Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

ALBANY The Palace followed a big week on Disney's "Make Mine Music" and "Badman's Territory" with "Gallant Journey" and "The Thrill of Brazil." The Strand presented the latest Abbott & Costello, "The Time of Their Lives," and a Charlie Chan picture. . . . Business held up strong, although bland weather cut into the matinee trade. . . . Exhibitors in the exchanges included : Neil Hellman, of Albany and Troy; Cal King, of Williamstown, Mass. ; Walter Wertime, Sr., of Chestertown; Chris Pope, Schine Circuit booker from Gloversville. . . . Offices of Upstate Theatres, Inc., which buys and books for a string of independent theatres, are in the process of remodeling. William Gaddoni, booker and salesman with MGM prior to joining the Navy, is a new member of the company's Chicago sales force. . . . The Boys Town Choir drew a large audience to the Palace theatre, Albany, for a concert engagement under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus Camp Takawitha fund. The choristers from Father Flanagan's noted Omaha, Neb., home appeared at the Plaza theatre in Schenectady the following night. Both are part of the Fabian circuit. The scale was from $1.20 to $3.60. . . . Karl Dortic is a new MGM student booker. He is the son of Charles Dortic, Columbia Pictures local salesman. Dortic, Jr., was in the Army Air Corps, as a fighter pilot, for three years. ATLANTA Business is on the upgrade in all theatres since good weather set in with holdovers. . . . Roy Mixon has succeeded C. V. Booth as manager of the West End theatre. . . . O. C. Lam, Lam Amusement Company, Rome, Ga., was in the city on business. . . . William K. Jenkins, president of Georgia Theatres, back from a business trip to New York. . . . "Maid in the Ozarks," with Ann Corio, played in Atlanta to SRO for six nights. . . . Nash Weil, vice-president, WilKin Theatre Supply Company, has left for Los Angeles with William Geishler and James Read, to study prefabricated theatres constructed by National Theatres. . . . William Collins and his wife, formerly owners of the Collins circuit in Georgia, has returned to Hollywood after a few weeks in Atlanta. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Bill Aiken, owners of the Swan theatre in Norcross, Ga., was a visitor in the city. He was former manager of Loew's Grand here. This month is the 20lh anniversary of the Tampa theatre, a unit of Florida State Theatres. . . . H. G. and G. W. Allen, of the Allen theatre, Butler, Ala., will open their new 650-seat theatre at Camden, Ala., soon. . . . Walter L. Walker appointed sales representative for the Alabama territory for Columbia. . . . Tom Jones, formerly with the MGM Atlanta branch, is setting up a service for independent exhibitors under the title of Exhibitor's Service Co. BALTIMORE Weather pleasant and business grand for week beginning October 24. Century jamming them in with "No Leave, No Love," starring Van Johnson. "Sister Kenny" opened very strong at the Hippodrome. Mayfair pulled crowds in first and second week with "I've Always Loved You." Stanley started very big with "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers." New theatre pulled very strong with "My Darling Clementine." Another A-l combination at the Times and Roslyn included "Shadows Over Chinatown," with Alan Ladd in "The Glass Key." Keith's hit well by bringing back "The Plainsman." The Vogue entered first run field with "Brief Encounter," which proved a big attraction for the brainy set. Parkway running "Holiday in Mexico," after its first run at Century, was jamming them in at beginning of second week. Hicks' circuit's Maryland, now dark, opens with stage play November 4, "Another Part of WHEN AND WHERE November 4: Allied of Western Pennsylvania meeting, William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. November 8 II: Theatre Equipment Dealers Protective Association and Theatre Equipment & Supply Manufacturers Association meeting, Commodore Perry and Secor Hotels in Toledo. November II 13: Allied Theatres of Michigan meeting, Hotel Book Cadillac in Detroit. November 18: North Central Allied midyear convention in Minneapolis. November 19 20: Associated Theatre Owners meeting in Indianapolis. November 22 23: Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan meeting at the Schroeder Hotel, Milwaukee. November 25 26: Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania meeting at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh. November 27: Monogram Pictures of Canada, Ltd., carnival and banquet at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto to honor Canadian Picture Pioneers. January 26-28: Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina convention in Memphis, Tenn. the Forest." . . . William K. Saxton had of I ficials of Baltimore Youth Commission as j guest to see "Boys' Ranch," at the Century, j . . . Shrine Circus tickets for $100 were j bought for distribution to Police Boys Club and Police Scout Troop members by Elmer ,v Nolte, in behalf of the Variety Club. . . . | Baltimore Evening Sun is urging, passage of [' Daylight Savings on ballot at November 5 I election. . . . Highway theatre, Mddle River, \ opened by Nicholas Schwartz, owner, Oc I tober 22, with "Northwest Mounted Police. ' . . . Fremont front repainted. . . . F. H. Dus j man installed two Moticgraph heads in the ; Windsor for Morris Oletsky. BOSTON Mary Mitchell, of M & P's advertising ' department, has resigned and gone to Florida | j for the winter. . . . Skip Dunn, of Standard Candies, was back in town after an extended visit to theatres in Maine and New Hampshire. . . . Chester Grenier, well-known printer on Film Row, was injured seriously in the eye by a golf ball. He is in the Quin [ cy City Hospital . . . J. B. McCullough, of j the conservation department of the Johnston |j office, was in town last week making a fire safety survey of the companies. . . . The Tub Thumpers of Boston, Tub Number One, honored Jack Dempsey at a luncheon, October | 21, at Steuben's Vienna Room. Dempsey was brought to Boston for a couple days by Tub Thumper Phil Buxbaum, Institute of American Democracy, as he has been tour-B ing the country speaking to young people about sportsmanship as an aid to promoting j racial and religious tolerance. Tub Thumper Joe Cifre arranged a radio broadcast, 1 press reception, and special motion pictures j for Dempsey. . . . George Kraska, who recently left Loew's State and Orpheum thea J tre, is general manager and publicity director of the Toy Center in Brookline, a store his son, Leonard, opened a year ago. CHARLOTTE 1 John Lisk has resigned as booker at the | Charlotte Paramount office, and will be re Jj placed by Webber Howell, who was previously in the contract department. How | ell's place is filled by Robert Love. . . . Jack J Sims, former booker for the Charlotte Metro office, was in town a few days booking for the Midway Park theatre in Midway, N. C, of which he is manager. . . . Bill Briggs of J the Charlotte U. A. office, and Mitchell Lit j tie of Exhibitors Service, were in Atlanta, Ga., over the week-end, visiting the "Film Row" there. They also visited Leonard Branscome, owner of the Jonquil theatre in j Smyrna, Ga., which was opened recently. l| Branscome was formerly with the Army Picture Service, both in Charlotte and Atlanta. Louise Deese, secretary to H. D. Hearn, of Exhibitors Service, has returned to her desk after illness. CHICAGO This week looks like the Roaring 20's in the Loop with three stage shows playing at film houses. The additional stage show this week resulted from the one-week booking of Louis Prima at the RKO-Palace theatre in connection with the house's 20th anniversary. All three theatres with stage, shows — the Chicago, Oriental and Palace — are do (Continued on page 42) 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946