Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 7, 1945 REGIONAL Continued NEWARK local license commissioner has already approved the license. Dave Griesdorf, sales manager for Producers Distributing Corp. announced here that PRC was now distributing Film Guild productions in the Dominion. The only picture to beat par last week was "God Is My Co-Pilot" at the Orpheum. Warm weather hit the grosses with beaches and parks getting a big play. Dayid Clyde, 56, former manager of the British Guild Players at the Empress, died recently in Hollywood. Clyde came to Vancouver in 1930 and took charge of stage productions, later moving to Hollywood where he played in the "Sherlock Holmes" series with Basil Rathbone. His wife. Fay Holden, was also well known here, appearing in all the plays put on by Clyde, Suburban exhibitors report that business for the past months has been far better than corresponding months in 1944 and say the improvement is due to the temporary unemployment conditions created by lay-offs in local defense plants and shipyards. More patrons find more time now for suburban theatres, Emgst Faifltigh is back from England on 30 days leave before going to the Pacific. He is the son of R. W. Fairleigh of Dominio.i Theatre Equipment, and owner of the Hollywood. DALLAS Robert Sheffield Scott, son of S. €arr Scott, Film Classics and Screen Guild franchise holder for Oklahoma, has been killed in an auto accident here. Survivors are his parents, his widow, a son and daughter. W. F. Bugie, Republic branch manager is in a local hospital for blood transfusions. Herschel Crawford, Slaton, is in a Lubbock hospital suffering from stomach ulcers. The American Desk Manufacturing Co. of Temple, makers of chairs, will resume regular production Aug. 1, according to Forest Dunlap, sales manager. The company has used up its allotment for 25,000 chairs. A wave of infantile paralysis is sweeping Texas, but there has been no general demand for closing public places. Lt. Claud Atkinson, injured in the European War theatre, has joined RKO as head booker. Atkinson was with the local 20th-Fox office when he joined the Service. A son has been born to the wife of Francis Faris, RKO salesman. Roy Stein of the American Poster and Printing Co. is recuperating from a recent accident. Billy Bugie, Republic exchange manager, is in the Baylor Hospital for medical treatment. Henry Sorenson of Modern Theatre Supply and Frank O. Starz, Interstate, have returned to Big-"D" from a trip to Alamo City. The Haskell Theatre has been redecorated inside and out. Columbia's exchange has installed a new club room for its employes. PITTSBURGH His many friends in the industry were shocked to learn of the death of Harry Walker, 37, one of the most popular exhibitors in the territory, early Saturday morning. He was killed instantly when his automobile crashed into a loaded steel truck while on his way home from his theatre in Sharpsburg. His widow, two children, Harry and Barbara, and his brother, William J. survive. He and his brother William operated two theatres in Crafton besides the one in Sharpsburg, and were grandsons of Harry Williams, pioneer showmen in this area, who owned and operated the old Academy here, one of the first legitimate houses in the city. The mother of Eddie and Freddie Beedle, who operate the Alhambra and Continental, Cannonsburg, Pa., passed away at her home in that town early Sunday morning. Walter Thomas, veteran of the film industry in this territory, with which he has been associated for more than 30 years, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday. He was head of the Acme Distributing Company here just prior to his death. Sam S. Hanauer, who recently sold the Rialto and State, Beaver Falls, Pa., and one of the first showmen in the Tri-State area, is financing a project for a radio broadcasting station in that town. The Ball vs. Paramount anti-trust case, which was postponed in May, will reopen in Federal Court here on July 9. This case involves run of product for first run exhibition in Ambridge, Pa. Norman Ball, the plaintiff, lost the first case when heard last fall, but was granted an appeal. DETROIT Clark Fields, recently discharged from the Army, is back at his old post at the Cinderella. He was wOunded in the European Theatre of the war. Joe Busic, United Detroit's district manager, is vacationing. Gil Green of tht Michigan is relieving him. Jean Walsh of the Rosedale is on vacation. Edwina Finnic, formerly of the Broadway Capitol is relieving her. Pvt. Jimmy Easson, former manager of the Palms State is home on a 15-day furlough. MEMPHIS Lloyd T. Binford, chairman of the Board of Memphis Motion Picture Censors, has passed the word along Film Row here that no more screenings of pictures will be permitted until he first has seen the picture and passed on its merits. Motion picture executives take this offhand oral ukase to include trade screenings, held not