Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

CINCINNATI ^he opening ball game of the season (15) undoubtedly drew a goodly number of exhibitors to town. Milt Levine of Williamson and Frank Allara of Delbarton and Matewan, W. Va., drove in to see the game, and on their return home carried at least six additional passengers with them . . . Levine and Allara are partners in the new Tri-State Drive-In at Burlington, Ohio, for which ground has been broken. It is expected to open about June 1. Hyman Banks of Williamson consulted a doctor here for a foot ailment . . . Mrs. M. E. Dwyer of the Lake Theatre, Celina, widow of the late Leo Dwyer, is proceeding with plans for the construction of the new theatre there in conjunction with the Chakeres circuit. M. G. Thomas, manager of Altec Service Corp., left for Cumberland, Md., to contact customers in that area . . . Friends of F. L. Keesling, manager of the Newbold circuit, will regret to hear of the death of his father. Many of his West Virginia friends attended the funeral in Parisburg, Va. . . . The Newbold circuit has opened the Mount Hope Theatre in Mount Hope, W. Va. This is the reconstructed and newly equipped former Royal Theatre, which was destroyed by fire several months ago. Charlie Midelburg, Capitol Theatre, Charleston, W. Va., is enjoying a vacation in Miami . . . Harry Shear, manager of the Forest Theatre here, a Maury White operation, is still away on leave because of illness. His condition is improving, and until his return, assistant Phil Chacoff is carrying on. J. Woodrow Thomas of Mount Hope and Oak Hill, W. Va., has opened the Peer Theatre in Lester, W. Va., in conjunction with Ed Bridi . . . Woodrow Bressler has resigned as salesman for Film Classics to join Midwest Theatre Supply Co. . . . Harry Young of Universal is confined in the White Cross hospital, Columbus, after suffering a heart attack . . . William Poppe began duties as booker for Columbia April 21 ... . Grace Hersey is an addition to 20th-Fox’s stenographic department. Bertha Wolf has installed the following new equipment in her Pastime Theatre, Owenton, Ky.; Simplex 4-Star sound, Super Simplex mechanism, Peerless Magnarc lamps, Hertner generator and new screen. Jim Abrose, manager at Warners, attended a WB district meeting in Cleveland and 20th anniversary celebration in honor of Nat Wolf, Warner Theatres zone manager . . . Exhibitors Walker and Benjamin of Chesterhill and Frazeysburg, Ohio, respectively, have assumed joint ownership of the Vondell Theatre, Stockport, Ohio. Carrol Lawler of the Shea booking staff, New York, together with Shea managers Forney Bowers, Cambridge; Dale Tysinger, Newark; Joe Scanlon, Marietta, and Ed Hiehle, Zanesville, were welcome visitors on Filmrow . . . The Newark Auditorium Theatre Is being razed and on its site construction will begin May 5 of a beautiful Spanish style two-story $200,000 theatre seating 1,250 . . . The Broadway hit, “The Voice of the Turtle,” played one night at the Midland in Newark the 25th and at the Weller, Zanesville, Saturday (26). Ray Toepfer and Lida Cummins, operators of the Blue Grass Drive-In Theatre north of Lexington, Ky., have obtained a site south of Lexington, and expect to break ground within 30 days for construction of another drive-in there . . . F. H. Clemens and J. W. Candler have opened their Beckley Open Air Theatre on Stanford road, five miles from Beckley, W. Va. Manny Nagel, 20th-Fox Kentucky salesman, is covering the Columbus territory, previously handled by Gil Shepard. Dave Stenger, formerly of the Fox booking department, is covering Kentucky . . . Marian Conelly, cashier at Paramount, returned from Portland, Me., where she attended the funeral of her father . . . Geraldine Cole is a new clerk in the Paramount accounting department . . . Jack Keating, Paramount West Virginia salesman, is the owner of a new Chevrolet. Peter Rosian, district manager for Universal, attended a meeting in New York with home office executives . . . Frank Ferguson, one of the pioneer exhibitors of central Ohio, has returned from Florida. He will spend a few weeks in Columbus and then head for his estate in Canada for the summer. Harry H. Walders, for many years salesman for RKO in Chicago, has been appointed manager for RKO in Cleveland, replacing A1 Kolitz, previously of Cincinnati and now Rocky mountain district manager for RKO with headquarters in Denver . . . Lynne Marquis has replaced Gladys Poliak as secretary to Lee Goldberg of Popular Pictures. Goldberg set the Frank Capra reissue, “Meet John Doe,” at the Lyric here for a week starting April 23. Christian Pfister of Troy, Ohio, displayed a healthy tan when he appeared on Filmrow last weelL He acquired it on a recent trip to Colorado . . . Joe Lee has instituted arbitration proceedings against MGM, for