The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT-2 THE EXHIBITOR our pictures will be enjoyable to all”, photenhauer said. House seats 886, and has a mechanical refrigeration system and a parking lot for 400 cars. Mrs. E. C. Walton, city censor since 1939, will retire in February, she announced recently. Gladyce Penrod, office secretary, Kansas-Missouri Theatre Owners Associ¬ ation, left for a vacation at inter¬ national Falls, Minn.... The KansasMissouri Theatre Owners Association is making preparations for its annual convention at the Hotel Muehlebach on Sept. 28-29. Wanda Brown, bookers’ stenographer, 20th Century-Fox, left for a vacation in California. .. "The Babe Ruth Story” opened up in three theatres here for a first-run showing. The picture also opened up in Wichita, Kans. , in two first-run theatres on the same date, Orpheum and Boulevard. Visitors on Film Row included; J.T. Chosen, Sedalia, Mo., Ray Miner, Moran, Kans.; C.A. Jones, Breckinridge, Mo., and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Flynn, Drive-In, Great Bend, Kans. Bemadine Kaminski, cashier. Mono¬ gram, returned to work on Aug. 26 after a short illness due to an eye infec¬ tion. Los Angeles The Fox Belmont celebrated its 22nd anniversary with cake-cutting cere¬ monies on the stage presided over by actress Carol Forman between showings of Allied Artists’ The Dude Goes West” and Monogram’ s “Jinx Money”. Jack Case is house manager. William Vaselopoulos, associated with the Rex Theatre Company, Chicago, was here with his family for a vaca¬ tion. The Gilmore Drive-In is having difficulties when there is night base¬ ball at adjoining Hollywood Park. Lights from the Gilmore Stadium and baseball field brighten up the thea¬ tre screen to make it difficult for patrons to see the picture. Tom Gilliam, manager, Chicago branch, 20th Century-Fox was here vacationing ....Gus Metzger completed a deal for Metzger and Srere to take over the operation of three houses in Coronado Beach, Cal. ^rom Hyde and Millen. The theatres are the Coronado, Village, and Palms, with combined seating ca¬ pacity of more than 2,000. Metzger and Srere also operate several local the¬ atres here and in san Diego, Cal. There’s a definite easing of the shortage of billboard space here.... Henry Herbel, western district manager, Warners, arrived from San Francisco. The UA stunt to have Everett Brown, actor, walk the streets as ballyhoo for "Urubu” Four Music Hall Theatres, almost boomeranged until police saw to it that more animal skins were a part of the wardrobe. Republic held its 12th annual picnic at Pop’s Willow Lake.... A U-I troupe of actors were making west coast per¬ sonals for “Feudin’ , Fussin’ , and aFightin’ ’’ Warners’ Downtown closed for a ‘face-lifting’ The house reopened with “Two Guys from Texas”. Six local theatres signed a con¬ tract for an audience participation radio show with Bill Leyden. Programs will be transcribed from the Frank¬ lin, Campus, Garfield, Crown, and Calvey, with the last two alternating every other week. Sherrill Corwin lined up top vaude¬ ville acts for the Million Dollar.... The Variety Club, Tent 25, is still talking of the testimonial banquet honoring Charles P. Skouras, which drew over 900 men in attendance at the Ambassador Cocoanut Grove. The polio epidemic cut a chunk in business except at the drive-in thea¬ tres, where both the ticket sale and concession profits have been boosted ....In San Diego, Cal., medicos for¬ bade all children of 12 oi under to go to theatres but gave their okay for drive-ins. Beverly Hills turned thumbs down on any change in the Music Hall front, which was intended as a ballyhoo for “Urubu. ” joe Rosenthal, photographer, who shot the picture of the Marines raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi in Iwo Jima, was visiting Film Row. Milwaukee The annual convention of the Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin And Upper Michigan will be ^held on Oct. 14 and 15, at the