The Film Daily (1948)

Wednesday, June 30, 194S DAILY Detroit, Toledo Will See More Stage Shows Detroit — Prospect for stageshows locally is much brighter in view of the record set by Jack Benny a week ago at the Fox Theater. Two other major downtown houses are expected to go ahead with occasional stage show policies. Broadway-Capitol has been experimenting with the past three months and is slated to continue, while the Fox is looking for another high caliber attraction. Michigan Theater this week opens with its first stage show in about two years. Operators point out that these policies aim at name attractions a week or two out of the month, rather than every week as in the old vaudeville days. Drawing power will continue to be on the screen, excepting for the irregular stage attractions. Toledo, O. — Frequent stage shows will be the policy at the Paramount Theater under its new operator, Carl H. Schwyn Theaters, Inc., Marvin Harris, manager, announced. More stage shows will be brought in in one year than have played the house in the five preceding years, he stated. Paramount Would Drop 8 Defendants, Add 8 More Permission to eliminate eight defendants and to replace these with eight new defendants to its percentage action against Brandt Theaters and others, is sought by Paramount in a motion filed in New York Supreme Court. Court will hold a hearing on July 6. Paramount motion would eliminate as defendants: Andear Amusement, Anwell Amusement, Mongood Amusement, Rogel Amusement, Ray V. Wemple, Richie Amusement, Lanroc Operating and Moe Goldman. Company seeks permission to serve proposed amended and supplemental summonses and amended complaints on Milroy Theaters Corp., 62 Delancy St. Theater Corp., Safeway Corp., Bell Theaters, Inc., Traymore Operating Corp., R. & M. Operating Corp., A. M. Rapf and Michael Rudin. FCC Probe Com. Meets Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The Harness Committee, formed to investigate the FCC, will hold its initial session today. Public sessions are likely to be held in the latter part of the Summer, it was revealed by Chairman Forrest Harness. ^♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦♦♦** :.: ft i.t ♦.* :.: :.: :.* ft Send (Birthday% Qr eet ing,A ZJo— t\ June 30 Herman Wobber Leo Spitz George Chandler B. Oliphanr Charles M. Reagan £'.*♦.♦♦.*♦>♦>♦.*♦.*♦.♦♦>♦>♦>♦.*♦>♦.*•>♦>♦.«♦>♦>♦>♦>♦.*♦>♦.*{ h^rW <•>& PHIL M. DALY Showmanship Brings "Etn Back A-Buging • • • BACK IN 1933. a bad box-office year. Terry Turner, then exploitation chief for RKO Theaters, brought Frank Buck's "Bring 'Em Back Alive" into the Mayfair Theater He spent $10,000 for a lobby display, learning later that the sum was more than the company had in the bank But showmanship paid off The Mayf air's gross jumped to $24,000 from an average weekly take of one sixth that figure Picture subsequently made box-office history. ▼ T T • ■• • CONVINCED THAT an entire new generation would welcome the Buck thriller and that it would have tremendous repeat appeal as well, RKO has re-released the film with Terry again in the exploitation driver's seat. . . . Old fashioned showmanship applied to the pic's natural drawing power has achieved astounding returns in initial territorial openings with grosses in many situations topping any picture of recent months. . . . Turner's technique has been to line up local newspapers and other media behind the type of campaign that contributes something to the community, increases the sale of papers, and, of course, hypoes interest in "Bring 'Em Back Alive." T T ▼ • • • BOSTON'S HEARST PAPERS went all out in support of a contest to name an elephant which RKO and Buck presented to the city's zoo 33,700 entries were received The Cincinnati zoo was presented with a new gorilla, Buffalo's animal colony is richer by one zebra, Rochester has two screaming monkeys and Syracuse boasts a magnificent young ocelot Personal appearances by Buck have also proved a stimulus Wise exhibitors are interpreting the results of the "Bring 'Em Back Alive" promotion as final evidence in support of a theory that is daily gathering more adherents Showmanship brings 'em back a-buying tickets. T T T • • • HENRY