Variety (Mar 1941)

8 EXPLOltATION l^ednegday, Marcb 5^ 1911 With both ■Idei claiming their i -i,, , - . - • , M If ■ults were filed firsti ah action stands W|iUj 2^61 lOr ASlOri W. I. in the courts against Charles I- I ■ L, Casanave, .brwght . by^ Nationial Scifeen directors, .while the other has been filed . by : Gasanaye .and his brother, Edward P., . agaiihst' Her- ihan :Hobbins, Toby Gruen, Harry A.; Saniwick, Elliott Pedrlman iand Na- tional Screen Service Corp. 'Attor- neys for iaobbihiJ .and Cruen, in whose name the suit against, .Casa? nave was filed,, claims Gasaiiave's^ cbuhsel was served ^.with the com- plaint Tuesday (25); . with Casah'ayes serving National in a. counter-action :the next da:y; , ,- In a stateihent issued Thursday, plaint Tuesday. (25), with. Casanayes <27), .Charles Casanave saiys that their action • was filed Wednesday. (26),'but that 'an efi^ort to commence couriterTaction was ' made by- cer- tain of the defendants, but the prbscr cution of any such action has been stayed by an order of Justice Aid- rich of the Westcliester Colinty Su- .preme Cdiirt.* The stay is until^ March 10. ; • .■; - Casanave went on to say that 'the With Paramount's 'I Wanted Wings' set to: go into the Astor,' N. ;Y,t on March • 26, Charles. Chaplin's. 'Great Dictator' wUl; haye cqinpleted 23 weelcs of roadshoWing .at the house, it •clbiies there; on March '23.; Total gross for the period, it is esti- mated will .■ be around $275,00,0; Film hit better:than $21,000: in eatly^yeelts and sank to as loW ^as $8,500 before; Christmas. ■.-.■ ', Aitbr's previous tenant,:; > Gone With the Wind.' ran! 43 weeks, and ^ossed around $600,000. Neil Aghew -and Bob Gillham feel that li is desirable to have the road- show runs handled specially froin the outside rather tian force ;eh- largeteent of : , the ■h.b, department, with result a; deal has been made with Lynn Farnol, now set-up lii business for himself as a public re- lations' counsel, for handling \of •Wirigs.' Gillham and Farnol Tirere In Washington Friday (28). to con- others who , tact war officials and first and main action was brought '^^uM proipably be among the N.Y; by him to obtain equitable relief as J pj.gn,igfg gue resuit of a conspira^ entered into ' between: the individual defendants, inclifding Hertpah Robbins iand Toby Griien, and the defendant National Screen Service Corp;.: which has for Its objwt his eliminatidri from all In-; terests- in-.National : Screen Accessor- ies, Inc.,! Advertising Aeessbries, .Iixc; , , J and ^ American; K Co.? He' ' Reserved seats preem : for .Tiard added that he 'hais. been deprived^ of boiled Canary,': Paramount picture, virtually all voice in the inanage- fiAWss Saturday. (8) will be for ment and control of the corporations I ... . _ *» aiw^, tr<:^^^ and that Herman Robbins has In ef- British War Relief, A an^Jones,. Su- feet taken over the entire, control of sahha Foster .and po^^^ FOR BRIT. WAR REUEF the corporations.' °: Accbanting Sought . First inkling.of trouble came when attorneys. for National Screen, ap- prised of an action, brought by Rob- bins and Griien;, as National direc- tors, in which they seek recovery of money alleged to have gone to Casa' nave as personal gain through aC' .tions. on ,his part as well as through arrangecfients descril>ed as 'secret.' An accounting. is gbught to detef; mine the amount of money so ob- tained, declared in the complaint on belief to be in excess of $40,000. Also asked is $5,000 as damages, repre senting what-National allegies i^ the amount of money, returned to Casa nave: personally out of the $15,000 down payment National Screen AC' cessorles made in obtaining a 50% interest in American Display which manufactures accessory material. . In 1935 claimed American. Display was formed by Harry A- Samwick who sold, half of stock to-Casa- nave, bought; with funds borrowed from ' NSA, In 19^6 ah agreement was made between A. D. and NSA under which .latter obtained control through. purchase of a 50% interest This agreement* also provided that NSA was to pay AD the actual cost make personal