The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

NT6 THE EXHIBITOR THESE MEN on the executive committee are currently spearheading the Bronx, New York, theatres' Seventh War Loan. Seen, first row, left to right, are: Lou Klein, Mike Edelstein, Joe DeLorenzo, Robert Schwartz, Eugene Meyers, Russell Emde, and James Grady; second row, left to right: Ben Friedman, Harry Rosenbaum, Paul Laube, Gilbert Marbe, Jerry DeRosa, Edward Brunner, and Joseph Epstein; last row, left to right: Sam Coolick, Laurence Robizcek, Herman Axelrod, Vincent Ligouri, George Ruggles, and Joe Murphy. Sidney B. Piefer was host to Ralph and Alberta Maw, MGM, at a dinner party at the Hotel Statler. . . . “San Pietro,” made by the Government, was screened at the local 20th Century -Fox screening room, after which A1 Herman, distributor, chair¬ man, held a Seventh War Loan meeting. William Brett, owner, new Park, Or¬ chard Park, left for Camp Lejuene, N. C., son, Corporal Bill. . . . Jack Rubach, RKO New Haven office man¬ ager, stopped off at the local film build¬ ing to see his former colleagues. . . . Bob Murphy, branch manager, tells us the lo¬ cal exchange of PRC is looking forward to a visit from Harry H. Thomas. . . . Warners’ Art Ausborne, checking super¬ visor, was in from Albany. Unlike previous war loan drives, when delegates from the various cities and towns in the Buffalo exchange area came to this city, the Seventh is being stream¬ lined. Up-state chairman Max Yellen and War Activities Committee head Bob Mur¬ phy left for a tour of the state to attend a series of exhibitor and distributor ral¬ lies. The Rochester committee, headed by Lou Golding, played host to the visiting delegation on May 1 in the Hotel Roches¬ ter. Harry Unterfort and his Syracuse committee turned out en masse on May 2 in the Hotel Syracuse. Ned Kox-nblite presided at the Binghamton zone commit¬ tee gathering at the Arlington Hotel, and Ralph Crabill was in charge at the Mark Twain Hotel, Elmira, session on May 9. The local territory has already welcomed Jack Mundstuk as branch manager for MGM. Mundstuk is a graduate of the University of Michigan, class of 1926. He joined MGM in 1930 as a booker in Detroit, stayed there a short time, and then trans¬ ferred to Indianapolis in the same capacity. Three years later, he was transferred to Cleveland as head booker. In 1935, he was advanced to student salesman out of the Cleveland exchange. In 1936, he went to Pittsburgh as a salesman, and in 1941 he shifted back to Cleveland in the same capacity. In February, 1942, he was again promoted to city salesman in Cleveland. In October, 1943, he was made sales manager for Cleveland, continuing in that job until he was promoted. Bond premieres have already been set in the five downtown first run Buffalo theatres. . . . Efforts are being made by Max Yellen, Bob Murphy, and Charlie Taylor to gain the facilities of the Infor¬ mation Center Cottage, Main and Genesee Streets, as the center of activities in the forthcoming Seventh War Loan. Vincent R. McFaul went to New York last week on business. . . . Private First Class Angela Abramo, formerly of the Telenews and Greyhouse Film Laborator¬ ies, sends greeting to film row from Iwo Jima. He is now an official Marine cam¬ eraman. . . . Ken Cooley, Shea’s Seneca, has been appointed chairman, Community Theatres Committee, Seventh War Loan. He is aided by Spencer Balser, Basil Brothers Circuit; George Gammel, Gammel Circuit, and George Hanny, Jr., Cap¬ itol and Maxine. Dick Stephan has been appointed Buf¬ falo exchange area publicity and exploita¬ tion representative by Warners, succeed¬ ing Franklin Fisher, who returned to a post in the New York office. Projector Repair and Parts JOE HORNSTEIN has it! Congratulations go to Sam Yellen, 20th Century, on the occasion of his recent marriage in New York to Toby Wein, a Miami girl. . . . Milton Mooney, Asso¬ ciated Theatres, Inc., Cleveland, has re¬ opened his two drive-ins, the Niagara Drive-in, Amherst, and the Rochester Drive-in, Rochester. — M. G. Gloversville Schine Home Office News George Lynch and Lou Goldstein were in New York for a week. . . . Christ Pope was in Albany for several days. He’s booker for the Albany territory. . . . Gus Lampe returned to the office after spend¬ ing several days in New York. . . . Floyd Fitzsimmons, Metro advertising man, Al¬ bany, was in to see Seymour Morris. . . . Ruth