Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

50 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 2, 1943 ★ ★ REGIONAL NEWSREEL Continued * * NEW YORK Jules Liggett, sales manager of the Universal exchange, resigned his post and was given a farewell dinner last Friday at the Cafe Loyale. He goes over to Island Theatres as buyer. Universal has brought Jim Murphy on from the Boston exchange to be the new sales manager. Murphy took up his duties on Monday. The PRC exchange moved into larger (and more glamorous) quarters last week in the Film Centre Building. The suite is on the southwestern corner of the seventh floor. Three RKO promotions were announced during the week from the home office : L. E. (Nicky) Goldhammer, district manager of the Prairie division, will succeed Jack Usserman, now transferred to the foreign department ; R. V. Nolan, St. Louis branch manager, takes over Goldhammer's old post; Tom Williamson, St. Louis salesrnan, succeeds Nolan. Goldhammer's headquarters will now be in Chicago. The Paramount exchange is justly proud of the fact that its employes bought $45,0U0 in bonds during the drive. Connie Carpou, N. J. booker for MGM, transfers to the Dallas exchange October 15. He is replaced by Dave Klein, former checkingsupervisor. More than 200 attended a luncheon of Motion Picture Associates last Thursday at the Hotel Astor. President Jack Ellis presided, and among the guests on the dais were Malcolm Knigsourg, vice-president of RKO Radio, H. M. Ritchie, Lionel Atwill, Emil Ellis, Sam Rinzler, and Harry Buxbaum. Jen Dennet, head booker at Republic, is enjoying a late vacation at Newburgh. Moe Rosenberg, Florida exhibitor who recently sold out, paid a visit to Film Row last week. He was at one time with the Warner home office. Walter Reade announces the purchase of the old Ross-Fenton Farm on Wickapecko Road, Wanamassa, N. J., near Asbury Park. The famous place, closed for several years, will be refurbished and will reopen next Spring. Twenty men and sixty girl bowlers turned out for the first practice session of the Paramount Pep Club Bowling League at the Riviera Alleys. Regular bowling nights will be held Thursdays until April. Al Blumberg, Warner L. L booker, left this week for the Merchant Marine. RKO Eastern District Manager Bob Wolft' wrote that he had caught a pike at Lake Tennanah, N. Y., which weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Before the doubting laughter had died down the exchange received a photo of said fish from Bob, and although it doesn't look like a pike, it's pretty good evidence. Paramount military front : Pfc. Seymour Berkowitz, former booker, got married in St. Louis and came on to Manhattan during furlough ; Lt. Morris Bolk, former salesman, now with the air force, writes that he is now stationed in New Mexico ; Pfc. Sam Lake, former salesman, was in for a visit from Carolina ; Vic Bikel, former booker, one of the first to be called in the draft, is now in the SalernoNaples campaign. What with a rush of business and no Albany exchange, Ben Levine, UA's head booker, has his head glued to a phone these days doing business with upstate customers. George Waldman, of the Warner Philadelphia theatre department, was a visitor in New York this week. OMAHA William Miskell rates as this area's busiest showman since he took over as TriStates Theatres district manager in August. In addition to learning his new duties, helping stage three premieres and spending several hours daily as chairman of the Omaha Safety committee, he has taken on the following jobs : chairman of the state exhibitor committee for the Third War Loan Drive ; chairman of the theatre division of the state salvage committee ; member of the newly-formed task committee for conservation of electricity in downtown Omaha ; chairman of the committee providing a welcome for the return of Omahan William JefTers, former rubber director. Earl Kerr, owner of the Broadway Theatre in Council Blufifs, has returned from a Summer in Colorado, where he went to escape hay fever. Russ Jesson is the new ad sales manager at Universal. Ernie Grundman of Cook, Neb., has purchased the theatre at Talmage and will operate that as well as his own in Cook. Jack McCarty