GINSBERG is due East again about mid-July. . . . • With Paramount's Adolph Zukor doing the tape-cutting honors, the new Walgreen's at Broadway and 44th St. — a second "home" to countless industryites — had an invitational preview yesterday Mighty good to see Irv Ladenson back at the old stand. ... • Bill (Metro) Ornstein is represented by "Tell Us a Funny Story" in the current issue of the Southern Jewish Outlook. ... • Sales of phonograph records are reported hitting the toboggan Considering the way platter prices have been inflated, that's not surprising If film theaters had advanced their scales proportionately, many an exhibitor would be receiving a call from the sheriff. ... • New fan mag. in the western field is being prepped. ... • Mary Pickford, during her two months' stay abroad, will visit France, Belgium and Italy in addition to England in quest of stories and possible location sites. ... • That merger of the Four A's is set There'll be a central governing body, merger of treasuries, central council of budgets and dues adjustments. Y V ▼ • • • THE INDUSTRY'S GOP "cabinet makers," having concluded that John Foster Dulles would make a mighty good Secretary of State for the Republican candidate if elected, appear to also feel that Winthrop Aldrich of Chase National would be an ideal Secretary of the Treasury. ... • It's definite that John Garfield will appear on Broadway next season in a modern version of "Peer Gynt" by Paul Green under the joint banner of Roberts Prod, and Cheryl Crawford. ... • National Legion of Decency has slapped down She French pic, "Fric-Frac," placing it in its condemned classification. ... • Allied Artists producers are going in for location shooting Both Jack Wrather's "Strike It Rich" and King Bros.' "Gun Crazy" will be shot wholly away from the studio, the former at Lindale, Tex., the latter around Sacramento. Calif. Minn. Theaters Will Test Lottery Laws Albert Lea, Minn. — Constitutional ity of the Minnesota state lotterj laws under which bank night oper" ations in theaters are barred will bt tested here next Fall, following request by operators of New Bror '\aj and Rivoli theaters (Alber* et Amusement Corp.) for declarator}1 judgment against the Freeborn coun ty attorney and sheriff, now dead.whd ! ordered bank night operations sus pended nearly a year ago. The state office of attorney genera is expected to aid local officials ii fighting the case in court this Fall George W. Hendrickson, theaters manager, asserts that prior to is suance of attorney general's opinion August 18, 1947, the two houses rai bank nights. The August 18 opinion requested by county attorney, sandbank nights were in violation of the state anti-lottery laws. The theater; dropped the bank night plan at tha' time. 1 Non-Prof it Bingo Okayed By Ohio Supreme Court Columbus, O. — Legality of bing( and keno games conducted by suck non-profit organizations as churche.1 j and fraternal groups has been uphek by the Ohio Supreme Court. 'Courp ruled that the three-year-old amend \f ment to state gambling laws whicl permits such games "not for private jj profit" is constitutional. The amend ment exempts churches and fraterna t: organizations from prosecution fo^F sponsoring such ventures. ass Initial Parley of ERP Advisory Board July 14 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — First meeting of th< new public advisory board for ad^ ministration of the European recovu ery program has been called for Jul; 14, administrator Paul Hoffman an nounced yesterday. MPAA prex? Eric A. Johnston is a member of th 12-man board, having been reap! pointed last week for a recess perioi after the Senate failed to confirm th<: nominations sent it just a few hour before adjournment 10 days ago ; i \ it 1 si IB fi OH Up Prices for "Canon City' i Denver — Paramount and Webbe u theaters here have announced in; a creases in the matinee admissioiP prices for the July 7 premiere oi Eagle Lion's "Canon City." Opening 8 here will touch off day-and-date run. . in more than 150 major key houses ii six Rocky Mountain states. WEDDina BELLS Horton-Tod Peoria, 111. — Ted Tod, Selznicl publicist, is engaged to marry Doro thy Horton of Peoria.