Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW. October 8, 1949 REGIONAL NEWSREEL (Continued from Page 23) manager of a Knoxville drive-in, has been appointed a Screen Guild salesman ; ditto Lynn Dunn, formerly with United Artists, RKO and Dixie Amusements. . . . Mrs. Helene Grovensteen, whose little daughter is still ill with polio, is back at her Georgia Theatres desk. . . . Charlie Picquet, owner of the Carolina, Southern Pines, N. C, is recovering from an eye operation performed at Duke University. Residents of Cartersville, Ga., voted to close theatres there on Sunday. . . . Astor's Bob Pinson was here from Charlotte. . . . Martin Theatres has bought the Auburn-Opelika drivein for a reported $130,000 from John Gazes and Louis Soult. NEW YORK George Jessel will be toastmaster at the Variety Club Tent 35 of New York Inaugural Dinner to be held at the Astor, Oct. 27, Chief Barker Max A. Cohen announced. The dinner will be held on the last day of the Variety Club International's three-day mid-year meeting. Politicians expected are Vice-President Alben Barkley, Treasury Secretary John W. Snyder and Mayor O'Dwyer of the city of New York. Allison Camhi is to buy and book for the New Garden at Brooklyn which recently passed to the ownership of a new corporation — the New Garden Theatre, Inc. . . . Filmrowite Joan Roche celebrated a birthday last week. . . . Visiting the row were Walter Nuthaldt of the Goshen; Henry Grossman of the Community in Judson ; Jules Resnick of the Park, Trenton ; Matty Warshaven, who is joining Eagle Lion as .ts Jersey Salesmen. He was formerly in Cincinnati. Jack Metzer, 38, chief buyer and booker for the Prudential circuit, died Saturday of a heart attack. He is survived by his widow and two children. Funeral services were held Sunday. Eddie Dowden of Loew's advertising depart'ment acted as chairman of the welcoming committee for the Brooklyn Dodgers at a huge outdoor celebration staged in Brooklyn on Tuesday. OMAHA Tri-States District Manager William Miskell called in all of the circuit's managers in this area for a kickoff meeting for another sales drive. Out-of-towners included : A. Don Allen, -Sioux City ; Wally Kemp, Grand Island ; James Pickett, Hastings; William Wenz, Falls City; Ira Grain, Fairbury. After the meeting Miskell and his wife left for California on a trip they won in the previous Tri-States sales drive. Universal Branch Manager Harold Johnson has bought a home here. . . . Universal Western Sales Manager Charles Feldman spent two day>here; Omaha was his former home. Universal District Manager Foster Blake also was in town. . . . Universal Salesman I. M. Weiner is vacationing in Denver, and Mrs. Inez Miller is pinchhitting for Inspectress Mrs. Marie Kelly who is ill. MGM Secretary Lucille Sorenson is back after several weeks' sick leave. . . . Jennie Stokes, an MGM inspectress for 27 years, was married to Evan McCain in California. . . . R. D. Goldberg, local circuit chief, went to Chicago. . . . Frank Hollingsworth, Beatrice exhibitor, spent a week in the Windy ^ity. . . . Robert Kempkes sold his theatre at Peru. Neb., JOLSON AT PREMIERE. In connection with the Philadelphia premiere of Columbia's "Jolson Sings Again" at Warner Bros.' Aldine Theatre, Al Jolson and his wife made a personal appearance, marked by a series of television, press and radio interviews, and a luncheon. Here they are with Ted Schlanger (center), Warners' Philadelphia zone manager. M. H. Halvorson. . . . Selznick Kansas City Representative Tommy Thompson was an Omaha visitor. The LTnited Jewish Appeal fund was increased by $195,000 due to contributions made by Omaha, Lincoln and Sioux City residents while Eddie Cantor was in town making collections before his Ak-Sar-Ben appearance. . . . Henry Wilcoxon was here three days at the weekend making personal appearances for "Samson and Delilah." NEW ORLEANS The annual convention of the Gulf States Allied Theatre Owners will be held at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans December 6 and 7. Committees are now being set up and invitations are going out to speakers. . . . Bernard B. Goodman, of Warner Brothers' New York office, was a visitor at the New