Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

M I LW A U K E pat Halloran, branch manager for Universal Pictures here, and newly elected chief barker of Variety Tent 14, to succeed John Reddy, manager of radio station WOKY, announced simultaneously that Mrs. Ruth Kratzke has been elected president of the year-old auxiliary. Mrs. Kratzke will head up the following officers: Mrs. Shirley Perlewitz, vice-president; Mrs. Phyllis Barnes, vice-president; Mrs. Lois Levy, secretary, and Mrs. Gladys Halloran (wife of the new chief barker), treasurer. The directors selected are as follows: Mrs. Edie Fogelson, B. Umlind, B. Gordon. G. Shlesman, B. Laiken, and L. Kahn. The Variety Club’s financial report given at the election meeting showed a balance of some $80,000. And for the auxiliary, in its first fund-raising attempt, a net of about $2,200 was realized. Judging from the success of Maynard “Willie” Wilson, who swept into Milwaukee and the adjoining area for K. Gordon Murray Productions, we’ll be seeing more of this little human dynamo. At going to press time, we are told that he has a total of 16 theatres lined up for a saturation on the film “Santa Claus.” Allied’s executive secretary Henry Kratz who worked with “Willie” on the promotion, says the following theatres are involved: Capital, Downer, Granada, Egyptian, National, Parkway, Oasis, Sherman, Times, Tosa, Varsity; Rivoli of Cedarburg; Greendale at Greendale; LaBelle at Oconomowoc, and the Pix at Waukesha. Kratz said a full two-hour program, featuring “Santa Claus” and added comedies, were scheduled to open at the houses noted on November 29. The film will also be shown at the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, as well as at the County Children’s Home, through the courtesy of the Variety Club. A Keystone Kop at the entrance and a black wreath on the door will symbolize the closing of Eugene’s Restaurant at 811 East Wisconsin Ave., at a private party. However, a new Eugene’s is in the offing. The restaurant has a national reputation for seafood and numerous “King for a Day” parties have been held there for Variety Club members. Football commissioner Pete Rozelle, on >f Take A Tip From Me | Exploit More In '64' y JJ And Remember To Gel Your 5ft SPECIAL f TRAILERS From Dependable FILMACK E his way to the big Packer-Bear game said that the National Football League would experiment next season with theatre telecasts in blacked-out areas . . . Look who’s in the general manager’s slot at the Swan Theatre. Ken Baskette, who formerly worked for Universal and Columbia. In charge of publicity and public relations is Ginger Rogers, who was with several movie houses in this area some years back. Promotions again are the order of the day. Joe Reynolds, Towne Theatre, has tieins lined up with various downtown merchants, a contest to wind up on stage, and radio-TV ballyhoo under way . . . A1 Meskis, Downer Theatre, for the Sumner Kernan stint, rearranged the house lights and spots and “created” a stage where no stage existed before, then did a “barker” act in putting it over . . . Ben Marcus continues to keep his Pfister Hotel in the limelight. The 700-member Vagabond Ski Club meets there and promotion sponsored by the Pabst Brewery will result in a threestory high ski jump between East Mason and East Wisconsin avenues (fronting the Pfister Hotel) for a two-day “Ski-Vue.” That’s high caliber promotion. Comedian Jack Benny, here for a benefit appearance with the symphony orchestra to help raise some $40,000 for the musicians, had both the concert artists as well as the audience in stitches all the way. Pabst Theatre patrons said it has been a long while since they’ve “had such a good time.” Way back when the Navy Relief Society advertised for talent for its “Great Lakes Revue,” one of the applicants was young seaman Benny Kubelsky, USN, formerly of Waukegan, 111. He told producers that before he joined the Navy, he had led a six-piece orchestra at the Schwarts Theatre in Waukegan and later had been the violin portion of a violin and piano act that toured Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. He was promptly signed to play Izzy There, a naval orderly in the comic musical revue. The rest is history for Benny. Jack held a press conference at the Milwaukee Press Club while in the city. It was right across the street from the Pabst Theatre. Cameramen Campaign For Hike in Pensions From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — IATSE cameramen’s Local 659 has launched a campaign to hike industry pension benefits from $120 a month to $200 a month. Local 659 plans to send speakers and members of the board to other unions to talk in behalf of such an increase. Local 659 also is seeking medical benefits for spouses of those who retire on the pension fund. The board plans to press the demands when negotiations on a new pact come up in January 1965. Subscription Television Plans Chicago System From Central Edition CHICAGO — Subscription Television, Inc., which is scheduled to begin pay television service in California by next July 1, already is planning to branch out into other major metropolitan areas, including Chicago, John J. Burke, senior vice-president of Lear Siegler, Inc., said, but no actual expansion move is expected for six months. Lear Siegler, a highly diversified electronics company with headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., was one of several companies instrumental in forming Subscription Television a year ago. Another was Reuben H. Donnelley Corp., a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet, according to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune. The pay TV company would expand into other areas directly or by granting local franchises, Burke said. A subsidiary would be set up in each of the areas to permit participation by local entertainment industry leaders and also to make any government regulation a state rather than national matter. Burke said the pay TV firm needs 65,000 subscribers in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas to break even at current costs. It hopes to have about 90,000 after a year’s operation. Initial programs would include the home games of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, each of the teams being a minority stockholder in the firm. Because the company’s system would not use the standard TV broadcast method its activities lie outside regulations of the FCC, except to a minor degree in certain long distance program pickups, Burke said. The signals would be sent over a cable from the “studio” to the home. The subscriber’s set would be equipped with a program selector — as many as three pay TV features may be offered simultaneously — and an “interrogator.” The interrogator would permit the firm to determine electronically when a subscriber is watching a program so he can be billed for it. Burke said the system would provide the variety of programs the firm believes necessary for pay TV to command a sufficient audience to make it profitable. The cost to subscribers would include $10 for installation of the selector, $1 a week for a music program that could be turned on at any time, and separate fees for the various events. The cost of each program will be kept below that of a single general admission ticket to the event. Oscar Show Share by Honda From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — For the first time in the history of telecasting the Oscar event, a western advertiser will be one of the sponsors. Grey agency, handling the Honda motorcycle account, said it is the largest television buy of a single show in local history. BOONTON, N. J. Large Core Greater Crater Area means MAXIMUM LIGHT Evenly Distributed NC-2 BOXOFFICE :: December 2, 1963