The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT-4 announced plans for the Starlight Drive-In at West Henrietta and Town¬ line Roads, and said construction would start immediately with projected ac¬ commodations for 650 autos, in-car speakers, and other modern develop¬ ments, all to cost $75, 000 to $100,000. Graden Hodges revealed that his new drive-in, also to open next spring, would be located in Ridge Road East near suburban West Webster. Paramount executive Eugene Street found an apartment in Oxford Street, and moved here from New York City with his wife and son. . . . Loew’ s manager Lester Pollock visited other recrea¬ tional enterprises during his vaca¬ tion, and studied competitive aspects. Assistant manager Louise Wilson was keeping the theatre running smoothly during his absence. Morris Rosen, manager, Monroe, tripled his Saturday matinee business by promoting a free ice cream give>away at no cost to the theatre. ... An afternoon fire damaged four buildings near Don Whitington' s Lincoln, but burned only a section of rear cornice 6f the theatre, and the evening show went on as usual. RKO Palace manager Francis Anderson looked very fit on returning from his vacation tour of New England. ... Rear marquee of the Paramount was getting a face-lift, and Loew’ s auditorium was being spruced up for the beginning of the fall season. ... John Thomas, assietant manager. Regent, resigned to become house manager, Arnett. Ossie Sussman has opened a boxing gym in the Monroe building. ... Walter Radner, treasurer. Paramount, was vacationing. ... Allen Tindal, presi¬ dent, Rochester Motion Picture pro¬ jectionists union, attending the Cleve¬ land convention, accidentally met and recognized a cousin he hadn’ t seen in 40 years. Manager Arthur Krolick, Paramount, arranged with The Democrat and Chroni¬ cle to sponsor an essay contest to pick two boys to visit West Point in his campaign for “Beyond Glory”... Amy Croughton, the Times-Union film reviewer, sees the current success of slapstick pictures presaging a new cycle. ... Manager Louis Thompson, Reg¬ ent, got new blue velvet stage drapes to set off the newly-decorated foyer, mezzanine, and auditorium. Recent playing of rival companies’ pictures in first-run houses was in¬ teresting. Metro tested "Big City” and "Alias a Gentleman” as a package show in Paramount’ s R iegent. Loew’ s played RKO’ s "The Best Years of Our Lives”, and the Regent also showed ■Jnited Artists’ “Four Faces West” and Man of Evil”. Eastman Kodak gave the first public showing of its new color densitometer at the Chicago Convention of the Photographers Association of America, and also featured its dye transfer process and a new Kodatron studio speedlamp. THE EXHIBITOR The Embassy went dark as preparations were made to reopen under a new lease . . . The Auditorium was slated to open the stage show season here Sept. 9 with “Harvey”. ... Attitude of some ex¬ hibitors toward television is: Why encourage it? Loew’ s helped to pay the cost of Rochester visit of a pinball machine spotted in the Hotel Seneca Arcade for the benefit of the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund and signs linked the ex¬ hibit with “The Time Of Your Life”. A tieup with a jewelry store offered a wrist watch and guest tickets as prizes for best guesses on number of loose watch parts piled in the store window as a plug. Special Youth Months films booked into the Regent were "Mickey” and “The Enchanted Valley”. ... Morris Rosen, manager, Monroe, for the lastfive years, who started in theatre business in Massachusetts 25 years ago, spent his vacation touring the New England States with the missus. -D.R. SCHENECTADY A luggage giveaway program at Dick Murphy’ s Plaza was set to lure the¬ atre-goers into the house for four solid Wednesday nights, starting on Sept, 1. Nine local merchants climoed iboard the bandwagon to aid in the promotion stunt. Luggage comes four pieces to the set, and is ready for display on a circular window turntable of one of the city’ s, larger stores. Bob Griffeth, Murphy' s