only for Memphis exhibitors but for exhibitors in Western Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Southeast Missouri. The question is causing considerable worry because of the Federal Law requiring the trade screenings. Some exhibitors, as well as film row officials, feel that Binford is attempting to establish himself as a censor in territory where he has no authority, and by so doing, may even be interfering with Federal Interstate Commerce regulations. Residents of Arkansas for years have been extremely touchy over what they feel are attempts of Memphis politicians to interfere in politics and affairs of their state. Paramount's Sonny Tufts, James J. Donahue, Duke Clark, and Allen Usher, were here July 3 for a preliminary to the Paramount 33rd Anniversary celebration in August. E. T. Gomersall, assistant general sales manager of Universal, Harry Graham, district manager from Atlanta, and Perry Spencer, Southern advertising representative, were in Memphis last week to confer with James Prichard, Universal branch manager, over coming Universal pictures. Shortage of theatre seats is causing headaches for at least two exhibitors in this area. J. Jackson Rhodes has been up against the seat shortage in attempting to open his new negro house in West Memphis. Dave and Honey Flexer of the Flexer-Haverfeld Circuit, which recently purchased the Peabody, Memphis, also are having seat troubles. The Peabody is being remodeled with a new front. The cooling system also is being worked over. Efforts of Flexer to obtain new seats however have so far been unavailing. "I'm still hopeful thou^," he reports. Elliott Johnson, advertising manager of the Malco, has returned to work after a vacation spent at Choctaw Lake, Miss. Jay Wren, advertising and publicity director for the Paramount and Adams theatres, announced that War Bond sales in the second and third War Bond Shows at the Adams netted bond sales of $914,000 and $1,014,000 respectively. All of the three bond shows at the house were a sell-out. Adam A. Adams, owner of the Paramount and Adams theatres, has been awarded another war bond citation for his work in the Seventh War Loan drive. As chairman of the Essex County Showmen's Committee for the campaign he is given credit for raising $4,192,000 in four major war bond shows in the last two months. At war bond headquarters it was said that tbeTreasury will have to create a new war bMid citation for Adams, one with Oak Leaf clusters, because of" his length of service. All theatre men: m downtown Newark worked hard on the campaign with bonds sold in every lobby. Associated with Adams in the special shows were William ("Smiling Bill") Phillips, manager of" Loew's ; Harry H. Weiss, managing directorof RKO-Proctor's, and George Kelly, advertising mr^nager of Warners' North Jersey zone. ALBANY Warner theatre managers, Leo Rosen, Strand, and Sid Sommer, Troy, Troy ; were outstanding in their showmanship efforts in the 7th War Loan drives to put their respective communities over quota. The gala bond events staged at the theatres netted $2,200,000 sales in Albany, and $250,000 bond purchases in Troy. Gene Lowe, Monogram salesman, and Bob Adler, Monogram exchange manager, will attend a home office sales meeting to be held in New York next week. Harry Berkson, franchise holder for Buffalo and Albany territory, will confer with them. After two weeks vacation in Brooklyn, Eddie Sousse, MGM exchange office manager, returned to Albany with baseball yarns aplenty about the Dodgers' winning streak. Floyd Fitzsimmons was quite busy stuntingfor MGM's "Lassie Come Home" and "Dorian Gray," which were booked almost day and date for openings at the Palace and Grand. M'GM district manager Herman Ripps is going over deals with Buffalo branch manager Jack Munstuk in preparation for a national meeting which he will attend in Chicago next week. Clara O'Connell, MGM assistant cashier, will resign from her duties permanently. Warner Circuit assistant contact office head. Woody Campbell, is on vacation at Old Orchard. Jane McMahon, WB bookkeeper, won't give second thought to box-office statements for the next couple of weeks. Francis Pompa has joined Warner theatres office as secretary to booking executive, Joe Weinstein. Joe Miller, Columbia branch manager, was on the casualty list for a week as a result of a foot injury. He is protesting vigorously that his golf was not the cause. NEW YORK E. M. Saunders, MGM assistant sales manager, is on the Coast for a vacation visiting his two sons. Elsie Layendecker, secretary to C. N. Odell at Paramount, has left the company. She is seeking to join the Marines. Charles Kurtzman, Loew's Boston district manager, was a New York visitor last week. Harry Maguire, of RKO's special features department, was out ill last week. Pete Passas of United Artists mail room has left to join a touring carnival. Howard Strickling, MGM head of advertising, {Continued on Page 40)