Variety (May 1941)

EXPLOITATION Wednesday, May 28, 1941 Job Friedl of Par NW Keynotes Why Pix Must Fight for Every $ Hotels and night clubs have gone Into the show business and film men must begin to give the matter thought, in the opinion of John J. Friedl, operator of Paramount's large string of theatres in the north- west, At the same time the picture business has to get out to fight for as much of the amusement dollar as It can now that it is being divided up in so many ways, he adds. In New York during' the past week Friedl reported that Minnesota had the worst winter In the nine years he has operated the Par circuit there and that there Is some appre- hension now concerning a possible drought such as is causing worry in other parts of the country, includ- ing the east Farming is in pretty good condition, however, in the northwest though South Dakota has suffered from bad weather condi- tions of recent years. Causing some alarm, according to Friedl, Is that people are leaving Minnesota by the hundreds on one- way tickets. These are not the farm- ers but in addition to draftees in- clude skilled labor that is going away to mbre lucrative fields. Friedl asserted that with the ex- ception of Idaho and the Dakotas, Minnesota has fewer defense orders than any of the other states, A breakdown shows that defense or- ders amount to only $5.31 per capita, where in neighboring Wisconsin it is around three times that and in near- by Iowa about four times as much. Other'States run $30 or more per capita, based on orders already placed. Kayos Siageshows The northwestern operator, point HAL NEIDES' BURNUP AT S.F. RAG'S CRACK San Francisco, May 27. Arthur Caylor, News (Scripps- Howard) political columnist found out about show biz when he printed a statement to the effect that reason Hal Neides, who handled 'Fantasia' at the Geary, was replaced by Emil Bondeson for run of 'Citizen Kane,' was because Neides felt ICane' was too hot to handle. Neides, who Isn't afraid of anybody, burned plenty, fact being that he and RKO couldn't get together on salary. Source of yarn Is Caylor's secret WB FAVORS AIR SPOT BLURBS Warner Bros., which will spend more than ever before In its history in a merchandising campaign on pic- tures during the coming year^ is re- ported investigating the possibilities of specialized spot announcements on the air. This would be entirely supplemental to the advertising In newspapers and magazines which are to get more during the 1941-42 season than In the past. Understood WB Is scouting around with a view to picking certain times ^ where spot announcements on the Ing to inabUity of theatres to givei^ir would be tried if plans are car- 'em the shows they are getting else- ' ii. where in hotels, niteries, etc., says Gaondett's Civic Cbore Seattle, May £7. Vic Gauntlett, advertising manager for Hamrick-Eve^green, and long dean of explolteers in northwest, has accepted advisory general chairman- ship of the annual Seattle celebra- tion, known as 'The PoUatch.' This dates back to the old Indian canoe races, and for 1941 will take on wings. ;• ■ The theme will be aviation. Seattle is an air center due to Boeing's plant, the naval .air base and airlines. CANADA CURBS NEWTHEATRE BLDG. Montreal, May 27. R. C. Berklnshaw, Commissioner of Priorities, has annotmced that no further licenses for the building of theatres will be Issued in Canada and permits for saAx buildings have Just been refused for the building of three picture houses, one at Edtoton- ton. Alberta, the other locations not being disclosed. "We are not Issuing any licenses of this kind,'berklnshaw said. It is part of our policy that theatre facili- ties are not to be extended, unless, of course, the applicant can show that his bulli^lng is about erected when he comes to us.' GmrchOI s Successor for Indpls. RKO Not Yet Set; Other Key Gty Briefs Bob Mochrie, eastern sales mana-1 Nevertheless the dishes got away to ger for RKO, returned to New York a slow start and then they y^ere ot that an ordinary sftageshow in the theatres in Minnesota, -meanj noth- ing; that big napies must be pro- vided before there is any real box- office action! Discussing the inroads .being made by other amusements and sports, cutting up the entertainment dollar' more and more, Friedl noted that on Saturday afternoons in Minneapolis during the football season the town is dead. Including the stores. Minnesota' is feeling the present b.o. slump the same as other sections of the country but Triedl, like otha operators, blames it on a combina- tion of clrcumstanc&, some peculiar to his territory, rather than to any- thing specific-.