The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

NT-4 Ruth pillen, billing clerk and assistant cashier, Eagle Lion, was enjoying a vacation. San Antonio Manuel Oslo, manager, Clasa-Mohme of'fice, Denver, was in. ...Eddie Bre¬ mer, manager. Majestic, Houston, Tex., spent his vacation visiting relatives ....Red River Dave, WOAI’ s popular western star, is making personal appearances in connection with “Echo Ranch” and “Hidden Valley Days.” He was scheduled to appear at the newlyopened Leon, pleasonton, Tex. Richard Landsman has been appointed manager. Alamo Drive-In, succeeding Wesley Holstine. Holstine has been named manager. Mission Drive-In. William D. patton, casting director, arrived to select casts for three two-feel all-children comedies to be made by Melton Barker productions for the Uptown, Highland, and Harlandale ....Oliver Thomas, manager, inter¬ state’ s State, announced that the house will undergo a complete re¬ modeling program. Some 1200 persons scurried from the Empire as a projection booth fire filled the theatre with fumes. No one was injured. According to Henry Bergman, manager, a bad print was blamed. No playing time was lost.... Although “scores of protests” were received on the showing at the Hi -Ho of “The Outlaw”, no police action was taken to stop the run. Salt Lake City A new $100, 000 Film Center building is being constructed on Salt Lake’ s Film Row b.v inter-Mountain Theatre Supply Company. The construction is just west of paramount’ s exchange, 270 East First South Street. A twostory building, it will be of rein¬ forced concrete and brick, interMountain will utilize the ground floor and the basement.. Second-floor space will be divided into 12 offices to be leased to firms and individuals engaged in the motion picture and al¬ lied businesses. The building will house a 100-seat screening room. Phillip S. Guss is manager. Construction on a new $350, 000 theatre at Thirty-first South and Highland Drive, southeast Salt Lake, is expected to start early next month, Joseph L. Lawrence and D. K Edwards announced this week. The showhouse, stadiumtype in design, is expected to seat 1300 persons. The house will be called the Highland. Fox-lntermountain Theatres has pur¬ chased property in Missoula, Mont. , for construction of a new theatre. Building of the 1200-seat stadiumtype house is expected to begin with¬ in the next six weeks. Frank Larson is city manager. Missoula already has three theatres and a drive-in. A 500-seat theatre will be con¬ structed in Ashton, Idaho, by George THE EXHIBITOR C. Harrigfeld and sons. They expect to open in the fall. Son Francisco Western premiere of “Tap Roots” was held at the Orpheum under the sponsorship of The Call Bulletin, with proceeds being allocated to the San Francisco Child Welfare Fund through cooperation of Joe Blumenfeld, owner, Bluraenfeld Circuit. Arrangements were made by u-l and Walter Wanger with the orpheum. Stars, including Susan Hayward, Boris Karloff, and Richard Long, made two appearances at the orpheum. personal appearances of film stars have been plentiful here with Marjorie Main appearing at the orpheum with “Feudin’ , Fussin’ , and A-Fightin’ ” and Rosalind Russell making a public bow at the Golden Gate in connection with “The Velvet Touch.” Final settlement in the sale of the United Artist here and the four Music Hall houses in Los Angeles by Joe Blumen'feld and united Artists to Sherrill Corwin and Sol Lesser, thea¬ tre operators, were complete, in a multi-million dollar deal, Corwin and Lesser purchased 50 per cent of the United Artists interest in the houses and all of Blumenfeld’ s holdings. Last April, when the sale was first announced, negotiations were blocked by title problems arising from assign¬ ment of leases on the project. Blu¬ menfeld still operates 52 theatres in California including five units here. Irving M. Levin, divisional direc¬ tor, San Francisco Theatres, Inc. , received appointment to the chair¬ manship of the industry’ s Community Chest