formerly owned both the houses, selling the one in Cook some time ago. Charles Madison of Cedar Rapids, la., is a new addition to the Brandeis Theatre stafif. Morris Friedman is pinch-hitting for Ben 1 larding at the Liberty in Council Bluffs Chanaes at 20th Century-Fox include Regina SIGN DEAL FOR STUDIO. At the closing of the deal under which PRC Pictures Inc. paid $305,000 and assumes $33,000 back taxes obligation for the former Fine Arts Studio: 0. Henry Briggs, president, and Leon Fromkess, vice-president, seated; Sigmund Neufeld, board of directors; Arthur Johnson, assistant secretary-treasurer; Karl Herzog, secretary-treasurer, standing left to right. "Jive Junction," first feature of PRC Productions, Inc., started shooting at the studio the day the deal was closed. Molseed as head booker, succeeding Irving Mills, who is going to Minneapolis as office manager ; Tony Goodman, formerly shipping clerk, taking Miss Molseed's place as assistant booker ; and Ad-Sales Manager Allen Campbell, who is taking a defense job, being replaced by Ruth Lefholtz, daughter of Harry Lefholtz, Republic branch manager. Frank Simek has sold his theatre at Tripp, S. D., to J. Schmidt of Scotland, S. D. Simek will continue to ■ operate his other theatre at Ashland, Neb. Walter Harris of the Columbia exchange has joined the Merchant Marine. Harold Johnson, Universal branch manager, has received a box of Cuba's best cigars, the compliments of Bill Laird, former Universal ad sales manager here. PHILADELPHIA Vine Streeters were severely shocked when popular young Sidney Bloomfield, manager of the Lenox Theatre, succumbed to pneumonia last Sunday night. Sid was only 31 years old and had worked for Warner's some years back, and had also worked at the National Penn Printing Company helping many managers in making up their programs and heralds. Sidney was married and had two children. Charles Goldfine was to report to his draft board for induction on Thursday, and to insure his getting into service had spent more than 19 hours in the dentist's chair this past week. Joe Rossheim of the Midway Theatre in Allentown suffered the loss of his mother-inlaw last Monday. RKO has a hangup campaign on "Behind the Rising Sun" and brought James R. Young, the author, and Margo, into Philadelphia to meet the press and publishers. While Margo regaled the motion picture editors with the story of her life, and proved very popular with the girls while doing it, Jimmy held the attention of many prominent Philadelphians telling them of his adventures in Japan. Stuart Aarons, Warner New York lawyer, has so many friends in Philadelphia that he was tendered a party by the local picture people before going into the Army. The party was held at the Ritz Carlton. Joseph Bernhard, general manager of the Warner Bros. Theatres, was in Philadelohia where he addressed the meeting of the Allied Jewish Appeal at the Bellevue Stratford, stating "Let the motion picture and allied industries of Philadelphia show it can compare with any other industry in the country by backing up the Jewish Appeal drive." The Eastern Penna. Allied Theatre Owners pledged $45,000 in War Bonds at their first fall meeting. Discussion was also heard on the current film situation, centering on the nondelivery by Columbia Pictures of all its 1942-4,^ product as contracted for. Lou Rovner filed suit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against the BroadRockland Theatre, Inc., on September 23, asking the Court to restore a ten per cent interest in the Rockland Theatre, allegedly promised to him. Rovner claimed he originally placed $5000 to buy the Rockland Theatre from William C. Hunt, for which he was to get a ten per cent interest in the theatre. But by the time the settlement was made A. M. Ellis, according to Rovner, allegedly returned his $5000 and said he didn't want him as a partner. Listed as defendants are A. M. Ellis. M. B. Ellis, Sidney H. Ellis, Herman Ellis, Ruth E. First, Ruth Silver, Ruth Abel, Sidney A. Leventon and Gertrude Handle — trading as the Broad-Rockland Theatres, Inc. Jack Brower has been named manager of Lou Rovner's Clearfield Theatre. Lou Formato of Metro and Charles Beilan of Vitagraph are scheduled to be feted at a