Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

LAURA IN BREWER CITY — Laura Wells, platinum-haired former model, third from right, is shown with the Eagle Lion office staff while in Milwaukee on “Ruthless.” Joe Imhof, EL manager, is at right of Miss Wells. She garnered excellent publicity for “Ruthless” with her mink-decorated umbrella. INDIANAPOLIS J^rs. Annetta Kuebler, who operates the Astra and Tivoli in Jasper, spent several days at French Lick . . . Sam Goodman, operator of the Marion in Poseyville, attended the Republican state convention in Indianapolis . . . W. Williams, manager-operator of the Savoy in Louisville, returned from a two-week visit in Oklahoma, where he has extensive business interests. Bruce Kixmiller, operator of the Colonial and Indiana in Bicknell, was a delegate from his district to the Republican state convention . . . Elnor Borkes, assistant booker at RKO, is spending her vacation at home . . . Gordon Craddock, manager at Eagle Lion, visited exhibitors in southern Indiana and Louisville . . . Marceline Dinnell, assistant booker at Republic, is spending her vacation at home. United Enterprises opened its Connersville Drive-In. Paul F. Shafer is the manager of For The DRIVE-IN THEATRE Blevins’ Hos Special Profit-Making Concession Equipment for • Popcorn • Snow Cones • Peanuls • Candy Floss Write for Complete Information and Catalog BLEVINS POPCORN CO., Inc. In Popcorn Village e 3098 Charlotte Ave. Nashville, Tenn. e Phones: 7-3272-3-4 In Southeastern Industrial District 650 Murphy Ave., S. W, Bldg. E, Unit 8 e Atlanta, Ga. e Amherst 7141 the 400-car theatre . . . Fred Dolle, head of the Fourth Avenue Amusement Co., and Mrs. Dolle have gone to New York on business and pleasure . . . Filmrow was well represented at the fish fry given June 15 by John Schwin at his summer cottage at LaGrange. This annual affair is eagerly looked for by all theatre operators and film men. William Rosenthal, according to reliable reports, has purchased the Lyric Theatre Bldg, in Connersville . . . Harry Komblum and his son James are planning a trip to French Lick to attend the ATO of Indiana convention July 26-28. They operate the Rosedale at Evansville. John Barrett, bookkeeper at the 20th-Fox is spending his vacation playing golf. Barrett, a golf enthusiast, expects to make a hole-in-one this season. He frequents every golf course in and around Indianapolis . . . W. A. Michel, cashier at the 20th-Fox exchange, is spending his vacation fixing up the new home he purchased recently in Irvington, a suburb . . . The Granada joined the ever-growing ranks of theatres giving matinees Saturday . . . The Vogue is celebrating its tenth anniversary. It was the first streamlined theatre built in the suburbs here by Carl Niesse, one of the early motion picture operators in the city. Waukesha Theatre Ticket Sets Stage for Marriage SOUTH BEND, IND. — A wartime romance born in the .summer of 1943 in Waukesha, Wis., at a theatre ticket window developed into a wedding here recently. The bride was Dorothy Schultz of Waukesha. The groom was John Robert Forde of San Francisco, a recent Notre Dame graduate. They met when John, then an air force cadet, stepped up to the ticket window. “She was the most terrific thing that ever happened to me,” he grinned after the wedding cake was cut. “But she was merely cool and polite.” The cadet didn’t even learn his future bride's name before leaving for Burma. From the jungle, he wrote her a letter, addressing merely to “The Blonde Cashier.” “I remembered him well. I had wondered many times what had happened to him.” Fine Weather Lops Loop Show Grosses CHICAGO — Ideal summer weather, with outdoor attractions getting a good play, pulled grosses at most Loop houses to a low ebb. Only exceptions were “The Pirate” at the Chicago and “Winter Meeting,” plus a stellar stage show headed by Henny Youngman and Rose Murphy at the State-Lake. “Arch of Triumph” bowed in at the Woods for an average week. Other newcomers did only fair. (Average Is 100) Apollo— Anna Karenina (20th-Fox) 85 Chicago — The Pirate (MGM) 105 Garrick — Old Los Angeles (Rep); The Inside Story (Rep) 85 Grand — Intermezzo (SRO), re-release 90 Monroe — The Search (MCjrM), 3rd wk 90 Oriental — Homecoming (MGM), plus stage show, 3rd wk 110 Palace — Letter From an Unknown Woman (U-I), plus Zale-Groziano fight pictures 95 Rialto — The Miracle of the Bells (UA), 3rd d. t. wk. 95 Roosevelt — Scudda Hool Scudda Hayl (20th-Fox).... 95 State-Lake — Winter Meeting (WB), plus stage show 110 Studio — Road to Ruin (Capitol); Highway to Hell (Capitol), 3rd wk 85 United Artists — The Crusaders (Para), re-release.-. 90 Woods — Arch of Triumph (UA) 105 World Playhouse — My Father's House (MayerBurstyn), 3rd wk 105 Rodeo, Races. Sports Cut Mil'waukee Take MILWAUKEE — Early vacations and the lure of the open spaces clipped patronage in most situations. Rodeo, track meets and midget auto racing as well as “pop” concerts in local parks dug further into the first run take. The much discussed “Arch of Triumph” at the Towne pulled over average, as did “All My Sons” at the Warner. “The Noose Hangs High” yanked Abbott-Costello fans at the Riverside for par. Alhambra — Tarzan's Secret Treasure (MGM); Tarzan's New York Adventure (MGM), reissues.. 90 Palace — Fury at Furnace Creek (20th-Fox); The Counterfeiters (20th-Fox) 100 Riverside — The Noose Hangs High (EL); Whispering City (EL) 100 Strand — Dracula (U-I); Frankenstein (U-I), reissues 90 Towne — Arch of Triumph (UA) 115 Warner — All My Sons (U-I); King of the Gamblers (Rep), 2nd wk 115 Wisconsin — Give My Regards to Broadway (20th-rox); The Gay Ranchero (Rep) 120 'Road' and 'Grapes' Dual Is Top Draw in Indianapolis INDIANAPOLIS — First run theatres had a fair to good business last week. The Lyric, with two reissues, was the leader, and the Indiana was next. Outdoor theatres are attracting the crowds, while amusement parks, night baseball games, swimming pools and smaller amusement centers were strong competition. Circle — Bambi (RKO), reissue; Heart of Virginia (EL) 90 Indiana — The Miracle of the Bells (RKO) 95 Keith's — Silver River (WB); The Argyle Secrets (EL), 2nd d. t. wk 90 Loew's — The Lady From Shanghai (Col); The Best Man Wins (Col) 90 Lyric — Tobacco Road (20th-Fox); The Grapes of Wrath (20th-Fox), reissues 210 lOOF-Rebekah Theatre Opened at Bluffs, 111. BLUFFS, ILL. — The new lOOF-Rebekah Theatre here was opened recently by Paul Durbin of Perry, 111., who had been operating the 200-seat Bluffs Theatre here as part of his circuit. Durbin plans to operate every night with a change of feature four times a week. The building was erected by the local Odd Fellows lodge and its auxiliary. The opening was earlier than had been planned. 72 BOXOFFICE : : June 26, 1948