Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 1, 1949 REGIONAL NEWSREEL 27 ations, while the Star Theatre at Nogales reopened its doors on Sept. 24, after having closed for redecoratng, new seats and a cooling system. Harry Dickerman of the Baseline Drive-In. Highland, a suburb of San Bernardino, conferred here with Sid Lehman and Harry Rackin, coowners of Exhibitor Services. . . . Jimmy James of the Beaumont, Beaumont, Calif., and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Smith of the Arrow, Fontana, were in town. Joe Clark, formerly with Screen Guild, has been appointed Monogram salesman to cover the southern Colorado and New Mexico territories. . . . In for busness was Lloyd Miller of the South Chester and Ninety-Nine Drive-In Theatres. NEW ORLEANS The Kenner Theatre at Kenner, La., was completely destroyed by fire last week. Cause of the blaze Avas undetermined and no one was injured. William Sendy is the owner of the 400-seat theatre. The board of directors of the Gulf States Allied Theatre Owners met Sept. 27 to discuss the forthcoming national board meeting of the organization and other business. The board is encouraging the entire membership to attend the national meeting. Max Connet opened his new 400-car drive-in at Jackson, Miss., last week. He is calling it the "51 Drive-In." The Harbor -Theatre at Oberlin, La., opened last week. Two new drive-ins, one, the Airport Drive-In at Greenwood, Miss., and the Fox Drive-In, at Alexandria, La., also opened last week. MINNEAPOLIS After what they called "a horrible season," Friedman brothers of Minneapolis have closed their drive-in at Albert Lea, Minn. They termed the operation "the worst project they've ever been connected with." The investment was called a "total loss," after trying just about every kind of promotional stunt. . . . Stephen A. Oellrich and Phillip Winslow, who operate the Starlite between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa, have purchased a 20-acre tract east of Waterloo for a second outdoor stand to accommodate 700 cars. Cost is estimated at $150,000. The role of Allied States in the proposed industry-wide public relations program will be determined by the group's board of directors at a pre-convention meeting October 22-23, preceding the national convention October 24-26 in Minneapolis. Paramount Sales Vice-President \^'. A. Schwalberg has accepted an invitation by North Central Allied, convention sponsor, to attend the meet, as has MGM Vice-President and General Sales Manager William F. Rodgers. DENVER Warner Bros, has no doubt set a record for having its films in six first-run theatres in Denver in the same week. "It's a Great Feeling" opened at the Broadway, the North and South drive-ins ; while "White Heat" showed at the Denver, Esquire and Webber, all Fox theatres. A 350-car, $75,000 drive-in has been opened at Alliance, Neb., by Charles Britton, Jr., Arthur Dobson and Fitch Burdette, using Brenkert GET ACQUAINTED. Ruth Roman, Warner star, and STR Publisher Chick Lewis, currently on a periodic visit to the West Coast production center, get acquainted. According to Hollywood rumor. Miss Roman is being groomed to succeed to the niche long occupied by Bette Davis at the Burbank lot. booth equipment and RCA car speakers, bought through Western Service and Supply. Columbia Auditor Jules Needham is here checking the local exchange. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Sam Langwith of Western Service and Supply vjent to Chicago for the dealers' show. . . . Paramount Manager Ward Pennington is the father of a new baby girl, 6i/2-pound Shelley Pennington, -born at St. Joseph's Hospital. 1^ ilm row visitors included Tom Knight, Riverton, Wyo. ; George Nescher, Springfield, Colo. ; C. E. McLaughlin, Las Animas, Colo. ; Tom Poulos, Paonia, Colo. ; Fay Gardner, Curtis, Neb. ; Selma Sawaya, Trinidad, Colo. ; R. L. Stanger, Windsor, Colo. ; Dave Warnock, Johnstown, Colo. ; Leon Soulter, Loveland, Colo. ; Marie Goodhand, Kimball, Neb., and Delpha Moreland, Simla, Colo. VANCOUVER Thanksgiving Day will be a complete holiday in British Columbia. According to Canadian custom it will be the second Monday of ths month, Oct. 10. Manager Bill Forward of the Theatre Supply New Theatres Omaha — Charles H. Brittan, Jr., Park Dobson, Jr., and Burdett Fisher, a 300-car drive-in north of Alliance, Neb. Portland, Ore. — Albert Forman and Willard Gamble (Outdoor Theatres), a 900-car openairer here at NE 92nd Avenue and Sandy Blvd. to cost $250,000. Milwaukee — Standard Theatres, a 700 to 800-car drive-in near Walrotth. Wis. : Edward J, Lipson, a 1,000-car outdoor theatre to cost $300,000 at Menominee, Wis. Wauconda. 