Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1948)

ALBANY ^harles A. Smakwitz, Warner Theatres zone manager; Ralph Crabill, western district manager, and Jim Faughan, upstate contact manager, conferred in Syracuse . . . Louis W. Schine, vice-president and general manager of the Schine circuit, returned to its home offices in Gloversville from Cleveland. RALPH SOBELSON — Owner, Strand Theatres, Bangor, Pa. — writes: “The regular check-ups by RCA Service technicians keep equipment in my theatres at top standards of performance.” To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Radio Corporation of America, Camden, N. J. Adv. — a Natural for any theatre! "ENCYCLOPEDIA NITE" 13 Volumes 13 Weeks 1948 Edition THE WORD FOR IT; Terrific! RESULTS: Immediate top grosses plus lasting goodwill. (Action Trailer. Heralds. Displays) PROTECTION: 6 weeks start over opposition theatres PUBLISHERS; Books Inc., Clinton, Mass. DISTRIBUTORS: A&A Book P. Co., N. Y. C. SAM PARSER Special Sales Representative Eastern Division Hotel Walt Whitman, Camden, New Jersey or New York Office, 306 W. 44th St. The Strand has been leased by the Civic Music Ass’n for a series of three concerts during the 1948-49 season. A fourth program will be presented at Fabian’s Palace . . . Two concerts will be played by the U.S. Marine band October 23 in the state armory. Dayton LaPointe of the Crandell, Chatham will be a delegate to the national American Legion convention at Miami, Fla. . . . The Modern, Manchester, Vt., operated by Joseph W. Bird, is being redecorated and improved at a cost of approximately $10,000. lATSE Local 324 met in the Labor Temple last Wednesday night (13» . . . Floyd Fitzsimmons, MGM exploiteer. visited Buffalo and Rochester in connection with showing's of "Secret Land” . . . Herman L. Ripps, assistant eastern manager for MGM, was in Rochester. The 3,600 -seat Fabian's Palace reported a sell-out for the convert by the First Piano Quartet last Wednesday night (13) . . . Visitors on Filmrow included Sylvan Leff, Highland, Utica, who also buys for Hathaway’s Di'ive-In at Hoosick Falls; Walter Wertime, Chester, Chestertown, and Dayton La Pointe. Crandell, Chatham. Al LaFlamme, Strand manager, was complimented by a patron who said he was from Philadelphia on the cleanliness of the theatre. LaFlamme is a stickler for “cleanness from top to bottom” . . . Malcolm Atterbury will begin a 26-week season of stock at the Playhouse October 12 with “John Loves Mary.” Shows will be booked for two weeks with Tuesday openings. Monday nights are sold to private organizations, while a city ordinance prohibits stage performances on Sundays. Atterbury has invested more than $200,000 in the purchase and remodeling of the Playhouse, formerly the old Capitol. United Vending Co., which has drink machines in all Fabian houses in this area, has received 30 three-flavor units by airplane from Texas . . . Pam-O-Films of Buffalo has the rerelease rights to “The Duke of West Point,” which is being booked by Warner theatres . . . Dick Struwe, former Republic and Warner salesman, is now with the Fort Orange Radio Co. as salesman. Harry Lament, chief barker, and Charles Smakwitz are general chairmen for the annual Denial day campaign staged by the Variety Club to raise money for the summer camp which Tent 9 operates in cooperation with the Albany Boys club. The goal this year is $15,000. Other committee members for the Thanksgiving week drive are Saul Ullman, finance; Jack Bullwinkle, distribution; Gene Teper. special events; Nate Winig, Big Brother. ARE SHOWMENS CHOICE EVERYWHERE! FINEST QUALITY ★ P D Q SERVICE FBI Recovers Prints Circulating in Illinois NEW YORK — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recovered 16mm prints of 20 features of four major companies which had been circulating with spurious titles out of Springfield, 111. The prints had been furnished to the armed services during the war years for entertainment purposes overseas. Examples of the title changes were: “Johnny Comes Marching Home” changed to “Welcome Home, Johnny”; “Fifth Avenue Girl” to “From Rags to Riches”; “My Favorite Wife” to “Honeymoon Troubles”; “Once Upon a Honeymoon” to “Lucky Guy”; “Ghost Breakers” to “Bob’s Busy Day”; “Arkansas Traveler” to “Men and Oil”; “Affairs of Annabelle” to “Take It From Me”; "Flight for Freedom” to “Destination, Japan”; “Kitty Foyle” to “Reckless Romance”; “My Favorite Spy” to “Band of Today”; “Three Sons” to “Sonny Boy”; “No, No Nanette” to “Oh, Uncle”; “Saint Takes Over” to “Gangland vs. the Law”; “Mexican Spitfire Out West” to “The Dude Cowboy”; “Devil and Miss Jones” to “The Shop Angel”; “You’ll Find Out” to “A Spook’s Musical Nightmare” and “Cinderella Swings It” to “Country Town Musical Jamboree.” The FBI delivered the prints to the Army Motion Picture Service in New York which turned them over to Sargoy & Stein, special counsel for the companies in copyright matter, for distribution to the copyright owners. It is not known whether criminal action will be taken as the person in Springfield who surrendered the prints has since moved to another state. Variety Club of Albany To Elect November 8 ALBANY — The Variety Club will elect a crew of 11 canvasmen at a meeting November 8 at Tent 9 headquarters, and the crew will choose new officers within the following two weeks. Present indications are that Saul J. Ullman, first assistant chief barker, will be elevated to chief barker. Manager Split Suggested ALBANY — Tristate Automatic Candy Corp. is reported on Filmrow to have suggested that managers be cut in for a small percentage of the gross, in the interests of stimulating sales, and to have met with a negative response from house operators. The percentage recommended is said to have been two and one-half. Present agreements call for a split of the proceeds. Tristate furnishing the stock and the women attendants. Ireton Quits Renaissance MONTREAL — Glenn Ireton, general manager of English-speaking operations with Renaissance Films Distribution, Inc., for the last few months, has left the company. Ireton, who previously had been with Warner Bros, for many years, also had served as publicity director for Canadian International Screen Productions during recent months. THE IDEAL THEATRE CHAIRS JOE HORNSTEIN has them 44 BOXOFFICE : : October 16, 1948