Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

ST. LOUIS ^he Graziano-Zale fight pictures, being distributed in this territory by Screen Guild Productions, opened for a week at the World Theatre . . . Joe L. Brown, son of Joe E. Brown, well known screen and stage actor, was in town as advance man for the Babe Ruth film. He was on the air with “Dizzy” Dean and France Laux at Sportsman’s park, and the next day was on the Harry Caray radio sports review broadcast. Babe Ruth was here at a baseball clinic in which he was assisted by Dean and Laux. George Ware, northern Illinois salesman for 20th Century-Fox, sprained his ankle in his room at the Kingsway hotel here . . . George McDonald, imion projectionists who has been on the staff of Cine Theatre Supply Co., returned from a vacation trip to Hollywood, Los Angeles and vicinity. He visited with a number of former St. Louisans now prominent in west coast film circles, including Jack Lavin, who books live talent for the Walt Disney shows; Cullen Espy, with Fox West Coast; David Silverman, now known as David Ross, picture show orchestra leader and many others. Lou Walters, a former owner of Cine Supply who recently joined the theatre division of the Universal Corp. of Dallas, was in St. Louis with Mrs. Walters en route to Cleveland for a vacation. Lou was named southwestern division manager for Ampro Corp. of Chicago with headquarters in Dallas. The official opening of the remodeled and modernized Liberty Theatre, Malden, Mo., ANNOUNCING A New Chair by INTERNATIONAL SEAT CORP. CINE THEATRE SUPPLY CO. ‘‘Everything for the Theatre" Independently Owned and Operated by ARCH H. HOSIER 3310 Olive St. St. Louis 3, Mo. Telephones: lefierson 7974-7975 owned by H. Ferguson, was held recently . . . Exhibitors on Filmrow: Charley Rudolph, Troy, Mo.; Emil F. Bebermeyer, Centralia, Mo.; William Zimmerman, Warrenton, Mo.; R. Ken Wilson, Jackson, Mo.; Tom Baker, Bunker Hill, 111.; Gus Boemler, Norside, Alton, 111., and Joe Sikes, Drive-In, Springfield . . . Lester Bona, Warner manager, was in Rolla for a conference with Caesar Berutt, Bill Williams, Dean Davis and H. Wandel. Hall Walsh, district manager for Warners was in Des Moines . . . The Penthouse Theatre of the “Y” players will open June 26 with a production of the comedy, “Mr. Pirn Passes By” . . . The St. Louis Municipal Opera’s drawing powers in the 1948 season will get a real test next week when the offering will be the popular “Rio Rita.” The two first offerings of the season, “Auld Lang Syne” for 11 days and “’Venus in Lace,” were flops at the boxoffice. Harry Hynes, U-I manager, his wife and their youngest daughter, left for Chicago to spend a week with their married daughter . . . Veteran Harold Russell, who lost both hands as a World War II paratrooper, and who jumped to fame in “The Best Years of Our Lives,” led a local Rededication week parade of some 15,000 persons. An increase in employment in construction, manufacturing, public utilities, construction trades and personal services in the St. Louis area is forecast by the Eighth district Federal Reserve bank in its June review. It predicted that in the late summer and early fall a new all-time employment mark will be set. The River Lane Drive-In in Rockford, 111., has been opened by the Riverlane Amusement Co. The company is controlled by the Schermer family of St. Louis. This is one of the two drive-ins to be managed by Maurice Schweitzer, who resigned recently as St. Louis manager for Paramount. The other is at Lincoln, Neb. Henry Sanders Funeral At Cape Girardeau, Mo. CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. — Funeral services were held here for Henry “Hy” Sanders, 65, retired former theatre owner and film salesman who died in Reno, Nev., while en route to his home in Little Rock, Ark. Sanders, his wife and another Little Rock couple had made a vacation trip to the west coast. It was at Cape Girardeau that he started in show business as owner of the Orpheum Theatre. Sanders went to St. Louis in 1920 to take a position as a film salesman for Vitagraph under Jack Stinson and George Ware. Later Sanders was a salesman for Pathe, then RKO and finally he joined the Universal Pictures sales staff. He was with that company for some years. Subsequently he returned to the exhibition end of the business. For a while he was associated with the Dubinsky interests in the ownership and operation of a theatre in Kansas City. In later years he was associated with Steve Brady in the ownership and operation of three theatres in Little Rock, Ark. These houses eventually were sold to the Robb & Rowley interests and are a part of the Paramount chain. Union Deal Permits St. Louis to Reopen ST. LOUIS— The St. Louis Theatre, 3,900seat flagship of the St. Louis Amusement Company’s fleet which was closed by a labor dispute in April, will be reopened June 30, according to Edward B. Arthur, assistant general manager of Fanchon & Marco. The theatre was closed after lATSE affiliated projectionists refused to pass a picket line set up by the stagehands union. Under a new agreement with the stagehands the St. Louis will employe two stagehands Monday through Friday, when it will operate from 6 p. m. to midnight, and four on Saturday and Sunday when matinees will be given. The dispute that led to the closing resulted from Theatrical Brotherhood Local 6 demands that a fifth stagehand be employed on Saturday and Sunday. The employment of only four stagehands on Saturday and Sunday had been the policy at the St. Louis for seven years. It has also been annoimced that the 3,600seat Missouri Theatre, also under Fanchon & Marco management, will eliminate week-day matinees Monday through Friday for the summer. It will have matinees on Saturday and Sunday. It is understood the Missouri will use two stagehands on the nonmatinee days and five on Saturday and Sunday. Fire Marshal Closes Cozy INDIANAPOLIS— The Cozy Theatre here has been closed as the result of an order from the office of the state fire marshal declaring the house a fire hazard. The quarter-block in which the theatre is located was described by J. E. Rudd, deputy marshal, as “the worst fire hazard in the downtown district of Indianapolis.” Possibility of the erection of a new theatre on the site has been mentioned, according to M. Marcus, operator of the theatre who is negotiating for a new lease on the property. LIKE MONEY? THEN USE MANLEY POPCORN MACHINES <S SUPPLIES FOR BIG PROHTS R. D. VON ENGELN ManUy R^prasratativ* Eastern Missouri-Southern Illinois 3138 OLIVE STREET ST. LOUIS 3. MO. NEwstead 7644 70 BOXOFFICE : : June 26, 1948