Variety (Aug 1932)

TucBdayt August 30, 1932 IP I C T U R E S VARIETY 27 RKO No Member, BBB I Jazzes Up Smash Cincy BaUy on "Back Street' Cincinnati, Aug. 29. Town talk for the current iscreen- Ing of 'Back Street' at the RKO Palace was created last week when city authorities made the theatre management remove the . greatest downtown bally ever pulled liere. The exploitation' was In thft form of red, white and blue banners and signs stretched acrdss Sixth street from Vine to "Walntit, in which square the theatre is located. The signs read: 'Congratulations, World Premiere, 'Back Street'.' and were printed In red on white. Stamped in small black type,-not visible from the sidewalk, was a line under 'Con- gratulations' reading: 'To the 6th St. B. M. C All the shootin' was In honor of the Clncy locale of Fannie Hurst's story which was. further celebriated with a Honywood;oi>enlng; the tKlrd such splash for this'city. The street decpratiohs. were In evidence for 4?;. hoUrs before the signs were taken dftwn, the patriotic bunting being permitted to remain lintn after the /Hollywood splurge Friday (26) night.. ; Removal Wfts on the grounds that no permit for advertising of the, sort Is allowed by city, ordinances. "Agitation against the bally was stirred up by the Bet ter Business Biureaij, which claimed,, that the showing oi:,'Back Street' here was not a worjd premiere, the film having already shown on- the !West Coast and In Eenver. RKO does not contribute to; the operation of the Better Business. Bureau. ALDINE REOPENING WB Phtlly Spot's Reserved Seat 3- a-Day Try—Goino Artistic .7 Philadelphia, Aug. 29. The Aldlne theatre, "Warner house which used to play roadshow attrac- tibns but-dark for a year and a half, will reopen shortly. under' a new policy. Artistic and out-of-the-ordlnary pictures, plus educatlonals, news- reels and special features, will be offered by WB with a, reserved seat policy. Three instead of two shows a day. Times will be 1 p. m., 3.30 and 8.30.' First film may be 'Back Street' (U,). F-WC Retaining Present Pplicy at Hbllyw*d Pan . . ■ Iios Angeles, Aug. 29. Fox 'Weqt Co^t," irt- .its '.operation of -th* Hollywood ]^4ntp;g^B,.,wlll con- tlhW house second riin &n4 F-M unit policy for several weeks, Charles Skouras.was unable to reach a day- ^d•^dat0....releafie: agreement with ttjew's- State;' : i' 6ccastonally, first • run pictures, not iset dovrhtown, will ber^ottWd at the Pan," which may- al&d fi^^t Sfec- ond tun '<>n product prlot'. to ..show- ing at tlie Fox Wllshlre^.^.FWC toblt- th.ev.Pan 0ver last-w'eejk..'., One Manager's Idea Birminghaqn, Aug. 29. , Th« 'manager of a theatr*. hiere; Whose liame can just as well be Ignored, has high hopes. 'Just yralt tin we get beeir,' lie declarer 'We'll pack 'em with a free mug of beer with each ticket.* y Xi Asks $2,146 from L. A ; Exhib for Unplayed Pix Los Angeles, Aug. 29. Universal Film- Exchange has brought a Municipal court suit against Mark if.' - Hansen, of the Marquis Marcal to. collect $2,146 film rentals for. U pictures not played.. Suit claims Marquis failed to pick up 22 features,, 77 comedies and two (serials, and Marcal 27 features, 8S Comedies and two serials. Announcing that ' ALFRED L FIEfiEL Outdoor Advertising 110 East 42 Street New York has no connection with the Flegel Corporation, 15 Park Row, the bankruptcy of which was announced - in the New York newspapers Thursday, August 25; and is in no way affected by this bankruptcy proceeding. biyf ifers. Will ffi ^^^^^ ReaUjj^ Matters Future RKO real estate and prop- erty, management Is to be handled by ificd' division managers. AH brokers -hljtherto employed In sp'otti ar^ to'be let out, - Circuit Is also taking the Palace theatre building. New York, away from the present realty, managers and tui=hlng it over to' it3 own real estate department. Figure the build Ing can save around $12,000 in carrying charges this way. Building costs RKO something like ?36,000 annually to handle. FANCHON& MARCO • featured /[cfs ' .Kurtzman Travels Chicago, Aug.