drive. The circuit manager will direct the campaign within the in¬ dustry, launching the drive on Qct. 1. An extensive fund raising program is being prepared by Levin. Exhibitors are continuing their “Salute To Young America” during “Youth Month” with special events following up their big free show for all youngsters on Sept. 1 at 80 city houses. Boy managers and girl assis¬ tant managers have been selected for all houses where young people with show business interests are following theatre routine throughout the month. The outstanding newsboy of each of the city’ s four papers is being pre¬ sented in personal appearance cere¬ monies on the stages of downtown houses. Boy and Girl Scout displays and demonstrations are being held in many of the city’s houses, and special shows are presented for local orphan¬ ages. under George Nasser, circuit owner, Nasser Brothers, the exhibi¬ tors’ committee includes Irving M. Levin, divisional director, SF Thea¬ tres, inc. , city chairman; Charles E. Shutt, manager, Telenews, publicity director; Helen Wabbe, publicist, Golden Gate, radio exploitation, and Hanns Kolmar, public relations. Fox West Coast, newspaper contacts. Danny Anderson, manager, Harding, returned from his vacation stay in Lake County, Cal ... Will iam W. Coovert, district manager. Golden State Cir¬ cuit, returned to his dfesk after a week’ s vacation at Ben Lomond, moun¬ tain resort. ... Worthington McGrath, veteran showman, assumed a managerial post at the Verdi, Golden State con¬ tinuous house. Seattle Renewed impetus was given the move¬ ment of Theatre interests of Seattle and the Northwest for the establish¬ ment of a Variety Club in Seattle at a luncheon in the Olympic Hotel given by the B. F. Shearer Cimpany. Guest of honor was William McCraw, Dallas, executive director. Variety Clubs International, who outlined the work of the clubs. The wide representation of varied branches of the industry included the following guests: Frank L. Newman, Sr. , and John Hamrick, Hamrick-Evergreen Theatres; John Danz, head. Sterling Theatres; Leroy Johnson, jensen and von Herberg; Neal Walton, Columbia; William For¬ man, united Theatres; Ed, Lamb, RKO; Paul McElhinney, Republic; jack Gre¬ gory, Altec; Henry Haustein, para¬ mount; Sam Davis, MGM; George DeWaide, universal-international; Hugh Becket, Metropolitan; Art Slater, Northwest Film Service; Oscar Chiniquy. National Theatre Supply; Robert Clark, Saffle Theatre Service; Frank Christie and Herbert Sobottka, Ever¬ green Theatres; Charles Galbraith, Northwest Film Club manager; Fred Danz, Sterling Theatres; Ralph Abbett. Monogram; A.J. Sullivan and Willard Coghlan, united Artists; Selom Burns, Modern Theatre Service; Tom Shearer, B. F. Shearer, jr. , Ted Lay, L.O. Lukan, Hal Daigler, and B.F. Shearer, B.F. Shearer Company, and Richard Hays, the Times motion picture editor. The committee ap¬ pointed by the Northwest Film Club last autumn to investigate the pos¬ sibilities of establishing a Variety tent in Seattle held a conference after the luncheon with McCraw. Sam Wheeler, western division sales manager. Film Classics, was here from Los Angeles for conferences with William Shartin, Northwest manager ....Commander Alexander Kusebach, newly appointed recreational direc¬ tor for the 13th Naval District, was on The Row for a screening of “Luxury Liner”. .. Marianne Pantano, Paramount accounting department, left for Iowa to visit relatives. .. Charles Grieme, Wenatchee exhibitor, after a week’ s fishing trip with his son. Will Grieme, was joined by Mrs. Grieme and their daughter, Dodie White. Pat Tappan, general manager for Grieme, and Mrs. Tappan came over from Wenat¬ chee, Wash., to join the party for the weekend, E.H. Jentz, auditor. Film Classics and Astor, was here. .. Zol lie Volchok, general manager. Sterling Theatres, returned from a vacation at Seaside. Ore. ... George and olive Garlick, placerville. Cal., have been here as house guests of Lionel and Corinne Brown, exhibitors at Edmonds, Wash. September 8, 1948