appearances at the matinee and night shows and will appear In .'musical numbers, from the film, with the Dallas Symphoiiy backing them up., Additionally; Irene Heryey, Maur- een O'Sullivan and : other British, screen players will make, the -jaunt to Dallas premiere. I>icture will be shown In the 3,800-seat 'state ^falr auditorium, at $2.60 tbp. Par B'way Corp. (Bldg.) Shows Net Loss^ $202,054 Paramount Broadway Corp. state-, ment of profit and loss for year endr Ing Dec 31, 1940, reyeals net oper-' ating loss of $202,054. Income from operations for the .'year Is listed at $973,111, with operating profit shown as $176,683 before deducting $378,738 for depreciation of fixed assets and amortization of bond discount, and expense, Corporation's deficit at the end of last December, was ■ carried at $730i,387, or a reduction of about $26,300 from the close of. 1939. Cash in banks and on hand is listed at Players, Not the Play's, The Thing, to Pk Fans ijetroit, March 4. following an. Intensive ■flve-rmonth research in the fllm'-going habitai of; tli^ public, Eir. 'Marion Edinah,- of Wayne Uhiversity here, has publlishr ed her findings In the current School Review, ■ University of .' , Chicago monthly, publication. Her survey was conducted oyer all types of pic- turegbers' in Minnesota cities .and published under the titlej 'Attention orschool Pupils'and Adults H ing Pictures.' ' Prbbabiy thfr most: basic discovery was that in pictures^^ the; play is not the thing. It is the . player who counts in most cases. :■ . - • 'Tlie •criterioii. which mbst voften iuided both adiiltis and pupils In their.-choice of; prbgrams -Was. the actor or- actress performing in them,': Dt'. Edman -reported. Com'- edies, farces arid romances -tire the mbst popular type& of pictures ait all age levels.-.-. Recognized critics .who rated pic- tures with such designations as 'ex- cellent,' 'good,' , etc. were .accepted by the public, chiefly by the adults with the' yoUngers paying: no atten- tion to thtl critical ratings, . While most schools give no direct guidance in the selection of pictures,. It was found that tworflfths of those In the lower griades ahd. a half of thbse in high school said that teach-, era Influenced them In .attending -at ■least one moyie.*, Dr. Edtnan's; discoveries^ also showed that the av*rage: youngster attends eight shows a/months .Girls showed: mote'discrlminatioh'in their, cholc^ and boys the greater range of Interest : Coffee and Preenr Houston, March 4. Taking a cue from the titte of-the film, Loew's theatre here hield a spe- cial breakfast prethieTe: of 'Sp Eiids Ciur 'Night'§i 6 o'clock on the,mbrn- ing of the opening. Tying-ih with Henke & Pillot, town's leading de partm^iit stbre, the house served coffee and doughnuts to the audi- ence. 'Movies for Breakfast', stunt was pushed by the store in ads and windows. Francis Deering, manager of the house; and Frank Bruner, UA repi eVolved the stunt. Budd Addresses tlpK^ate N. ¥. Mga At WB Parley; _^ $42,373. Compahy' operates the Para ormanufacture,'pius building oh Broadway, not weekly each to Casanave and Sam- ' theatre, wick as well as operating overheiad and 10% in coverage. At the time. It is claimed, Casanave represented to NSA that this was the only agreement. Samwick would enter into though later it is claimed it was learned Samwick. had proposed a better airrangement. Under a con tract running 16 years it is claimed Casanave, through his acts, has real Ized somewhere between $40,000 and $60,000 at NSA's expense. As a re suit the contract has been revised and NSA is now dealing directly with Samwick. Among other things, an accounting, is sought' on any in- I at Lake Hopatcong, N. J., Lake crease In manufacture costs oCcurihg. Tarleton, N. H., and.how here, in otir :Casaiiave:Rembyed : first; season as bwiiers-opetatpra. of Casanave, general . manager : of .