Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 29. 1949 REGIONAL NEWSREEL {Continued from Page 21) again been elected to the board of Monogram Allied Artists. . . . Columbia Attorney Miles Seeley visited the Milwaukee office last week. . . . RKO District Manager Herb Greenblatt called on local Manager Lou Elman. ... J. Ericksen of the Rex, Kingsford, Mich., was here booking last week. Gil Nathanson of the St. Cloud Amusement Company Corporation of New Jersey, operators of the Tower, Zenith and Oriental in Milwaukee, was in the city arranging bookings for the three houses. . . . T. D. Hammer is the new Paramount office manager, succeeding Harry Schlar who is now a salesman. The Milwaukee Variety Club has opened its new office on the mezzanine of the Hotel Wisconsin and is serving luncheon for members. Formal opening will take place later. . . . Arthur SadofT, Thelma Sadoff and Kenneth E. Worthing have formed Twentieth Century Theatre Corp. to operate theatres. . . . The State at Eau Claire is undergoing alterations. . . . The Bluemound Road drive-in put on two features for the price of one last week. David Goldman, salesman in the local Universal exchange, has been promoted to the post of branch manager, succeeding the late John F. "Jack" Bannan. Goldman started with Universal as a salesman in the Chicago e.xchangc in 1945 and was then transferred to Milwaukee. He has been acting manager since the death of Bannan a few weeks ago. MINNEAPOLIS Theatres continue to be victims of a wave of robberies and holdups. Latest was the neighborhood Alhambra where yeggs with a pick-ax smashed the safe and got away with more than $1,000. It was discovered when the caretaker arrived. The mounting crime wave has resulted in the oration of four additional detective squads by the Minneapolis police department. Don Swartz, Realart franchise owner in the Minneapolis and Milwaukee territories, attended the annual Realart meeting in New York. . . . Walter Hoflfman, one-time exploiteer for 20thFox here and more recently advertising-publicity director for Badger Outdoor theatres, Minneapolis, is now handling "Red Shoes" promotion, working out of the Chicago Eagle Lion exchange. . . . Dalton Trumbo and Ring Lardner, Jr., two of the Hollywood writers accused of "red" tendencies, are scheduled to speak in the Twin Cities where they will tell their side of the story to the public and exhibitors. Minnesota Amusement Co., has purchased a three-story building here, at Hennepin Avenue and 12th Street, so that all units of the circuit's home office could be under one roof, according to President Harry D. French. Lease of present tenants of the building runs until Oct. 1, 1950, but occupants may vacate earlier. With Strings Attached A visitor in Ontario was George S. Norgan, wealthy businessman of Vancouver, B. C, who donated a new theatre two years ago to his home town of Palmerston, Ont. The only strings attached to the gift was that the children of the village would never have to pay more than a five-cent admission to enjoy a show. Mary Not Contrary Republic exchange in San Francisco boasts a "success story" within its own ranks as Mary Bottarini, newly-named office manager, rose from file clerk to an official capacity in less than a dozen years. In 1938 when Mary came from high school she joined the local Republic exchange as a clerk. During the intervening years she was promoted up the ladder until she became secretary to the district manager. However, she switched her field to be placed on the booking side of the office and in that position rose to become office manager. . . . W. J. Palm, head of the operators' union in St Paul, is convalescing, following a cerebral hemorrhage. Dead : Bertha Nauer, for 28 years in the office of MGM and secretary to 'the branch manager. She had been ill since February. NEW ORLEANS Republic Office Manager Frank J. Barry was on vacation Lst week. . . . Universal Office A'lanager Eddy Stevens, became a father Oct. 20. His first child is a boy. . . . The Twentieth Century-Fox Family Club, had a picnic at City Park last Monday. The main dish was barbecued chicken. A numher of persons from Louisiana were in Minneapolis for the Allied Theatre Owners National Convention. Included in the group were W. A. Prewitt, Jr., president of Allied, who also attended a meeting of Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee in Mem'phi ; Abe IBerenson, New Orleans, owner of two theatres in Gretna, and his wife ; Mr. and Mrs. Milton F. Guidry, Breaux Bridge, La., owners of a theatre circuit; Paul Shellcross, representative of the American Desk Company; Mr. 