111. — Work has started on the 500-seat Elm on Route 176. Bryson City, N. C. — Excavation has begun for a new theatre here on Main St. Clayton, Mo. — A 1.000-seat theatre is planned in the store and office building to be erected for the MermodJacard-King company. Buffalo — A 900-car openairer ior Drive-In. Inc., lease at Broadway, east of Harlem Road in Buffalo's suburban Cheetowaga; in the same suburb a $125,000 drive-in for Alvin B. Wright in Union Road near Walden Avenue. Des Moines — Stephen A. Oellrich and Phillip Winslow, a second openairer near Waterloo, Iowa, to accommodate 700 cars and to cost $150,000. Denver — Marshall Sanguinet of Ft. Worth, Tex., a 300-car 02oner to cost $75,000 at Alamagordo, N. M. St. Louis — Clyde Richardson and Clyde Hogg, a 500-car under-skyer on Route 67 four miles south of Poplar Bluff, Mo. Co. is on a trip to Toronto and Chicago for conventions covering equipment, and allied fields. . . . Visitors here are Paul Nathanson and Charles Beeton of General Theatres and Robert Eves of Famous Players. They're arranging for the Dominion pre-release of Britain's "1 he Winslow Boy." Marjore Hildebrand of Vancouver, Pacific National Exposition beauty queen, may wind up in horse operas via Producers Sol Lesser and Nat Holt. . . . Speaking of beauties, Mickey Golden of the Studio has sure nicked one for his candy counter girl. She's Pat Carson from Florida. . . . And a future queen has been born to Bill McCartner, Sr., of the Orpheum. The burglar alarm at the Vogue Theatre scared off intruders after they had blasted the safe unsuccessfully. . . . Art Crute of the Plaza stafl^ is holidaying at Victoria. . . . Paradise Cashier Gay Johnstone is in Mexico for a month's vacation. . . . Famous Players booker Lou Karp is in Hollywood on his vacation. KANSAS CITY The Wyandotte County Planning Board last week gave its consent for a new 1,000-car drivein theatre to be built in the Rosedale district on the Kansas side. The permit went to Dr. Paul Gatzoulis, Mission, Kans., veterinarian ; it will be his first theatre. It will be the fifth major drive-in in the metropolitan area. While it will be a "rural" site, the actual prpperty for the new theatre is just 700 feet outside the limits of Kansas City, Kansas. It is scheduled for opening next spring. Golfing honors at the third annual film row stag last Monday (26) at the Santa Fe Hills Country Club went to Jack Braunagel. The Commonwealth circuit's drive-in man had a 62 on the par 58 layout. He was a prize winner at last year's event likewise. Second went to Paul Millberger of the Gauntier Theatre, Kansas City, Kans. About 100 turned out for the buffet dinner. The afifair was arranged by Tom Baldwin. Columbia ; Bob Shelton, Commonwealth circuit ; Ralph Morrow, Universal ; and Martin Stone, Screenland. The Fiesta Theatre, Missouri-side subsequentrun, was sold last week by Herman Illmer to Harvey Stinson and Melvin Wilson. Illmer continues to operate the Southtown. COLUMBUS Walter Miles of the Miles Theatre Crcuit is on a three-week round-the-world air cruise via Pan-American. He is accompanied by four other local men — Don M. Casto, builder of shopping centers and theatres ; travel agency head Richard W. Barker; and Robert H. Wolfe and Arthur Campbell of the Dispatch. The Ohio and the Broad have started using, the new noiseless popcorn bags. . . . WBNS-TV will start its football telecasts with the Ohio State-Minnesota game Oct. 15. . . . The second vaudeville bill at the Palace will be staged for the four days starting Oct. 13, Harry Schreiber announced. . . . The Palace had a busy stage week with the three-da}^ run of Dizzy Gillespie, the first Ohio State football rally and Dr. Silkin's "Asylum of Horrors." Local theatremen and women who attended the ITO convention included Mrs. Ethel !Miles. Miss Elizabeth Richter, Arthur ^liller. Harry Schreiber, Fred Oestreicher, Lee Hofheimer, Al Sugarman, J. Real Neth and Jack Needham.