Hotel Schroeder. All of the top drawer subjects slanted to current exhibitor problems will be covered in these meetings. William Ainsworth, Fond Du Lac, Wis. , National Allied president, is also president, independent Theatre Owners Of Wisconsin And uPPer Michigan. Arnold Brumm was named convention chairman, assisted by co-chairmen Harry perlewitz and Harold pearson, both officials of the ITO of Wiscon¬ sin and Uoper Michigan. A program of events exclusively for the ladies is under way. Two cocktail parties have been arranged, with one set up for Oct. 13. The second such social af¬ fair is slated for Oct. 14, just be¬ fore the annual convention banquet. Ervin dumb, advertising director and supervisor, Towne, was appointed pub¬ licity committee chairman. Roland Koutnik, palace manager, made a tieup with the Warner-Medlin photographic studios in which an aide distributed certificates giving Palace patrons reduced rates. . . . The Strand, Manitowoc, Wis. , operated by N. Johnson, was remodeled. ... Of f ices of the independent Theatres Of Wis¬ consin And upper Michigan, moved to 1027 West Wells Street. ... Wil liam Ainsworth, . Fond Du Lac, Wis.,. Na¬ tional Allied president, has been at¬ tending Allied meetings in the nation ....jerry McMillan was appointed manager. Times and Grand, Clintonville, Wis. Both situations are owned by the Marcus Theatres Circuit, Ben Marcus, Oshkosh, Wis. , president. . . . Albert Behm, new owner. State, Waupa¬ ca, Wis. , installed new sound and proj ection. . . . Ray Smith, Ray Smith Company, spent his vacation at Antigo, Wis. ... Arthur Stanisch, onetime Fox Wisconsin theatre manager, is back from the west coast. Paramount held its annual picnic at a near Milwaukee park. . . . Hildegarde Albrecht, MGM first booker, spent her vacation touring the coun¬ try.... Leo Terzes, Towne assistant manager, was on a vacation at beaches ....Max Mazur, Film Classics manager, is no longer with the firm. The Centennial observance that closed a months’ observance at State Fair Park, West Allis, Wis., made marked inroads into regular theatre attendance. Minneapolis Miner Amusement Company will build a 650-car drive-in four miles south of Chippewa Falls, Wis. The circuit operates theatres in Chippewa Falls, Rice Lake, Ladysmith, and other Wis¬ consin cities. The drive-in is ex¬ pected to be completed by April i, and will cost an estimated $100,000 ....Sheldon Grengs, Eau Claire, Wis., exhibitor, also will build a drive-in on the Eau Clai re-Chippewa Falls highway, about half way between the two cities, it will be in the same general area as the Miner drive-in. Frank Fowler, owner. Forest, Forest Lake, Minn. , for the past 12 years, sold his house to William Kraskin and R. E. Drummond. ... 0. A. Freck purchased the Spring Green, Spring Green, Wis. , from Frank Murphy. The house, which has been closed siqce last March, will be remodeled, and opened under the management of Freck’ s son, Bruce.... Sara E. Miller is the new owner. Strand, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. . . . Joseph Murray purchased the Grand, Grantsburg, Wis. , from Arthur Luscombe. . . . William Holec purchased the Home, Tripp, S.D., built a year ago by Chris Schmidt. ... Edgar Ivers purchased the Fox, Osseo, Wis. , and the Fairchild, Wis. , from Edward Gleason. The towns are 14 miles apart. .. .Ralph Johnson opened the new Norway, DeForest, Wis. ...G.A. Abbott opened the new Norden, Lake Norden, S. D. ... Vincent VanErem is the new owner. State, Hurley, S.D. ...Ted Hamre and Mel Hamre opened the new Willow Willow Lake. S.d. Three more regional meetings of North Central Allied will be held in the next month, Stanley Kane, execu¬ tive director, announced at Bismarck, N.D. , Duluth, Minn., and Sioux Falls, S. D. On the agenda will be ASCAP, municipal and state taxation, orga¬ nization, legislation, and the con¬ sent decree. Kane pointed to the re¬ cent program adopted by the League of Minnesota Municipalities at its September 8, 1948