The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-1 NliWS OF THK District Of Columbia Washington It seems strange to walk along the E Street side of the National, and see the many changes that are taking place there. Workmen are climbing all over the structure, frames torn out, and the entire building looking like it had been undressed. It' s like a new era began with the passing of old 'Vndy Kelley on The Times-Herald. Then the leaving of Nelson Bell as drama editor of The Post. All new faces are around with the exception of brilliant Jay Carmody of The Star, and he is a relatively young shaver (but wielding a big stick in drama circles). And then the capping, the closing of Washington’ s only legitimate theatre. Kemp Mohler is in charge of the work, which will bring the house into con¬ formity for movies. It is presumed that friendly Ed Plohn will remain as manager. Meantime the Theatre Guild is selling tickets to the Baltimore legit houses. Harley Davidson, Paramount salesman, left the company to open a booking agency at his home in Rural Retreat, Va. This veteran salesman, with more than 15 years experience, has some 18 theatre accounts for which he is now buying and booking. Branch manager Al Benson was expected to name the new salesman as well as other changes created by this vacancy. In the mean¬ time, George Kelly, who had been head booker, has moved up to salesman, and Jack Howe is promoted to head booker. VALLEY ENTERPRISES, INC. : President Sam Roth was out of the office for a few days suffering with an old basket¬ ball injury. The medics finally re¬ leased him for "partial duty”.... General manager John G. Broumas, who had a full-fledged vacation planned, had to cancel his plans, and settled for a weekend at his hometown in Youngstown, O....Lurty C. Taylor, district manager, Elkton, Va. , was up to his ears in the first annual Valley Welfare Club outing. ... Morris Fradin reports that a four-reel film can. is “the heaviest thing I’ve ever lifted” ....Mrs. Meta Jenkins, shorts booker, is back at the office following the death of her husband. ... Mrs. Reba Smith was visiting the home folks in Harrisonburg, Va. ..H.T. King, manager. State, Harrisonburg, moved into his new home. .. Charles Freer, accountant, has been playing part-time manager, McLean, during the vacation of Hardy Irwin,. “Washington’ s youngest manager”. Bob Campbell, who operates the Camp¬ bell Film Exchange, and also manages the Warner Calvert, returned from a vacation which he says was spent around town, and especially in Rock Creek Park.... Ted Shull, manager. Peerless, hired a new booker, Mrs. Dorothy Bond, new to the Row. She succeeds Fritz Goldsmidt, now with 20th-Fox. Shull says that he now has for release “High Seas” with Glenn Ford andEvelyn Keyes. AT COLUMBIA: Office manager Bill Fischer is having a time with the lo¬ cal authorities concerning his daugh¬ ter’ s continuation in the District schools this coming semester. It seems he lives on the Maryland-D. C. divid¬ ing line street, known as Eastern Avenue, so that part of his living accommodations are in Maryland while the other part is in the District of Columbia. Heretofore, the nearby Maryland and Virginia children have been permitted free tuition in the local schools but a recent Act of Congress places a heavy bill on this, so the “over-the-line” boys are eager about the situation, and may even start moving back into Washington. . . . Elmer Moore is the student booker here.... Mrs. Peggy Tutt was vacation¬ ing at Ocean City, Md. ...Earl Taylor, booker, returned to his desk after a Florida vacation. Also on the “away” list were Elmer Moore and head shipper Claude Ringer. ... Sid Zins, the newly¬ wed of the exchange, was out in Cin¬ cinnati, andSallie Zeoli returned.... Elizabeth Minnick, head inspectress, was vacationing from the spinning reels. Come an invitation from Jack Fruchtman, former Paramount exchange worker, who has branched out into the exhibi¬ tion field, to attend the opening of the Park, Lexington Park, Md. on Aug. 26. Listed on the invite with his name were those of Mervell M. Dean and Robert E. Wigginton. The nearby towns have so grown up during and after the war that map-service com¬ panies are having a heck of a time keeping their products up to date. A few families settle on the side of the road. A Washington business man builds a shopping center and theatre. The place is named, and a town is born. There must be 100 such little spots of the metropolitan area which have sprung up recently. Popular Bill Praeger, exploiteer for RKO, received permission to stage a fireworks display down on the water¬ front in connection with “Good Sara”, Harry Kaimine, left, president-gen¬ eral manager, Warner Theatres, is shown here as he recently congratu¬ lated George A. Crouch upon his ap¬ pointment as local zone manager succeeding the late J.J. Payette. RKO Keith’ s. ... Vacationing from* the RKO office was cashier Agnes Turner, who, with her trusty cameras, was taking shots down at Williamsburg, Va...Jess Smith, chief booker, was also taking it easy probably down on some seashore. ... In town for a chat with the Joe Brecheen RKO staff was Bill Levy, Disney representative from New York. SRO: Division chief Ed Fontaine, one of the Row’ s swellegant lads, re¬ turned from visits to Detroit and Cleveland, and was to head down to Charlottsvil le and Roanoke, Va. While in town, accompanied by Elmer McKinley, special representative, he motored to Baltimore to visit Lauritz Garman, Uptown. The division chief still says “remarkable” about “Duel in the Sun”, which continues to bring in business. ... Visiting on va¬ cation here was Elmer McKinley’ s son, Stanley McKinley, a student at Dart¬ mouth. Off for a 39-day cruise in the At¬ lantic and South America were Mr. and Mrs. Abe Lichtman and Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Schlossberg. Notes From Warner Theatres: Peggy Andrews, favorite contact in the con¬ tact department, is sporting a sparkler. Matchmakers teamed her with watchmaker Jimmy 'Watts and the wedding is timed for next spring. Miss Andrews plans to stay right on in contact as Mrs. Watts. .. Loretta Keith joined the contact staff, and will take over Virginia Fenner’s desk when she joins her family in Detroit. ... News of va¬ cationers: Jean Calvert, contact, was taking the second week of a split va¬ cation; Jonas Bernheimer, Warner building superintendent, was taking a motor tour with his brother, theatreman Lewis Bernheimer; George Larkin, contact, was seeing New York and Canada, and Seymour Stone, auditor, is touring the Northeastern States. . . News of ex-vacationers: Ken Guggen¬ heim, contact, has fond memories of Miami Beach and Havana; Helen McGrath, receptionist, returned from a week at North Beach, Md. , where she shared a cottage with seven friends, but .that doesn’ t mean she’ s any “Snow White”. She’s a pleasant mocha shade just now. ....George A. Crouch, recently ap¬ pointed general zone manager for War¬ ner Theatres, announced several changes in duties of his staff. Frank La Falce, director of advertising and publicity, will, in the future, under¬ take the supervision of the Warner and Metropolitan in addition to his other duties. Louis F. Ribnitski has been named film buyer, while George Werner has been appointed head booker. James W. Root ovill be assistant fea¬ ture booker as well as short subjects booker, and Charles Grimes will as¬ sume the supervision of the Stanley, Baltimore, as well as the theatres in the Virginia district. Harry E. Lohmeyer will retain the district mana¬ gership of the Washington neighborhood houses, while Nat Glasser continues as district manager of theatres in the Maryland district. September 1, 1948 Washington