The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT2 THE EXHIBITOR A $56l,Li00 trust suit was filed by Long Beach, Cal, exhibitors, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan C. Hanson, who own the At¬ lantic. The suit is asking for damages as well as injunctive relief from nine distributors, four theatre circuits, and two individuals. Fred A. Weller, formerly in charge of film cases in the Department of Justice anti-trust division, prepared the suit, which at¬ tacks the first run moveovers of Cabart Corporation and Pox West Coast, The action charges that the defendants conspired to maintain an arbitrary and unreasonable clearance schedule in the city of Long Beach. It is also alleged that a conspiracy has forced the plaintiffs’ theatre to play films on a long delayed subsequent run while houses run by the defendants have had a monopoly of all first-run exhibitions Also in the complaint is the allegation that distributors have granted the cir¬ cuit theatres a lower rental fee than charged against the Hanson outfit, and that the buying power of the St. Louis Amusement Company has been injected there in order to obtain better treat¬ ment for Cabart. The St. Louis circuit and Cabart have been named through Milton and Harry Arthur, who have been named defendants. A Hollywood Ad Club meeting dis¬ cussed television, with Rodney Pantages issuing a challenge for exhibi¬ tor cooperation only if the shows are put on film. Cascade Productions closed a deal with Pox West Coast to make 13 shorts on safe driving, which FWC is financ¬ ing. SCTOA board is studying a concil¬ iation plan recently put into effect by 20th Century-Fox in various sections of the country. The board will see if it is adaptable in this area for deal¬ ing with exhibitors. The SCTOA is also sponsoring a survey to determine the advantages of blanket fixe and public liability insurance policies for its members. The Gilmore Drive-In opened. The structure will have ' capacity for 650 cars and 600 seats for walkin patrons. William K. Oldknow, president,' Los Angeles Drive-In Theatre Corporation, says that the new unit has been fur¬ nished with the most modern in equip¬ ment. Private services were held for Les¬ lie Prince, seven year old daughter of prank Prince, FWC booker. A request was made that no flowers be sent, and instead that donations go to the Les¬ lie Prince Memorial Fund for Scientific Research at the University of Southern California. Sam Decker arrived from the sales convention of Screen Guild in Chicago ....Ralph Perkins and A.U. Soderburg, who operate the Perkins Theatre Corp¬ oration, are set for a new 1.000-seat theatre to be constructed in the beacn town of Corona Del Mar, Cal, Charles P. Skouras was host at a banquet at the Ambassador Hotel honor¬ ing the Most Reverend Archbishop Athenagoras, head of the Greek Ortho¬ dox Church in North and South America. Milwaukee The Ringling Brothers circus again managed to lure many theatre patrons ....Exhibitors report a slight up¬ turn in business. ... The Riverside temporarily reverted to straight pictures for a short time. Both the 41-Outdoor and the oldest drive-in in the territory, the DriveIn, Blue Mound Road, report good business. ... There are reports that a few portable drive-ins are operating in the exchange territory. Theatrical equipment sales firms report sales of 16mm. projection and sound equipment increasing rapidly. .. Jesse T. McBride, Paramount manager, was on a sales trip, ... Harold Pearson, Independent Theatres of Wisconsin and Upper Michi¬ gan field man, was in....F.J. McWil¬ liams, Portage, Portage, Wis. , was a cal ler. ... Jack Bannan, U-I manager, made calls on exhibi tors. . . . M ino r remodeling of the U-I building, pre¬ paratory to the fall move by Monogram into those quarters, is well along ....Donald Weisfeldt, 41-Outddor as¬ sistant manager, was married. His father, Edward Weisfeldt, well known in the local theatre managerial field in early days, attended. The latter is an executive for a Michigan the¬ atre group, headquartering at Detroit. Judy Stewart, ll, Mukwonago, Wis., girl, has