- .Minnesota seems to be no exception In that the big plc- ' tures are not doing big business, leaving those that are fair to a fate they also don't deserve. A Mess of Hess For Marqaee Dress And Frisco B.O. Hypo San Francisco, May 27. Hess case created a rash of freak bookings here. In addition to the usual time-element stuff spotted by ' the newsreel houses, the Esquire (Blumenfeld) and the Regal (Aaron Goldberg) jumped on the Market ried forth., RKO used spot announcements on 'Citizen Kane' and'likely that War- ners' first on the test -would be 'Sergeant Yorke.' 5 Stnde Gninea Pigs Of Both Sexes m Test On Veronica Lake's S. A. A trio Selbel, J., Minneapolis, May 27. of publicity ,:men—Everett B. Lewis and Joe Ferris of Northwest Airways, Paramount and the Minnesota Amus. Co.—^pulled a ho'ney of an exploitation stunt .wh«n they- arranged for a test of the re- actions of five U. of Minnesota stu- dents, two women and three men, to Veronica Lake, Paramount's new featured actress in *I Wanted Wings,' opening at the State here Friday (30). Robert E. Murphy, Star-Jour- nal film reporter, cpvered the event and wrote a by-line story with a four-column head and art In order to.'heighten the atmos- phere,' the'students, with newspaper- men, Paramount representatives and others, were' taken for an airplan-. i ride in one. of-the Northwest Air- ways' transports and 'scenes from the picture and of Miss Lake were shown on a screen in the plane pre- liminary to an advance screening of the entire film downtown. Wrote ' Alberta Also Edmonton, Alta., May 27. Edmonton branch of the Canadian Corps association' passed a resolution protesting to Finance Minister Ilsley at Ottawa against plans of Odeon Theatres, Ltd. to build in Edmonton and asking him to refuse permission. The resolution said the use of steel and' other vital products in such a. project would be 'contrary to the needs and necessities of the times.' A letter opposing this theatre con- struction scheme and suggesting the expenditure of millions of dollars for new theatre construction Is not In keeping with the tremendous re- quirements of our government for capital' was sent to the federal gov- ernment. Proposal of Odeon was to build two houses in Edmonton this year. Letters were sent to all corps branches In Canada asking them to oppose the theatre building program. GrUflth Adds In Texas . New Braunfels, T4x., May" 27. L. C. Griffith Consolidated Thea- tres will open a new house here now unda construction. Announcement came from manager Gus Ho^nscheidt of the circuit's Rialto here. Mrs. Martha McSpadden has bought the Roxy, Wichita Falls, Tex., from Montgomery & McCollum. Mrs. Mc- Spadden also operates the tiiberty and Grand at Electra, Tex. street bandwagon. Regal, a subse- i Murphy: quent which never advertises, threw j 'Reactions to Miss Lake were as to In 'After Mein Kampf and took be expected. The girls didn't like display space to plug it yrith copy Veronica—the character she played, reading 'Hess Flees Nazi Europe.' that is—but the "boys did. Veronica's •Did Rudolf Hess Actually Write! much publicized New Drive-In Toledo, May 27. First drive-In theatre in this sec- tion, and the only one between Cleveland and Detroit, opened re- cently on a 22-acre tract on Route 20, one mUe west of Maumee, O., to be known as the Lake Erie Drive- In. ■ Jimmy Dempsey, formerly of Warner circuit, managei:. . the girls thought,'was too extreme to catch on. Veronica's sultry vil- lainy, the boys thought, was interest- ing, but something of which to be wary.' Nabe's Novel Stunt Hypos 'Buck Priyates' •Mein Kampf 'Why did the No. 2 Nazi Desert His Chief?' See the . picture that Hitler fears. , . i' "' Esquire used 'Voice in the Night' (British flick known in England as. •Freedom Radio') and played down the title' selling 'Hess Left Germany' In copy which reads, 'The reasons Hess left Germany are seen' in •Voice in the Night'.' Latter house used similar methods .last week to sell '(^ Man Betrayed' as being*^ from thtf story, 'Gongs of Kansas City,' latter title getting the prominent billing throughout. EEEFDTG IT GOmG . Hollywood, May 27. John ^helton. and Ann Rutherford are teafned up again as a pair of newly weds in'Keeping Married,'sec- , ond of a series of M-G domestic Fa., telephone the theatre at the ex- comedles. Cast Is the same as In the' pense of the house and talked fo opener, 'Keeping Company.' [friends and relatives on the stage. Sam Marx produces and S..' Syl- | The conversation was amplified di- van Simon directs the picture, which lowing the entire audience to hear Toledo's 1,8M-Seater Toledd, May 27. Associated Theatres Corp., of sheepdog haflrdo, i