The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-3 Bill Heineman drive captain Max E. Younpstein was recently in Philadelphia to confer with sales personnel of Eagle Lion branch, and pictured, left to right, are: seated, branch manaaer Harry Berman; Youngstein, vicepresident in charge of advertising, publicity, and exploitation; Milton E. Cohen, eastern division sales manager, who will be feted at a luncheon on Aug. 17 at the Warwick; standing. Max Miller, ace mid-eastern field man, and Milton Broudy, Stanley Kositsky, Harry Tyson, and Herman Hirschorn, salesmen for the company. tax. Councilmen are facing a deficit of $60,000 or more in budget funds by the end of 1948, and are trying to learn howmuch more money a mercantile tax, on retail business establishments, would bring in. It cannot be collected on the ticket sales of theatres, because they do not handle merchandise, and, furthermore, according to legal advisors, because the same type of business can not be sub¬ jected to two types of special Taxes at the same time. Theatres are paying amusements admissions taxes, but the in¬ come from this tax, although not defi¬ nitely disclosed, is said to be consider¬ ably less than estimates made last Febru¬ ary, when the tax ordinance was passed, and went into effect. Estimates of prob¬ able income ran up to $20,000 or more, monthly, but this figure has not been realized. August and September, how¬ ever, with many paid Bicentennial Cele¬ bration events on the Fair Grounds, and the annual Reading Fair in September, will bring in a big amusements tax in¬ come, but all of this tax will go to Muhl¬ enberg Township School District, not to the city, as the Fair Grounds lies outside of the city. The Rajah was running a quiz show every Sunday night under the auspices of the Reading Reciprocity Club, the show advertising the Reading Bicentennial. Radio stations were cooperating with the program. Larry Levy, manager, Loew’s, is doub¬ ling up as manager. Regent, Harrisburg, during the Regent manager’s vacation period. . . . Manager Levy, Loew’s, got a heavy rush of mail during his song hit guessing contest, a tieup with Wittich’s Music House, as a feature of “Easter Parade.” Manager Paul E. Glase, Embassy, and family were \acationing at Ocean City, N. J. The Rajah, one of the Keeney theatres, closed until September. The Plaza, also a Keeney property, closed late in spring, and is also set for reopening early in the fall. A solid page of display advertising, with 12 large business firms, building con¬ tractors, and building materials suppliers, taking 12 panels of space, was used by manager Larry Levy, Loew’s, in herald¬ ing “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.” The advertisement appeared in The Sunday Eagle three days before the picture opened, and the panels, supplied by the cooperating firms, ranged from the lumber that goes into a house to the dishes that the occupant uses in a completed home. Assistant manager Alton McCann collaborated with Levy on the ad. Shillington Joseph M. Shverha, owner-operator, Shillington, began excavations for his proposed new theatre on Lancaster Ave¬ nue. Shillington is the largest of Berks County’s 30 boroughs. Shverha purchased the lot some years ago, but the war and postwar conditions delayed construction work. The contract has been awarded to William Albright, West Chester, contrac¬ tor, who has had considerable experience in building theatres, as is the case of the architect, Francis Jobson, Valley Forge. Jobson was formerly connected with sev¬ eral large theatre architectural firms, and is now in business by himself. The the¬ atre, to be fireproof, will be 60 feet front¬ age, 135 feet in depth, of concrete block, steel frame, and brick veneering, onestory high. There Is Dinnerware and DINNERWARE Exhibitors know Quality’s 1 8 years of dinnerware leadership mean unexcelled service and value. WE WENT TO EUROPE TO BRING YOU HARVARD ROSE —an imported decal with unusual, glowing colors unobtainable in Amer¬ ica. When you see Harvard Rose, you'll see real box office appeal! Copy of that imported heirloom set every woman wants. ROSITA Flower garden decal of 24 shades on gleaming china white. New and beautiful shape. Delight your lady patrons with this guaranteed theater tonic. See ALL Our 7 Gorgeous Dinnerware Lines at Our Trade Showing the Week of August 23 PREMIUM DISTRIBUTORS JOE ENGEL, Branch Manager 1309-11 Vine Street, Philadelphia SHOWROOMS IN PRINCIPAL CITIES August 11, 1948