been chosen from 8,000 4-H Club entrants in a nationwide contest for an acting spot in “The Green Promise”. Robert Paige interviewed Miss Stewart, after a long search in which through error her entry was lost. Film Service, operated by Charles Trampe, is working on the proposed expanding of delivery services by a relay that will handle the western fringe of the exchange area. Exhibi¬ tors are provided delivery service now by Railway Express trucks. Among the Wisconsin territory exhibitors to be served in the new setup are the Rose, Melrose; Pix, Whitehall; Salem, West Salem, and Falls and Avalon, Black River Falls. The date of the Reelfellows Club golf outing. Port Washington Country Club, Port Washington, Wis., was changed to Aug. 2. Prizes for the golfers were donated by the industry and trades selling to the industry. William Benjamin, Screen Guild manager, and the family enjoyed a west coast vacation. .. Roland Koutnik, Palace manager, was spending his va¬ cation in Bermuda, Miami, and New York. ... Jerome Beres,, Princess mana¬ ger, was vacationing at his home in Port Washington, Wis. The Empress, burlesque^ run by Charles Pox. dispensed with live talent for the summer. ... Remodel ing of the Comet neared completion. The Towne filed suit in Chicago federal court for $1,050,000 triple damages naming ei ght film distributors and an individual . The theatre charged violations of the Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts. T.C. McConnell, Chicago attorney, charged that in the alleged conspiracy of the defendants, the Towne registered loss of $350, 000 from the day the theatre opened, Mayl, 1946, to date. The complaint asked that the defendants should be perpetually en¬ joined from declining to give the Towne a break on first-run pictures. Minneapolis Paramount star Alan Ladd attended the Aquatennial and world premiere of “Beyond Glory” at Radio City. Aquatennial officials and “queen” of the celebration shared the stage with Ladd, who was guest of honor at a series of fetes, including luncheon with 300 northwest editors and dinner with State Legislators. Ladd was made honorary commodore for the celebration, and headed a huge cavalcade of cars in the annual festival parade. David Nederlander and associates, Detroit, purchased the Lyceum, com¬ bination legit and film house. For the past two years, the house has been owned by the Nicollet and Eleventh Company, Detroit, of which Alex Schreiber and associates were princi¬ pal stockholders. The Nederlander interests, which operate legitimate theatres in Detroit, Chicago, and Toledo, 0., took over the Lyceum property on Aug. i. Floyd Perkins is the new owner, Lyric, LeCenter, Minn. Perkins formerly op¬ erated the Mora, Mora, Minn. , now dismantled. August W. “Gus” Baehr, veteran ex¬ hibitor, died recently in St. Paul, Minn., following a long illness. Fu¬ neral services and interment were at Wadena, Minn. , his home town, and were heavily attended by showmen. Baehr owned theatres at Bemidji, Brainerd, International Palls, Thief River Falls, Alexandria, Ely, and Park Rapids, Minn., and at Wahpeton, N.D. Survivors include a brother^ Edward J. Baehr, Minneapolis, heavy owner of property housing the Baehr Circuit, now operated by the Home Theatres Circuit. ... Mrs. Fan Dryer, 55, wife of Harry Dryer, Minneapolis exhibitor, passed away recently. The Orpheum, large loop house owned by RKO, was getting a complete face¬ lifting job. Property has been purchased, and a permit granted, for a 500-car drivein to be erected on the outskirts of Austin, Minn. Clem Jaunich, who heads the project, expects to be operating by September. Cost has been estimated at $100,000. Jaunich also is planning other drive-ins. The West Park Drive-In, Huron, S.D., has been opened by Alva Taylor, Ed¬ ward Taylor, and Charles Steinborn. Facilities include space for lOO cars and car-hop service. ... Weather and obstacles delayed opening of the drivein at Rochester, Minn. , which Ralph Green is building. Green’ s outdoor theatre at Madison, Wis. , was pro¬ gressing on schedule. August 11, 1948