- 29. After summering here, Charley Kurtzman got his marching papers last week and returns to the oper- ating" department of Publl3^-under Milton. Feld. He -goes first to i)e-:: trolt to .reopen .the Paramount-there, and . Will later tackle Toledo, .con- sidered the toughest of Publix as- signments. Kurtzman, former divisional man- ager for Publix in California, was with B. & K, temporarlly'dn a com- bined assignment for three ^onth^. He returned to the organization in June after an absehce iir the-agency' business. Kurtzman left for Detroit Thursday (25); $12,000 ETE SUIT Augusta, Me., Aug; 29. Suit brought against Maine & New Hampshire Theatres Corp. for $12,000 for the loss of an eya. by ^iles R. Hawkins. Injury is alleged to have taken place in the gallery of the Strand theatre In Lewlston, Me., it a special matinee for children. Boy was hit in the eye by bird- shot which another boy had evi- dently aimed at an inflated balloon In the Hawkins youngsters hand. (Continued from page 14.) tol Is found near the body. The dialog develops that the American was doublecrossed .and murdered by nis supposed valiet, not .'the blonde. The blbn<^e t.urns , out to be the widow of the London "fh.ief. After the first few shots in a Lidn-. don apartment . setting, the .story transpires aboard ship.; A.lthqugh the story started oft with good-dia- log and action. It lapses into a hasty finish with practically no .convinc- ing action. The solution by dialog" In closeup leavefl custoiriers '^con- fused as to what?actually haPpehed aboard ship. '• • .j ... Burnet Hershey handled.^he con- tinuity -ind dialdg, but It.-niajr.have not been his falult that this'finish is bad. Donald Meek . -"and..-Betty Pier-:e are remembered from the cast Hs'v and- do okay.. Actine as a. whole is first,cjass.'. 'WAR BABIES' Kid Comedy ' 15 Mine. Mayfair, N. .Y. - ..Ejcluoationai Jack HayS i>roiiiuction directed:by Charles Lament,..: featuring. "The Baby Slari?,' i'an bur Ganjg type .of juvenile troupe In . 'War'Babies,' with the cute youngsters engaging a triangle situation against a Mex- ican (Or Spanish) canteen- backr ground. The boys are. of the liOw.e-, McLagleii typo of antagonists, with the senorita a hot charmer of fiye. However, a little pick nearly steals everyttfirig. Instead of llkker, the -war-'babies start reeling on generous gobs pf au lait. Engaging, because' of the juve- nility of it all, although it Is' not alt6gether without dull spots. A.bel. Metro, Fiegel Outdoor Adv. Co.'s in Bankruptcy ■ 1' Metro Outdoor Advertising Corp^. and the Flegel Corp., . both . c.oni trolled by the same group of bill- board, operators, filed Voluntary pe- titions in bankruptcy 'with the IJ» S. District' Court. Firms at the same time asked for the appointment of receiverships. Fleisrel company In its receiver- ship petition estimated the value p£ its billboards at $33,000 and con- tracts for space at $56,000 and set down the liabilities at $70,000, with $16,000 of this due on location rent- als. Metro Corp' gave the. estimated value of the; billboard^ at $160,000, of contracted accounts, $50,000, debts outstanding, $35,000 and trucks, $10,- 000. Liabilities were not noted. Rockford Pool Has Vaiide On Sundays at Coronado Chicago, Aug. 294 - In taking over'RKO's Palace "at- Rockford, 111., under a pooling ar- ipahgeinent, PubHx-Great States"w-^^ill- .vse Its own Coronado as the ace house. This theatre 'will play..'five- acts of RKO Vaudevllle .On Sundays, booked-by-.pick Bergen, and-. wUI ha-y-e two weekly straight film splits throughout the.-week. Palace will .be .scaled to 10-15■'2& xjepta forthe siuft first runs. • Harold Jones: will manage the Palace^ -while Louis- St. Pierre; .of the Cdfoh'ado, will act as city manager. . FANCHON a MARCO Presents ZELDA SANTLEY EDDIE BRUCE HEADLINING ''Gus Edward's R^dio Stars" FANCHON a MARCO: Present SYLVIA CLARK In "HER BIRTHDAY PARTY" BOBBIE KUHN ai "UNCLE BOBBIEV WILTON CRAWLEY 'The Thunder Storm of Jazz' With HOT LIPS—HO.T HIPS 'NIGHT CLUB' Idea DENT ANTI-TSUST GOMFLAnrC Boston, Aug. i2 9.-. Judge Lowell ha^ denied a peti- tion in :Federal Courts brought by the,Conii"onwealth Aniusement En- terprises, of Nashua, N. H., asking that Colonial Theatres, Inc., -pf Bos- ton,' be adjudged a combination in violation of anti-trust laws. plaintiff operates the Park thea- tre In Nashua. Legal action based oh difflcuity in procuring feature pictures for an independent house. 'BIG BUSINESS' Comedy; - .> • 18 Mln^ ' Mayfair, M. Y. Radio' ' One of the Larry Darmour Mickey McGuIre series withlttickfey and his cohorts in rivalry with Stinky Davis"-.: team in a Junior-., Olympics, with 'Stinky's dad chairmkn of the commitffee and ready to.V help his boy out; in isplte off-v*rhich Mickey, gets the victdry. , ' ■ • . ; -ir played' Jor laughs of t^i»:;ueual typp and getting ' many, of ^. them/ though the story lacks varletyMn- that It • etieks too much" -to' the games. Depends mostly ' upon . Its tlmelinesfl! for its hit, but good from that angle.. Will pleas© the chil- dren and a lot of growniips, but by no means the best of this series. PICKETING INJUNCTION Arthur Theatres has obtained a temporary injunction against strik- ing members of the lATSE restrain- ing them frOm picketing its local house. On advices of. counsel, stagehandu amended slgris they were carrying but continued to picket houses pend- ing attempt of counsel to di."3sfolvc the injunction. 