Wessendorf is now Mrs. Bill Hare. Several girls from the home office went to her wedding. Anneliese Tokarowski, front office, left for Philadelphia to spend several days. Jane Wager joined her in New York. . . . Seymour Morris was in Albany on April 30, in connection with the Seventh War Loan. . . . Several girls in the home office have been suffering from an eye infection. Marion Green is back at her desk after having been ill with it for nearly two weeks. . . . Barb Young heard from her husband, and is anxious to learn where he is. Florence Thompson, office manager, had a letter from Dave Salvione, her former assistant, now living in California. He writes glowingly of his new home, and is getting along very nicely. . . . Ethel Zerfass, who used to be secretary to George Lynch, now married in Michigan, was in town for a brief visit. Her friends in the home office were glad to see her. . . . Giselda Ambrosino’s brother, a sailor, has been transferred from Florida to Rhode Island, which enables him to be home fre¬ quently. . . . L. W. Schine was in New York for a few days. . . . Cliff Hall, mana¬ ger, Hipp, Gloversville, operated on a week ago, is recovering. . . . Several home office girls are attending a cooking school to learn the culinary art. ... It being so difficult to get a place for so large a group, the Schiner party may have to be post¬ poned. Rochester Taking advantage of the fact that the Clapp Baby Food Company, of which H. W. 'Tex’ Roden is president, is located here, Jay Golden, RKO city manager, staged a world premiere of Universal’s “Author In Babyland” featuring Roden at the RKO Palace. The title of the picture was derived from the fact that Roden, aside from his duties as corporation executive, is also the author of best selling mystery stories. Therefore, the campaign for the world pre¬ miere of the picture was based on a threeway tieup between the publishers, the Clapp Baby Food Company, and the the¬ atre. A few days in advance of the open¬ ing performance, Clapp, sponsored a pre¬ view screening of the subject at the Ro¬ chester Club, inviting the press including the motion picture, book, and food editors. A lobby display was used for a week in advance of the showing. Golden used a picture of Roden and copy about the pic¬ ture in his advertising on that show. Smaller ads carried just two lines of copy cn the picture. Because of Roden’s con¬ nection, The Democrat and Chronicle gave a half column story to this subject. Other stories were obtained in The Times Union, and Democrat and Chronicle, based on the fact that a number of youngsters from Ro¬ chester were shown in some scenes of the picture. Displays were arranged in book stores and in the book departments of lead¬ ing department stores. Tieups with Clapp Baby Food Company and William Morrow and Company, publishers of the book, are available to theatres in any city. Rochester exhibitors took the uncon¬ firmed reports of Germany’s surrender calmly, and audiences reacted in similar manner. Loew’s district manager Charles Kurtzman was in town, and immediately phoned house managers throughout the district, warning them not to go beyond the unconfirmed angle, even though in some cases rival houses had announced full sur¬ render. At the Rochester house, a special bulletin from WHAM over the p.a. system gave the audience the facts, but stirred no untoward excitement. The RKO Palace had similar bulletins from WHEC in its Minute News service. Most houses made no announcements at all, and managers noticed some tension caused by patrons coming in after hearing the news passing along word in whispers. Indications were that every effort will be made to avoid any undue celebration. Many theatres are planning to ask audiences to stand for a minute of silence followed by playing of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Then those who wish to leave will be asked to do so quietly. From then on, managers will be pretty much on their own. The city admin¬ istration has announced plans for a down¬ town outdoor religious service. Three Rochester neighborhood theatres and the Drive-In are said to be among the few throughout the nation that admit servicemen free. Russell Moore started the practice at the Lincoln, and extended it to the Murray after he took over that theatre, saying: “That’s one thing we can do for the boys.” Mostly former patrons from the May 9, 1945