| the Lord Tarleton at . Miami Beach, Theatre's Minciiig Contest . Rochester, March 4, . Milking contest on Madison theatre stage as Milk Week feature provided fun '.for patrons and graphically demonstrated to city kids that milk doesn't originate In bottles. Man ager Bud Silverman prevailed oh nearby farmer to lend a couple of Holisteins and six 4-H Club boys competed for money prizes. Stunt got extra publicity and definitely at tracted customers. ' * Madison also ran State Milk Reel along with other Schine houses. Resort Hotel Owner Finds Trade Papers Definite B.O. Sti Miami Beacbi, March 4. Editor, Variety: As a hotel man, whose family has long, been identified with hostelries American Display, was removed from that post at .meeting of the directors and stockholders on March 10, but he retains office in NSA as v.pv secretary and general manager through ownership of around 30% of the stocic;. : His brother, Edward, formerly a National Screen salesman and.- more recently at the AD fac- : tory ,as- an NSA representative, was dropped week before last. ; In , the stiit Casanayes,' ° brbught against Robbins and others they ask . for '^declaratory judgment setting forth the rights and duties of the . vatious parties named, an: investiga- tion of the defendant cbrpbratioh upholding of contract with AD and an injunction against the, con- tinuance ; of the conspiracy.' His suit also seeks an accounting from the individual defendants as well as a declaratory judgment to set aside the newly-revised contrabt between. NiSA and AD. I can give you plenty of good rea- sons why we, In our field, khow that, trade paper publicity pays extra dividends. It's especially true where there is a hep-show business angle attached,; whether it's running a cla£» hotel or running a theatre. ■ I know :-that the average man- reads two things as 'mtists.' If'he's a New Yorker let's siiy he' reads the Times . and his trade paper V the one that pertains to his business. If a Philadelphlan, he reads the In- quirer—and his trade paper. In Chi- cago, he reads the Tribime—and his trade, paper. Thus, taking my own business for example, and I have. directmoney results to ptove it,, suppose he's In the glass business. He reads his triade paper and sees' a story about the Libby-Owens glass people hav- ing done an unusually ornate job oh my bar at this hotel, Miami Beach's newest, etc. .Or, It he's in.the china- ware business, his trade paper tells him Bxiflalo china, of unusual pat tern, and all that sort of thing, is part of the Tarleton'a equipment Ditto the Brunswick-BaUce-CoUehder bar, the groceries, meats, linens, and so on down the line. . Now all these people, in the'bar, or meat, or glass, or linen or any other bushiest, are all the. type who cart afford to visit Florida for two or three weeks. They learn more aboUt my hotel from their trade papers than from their favorite daily newis paper. . rm. sure it's the same In show business. We're all victiins of our own racket, as. a matter'; of fact When I travel, I too, am Impressed by the publicity or prestige values attached to this or that hotel. Sim ilarly in the theatre, whether it's legit or radio or pictures' or bands, we know best from Vabeety what is the lowdown. on this show, film radio program, band or whatnot. To me, there's no question but that the trade paper is closer to the average American, in formulating' his spend Ing program, than is some national periodical, oh a broader scale, or his daily newspaper, as I've said above • Walter Jacobs. Albany, March 4. ' Ralph Budd. director of personnel for Warner theatres, came here from New York to address a meeting of managers from Albany-TroyrUtica houses in the circuit At the same session, pictures to be played in the next three quarters of the year were, gone. ovei-, selling, campaigns during the Lenten season were outlined, and budgets for overhead were analyzed. Charles Smakwitz, district manager,, . presided; Attendees , in- cluded. Jfames P. Faughnan, office and contact manager in the ypstate territory; . Max Friedman, chief booker, and Joseph. 