'THE BULLY' 'Flip the Fpofl' Cartoon 8 Mips. New York, New York Metro-Goldwyn Although it Is not especially novel, there. is amusement in this froggy anticgraph that grades It as good filler material. Boisterous rhythm of the under- lying music is synchronized with the action and provides a curious punch to the inky giratlons on the screen. Flip Is attacked by a bully outside fight arena and, the pro- moter invites them in to battle It out in the ring. Flip wins, of course, by a reverse kiO. ■ Shan. , Unions Get Three More . Downtown L. A. Booths Los Angeles, Aug. 29.. Lawrence E. and .'Sherrlll C. Cohen, operating the Bialto, Olym- pic .arid Broadway theatres, sub-, sequent runs, have closed with Local 150 following months of negd- llations. -Union booth operators are on a ■six-hour' shift, six. days week- ly, working'under conditions similar to those at the ToW«sr and Roxle, close by. , ' Only remaining Broadway . house omploylng non-union booth men it> Dalton's Arcade where: policy is burlesque, with'pictures used as fill- ers. 10% BOOTH CUT Syracuse,.N. T., Aug. 29, First of the theatrical crafts to come to terms with Syracuse major houses. Is Local 376,^ operators, which signed a new w.orking agree- ment Saturday: .(27). Leaves the Skpuras-controlled Central New York Theatres Corp., as a stand-out on its two thieatres here. Projectionists take a 10% cut with working conditions remaining as under agreement just expired..' Ne- gotlatlons.with musicians and..'§tage hands continue.' ■ . Snborban Spots Join Aiit(j)ual MoveiiiCkiago Chicago, Aug. 29. Suburban houses In Blue Island, Chicago Heights, Gary, Harvey and Wheaton and other : towns which, because of their proximity to Chi- cago, ;have been forced into double features, will join the Chicago cir- cuits and bobltlng pools In abolish- ing the. dual nuisance. Downstato houses have uniformly escaped the policy because of their greater dis- tance from local Infiuence. Hope for improved business and a good start Into the new season hinges ulion the successful abolish- ment, of the eyil. Everyone is ai)-. parently ready to unite, but if busi- ness is affected adversely the prob- lem ot" kesplng' - would - be renegadea ill line will be tough. • Exchanges are even happier than the-theatre men at the prospective escape jfrom double featuring. In aub'st^nce It has meant that the exhlbs playing two featureis paid a little' mOre. for their show but that the distrlbs inevitably got a little less per picture. ^ Noi seriuiis union troubles threat- en this fall, so the one obstacle to full; steam aheiad is the duals and ,'the settlement thereof. Passing oC Labor Day will see the materlallka- tloh of the negotiations among film! execs. Double featui-es are expected 'to be shed by Sept. 15 at the latest. Publix's Chi Opening Arthur Mayer will pick some one from^ his. a^cjyertlsing staff .in .Ncj5r York'-for'-v^htftlng to, Ghlcagoi;". No deicjsion; ak to whom. . K.-^. .. i j4;no.tterr'mail' Is <waiitea j.-theres t»y Puhilx'as i^E-iresult of Bill Pine's ire^ cent tfanster to the Coast studio.' I .Assume Chicago House ' Chicago, Aug. 29. '•.. Max CTumblner and H. A. Young, who- JudtyIdually' control several ipictures houses, have formed a, part- nership to taJcti over the Drfexel at .43d and Halstead. Ask for Receivership On Penn Theatre Ghaiii Reading, Pa., Aug. 29. • Application made before federal Judge Welsh, in U. S. District Court here, for appointment of equity re-i celvers for . the United. Chain The< dtres. Inc. Company operates plc-^ ture theatres -lit ReadlngL.Eaaton, Bethlohom-OTd other Pennsylvania cities and in Philadelphia. A hear* ing will' be held. ^ ..: Application-was n|[a4e by receiver* ■for ariolhier concern^ Inters't^tBiRes^ Idences, ilnc.. credltir .pfijhe ^fend- ant for |l(»,000|.,on two notesA-lhter- state alleged fixsiifflciency oC'lunds on the part of the theatre company to pay Its current debts and in* efficiency : In operation of its th©^ atres. Now Beoklai MARLENE DIETRICH la "I Klu V«w Hand. Madam" i QTA1VT W OlSTRIBUTINfi f aiAllLiEiI CORPORATION ' 729 Seventh Avenue, New York Teleptiane Bryant 9-2SI7 FRED Celebrating His^ 7000th Appearance A3 MUSICAL DIR^TOR - AND :- VIOLIN, SOLOIST , DENVER THEATRE (Publix) DENVER, COf-ORADO Thanks to MELTON H; FBI.D BORIS MORROS NATIf ANIEL. FINSTON J.OUIS J. FINSKB . Thanks to following for congratulation telegrams: JiU-TON H. F£r.p boris morros nathaniei. finston' rWl, WniTEiMAN .RCBINOCT' TED I>EWI8 DR. HUGO RIESENiFEU) ADOLPHE DUMONT CHICAGO THEATRE MUSICAL DIRECTOR CHICAGO