The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-3 been going ahead steadily on the latest unit of the Perakos Theatres of New Britain. The 1, 000-seater, being de¬ veloped by Realtor George Schilke in a new business center on New Britain Avenue, suburban Elmwood, is expected to be ready for business by Oct. 1. Eddie Kelleher, assistant manager. Princess, returned from a fishing trip ...Hy Levine, Screen Guild, was around town, calling on Walter B. Lloyd, Allyn. Lew Mello, Loew-Poli,. headed for Rochester, N. Y. , on his vacation.... Harry Hoff and Henry Sweet, Strand, took in the shoreline sights on vaca¬ tions. ... Ernie Grecula, assistant to A1 Schuman, general manager, Hartford Theatres Circuit, will vacation after Aug. 15. His plans aren’t set. It’ll be two weeks time off for Ernie. Bernie Stevens, Princess, got home from a vacation through Maine. ... Mar¬ tin K. Helleher, president. Princess Theatre Corporation, operating the downtown Princess, was glad the ex¬ tensive building renovations were finally completed. Merchants in the vicinity of the Center area are shortly to participate in a new trade deal for the downtown sector. According to Mike Piccirillo, theatre manager, a meeting of Center area businessmen will be held soon in the theatre to discuss ways and means of bringing new trade into the dis¬ trict. To protect its patrons from insects and mosquitoes and other summertime pests, the Pike Drive-In, Newington, hired an air spraying company to treat the area with DDT, and to maintain constant inspections to guarantee com¬ plete absence of the pests. Joe Dolgin is general manager. Vincent Youmatz, manager. People’s Forest Drive-In, between Hartford and Winsted, made anew ballyhoo deal with WLCR, Torrington, to give away guest tickets to winners of a radio musical quiz show. Henry L. Needles, Hartford district manager, Warner Theatres, announced about 15 localites would attend the Warner Club party at the Castle Inn, Cornfield Point, on Aug. 12. Needles said also that a West Lngho use installed air conditioning unit at the Strand, Hartford, is how in full operation. Jim McCarthy is manager. Other Warner Notes: Charlie Lowe, Hartford engineer for the circuit, and Mrs. Lowe tripped to the New Haven Yacht Club on July 31 to attend a va¬ cation party held by C.P. O’Toole, Warner Theatres’ zone engineering staff, for zone engineers. Others at¬ tending included Mr. and Mrs. Pat Damvio, New Haven. Mike Piccirillo, Center manager, named Ed Hagen, 30-year-Hartford show business veteran, theatre house elec¬ trician. MERI DEN Leo Ricci, Capitol, got front page breaks in the papers when he discovered that a Meriden man stars in a current release of the RKO “This is America” series. NEW BRITAIN Music Box, operated byPrank Smulski and Casimer Jachimowski, closed on July 25 for a midsummer shutdown. House reopens after Aug. 15. NEW LONDON Charlie Aaron, Victory manager, plugged “Ruthless” by mailing out more than 1,000 postcards to local resi¬ dents. He had a tie-up with a soda fountain on “Summer Holiday,” with a “Summer Holiday” sundae. Aaron pro¬ moted a contest for "Raw Deal”, and had music store tie-ups for “Big City. ” SOUND VIEW Tom Grasso and Herb Jaffee, partners in the New Colony, were install ing a new air-cooling unit. They have re¬ paired and redecorated all seats. Grasso has purchased a new British Austin. THOMASTON Only three formal objections to the proposed drive-in have been filed with the office of the Commissioner of State Police, it was learned recently from the applicant of such a permit, S.J. Clark, president, Naugatuck Val¬ ley Theatre Corporation. Clark said he had received the notice from Police Commissioner Edward J. Hickey’s office that the objectors, all owners of properties adjaoeht to the proposed The recent Lions convention in New York provided a real natural for a Metro tiein, and MGM exploitation head William R. Ferguson was quick to take advan¬ tage of this fact by having one of his staff appear in the Lions Club parade dressed as Leo the Lion. Carrying a welcome sign, Leo attracted plenty of at¬ tention, and the stunt resulted in MGM being the only film company represented. site on the easterly site of Route 8, just north of Wiggins Inn, are Peter Mariani, Spencer Roesing, and Leo Vighel. Another nearby property owner, George Kipp, did not file an objection. According to Clark, the next step is a hearing before Commissioner Hickey. Although Clark said he would have detailed information following the outcome of the hearing, it has been reported previously that the theatre company plans an investment of between $100,000 and $150,000 if the permit is granted, and negotiations are com¬ pleted with the Wiggins family, owners of the 30-acre site which is about three miles south of this town and seven miles north of Waterbury. The firm hopes to set up accommodations for 500 cars. Of interest in connection with the proposed theatre is the fij.ing of papers recently in the town clerk’ s office giving Felix Krotik, Thomaston, and Stephen Makuch, Bristol, an option to buy the business, and sell the premises known as Wiggins’ Inn, on the Waterbury Road, from Gabriel and Bernice Wiggins, pending acquisition of a liquor permit. WATERBURY The Board of Aldermen approved a zone change onRoseland Avenue to per JOSEPH DOBESCH Associates, Inc. 116 Broadway, Boston, Matt. Telephone: Hancock 4807 STAGE SETTINGS • DRAPERIES WALL COVERING FLAME PROOFING • FABRIC INTERIORS CONN.THEATRE CANDY CO. 62 COMMERCE ST..NEW HAVEN, CONN. "WE KEEP THE MOVIES SWEET" August 11, 1948