'Welnsteih, assist- ant booker in the same area; JUles Curley, manager of the Strand, Alcide LsL Flamme, of the Madison. Melville Cohheim, of the Ritz; and. ,3dward Selett^ of the -Albany,, all in this city; .Andrew M. Roy, df . the. Stanley. Arnold Stoltz, of the Avon, and: John Bre.slin of the Utica, in Utica; Leo Rosen, of the Troy, John Swarthout, of the American, arid Sidney Sommers of the Lincoln In Troy. Moe Silver, . director of Warner theatre bperaitions upstate, who vacar tibned in Florida for several: weeks; is back at his desk. ' Carl Hovey, assistant . manager of the Strand, Alttany, - has entered the Army. He was promoted, to that post last summer when William Tallman was advanced to the managership of a Warner house Jh Elmira, Irving Rosenstock, from the Ritz, has taken Hovey's place. . ' Shea's. Acqnlsltibns. ' The Shea circuit, built up by the late M. A. Shea and now headed by Eddie Grainger, has. acquired the stbck of the late. Edward Finch and Edward Stewart in the C&M Amus. Co.; operating the Colonial 'and Strand, Cambridge, O.; and the Hip- ibdrome and Putnam in Mariettai^ O. Jheia already, had two houses in each of these situations. Recently the Colonial, Wheeling, W. Va., was taken over by the Shea chain. This, together with the new acquisitions, brings Its size to 60 the- atres.; ..■ ■ Ah Example Columbia City, Ind., Marth 4. Tip to theatre owners who have organs not now in use: follow the example of the Huntington theatre, Huhtlnigtbn, Ind.-^sell the ; organ to a church. The Columbia. City Pres. byterian Church is buying the Wur litzer organ, . which originally cost $15.000i. It will be moved and in stalled In time for East Sunday, ac- cording tp present plans. . -' Ricketsbn's Changes : Denver, March 4. Manager changes, made by Rick RicketsOn, Fox-Intermountain man ager: Sterling Wa^ moved ffom the Sheridan, Wyo., city mariagership to Boulder, Colo., to manage the Boulder;. Charles Morehead from the America, Ft- Collins, Colo., to the Sheridan . job; Harry Ashton,: for merly at Boulder, and Vacationing recently, now managing the Amierica, Ft. Collins; Don Smith, acting man- . ager,-of the Boulder moves to (jheyehne as assistant to Fred Glass, city.managerr L. C. Snyder, ivhb re- cently Sold his. State at Ft. Collins, Colo., to Fox, now managing their Lyric there. Shipley's Promotion Cushing. dkla., March 4 J. P, Shipley, manager of the Dun- kin, local operation in the Griffith circuit, promoted to management of the State, .Seminole.: Okla., effective March 9. Also a Griffith hoUse. WB's Pitt Partnership . Pittsburgh, March 4. Deal ;-on fire which will make Warner Bros. .50-50 partners in operation of new 800-seat Shadyslde: theatre here, which will open in a few weelts. Modem nabe site Is be- ing built by Mt. Oliver Amus. Co. and details of merger are now being worked but by that outfit's heads, Alec Moore and Morris Finkel^' and WB'execs; Warners also announced a . new house In nearby Sharon, Pa. Construction will begin In about three -weeks. ' First of Film Row gang to sign up for year's service in the Army are S. David "Lefton and Stanley Lelber- farb. They are both with Producers Releasing Corp., former being the oldest of Lew Lefton's sorts and latter the PRC branch cashier. . ■: John. Finley,. who: left asst. manr agershlp 'of Alvjn here to join Dip- son. Just been made manager of the 20th Century, Buffalo. He moves to that post from a Bradford, Paii^^ spot and succeeds Dick Kemper. Latter vacationing In Florida and upon his return expected to take over a dis- trict managership with DipSon chain. Briefles:. Bill Clark resigned his booking post at WB. , ,Ed Sliegal, former Pitt theatre manager, back In this-territory as an explblteer for .U . .It's a son for John Lengyel. local prbjectlonist, and a dotter for Joe. Mazzei,. assistant to. Gabe Rubin at Art Cinema. . .-Isabella ekhib A. Sam Marchando will, desert the bachelor ranks this month.. ;ParamoUht'(Fine- man-Shapiro) in Braddock damaged by smoke recently when flames, de- ' stroked a store building next door IL G. Carey, formerly with the Al- pine circuit In this territory, will open hew theatre at Beach Bottom W. 