Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1940)

Page 30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 12, 1940 The Talk of the Tents Up and Down the Land Vatitty Club JSote* JOHN H. HARRIS, NATIONAL CHIEF BARKER Weekly Get-Together of Filmdom's Good Fellows Tent No. 1 Pittsburgh Harris Readies for Banquet . . . Critics to South Bend . . . Workers for Wiilkie . . . Newsmen Visit Clubroom. John H. Harris, National Chief Barker, is making final arrangements for the Twelfth Annual Variety Club Banquet, which will be held in the William Penn Hotel Sunday, October twentieth. Reservations are pouring in from all over the country. The line-up of "celebs" is something terrific. Barker Jimmy Balmer flew to New Orleans last week to line up the "Icecapades" show for the Gardens early in November. Barkers Karl Krug of the Sun-Telegraph, Kaspar Monhan of the Press, and Harold Cohen of the Post-Gazette are back from South Bend, where they attended the world premiere of "Knute Rockne All-American." They left Wednesday night and returned Sunday. Barker Bob Post of the Bulletin Index is working on the Wiilkie publicity in the Pittsburgh district. Barker Jerry Mayhall is back in town after spending the summer as musical director for the "Icecapades," musical ice show that toured the country. One of the chief greeters of Wendell Wiilkie during his visit to Pittsburgh was John H. Harris. John will cast the electoral vote for this district in favor of Wiilkie, if he wins the state. Word has it that George Tyson will return to the Atlantic City Beauty Pageant in 1941 to handle publicity. He has clicked each year for the past four years. The winners of the Turtle Derby were hosted to a special dinner at the Variety Club's King for a Day dinner. "Buck" Gelder officiated. The winners were presented with their Derby checks. All of them offered to turn over their winnings to the club's Milk Fund, but the club nixed the idea. They said "Winners Take All." Barkers Kellenberg, Kalmine and Sterling were honored by being voted to high posts in the State American Legion. Johnny Mitchell, organist at the Enright Theatre, was the accompanist at Nicola Moscona's concert at Carnegie Music Hall. Mitchell is rated one of the city's outstanding musicians. Over one hundred fifty newsmen from all over the country visited the Variety Club rooms after the Wiilkie confab. They all agree that it's one of the finest clubs in the country. Barker Harry Kalmine arranged a special screening of "Ramparts We Watch" for the Pittsburgh army officials. They screened the last reel twice ... for the army boys. Tent No. 3— Cincinnati Fall Season Starts . . . Paul Beisman a Visitor . . . Jim Grady Wins Golf Tourney • . • Many Visitors For Series . . . RadcfifT Back From Vacation. The regular fall season of Tent No. 3 will start this coming week with the usual Saturday night gala events on the program. All this according to Chief Barker Arthur Frudenfeld, also known as Colonel Applesauce. It is the Colonel's aim to make the clubrooms more popular than ever, and will spare neither effort nor money in achieving his aims. Paul Beisman, St. Louis Barker, manager of the St. Louis Municipal Summer Opera and the American Theatre in that city, and also considered by those in the know as America's greatest showman was a visitor at the club rooms during the recent world series. Beisman was of the opinion that Cincinnati should also have a summer season with shows same as those in the Mound City which have proven very successful during the past twenty-two years. Jim Grady was the victor in the playoff for the Variety Club golf championship. He was tied with Harold Mertens at the recent golf tournament. This makes it one up for Jim who has to get two more wins in order to secure the much coveted championship cup. E. B. Radcliff, Dramatic Editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer and Barker of Tent 3, returned from his eastern vacation in time to start editing the copy for the forthcoming legitimate theatre season which opens this week with Gertrude Lawrence in "Skylark." There were so many visitors at the clubrooms during the world series that it would take pages to name them all. Suffice it to say that regardless of the outcome they all had a grand time and were lavish in their praise of the service and appearance of Tent No. 3. Tent No. 5 -Detroit Barkers All Excited Over World's Series . . . Hudson and Howard Hosts at Preview. Detroit showmen have been interested only in the World's Series for the past week — about every man who could find somebody who had tickets was out there for several games — and that includes about every Barker. Ben Cohen was an enthusiastic rooter at the opening games . . . Jack Hurford was seen riding up in his streamlined red jalopi . . . Whole offices closed