Cleveland, will open its new house in the Central-Monroe shopping de'- velo'pment about Aug. 1, though the rest ,of the $500,000 business block opened last week. Theatre will be air - conditioned, seating approxi- mately 1,800. fast week from Indianapolis, but has appointed no one there yet to suc- ceed Roy Churchill,' branch manager, who resigned. Mochrie was slated to select Churchill's successor while In Indianapolis. Churchill resigned recently after 21 years with RKO. He immediately left for California; not rtveallng fu- ture plans. Rarlety Vice Edwards Albany, May 27. Sol Edwards, former sales manager ot the old Grand National Pictures, and Albany area salesman for United Artists since April 1, transferred to Brooklyn territory in a similar ca- pacity. Successor here is William Rarlety, with UA In the West Vir- ginia sector. Films are shipped from New York, UA maintaining no Al- bany exchange. AUeiTKawel, for some time with Warner Bros. In New England ter- ritory «nd Charlotte, N. C, Is new Albany manager of Ross Federal Service. He came here from a sim- ilar position in Charlotte. Kawel took Oie the place of Charles Leach, erstwhile film man end New Haven manager for Ross before transfer here last December. ' Cralg'a New Funereal Xtvelihood Pittsburgh, May 27. Ralph W. Craig, manager of Harris circuit's AdelphC R^oldsville, Pa., resigned to go Into funeral supplies business In that town. Temporarily replaced by Johnny Harris, cousin of John H. Harris, acting head of chain bearing family name. Harold Weinberger, former M-G office manager here and later with Washington branch In same capacity, gone back into distribution again after serving as an assistant director on Metro lot for two years. Wein- berger joined company's Los Angeles exchange, temporarily as a student assistant pending a regular assign- ment Since leaving the studio in the fall of 1939, he has been playing a number of bits in pictures, Wein- berger having once been a prominent local amateur actor. Two-story theatre buUdlng at Clalrton, Pa., which was started 10 years ago but never completed, posted for sale by sheriff on June 2, with $6,476 listed against the property. It's owned by Henderl Corp., and for a decade, realtors have been trying to Interest various exhibs in the property but without any success. BiU Taylor, former assistant man- ager .Af (Jolumbla in Sharon and the Harris-Etna, left for the army as a second Ueutenant at Indiantown Gap, Pa., encampment. He's a brother of Robert-Taylor, manager of the Harris theatre in DuBois, Pa. Brlefies: Moody Weir has beki fill- ing in as temporary manager at the Harris-Manosin Jeannette... .Mannie Abrams is town's newest exhib, at Park In Blair Station Edwin A. Rowlands, famed autograph collector who hails from here, and Esther O. Burtness, of Janesville, Wis., married last week... .C. J. Latta, assistant to Har ry Kalmine, zone manager for 'WB here, will be a grandpop this Slunmer Jim Moran in from Washington to do some special ex- ploitation on 'I Wanted Wings,' which opens at Penif Friday (30). 9137,5«e CflAst Deal , ' Los Angeles, May 27. - Klng-Reavis Amus, Co. acquired Tower theatre in Santa Rosa from B. H. Lustig and Herman Slms 'lii a deal involving $137,500. Shane & Moss, operators In Oak- land, C^aU building new film house, seating 850, in Los Angeles. CHiick I^eedman, formerly oper- ating in' Omaha, bought out Jack Johnston's Interest In the Normandle and Barbara film houses in I,. A. and -wilLmove-in as an associate of M. C. Sinift formerly Johnston's partner. Earl Strebe shuttered his El Paso theatre fof the season In Palin Springs. His other house, the Palm Springs, closes soon, after which he will open his theatre at Arrowhead. fered to men as well as women for added draw. Frank Rogers, flll-ln Schine man-. ager here, resigned to join Shubert org In New York. (Seorge Deber, manager of Schines' State, replaced by Andrew Shay, who came in from Groton. Don Whitlngton, Rlvoli, partner with Don Stevenson, ordered to Newport, R. I., with local naval militia unit A was Philadelphia, May 27. clever, attention-getting stunt staged last week by manager Haddon Matthews at Stanley-War- ner's 69th St. Upper Darby nabe, to ballyhoo "Buck Privates.' Soldiers from 'this area now sta- tioned at Camp Shelby, Miss.; Fort Belvoir, Va., and Indiantown Gap, rolls in 10 days. what's being said. Cameron's New- Nabe Fort'Worth, May 27. P. G. Cameron, of Dallas, con- structing nabe here, seating 900, ready Aug. 15. For 35 years .Cam- eron has been identified with ex- hibition, dt one time operating the Melba and other theatres in Dallas. Recently, he sold holdings on the Coast where he was once an ex- hibitor. Danz's ACditioh • Seattle, May 27. John Danz, president of Sterling Chain, plans to build a new nabe In West Seattle, seating around 800 and to replace Sterling's Portola,-much smaller. The other house, Granada,. 