an availability at his Ames Theatre, Dayton, the same as the other subsequent run houses are receiving. Two of the babies recently placed in the Variety Club foundling home have been adopted, and a third will be adopted shortly. Variety Club members have been requested to contribute infant clothes which are badly needed for the foundling home babies. IATSE Local B37 members will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the local with a dance at the Kemper Lane hotel in May . . . Marvin Arent, Schine circuit booker in Cincinnati, attended a meeting in Cleveland with home office officials ... A sneak preview of Zebra's Army Suggestion Wins General's Praise Pittsburgh — Russ Zebra, RKO sales representative, is proud of a letter he has received from A. C. Wedemeyer, army lieutenant general, in which the former GI is commended for a suggestion he made while a member of the armed forces. The former Sergeant Zebra had proposed that possible recruits for service could be induced to enlist in the army by the showing of the actual dollars and cents value accrued to them during a three-year period of enlistment. This plan was adopted by Second army headquarters, and General Wedemeyer reports to the RKO salesman that the results of the adoption of the plan are quite gratifying; that recruiting has been stimulated. The letter states, in part: “The aptness shown in the organization of this plan indicates an exceptional degree of originality. Your efforts have reflected great credit upon yourself, your organization and upon the Second army.” “Boomerang” was held at the RKO Albee Theatre April 14 immediately following the last showing of “Carnival in Costa Rica.” The house was a sellout. Future Variety Club events: Annual dance June 7 at the Pavilion Caprice, Hotel Netherland Plaza; picnic July 14; golf tournament August 25. Jack Frisch is chairman of the picnic committee. Ray Bolger will bring his hit revue, “Three to Make Ready,” to the Taft Theatre for the week of May 12. Moe Dudelson, UA district manager, spent several days here . . . Mary Anne Madewell, 20th-Fox typist, is awaiting her wedding date in May . . . Elvira Carroll, former 20th-Fox bookkeeper now living in Anderson, Ind., gave birth to her second son, named Daniel Patrick, in March. Sam Fox, music contact man for Paramount, returned from a trip to Detroit, where he plugged two songs, “Papa Don’t Preach to Me,” and “Rumble Rumble Rumble,” from the new Betty Hutton picture, “Perils of Pauline.” He also plugged “Beside You” from “My Favorite Brunette.” Charles Perry, special representative in charge of Paramount branches at Indianapolis and Cincinnati, returned from a business trip through Indiana and left soon afterward for a trip through the West Virginia territory, working on publicity for “My Favorite Brunette” . . . R. E. Parsons is joining the staff of PRC-Eagle-Lion as office manager. He also will handle the selling in some of the city territory. Ralph Morley will book PRC pictures. Irene Williams, former booker, and a recent bride, is resigning to devote her time to the duties of housewife . . . The office of PRC-Eagle-Lion is being remodeled to permit more space for the increased staff. John Knoop, southern Ohio salesman for National Theatre Supply Co., is in the White Cross hospital, Columbus, where he underwent a back operation. Virginia Monahan, secretary to the office manager at MGM, was to attend her brother’s wedding Saturday (26) at St. Mark’s church, Evanston . . . Gertrude Freeman, inspector at 20th-Fox, has undergone an operation and will be off work several weeks . . . Jane Weber of the cashier’s department at 20thFox returned to her desk after a tonsillectomy. Frank Yassenoff has installed new individual speakers in his Eastside and Riverside drive-ins in Columbus, both of which reopened recently . . . W. F. Murphy is opening the Air Park Drive-In on Morse road on the northern edge of Columbus around May 1. On Filmrow: A1 Sugarman and Lee Hofheimer, Columbus: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Epps, Classic Theatre, Dayton; Ross Filson, Point Pleasant, W. Va.; Robert Hall, Melvin and Ligon, Ky.; Lauradelle Dugle, Manchester; Mrs. Fred McComas, Blackey, Ky.; Messrs. Lemaster and Dinkle, Raceland, Ky.; Frank Yassenoff, Columbus; B. W. Clark, Grayson. Ky.; Dave Brown, Cabin Creek, W. Va. A. O. Perkins is building a new theatre in Woodbine, Ky. . . . Mr. Milbauer is building a drive-in theatre in Dayton . . . “Red” Strauss is building a new theatre in Madeira, Ohio. Serrao Brothers Open Roxy at Ford City, Pa. FORD CITY, PA. — The new Roxy was scheduled to be opened this week (24) by Rocco “Rox” Serrao. His brother Fred, Arnold-New Kensington exhibitor, is an associate in the enterprise and is serving as buyer and broker. 86 BOXOFFICE : : April 26, 1947