The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT-2 THE EXHIBITOR CROSSTOWN (continued from preceding page) the “free admission” offer to all those who brought the original stage play programs to theatres on opening day. Wendy Wells, movie starlet, sold kisses at the theatre for one dollar, the greenbacks going to charity, the pub¬ licity to “Lulu”. Radio cooperated fully, and there was excellent cover¬ age in leading store windows. Samuel Schneider, Warners vicepresident, and his wife, and W. Stewart McDonald, vice-president, Warner Thea¬ tres, and his wife returned last week from England, where Schneider recently installed Arthur S. Abeles, Jr. , as managing director, Warner Brothers Pictures, Ltd. For the engagement of “Beyond Glory”, Paramount, the theatre deviated from its usual Wednesday opening last week, with the new film being ushered in at a premiere showing dedicated as a tribute to the U. S. Military Acadeniy. In attendance were 300 members of the Cadet Corps. David Niven arrived last week, and sailed for Europe with his wife and sons. New Jersey ASBURY PARK Cut-outs, blowups, records, and window displays were used effectively by Walter Reade’ s St. James to bally¬ hoo “Easter Parade”. District manager Nick Schermerhorn, assisted by house managers Joe Sommers and Jim Brennan, Jr. , placed a 40-96 set-piece of Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in a main street music store, which built a window display around the blowup, and also played recorded music. An aide carrying a suitcase fes¬ tooned with Fuller brushes was sent around the city by manager Joseph Sommer to exploit “The Fuller Brush Man”, Parrimount. NEWARK Mrs. Dorette Mooney, formerly of the Warner, Theatres’ booking department, gave birth to a baby girl, at Beth Israel Ho.^pi tal. ... Warner Theatres’ Jersey Circuit will hold its annual golf tournament at the Hackensack Golf Club, Oradell, on Aug. 17. George Kelly, Warner Theatres’ publicity department, and Tony Wil¬ liams, district manager, returned from a motor trip to Mackanac Lake, Mich. They were joined by their wives. Mary Halloran, and Rose Hanley, Warner Theatres’ Jersey office, re¬ turned from a stay at Point Pleasant ....Arnold Michelson, booker, Warner Theatres; , was vacationing with his wife in the Catskill Mountains. The following managers of Warner Theatres were vacationing: Frank Costa, Warner, Ridgewood, in Atlantic City; Bill Weiss, Montauk, Passaic; Prank Hall, Capitolk Passaic; Sid Bratter, Castle, Irvington; William Waldron, Claridge, Montclair; Robert Clark, Garden, Paterson; M. Bratter, Milburn; S. Mutterpearl, Tivoli; Harold Gerhardt, Rivoli, Paterson; Bernard Silverman, Roosevelt, and A. Gilgar, Mayfair. Also on vacation from Warner The¬ atres were Leto Hill, George Morgenroth, ami Richard Hunter. New York State ALBANY The TOA canvassed its members on the latest revised New York building code. It was particularly concerned on whether objections should be raised against the ban on popcorn machines using combustible liquids. Altec signed sound servicing agree¬ ments with the Village, New Hartford, and the Franklin Drive-In, Malone. A1 Griffith, manager, Warners’ Diana, Medina, went to Kentucky to attend the funeral of his brother, D.W. Griffith ....National Screen Service shifted the servicing of lobby advertising material and accessories in the Albany territory from the local office in the Paramount bldg, to the main of¬ fices, 630 Ninth Avenue, New York. A large quantity of stills, mats, and press books will be stocked in Albany, where a skeleton force will continue. Lee Drexler, Warner Theat es’ as¬ sistant contact manager, was on a cruise to Bermuda. ... Greg Fisher, business agent. Local 324, and Henry “Dutcli” Harris, president. Stagehands Union 14, will attend the lATSE’ con¬ vention at Cleveland on Aug. 16-21. They also will be delegates to the New York State convention. John Lanahan. Grand, was named alternate for Harris. At a dinner meeting in Keeler’s restaurant, 40 motion picture men voted to support the $10,000 drive in the Albany exchange area for the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, Saranac Lake. Those on the committee are Ray Smith, Warners’ branch manager, general chairman; Jack Bullwinkle, Columbia branch manager, ticket chairman; Gene Vogel, U-I branch manager, distri¬ bution head, and Ed Wall, Paramount, publicity chairman, ... Harry Heilman, Heilman Circuit, will leave forFlorida for a three-month stay. . . . Ben Smith, Pam-O-Pilm sales representative, and Mrs. Smith celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. Screen Guild .held its annual con¬ vention at the Warwick Hotel.,.. Sid Kulick, Bell, was a visitor in the Warner Theatres’ of fice, . . . Joe Gins, U-I branch manager, Buffalo, was in town. More film exchange vacationers are: U-I, Katherine Burke, cashier, and Ann Cerqua, stenographer; Columbia, Ann Joyce, branch manager’ s secretary. Chick Mlinarik, head shipper, and Mary McGuire, booking clerk, and War¬ ner Theatres, Woodrow Campbell, book¬ ing department. Charles Smakwitz, Warner Theatres’ zone manager; Harry Lament, Lament Circuit, and Leonard Rosenthal, coun¬ sel for Upstate Theatres, Inc., at¬ tended a TOA conference at the summer home of Fred Schwartz at Lake Placid. Other visitors were: Harry Berkson, franchise holder. Monogram, Albany and Buffalo; William Pitch, manager, War¬ ners’ Babcock and Temple, Wellsville; Eddie Mullen, UA sales representative, and Dick Perry, UA salesir^an. . . . A1 Fitter, Paramount booker. New Haven, III MArWMWf 'IIVALOjlKims VOOSKSVOfWSJJK I K£f LARGO I TfifASU^E CHEST i mm marking THl OWNING Of , AV{^ To herald the recent opening of Warners' "Key Largo", Strand, Nei York, the company ran a "Key Largo" treasure chest hunt in cooperation with the American Overseas Aid-United Nations Appeal for Children. People were invited to donate whatever sum they chose to the Fund, in return for which they received a "Key Largo" key, with which they attempted to open the treasure chest, containing many valuable prizes. The stunt ran for five days, with the five daily winners brought together on the final night for a chance to select the grand prize-winning key and the chest full of prizes. The bally got nice newspaper and radio breaks. On the left, the stunt, which took place at 52nd Street and 6th Avenue, draws a nice crowd, while, at right, lovely songstress Kyle MacDonnell tries her luck at opening the prize-laden chest. August 11, 1948