up for the afternoon to go out to the game in a body . . . All the others with radios generously scattered arornd . . . Exhibitors reporting they guessed their customers were doing the same thing. Lou Wisper getting ready for his final cruise of the season . . . Roger Kennedy, IATSE vice-president, prolonging his honeymoon. Earl Hudson of United Detroit Theatres and John Howard, Paramount manager, were hosts to a number of showmen, plus the general public, at the first sneak preview ever held here, on Wednesday, at the Vogue — the idea went over big. . . . Joe Portell, who runs the Greenwood and the Virginia, plus a nice big yacht, and a ballroom in Miami, is selling out the two houses to William Schulte, circuit operator. Joe, who has been a victim of laryngitis again, is retiring from Detroit, and will reside in the future at Miami. October 15 — is the big day for Variety Club — the annual Tag Day . . . Grand opening of the clubrooms, arranged by Tom McGuire, was a huge success Saturday . . . Guests of the club this past week were the Cincinnati Reds, as well as the Detroit Tigers and their own guests — an informal celebration of the Series. Tent No. 6— Cleveland Legion Post To Hofd Election in Clubrooms . . . Plans for Election Day Jamboree . . . Critics to South Bend. Variety Post No. 313, of the American Legion will hold their fifth installation of officers in the club rooms, Monday, Oct. 14. Bob Godley, Cleveland Press sports writer and widely known expert on golf and football will be guest speaker . . . The American Legion Junior baseball team which won their league championship will also be guests . . . new officers are Dr. A. Bubis, Commander, Eddie Bergman, 1st Vice Commander, Aaron Wayne, 2nd Vice Commander, M. Stern, Adjutant, Harry Goldstein, Finance Officer, Larry Rich, Judge Advocate, Erwin Gussman, Chaplain, George Kendis, 1st Sergeant at Arms, Erwin Klein, 2nd Sergeant at Arms, Bob Bail, Historian . . . Lewis Williams, secretary of the Cuyahoga County American Legion will be the installing officer. Bert Stearn, chairman of the Election Day Jamboree in a huddle with Chief Barker Nat Lefton relative to details concerning the affair ... If any of you non-members are approached by one of the ticket committee, take the rubber band off the bank roll and let him have some of that folding money ... as you know it is for charity. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer, Art Spaeth, The News and Jack Warfel, The Press all went to South Bend for the preem . . . Norm Siegel of The Press, only radio scribe here to make the trip. Tent No. 7 Buffalo Hayman Presides at Exhib Meetings . . . Inderbitzen Back as Exhib . . . Many Barkers Attend Lynch's Wedding. Barker A. C. Hayman presided and National MPTOA President E. L. Kuykendall spoke at exhibitor meetings in Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany, called to ratify incorporation of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of the State of New York. Assets of the MPTO, Western Zone, were transferred to the new corporation, organized under the membership corporations law, and the board of directors was increased from twelve to 24, with a total of six regional vice-presidents. Kuykendall discussed the proposed consent decree growing out of the federal ami-trust suit against major producer-distributors, particularly the block-of-five phase, the general effect on the industry and the effect on exhibitors in particular. Byron A. Inderbitzen, out of the exhibition field since he accepted appointment five years ago as undersheriff for Erie County, is back again as owner-operator of the Central Park Theatre, Buffalo, formerly operated by Barker M. M. Konczakowski. Inderbitzen's erstwhile holding was the Buffalo Roxy, now a unit in the Basil chain. Just about all the exchange managers here, including Barkers Ralph W. Maw, John J. Scully, Sydney Samson and Elmer F. Lux, went to Gloversville to attend the wedding of George Lynch, Schine executive. Dave Miller and Charlie Boasberg came here from Cleveland to join the Buffalo group, and E. K. (Ted) O'Shea was up from New York. RKO's Elmer Lux moved back from his Canadian shore summer home just in time to take over arrangements for the first of Buffalo Tent's series of exchange-sponsored parties. Elmer said it looked like a good break to have his date fall on Columbus Day . . . E. K. O'Shea was here to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, John Bailey. Tent No. 8— Kansas City Bowling Tournament Set for Dec. 2722 . . . Initiation Ceremonies . . . Charity Ball November 22. The annual bowling tournament, sponsored by Variety Club and the Kansas City Star, is set for December 21 and 22. The proceeds are used to furnish undernourished school children with fresh milk in the two Kansas {Continued on page 32)