800-seater, also in West Seattle, is to continue "under the Danz wlng.^ ■ Ops' Peaee In Tulsa, Okla. Oklahoma City, May 27, A three-months ^strike of oper- ators at seven Tulsa theatres oper- ated by Griffith has been settled, per anouncement by L. A. Chatham, for the . theatres, and Felix Snow, international v.p. of 'the Operators' Union. Free DUhes TeeoS Rochester; N. 'Y., May 27. , Harry D. Steam, former city man- ager for Schines, transferred to Qion as zone manager.' Frank Boucher takes over duties. The new exec launched dish giveaway with biggest campaign in the history of the town and had veteran showmen scratching their heads when he used advertis- ing spreads on dishes three days run- ning in the dailies with nary a men- tion of pictures or entertainment Had "separate ad on films one day. Crystal, Mpls., Baokrnpt Minneapolis, May 27. The second theatre bankruptcy within a year here occurred when S. P. Halpern, local attorney, repre- senting a group of creditors with claims of approximately $5,000, filed a petition in bankruptcy against the Crystal Tlieatre (3orp., operating the 800-seat lower loop Crystal, dime subsequent-run dual feature house. David Gillman was head of the in- dependent company which has lost the theatre through failure to meet obligations. The other theatre to go into bank- ruptucy was the 4,000-seat $2,000,000 Mmnesota theatre, independently owned, and it's still In receivership. BKO Shattering 6 . RKO closed three houses during the past week, has scheduled the summer shuttering of three others and may later decide to add others to the list One reported as a pos- sibility is the Marble HUl in the Bronx. Orpheum, Kansas City; Albee, Providence, and the Strand, Syra- cuse, are already closed. Addition- als are the Grand, Columbus, to- morrow (29); Orpheum, Champaign, ni., June 8, and the Palace, (jhicago, June 26. These are RKO operations that usually shut dow each summer. Pop Korson j Farewell Philadelphia, May 27. More than 150 members of' the film Industry turned out to the fare- well luncheon at the Variety Club yesterday (Mon.) for Louis (Pop) Korson, veteran exchange man, who leaves for California, where he ex- pects to spend the rest of his days. Al Davis, 20th-Fox exchange boss, presented Korson with a gold en- graved watch. Korson last operated the Masterpiece exchange. Craddook's Leave Gordon Craddock has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from his position as assistant to W. J. Heineman, Universal's western sales manager, because of iU health. He foiOTprly.was branch manager-for.U- at Portland and Indianapolis, - going to present post last February. Craddock will go to his home In San Antonio for a six-month rest. He suffered-a breakdown about 18 months ago while In charge of Uni- versal's exchange at Indianapolis, and resigned in order to rest Doc- tors told him he has not completely recovered from this sickness and should take more time to recuper- ate. 2 Reopened in Bnff Zone Buffalo, May 27. Dlpson-Schwepp Interests have re- opened and completely rebuilt Colo- nial, Elmira, with Tom Roberts man- ager. Avon, Syracuse, will be re- opened this month by Al Gilbert; F. E. Barnard closing his Falls, Honeoye Falls, until Sept 15. Sheldon, east side nabe operated by Elizabeth and Percy Knight for past IS years, sold to Frances Partyka. Robert Berger succeeding James McGlone as assistant chief of Buf- falo Theatre staff. John Thompson, Information operator at the Buffalo out, John Marinn succeeding. Ted Gallagher for four years member of Shea service staff drafted last week. Summer remodeling plans for suburban houses Include Dan North's Avondale,' N. Tonawanda, and the Glen, Wllliamsvllle, operated by Menno Dykstra. Percy Knight, former operator of Sheldon, becomes manager of the Senate (Konczakowskl chain). Kallett circuit will renovate the Brockport at Brockport and LicRoy In LeRby, N. Y. No Different Detroit, May 27. Things in the Army won't be much diffferent for Roy White. Still the same old headaches. Former man- ager--^""the Jefferson, Arc and Grenada theatres here, he'll serve his year's stint in service as the booker for the.Marlne Barracks the- atre, Quantlcc, Va. B. & B. Add Third Honse Hillsboro,' Texas, May 27. The Star, owned and operated by Joe Vaughn, sold to Robb & Rowley, which wlU continue operation of the Texas and Ritz. C. W. Taylor in charge ot all three houses.