'Va. Exhibitor, who resides In Steubenville, O., where he operates the Carey Decorating Co., plans to build 300-seater. . Jerome theatre, Ip Jerbme, Pa., ac- quired by Charles Szewczyk, owner and operator of two houses at Bos- " well. Pa. Jerome, now. being remod- eled, was formerly operated "by James DiMaurb. who- continues ai exhib at Vihtondale. ' Thomas A. Gilbert transferred tlie New Oakland in the: Schehley dis- trict to Warner Bros. Acquisition gives the jblrcuit threb locations in that: sbctor,. other two being the • Schenley and the Strand/ ; Harry . Alberth, mahage^^of the' Marios in HoUidaysburg, is winner of the $250 cash prize bffered in recent managerial drive on Manbs circuit Runners-up were Dick McColI, La- trobe, and George Kerr, Homer City. McCobl. incidentally; and Joe BUgala^ •■■ Ellwbbd - City, were awarded Wrist Wa^che^ by, Bert Steam, UA: district manager,' on special Manos exploita- tion campaign covering 'Foreign Cor« respondent' and "Thief of Bagdad.' Roxy, in Martlnsburg, Pa., just re- opened under management of Blatt Bros, circuit.. David Madden, .for- merly With the Blatts.at East Brady, house manager, and ; Will iam ' Blatt, supervisor. Thb 300-seat house; was acquired under a long-term lease from John-Helleberg. Briefies:': Walt Thomas, : -tiine asst mgr. of State.::ln ' Wi.lkirisburg, has returned across street, to: Row- land as Dick' Brown's asst. He was once doorman there and.. succeeds Harold Banks; who has gone away to the army. i .Walter Wall, of RCA's hbme office, here installing 'Fan- tasia' equipment at Fulton.. .Joseph Gray, remodeling his Gray theatre, , In Spangler, Pa. . .Al Weiss, MceKes- port exhib, vacationing in Florida. . :. S.C.'8 BaHding AcUvitlei : - Spartariburg, S. C.,. March 4. New Wilby-Kincey Palmetto slated for spring opening. Chain's fourth local. Replaces Criterion, dark sev- eral months. Rebuilding of 'Villa Rica, recently burned at villa Rica, Ga.,; begun. B. P. Neal, owrier; 600-seater; Jack Hodges promoted from pub- licity manager,. Atlanta's Roxy, to manager;. succeeds Ed Shepard. Add Dixie construction:—Muscle Shoals Theatres, Inc.; Sheffield, Ara.^ unit let to Daniel Construction Co^ $67,500. Richard S. Reynolds heads chain. Alco. Graham, N, C, remodel-, ing, let to W. F. Mitchell. Bui-lingtori,, N. C, $12,500; K. & G. Holding Co., Columbia, S. new hbusie, $9,500;. new: Memphis, Memphis, Terin., opened by Alice Johnson; K. L. Wil- liams Theatres, Inc., leased building for opening second Fordyce, Ark,; John Qooper, owner. Victory, Rogers, Ark., ' opens . second unit there- in April.; • H. H. Everett Enterprises; Inc., ac- quired Beaufort at Beaufort, N. C. Liberty, Greenville. S. C., set for remodeling job. Hugh and Roy Richards opened new Carrolltoa. (Ga.) Cai-rolltori,. 600-seater layout Bob Tolbert, . Wilby-Kincey's Spar- tanburg city manager, named Cham- ber of Corrimerce .director in charge of amusements for 1941. L. J. Men-. tague opened 8d6-seater Citrus, at Edinburg. Texas. Work on E. M. McDaniel's $20,000 Martinsville house begun. New $20,000 Conyers (Ga.) theatre opened. WB Farewells Copelao : Warner Bros, officials : and locals tendered a farewell dinner Friday night (28) in Atlantic City to Herb .C!opelan, . zone manager for that territory, who . has resigned to operv ate a chain of his own houses In Plbrlda. He has been with Warniers for 12 years. Clean-Uppers Clean Up/ , • Los Angeles, March 4. - Fourteen Fox-West Coast man- agers in California participated in: $700 in prize money awarded in Tlieatre Inspection and Cleanliness drive. Prizbs of $100 wer* won • by Louis Silverstein of the Bruin, theatre,. Westwood Village, and Robert Weeks. of the Stadium, Los Angeles, in Class A and B houses respectively, with Terry McDaniel ^f the United Art- ists, Pasadena, and Max Trumpower^ of the Academy, Inglewood, drawing down $50 each for second awards. John Kirby's tt.O. Haddltf ; John Kirby, district manager for Paramount In the southeastern terri- tory, headquartering at Atlanta, left Friday night (28) after conferring with Neil Aghew and others at the Par honie office on sales and related matters.- Formerly biftinch manager at Atlanta* he Was boosted. to tne district post a month ago, succeedin" (Cbhtinued on page 24)