Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

DES MOINES ^ariety’s annual Christmas party was a huge success, and outgoing Chief Barker Gary Sandler cites the w'onderful job and cooperative effort by those called upon to take over at the last minute. The week before the big festivity was marred by the death of Gary’s father, theatreman Nate Sandler. Also, new' Chief Barker Ralph Olson, Universal manager, was in the hospital for surgery on his hand. But the show must go on — -and it did — thanks to a fine bunch of troupers. Sincere sympathy to the family of Nathan Sandler, operator of Sandler Theatre Enterprises with theatres at Fairfield and Missouri Valley, who died in Des Moines on the 3rd . . . And to Margaret McGaffey of Metro, whose vacation was saddened by the death of an uncle. Margaret later visited her brother and family in Indianapolis . . . Abbott Swartz of Independent Film Distributors w'as in on business from Minneapolis . . . Exhibitors on the Row included M. L. Long of Lansing: A1 Gran, Sioux Rapids: Jim Stopulous, Davenport: Nick Yiannias, Dubuque: Bill McGraw, Ogden: Dwight Hansen, Rockwell City: John Rentfle, Audubon, and Carl Schwanebeck, Knoxville. “What Ever Happened to Dave Gold?” Well, someone accidentally locked him in the Jewish Community Center men’s room during intermission at the Variety party. After a short stay in solitary, the 20th-Fox manager made his plight heard and was set free . . . Barney Brotman of the Paradise Theatre at Moline was here for his annual pilgrimage to the big Variety event . . . Paramount Manager Charles Caliguiri took his first vacation from the Des Moines branch in two years. He promptly got the flu! . . . Des Moines film exchanges were sweating out recent heavy snows in the east and hoping film prints would make it through in time for commitments here. Carl Schwanebeck, manager of Earl Kerr’s theatre at Knoxville, had four American Legion-sponsored free matinees set up for the holiday season. Children brought cans of food for Christmas baskets as admission to one of the matinees . . . Roommates Joyce Brain of Paramount and Marilyn Smith of Universal moved to a new apartment in the midst of the Christmas rush . . . Central States chief The Quality Is The Finest . . . And The Service The Fastest 1327 So. Wabash Chicago Myron Blank’s son Alan is a young man who proves the spirit of adventure is very much alive. Alan left San Francisco December 10 for a 15,000-mile trip in a Japanese land cruiser that will take him to 12 Latin and South American countries. Blank, 24, is with an import firm in California and the trip will enable him to make a sales survey for California industries. He also hopes to catch baby mountain lions and ocelots for west coast pet stores and will be on the lookout for snakes and scorpions to aid the Academy of Science in Frisco. George Howard, formerly with National Theatre Supply here, stopped to visit Filmrow friends when he went through Des Moines recently. Howard now travels the United States and Canada for General Instrument Corp. . . . Glen Slipper, NTS manager, was in Des Moines office during the week of the 10th . . . Ludy Bosten. Muscatine exhibitor, was confined to his home for eight days with flu. Thelma Washburn, Universal booker, and her husband were spending three weeks in New Orleans and in Florida visiting their daughter . . . Flossie Drury, who used to play “Hearts and Flowers” piano for the sad moments in silent films at Rowan and Dows, Iowa, theatres, produces decorated and hand-lettered sing-along slides. Mrs. Drury is the widow of Almon Drury, former exhibitor at the two towns. She’s been making the hand-lettered slides for 30 years and they’re still in demand for community sings . . . Mr. and Mrs. L. C. West are resuming their own operation of the Strand Theatre at Mount Vernon after leasing it for a time. OMAHA ^oward Burrus, exhibitor at Crete who had been hospitalized here at St. Joseph’s, was released to enter the hospital at Central City, where his son is an anesthetist. Howard originally had planned to spend some time in a Crete hospital recovering from a heart attack which he suffered while visiting Filmrow but that was changed in order that he could be where his son could help care for his dad . . . Axel Sorenson, who has the Vogue Theatre at Beresford, S. D., has been released from Veterans Hospital at Sioux Falls. Bill Zedicher, exhibitor at Osceola, was one of the hardy theatremen who visited the Row during the first real snowstorm of the season last week. Bill was one of the many accident victims on the ice and snowglazed streets but his car apparently received only minor damage. Marvin Jones, exhibitor at Red Cloud, took off in his plane for Omaha in fair flying weather and landed here safely, but he was unable to take off for home in the afternoon because of severe conditions . . . Carl White of Quality Theatre Supply, back from an operation at Mayo Clinic, is getting along nicely. Otto Leise has closed his Star Theatre at Bloomfield. He said it was not due to lack of business but that his other enterprises prevented him from operating to full advantage . . E. A. Smith, who has the Loraine Theatre at Armour, S. D., has closed his theatre and restaurant for a couple of months to take a vacation . . . Also shuttered is the Papio at Papillion, while Art Sunde spends some time on his acreage in Arkansas. George March, veteran exhibitor at Vermillion, went to his hunting lodge at Ravinia for some goose hunting . . . A. E. Thacker, owner of the State Theatre at South Sioux City, got his limit on a pheasant hunting trip . . . Bob Hirz, Warner Bros, city representative, attended a meeting at Des Moines with Joe Young, branch manager there . . . Marlene Navrude, 20thFox contract clerk, returned last week from a vacation at her home in Woodbine, Iowa . . . May Witthauer, Fox manager’s secretary, started her vacation last week but has not decided whether she would take a trip . . . Vivian Schertz, Buena Vista secretary, returned from her vacation that included a visit in Denver. Bill Wink, Allied Artists office manager, and his wife were proud to see their daughter Wanda on television. She was a member of the accomplished Notre Dame Academy choral group which appeared in a pre-Christmas program on the Eddie Haddad show . . . Eskel Lund, who has the Lund Theatre at Viborg, S. D., reported his daughter was coming home from California to be married. Exhibitors on the Row included Nebraskans Dean Richardson, Pawnee City: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schuler, Humboldt: Marvin Jones, Red Cloud: Bill Zedicher, Osceola: Sid Metcalf, Nebraska City: Scotty Raitt, Genoa: Howard Kennedy, Broken Bow, and lowans Arnold Johnson, Onawa: Charles Vickers, Mapleton: S. J. Backer, Harlan: John Rentfle, Audubon, and Ed Osipowicz, Correctionville. Irwin Beck has reopened his Moon Theatre at Wilber, which is customarily closed during the summer. Beck was loser in the election for mayor, a post he has held for a number of years . . . Richard Marvel, who has the Riviera Theatre at St. Paul, Neb., reported the death of his father at Arcadia. The theatre at Wausa, owned by the community and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Plog, closed the first of the month . . . The Lyric at Edgar is scheduled to close the first of the year . . . Mrs. W. G. Horstman is continuing to operate the theatre at Odebolt following the death of her husband. C. E. Bradshaw, who formerly operated the drive-in theatre at Gregory, S.D., has purchased the equipment of the Past Bowling Lanes at Winner, S.D., following a foreclosure sale of the layout by Brimswick Corp. . . . The Chamber of Commerce is running the Orleans Theatre at Orleans, Neb., formerly operated by Robert ’Tripe. Film Depot has taken over all film shipping and inspection for the 20th-Fox exchange . . . Elmer Svendsen, owner of the Roxie Theatre at Alta, Iowa, had not been to Filmrow for months — and he chose the day of the first snow in the area to drive in. H. G. Wells’ prophetic story, “The First Men in the Moon,” will be filmed for Columbia release by Charles Schneer. NC-2 BOXOFFICE :: December 24, 1962