'nd Mrs. Luquette, Lafayette, La., owner of a Lafayette theatre and Willis Houck, who is associated with Joy Theatres, Inc. PHILADELPHIA Salem .\pplegate, 20th Century salesman who was badly injured in a serious auto smashup upstate, is in Homeopathic Hospital, WilkesBarre, recuperating from a broken rib, contusions, lacerations and shock. . . . Three StanleyWarner managers were on the sick list : David Sanderson, Imperial ; Eddie Coyle, Parker, and Jack King of the Yorktown. Roy Robbins, congenial Mastbaum boss is recuperating nicely after his recent operation. . . . Ben Goldfine, Eddie Karpen and Matty Presby were among the industry blood donors on behalf of 20th Century Shipper Harry Appel's grandchild. Pete Holman is the new booker at UniversalInternational. He was formerly with Paramount. . . . New bookkeeper-secretary at the FeltSchwartz Theatre Enterprises is Lorraine (Marker. . . . Herman Comer, manager of the S-W Capitol for many years, has been transferred to the Princess, and Sam 'Crayder, Princess manager, has been shifted to the Capitol. . . . Mary Costello, new secretary to Lester Kreiger, assistant zone manager at Stanley-Warner, is causing quite a stir in the Earle Theatre Building, with her combination of beauty and per sonality. The .\llied Independent Theatre Owners of Eastern Pennsylvania will hold a meeting at the Broadwood Hotel on Nov. 1, to hear reports from the national Minneapolis convention and a discussion on the current film situation. LOUISVILLE With the opening of the hurley tobacco markets in Kentucky the theatre business in various sections of the State should be increased considerably. Andy Anderson has changed the name of his Marian Theatre in Auburn to the Auburn. . . . New equipment has been purchased by Harry Coleman for his Evansville Drive-In at Evansville, Ind. . . . The Strand in Louisville shut down for two days in order that the Grand Lodge of Kentucky could hold its 149th communication in the house. . . . The Skyway, Parkway and Theatair Twin Drive-Ins joined forces for day-and-date bookings of the first-run "Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karlofl." A combined newspaper advertisement was used. Guthrie Crowe, president of the Kentucky Assn. of Theatre Owners, will be a guest speakers at the Alemphis convention of the Tri-State Theatre Owners. . . . Gene Lutes, district manager for Chakeres Kentucky Theatres, motored in from Frankfort to catch the OlympiansBlackhawks basketball game at the Jefferson County Armory. PITTSBURGH His legion of friends and business associates were surprised to learn of the marriage of circuit owner John H. Harris to Donna Atwood, the star of "Ice Capades, of which Harris is the owner. The marriage was performed late in August by the Rev. James L. Garahan, of Waynesburg, Pa., Chaplain of the Pittsburgh Variety Club. It was the bridegroom's second marriage and the bride's first. The marriage was announced upon the departure of the newlyweds by plane for England, where Harris was to induct the London Variety Club into Variety International, of which he is (Chief Barker. They will honeymoon in Europe for at least a month, which will prevent the attendance of Harris at the annual banquet of the local Variety Club, for which he is General Chairman, on Nov. 13. . . . The marriage of Miss Rose Marie Quinn, of the MGM exchange, to William Murray, Jr., took place last week. The following officers were elected for the coming year by the Pittsburgh Variety Club, Tent No. 1 : Chief Barker Ben Steerman, head auditor for Warner Theatres in this zone; First Assistant Chief Barker Peter Dana, Universal district manager ; Second Assistant Chief Barker John Walsh, manager of Shea's Fulton Theatre, Treasurer Norman Mervis ; Secretary This Spirit's Willing Bill Brett will stage a Hallowe'en Horror Show at the Skyway Drive-In on the Lake Shore road at Athol Springs on Monday, Oct. 31, showing two features and giving away apples, cider and popcorn to his patrons. Business continues to boom at the drive-ins in the Buffalo area as the beautiful Indian summer sets in.