The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT4 THE EXHIBITOR house air-conditioning, and decora¬ tions by Paramount Decorating Company. No admission will be charged on open¬ ing night, at which time dedication ceremonies and short subjects will be featured. Virginia HOPEWELL Police are investigating a break in at the Browaway. Exactly $115 and personal papers were taken. Robert* Harrison, manager, reported that the thieves gained access to the building through to coal chute, and broke through two doors to get to the fund. R I C H MO N D Richmonders appear to be spending about as much money on amusements this year as they did in 1947, judg¬ ing from revenue received by the city from the admissions tax. During 1947, the city took in $210, 650 from the tax, which amounts to about five per cent on admissions. Through the first six months of 1948, the take was $120, 140. Comparisons between the two years cannot be exact. The tax was effective jan. 1, 1947, but amusement houses and others subject to submitting the tax have 30 days after the end of the month to make a report. Thus, no revenue was received in the city comptroller’s office from this source in January, 1947. Allow¬ ing for this difference, there does not appear to be any significant change in the figures being reported each month this year as compared to those of 1947. For the current fiscal year, July 1, 1948 to July 1, 1949, the City Comptroller has estimated receipts totalling $250,000 from the tax. Now pending in the Tax Study Commission is a bequest from the Richmond Amusement Federation that the commission recommend to Council that the admissions tax be abolished. Gross admission receipts of 15 the¬ atres was $2,671,559 in 1946 and $2,449,123 in 1947, according to the federation. The local theatres have now fallen in line with .the general rate of decline throughout the nation and receipts for 1948 ane estimated to be $2,325,115, the commission was told. Carrington Waddell was in town from South Boston to see the circus ....Arthur Deekens, assistant to Harold Wood, Neighborhood Theatre, inc. home office, was in camp at Fort Story. ...We were glad to hear from Pete Lichtman, who is recuper¬ ating at home from his five-week stay in Johnson Willis Hospital.... Howard Griffin, assistant manager, Fabian’s National, was a New York visitor. ... Sam Pulliam, manager. Grand, is planning a September va¬ cation to the big city. ... Chari ie Hulbert held a sneak preview of “A Foreign Affair” at the Colonial, inviting a large number of beauty shop workers. ... Addie Boyd, Colonial box office attendant, was vacation¬ ing in the country. Harris “Pop” Williams, Neighbor¬ hood Theatre, inc. artist, was a delegate to the state convention of the American Legion in Roanoke. . . . George Summers. NTI home office, vacationed. ... Herbert Bowman is the new assistant manager. Century, Petersburg, being promoted from the ranks. He is nephew of Edward Bow¬ man, Rex service staf f . . , . Phyl 1 is Proffit, secretary to Ivan Rosenbaum and Alex Ravdin, NTI bookers, was va¬ cationing in Florida. ... New screens have recently been installed in the Colonial and Grand. ... Abner Long, Westhampton, and his son visited Atlanta on his vacation. Congratulations go to Alex Ravdin, Neighborhood Theatre, Inc. short subjects booker, who is the proud daddy of a six-pound, six-ounce baby girl, Linda jane Ravdin, born at Medical College Hospital on Aug. 10 ....During the showing of “Gung Ho” at Bob Eagan’s National, tne marines opened a recruiting station in the lobby. ... Gertrude Coulter, veteran Byrd employee, visited Boston on her vacation. Tom Rayfield, former manager, Capitol, and now managing the Miami, was a visitor. He brought hfs family up to visit with his parents for a short time... .. Stafford price is back at the Capitol after Spending part of his vacation in Norfolk. ... Barney Frank, Universal-International sales man, and his wife were visitors.... Jerry Murphy, 20th-Fox salesman, was also in town..,. Sam Gordon, Venus and Ponton manager, spent his va¬ cation, as usual, working on his place in the country. ... Gertrude Peace, assistant manager, Venus and ponton, was planning another trip to Canada in September. ... Jimmy Mans¬ field, Venus and Ponton staff, spent his vacation up in Orange County visiting a certain lady, George Clarke, city manager. Dis¬ trict Theatres, vacationed paitly in New York and at Bayshore. . , . Lorenza Minor, manager. Hippodrome, spent his vacation loafing around with a short trip to Washington .... As its contribution to “Youtli Month”, Dis¬ trict Theatres will hold a Round Table Discussion on the stage of the Booker T for three nights during the showing of the new joe Louis picture which deals with juvenile delinquency and sponsoring the Round Table will be the G.H. C. Youth City Council..,. Cy Hoffman, Virginia manager. Dis¬ trict Theatres, was making the rounds of all theatres in his division. Three members of the Venus staff, Louise Rose, Fred DeMandeum, and Walter Snead, all took vacations at the same time, and rented a cottage at ocean View, where they had a great time with their families. ... Louise Gray, Bellevue staff, returned from California, and Evelyn “Rusty” Knapp hied off to Broadway. ... Gil bert Harless, Bellevue, attended the lATSE convention in Cleveland, and on his way back home visited with relatives in West Virginia. Allen Brown added Randolph McCutcheon to his staff at the Brook land, as Bernard MeRae was still re¬ cuperating from his operation. . . . Mary Emerson is the new Berio candy girl at the Brookland, and George Crozier was spending his vacation at home.... Mary Doane substituted for Bertha Murr, Byrd, while Bertha visited with her brother down on the River. ... John Palmer, Byrd staff, in the Naval Reserve, left for Jamaica, L. I. , on a cruise. ... Bernard McCann, Lee, spent his vacation painting his home.... Mack Scarborough and joe Bocardi, both projectionists, took vacations, but we were unable to find out where they went... Jimmy Ritchie, East End and Patrick Henry manager, took his family to New York for a vacation. Cold weather note: We hear that the East End installed a new furnace ....“Shag” Saunders, ponton pro¬ jectionist, who has been sick for several weeks, returned to his job feeling much better. ... Will iam Fox and Harry Jarvis returned from the lATSE convention in Cleveland as did Arthur Deane, Petersburg projection¬ ist, Bob Coulter and Pox were unable to celebrate their anniversaries, as • usual, as Pox was out of town.... Doyle and Russell started on the new front and marquee for the State. -S. J. West Virginia KEYSER Freddie Kline, 20th-Fox salesman;. Sterling Wilson, Warners’ salesman: and E.B. Barnett, district Altec en¬ gineer, were in.... John C. Wilson, projectionist. Music Hall, and cor¬ respondent for The Exhibitor, covered the opening of the Cumberland, Md., Potomac Drive-In, Variety Club WASHINGTON, TENT II Today is Sept, 1, and the month will bring about a wealth of Tent 11 ac¬ tivities. First is the annual golf tournament and dinner dance at the Manor Club. Many meetings are schedu¬ led each week for the welfare awards activities, with Sara Young, who leads the women’s activities, and Frank Boucher, Chief Barker, keeping after the barkers and barkerettes to extend their utmost. Then on Sept. 16, 17, and 18, the VC meeting, the last date being the time for the Humanitarian Award dinner at the Hotel Statler. The committee is in hopes of bringing here A1 Jolson, Bing Crosby, or Bob Hope for the encee job. There is a possibility that “Mr. T.” will also be on hand to see his Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, receive the 1947 award. On Sept. 19, the annual charity classic will be held at the Baltimore Stadium, bringing together the Washington pros against the Chicago Bears. This is a joint pro¬ motion of the Baltimore and Washing¬ ton tents. The affair looms as one of the biggest ever held by similar tents throughout the country. September 1, 1948