Orleans office last week. Warner Booker Charles Varnado was married Oct. 1. . . . R. L. Johnson of Johnson Theatre Service announces the birth of a son on Sept. 27. . . . Margaret Gawesh, secretary to Columbia Manager John Granger, was showered with gifts by the office force on her birthday, Sept. 29. She has been with Columbia for six years. DES MOINES A group of Cedar Rapids, la., businessmen have purchased the Times Theatre and building at Cedar Rapids from Kenneth Childs of Streator, 111. The new owners are J. D. Siegel, A. N. Gelb, Louis Fellman and A. W. Bass. The house will be closed for one week for extensive remodeling. Roy Metcalf will continue as manager of the house. Earl Manbeck, Jr., has sold the Forest at Des Moines to V. P. Ennis of Quincy, 111., who also operates a house at Quincy. . . . V. E. Gorham Where the Antelope Roam Spyros and Charles Skouras stopped over in Denver, picking up a few Fox Intermountain Theatres executives, including Frank H. Ricketson, Jr., president, after which all headed for a threeday antelope hunt in Wyoming. has sold the Paton at Paton, la., to Doris E. Tucker. . . . Art Downard, former manager of the Arrow and Corral, Cherokee, la., has been named manager of the three theatres at Webster City operated by Pioneer Corp. He succeeds Percy Long who resigned to become secretary of the chamber of commerce. Henry Rehfield, owner of the Iowa Theatre at Bloomtield, la., is in a plaster cast as a result of an injury suflfered on the opening day of the squirrel season. He was climbing a fence when he fell and the results of his hunting were two squirrels and two broken bones in his foot. CLEVELAND A Genevieve Akers Memorial Fund was started here this week by members of all branches of the industry and will include a preview performance of an outstanding picture. AI. B. Horwitz, chairman, Oscar Ruby and Ray Schmertz comprise the committee in charge of the fund. Miss Akers, secretary at 20th-Fox and her sister, Ruth, not a member of the industry, were victims of the S.S. Noronic disaster in Toronto Harbor. They were the only children and sole support of their widowed mother. Miss Edith Uhrman is the new secretary at Ohio Theatre Service Corp. She succeeds Mrs. Gale Reyka who is retiring from office work in favor of homemaking. . . . Loew Theatre Publicity Director Ted Barker and his wife have returned from a vacation in New York. . . . Frank Cost, manager of the new Lake Theatre, newest unit of the Associated Circuit, and Mrs. Coft are in Florida for two weeks. . . . Carl Brinkman, owner-manager of the Geauga Theatre, Chardon, has been named president of the Geauga County Maple Festival. Benjamin Walker, 61, projectionist at Warners' Variety Theatre in Cleveland, died suddenly this week of a heart attack while on vacation in Toronto with his wife. He had apparently been in good health and was a member of the Motion Picture Operators' Bowling League, playing on the Auto Voice Speaker team. VANCOUVER Changes in Odeon managers switched Frank Marshall from the Vancouver Marpole to the New Westm'nster Metro, now plaving firstrun. Bill Wallace of the Eraser replaces Marshall. . . . Famous Players' managers from Nelson, Trail, Penticton, Kamloops and Vernon attended a meeting here addressed by British Columbia District Manager Frank Gow on the handling by the circuit of British-made films. Bill Johns, formerly with 20th-Fox, is now in charge of the motion picture section at H. M. C. S. at Naden near Esquamalt on Vancouver Island. . . . Madeline Alliston of the Sovereign staff is holidaying in Portland. . . . Robert Owen is a new addition to the OdeonHastings staff. . . . Jack Donnely, Sr., of the Dominion and Fred Wilson of the Strand are on vacation. . . . Monogram Salesman Jack Reid has been switched from the Alberta to the British Columbia territory. . . . Lou Finkelstein, former Roxy theatre owner, is now running a cafe in downtown Vancouver, as is Al Gold, former Calgary exhibitor. Gray Johnstone, cashier at the Paradise, is spending a month in Mexico. . . . Edith Smith. Capitol candy girl, is busy shopping for new furniture, and the staff would like an answer to the $64 question. . . . Cecil Black, newly-ap