screeningdates have been announced for July 28, 29 and 30. The 20th Century-Fox group of five includes the following : "Charley's Aunt," "Wild Geese Calling," "Sun Valley Serenade," "Dressed to Kill" and "Private Nurse." Screening dates will be July 22 to 25. No. Calif. Exhibs Against Duals But — Although northern California theatremen agreed at the recent PCCITO convention in Hollywood that double bills were the curse of the industry, they were unable to agree on how to stop them. Nevertheless they made a gentlemen's agreement not to play two top pictures on one bill. This week the agreement went by the boards when the California in San Francisco played "Road to Zanzibar" and "Meet John Doe" while the El Camino showed "The Great Dictator" and "Flame of New Orleans.'' Wall St. Journal Reports B.O. Rise The ]]'all Street Journal asserted this week that box office receipts at the nation's movie theatres have risen an average of five per cent over a year ago, since Memorial Day. The increase confirms statements made at the recent convention of Allied Theatres of New Jersey in Atlantic City, which indicated that the take had increased in the past few weeks. Keene Abbott Dies Keene Abbott, movie critic of the Omaha World Herald, died this week following a series of heart attacks. Cashier Foils Holdup Calling into a house phone connected with manager's office, Helen Monroe, cashier at the 46th St. Theatre, frustrated a hold up man who had demanded the $2,000 in the till. McCarthy Appoints Nine; Stresses Extra Promotion A field force has been organized by 20th-Fox to exploit the company's pictures, it was announced this week by Charles E. McCarthy, director of advertisino and publicity. In announcing the apDointments, McCarthy stressed that under the consent decree promotion of pictures will be more ir--"ortant than ever. Rodney Bush, home ofce exploitation manager will supervise the men who were assigned as follows : George Gumperts, Philadelphia; Joe Shea, Boston ; Ward Farrar, Cleveland ; Tommy Thompson, Kansas City ; Spencer Pierce, Atlanta ; Richard Owen, Dallas ; Gabe Yorke, Los Angeles : Eddie Solomon, Chicago ; Clifford Gill, Minneapolis. All of them will attend next week's sales convention in Los Angeles. Gov't Opens Suit Against Crescent "Little 3" Ask Dismissal; First Witness Testifies The Government's anti-trust action against the Crescent Amusement and some of the distributors commenced j in Nashville this week with a plea j by Edward C. Raftery for elimination of Columbia, Universal and United Artists as defendants. He explained to the Court that these three companies could ?~'-ee to the consent decree since they had no theatres to which to sell their product if exhibitors did not want to buy j it after tradeshowing. Raftery asked ji how the three companies representing only 15 per cent of total distribution volume could possibly create a monopoly as charged by the Government. The first witness called by the Government was R. T. Mitchell of Russellville, Ky., who testified that since 1935 several efforts had been made by the Crescent Circuit to buy his Dixie Theatre. He also said that during this period threats had been made to build a theatre in Russellville but that they had not materialized. Mitchell said that Lee Castlebury, manager of the Fifth Ave. Theatre, Nashville, was the Crescent representative in these negotiations. J. A. Taylor who owned the j, Spruce Pine Theatre at Piedmont, ]' N. C. testified that he willingly sold ] the house to Crescent after an affiliate built another theatre in the town. Another witness during the proceedings testified that the Crescent Circuit could afford to operate a house at a loss for three years. Among those who were in attendance at the trial was J. Meyer Schine of Gloversville, against whose circuit the Government also has an anti-trust action pending.