assistant, re¬ ported he received only one squawk on the advance work, one street narad didn’t come out right on the first display poster plugging the giveaway. Nina Niver was back at her post in Proctor’s after a down-east vacation ....Anna Funk, Strand, was traveling the vacationturnpike. ... H. L. Truax, Strand, chatted in the lobby as we waited for manager Lou Rapp. Phil Rapp, manager. State, was in a hurry to get someplace when we tried to collar him a minute in the StateErie arcade. We hung on just long enough to tell him we were vacationbound ourselves. SYRACUSE If there is an apparent shortage in the new car market, the blame should be placed on the local Rialto as the following iiave new autosj Schine zone manager Harry H. Unterfort, Schine’ s Palace manager Max Rubin, RKO-Keith’ s stage hand Carroll Blair, and Keith’s secretary Dianna Hammer. Can it be true that Paramount assis¬ tant manager Leslie Coulter has been bitten by ^ne love bug? He has that peculiar gleam in his eyes. ... Edward Fitzgerald, George Steves, and Carroll Blair, Local 9, and Harry Burley, with Lou Boyd, Local 376, attended the convention of the lA at Cleveland. Mrs. Harry H. Unterfort returned from visiting her mother in New York ...Louis W. Schine and Dewey Lederer, Schine home office, were in with John McNamara, New York theatre architect to look over the work on the Para¬ mount. ... Mrs. William Lee, Buffalo, was a guest of her sister^ Mrs. Richard Feldman. .. Mrs. Max Rubin and children, Kathy and Mark, drove to Rochester in the new car. David Hanley, son of Mrs. Richard Feldman, was home from YMCA Camp Tousey, where, he vacationed. . . . Irving Canter, Schine’ s Eckel manager, was home from vacation in Western New York State. ... The Misses Jeanne and Jo Ann Busby, students at Purdue Uni¬ versity, were in for a visit with cousin Bob Thompson, assistant mana¬ ger, Schine’ s Eckel. Jack Crowe, manager, Schine’ s Auburn, Auburn, finds the new job interesting ....Ike Kallet, Schine’ s Paramount, was back from the vacation that he took to rest up. ...Bob Thompson, as¬ sistant manager, Eckel, in charge during the vacation of Max Rubin, ar¬ ranged a very neat tieup with a large furniture store. He gained a front window for display of stills and thea¬ tre copy on “Smart Woman.” The store arranged a special sale of pieces spotted through the store, which were properly tagged, and priced for the "smart woman” buyer. Radio and news¬ paper announcements rounded up the novel tieup. One of the most frequent questions that we are asked is: When are we going to hear from Jack Flex?. ... Eddie Fitzgerald thought extra precautions were in order, and insisted that Carroll Blair accompany him by train to Cleveland, instead of riding in the new car. Mike LaVine and family were on va¬ cation at his sister’ s summer home at Lake Oscawana. . . . Tom Clarke, manager, Loew’ s Strand, was on vacation with family in Baltimore, with Al Bethka taking over the direction of the house during his absence. Henrietta "Hank” Irwin is new at Loew’ s State. . . .Harold Mortin, Loew’ s State manager, must lead a charmed life as he has acquired a two-year lease on a beautiful apartment in the University section, the description of which is a reminder of a DeMille set. Bobby, the eldest of the Mortin youngsters, had the misfortune to fall down a flight of stairs while on va¬ cation at Providence, and suffered a bad gash on the head, requiring several stitches, but now has the bandages off, and is raring to go once more. Irving Cantor, manager. Sc.hine’s Eckel, was in Crouse-Ii ving Hospital, where he had several blood transfusions ....Harold Mortin, manager, ^joew' s State, was trying to find the fence out Fairmount way that he is supposed to have knocked down with his car while he was on his vacation in Provi¬ dence, R. I., some hundred miles away (wrong license number, again) . . . George Mansfield was back at Loew' s State, with Albert Bethka, assistant. State, pinchhitting for Tom Clarke as manager, Loew' s Strand, while he was on vacation. J . J . S. September 1, 1948