The Exhibitor (1950)

NT.2 EXHIBITOR coupled with the circuit’s “Fall Film Festival” slogan in its rally for in¬ creased business. Betty Caruso, booker, Lippert, went to Chicago. . . . Walt Lambader, head. United Film Exchange, and Mrs. Lam¬ bader became the parents of a baby boy. . . . Helene Malody assumed new duties as booker at Warners. . . . Kube Melcher, head, Poppers Supply, was on a business trip to Des Moines, Minnea¬ polis, and Milwaukee. . . . Earl Horton returned from his vacation when he broke his arm in two places, and was confined to Providence Hospital. . . . Vernon Smith, MGM salesman, was on vacation in Pennsylvania. Joan Gutshaw is the new secretary at TEI. She replaces Shirley Ann Erick¬ son, who resigned to complete her col¬ lege education. . . . Visitors included; Robert Smith, Urbana, Mo.; Ted Sheahan, Peabody, Kans. ; Frank Weary, Richmond, Mo.; R. Robinson, Grant City, Mo.; Roy Culley, Medicine Lodge, Kans., and Gene Musgrave, Minneapolis, Kans. Theatre Enterprises will build five new drive-ins for opening next season. The open airers will be built at Beloit, Hiawatha, Osawatomie and Paola, Kans., and at Nebraska City, Neb. Sale of the Cimarron, Cimarron, Kans., to John W. Boehm, Denver, was announced by Mr. and Mrs. Milton Blakeman, who have been operating the theatre for three years. Los Angeles The telephone in the Hollywood rang for cashier Gloria Scheu, and a gruff voice told her to put all the money in an envelope, and give it to the man who was waiting for it. “There is a man in front of your window. Put all your money in an envelope, and give it to him,” the voice said. She did. The National Theatres better business drive got under way last week through¬ out the 20 states it serves. Half a mil¬ lion copies of an elaborate pictorial magazine are ready for distribution. The magazine will be called “Proof” and contain in color pictorial treatment on 60 forthcoming films from all the studios. Union troubles were cleared away so that the American Legion revue, “Red White and Blue,” could open at the Downtown Paramount on Oct. 7. . . . Arthur Santiago brought Johnny Car¬ penter and His Blind Rhythm Riders to the Western for a stage show. . . . Fox West Coast is stepping out with good public relations, inviting children from the deaf schools as guests. . . . Paramount took over at the Ambassador Hotel to show exhibitors “Dark City,” after which a luncheon was held. . . . Gus Metzger, chairman. Southern Cal¬ ifornia Theatre Owners Association board, helped Charles Skouras launch the “Movies Are Better Than Ever Campaign.’’ . . . Robert Young is show¬ ing a special plaque received from In¬ terstate Theatres, presented by R. J. O’Donnell, citing the star for distin¬ guished service. Milwaukee Biggest recreational event of the year, according to a majority of those who attended, was the gala Variety Club golf outing at the Merrill Hills Coun¬ try Club. While full details must a*wait the next issue, over 150 prizes and gifts were distributed. Hank Toilette, S and M Theatres, walked off with the golf trophy. James E. McGrain, former Kenosha, Wis., newspaper man whose experience in motion picture theatre management and theatre promotion dates back to the days of the nickelodeon, is manager of the newly opened Hi-Way Outdoor at Routes 173 and 41, two miles south of the state line on Skokie Highway. Harry McDonald, veteran Warner manager, and man-about-town, had Ronald Reagan as a guest recently in connection with “Louisa.” Recent passing of Lon Ramsdell, 56, at Biloxi, Miss., reminds this corres¬ pondent of his management of Racine’s Venetian during the Big Depression. A former press agent, Ramsdell was a “showman of the old school,” and could think up more stunts to ballyhoo a show, and more ways to break into print than almost any other man in the busi¬ ness. Dr. William G. Beecroft, retired Mad¬ ison, Wis., dentist and founder of a firm that built three Madison theatres, the Strand, Orpheum, and Parkway, re¬ cently said that new financial arrange¬ ments will enable the firm to pay off the bond and preferred stockholders whose investments were endangered when the company ran into financial difficulties in 1931. Beecroft in 1935 petitioned for reorganization under the federal bank¬ ruptcy act. The bonds have since been gradually retired over the years while the theatre properties now have been mortgaged to the state teachers’ re¬ tirement fund to get a new $700,000 loan. Beecroft announced that proceeds of the new loan and current earnings would provide a fund sufficient to pay off bondholders in full, plus six per cent interest for every year in which no in¬ terest was paid. This means that every preferred stockholder will get the face value of his certificate plus seven per cent interest for each of 20 years. Since the acquisition of the Aragon to the Alamo and Mozart, Angelo Provinzano and Mike Chesnick have formed a corporation to be known as the Pix Theatre Corporation. The Aragon has been renamed the Pix. It was purchased from Howell Theatres, Inc. The Palace, in cooperation with Na¬ tional Theatre Supply, went all out in the introduction of the new Glascreen. In addition to a full page ad. Palace manager Rudy Koutnik came out on the stage, and invited the audience to “come on up,” and inspect the new Glascreen, which many folks promptly did. Kout¬ nik says he’s going to try this invitation stunt later on, and have the public in¬ spect the projection room, etc. Minneapolis The North Central Allied board of directors met for a general discussion of business conditions. ... A so-called “friendly’’ suit brought by John Lud¬ wig, which sought to stop the breakup of his partnership with Minnesota Amusement Company at Jamestown, N. D., under the consent decree was called off. The partnership breakup became effective on Sept. 1. Minnesota Amuse¬ ment assumes sole operation of the Grand, Jamestown, while Ludwig contin¬ ues to operate the reopened State and Star and the Lakeroad Drive-In. Burr Cline continues as Ludwig’s manager in Jamestown. Minnesota Amusement shift¬ ed Ray Konewko from the Garrick, Du¬ luth Minn., to Jamestown to manage the Grand. Bob Hemmy, manager-coowner, Colby, Colby, Wis., was married. . . . Robert Workman, manager MGM, spent a week recently calling on North Dakota ac¬ counts with salesman Charles Stoflet. . . . Eph Rosen, MGM assistant branch manager, and his wife were vacationing in northern Wisconsin. . . . Otis Engen, Lyric, Rugby, N. D., was a recent visi¬ tor on Film Row. Separate complaints charging G. Theodore Allen with fake returns on percentage shows at the Garden, Guthrie City, la., were filed by RKO, 20th-Fox, MGM, and Paramount. . . . Don Swartz and associates were remodeling the front of the Aster, Minneapolis loop house. . . . Milton Hoffman, who resigned from the advertising staff of Para¬ mount’s home office in New York, re¬ turned to Minneapolis where he plans to open his own office to handle adver¬ tising and publicity for motion pictures and other products. Minnesota Amusement Company re¬ opened the Dakota, Sioux Falls, S. D., as the Avon. The house was closed for re¬ furbishing. . . . Trade sources see a big upswing in theatre attendance this fall in the Minneapolis film zone. Harry B. French, president, Minnesota Amuse¬ ment Company, said that “a big upward swing has hit us almost overnight.” Harry B. French, president, Minne¬ sota Amusement Company, last week was named at an all-industry meeting to head area participation in COMPO’s support of the government in the pres¬ ent world crisis. Oklahoma City In Holdenville, Okla., Pete Kempf, manager, went to Miami, Okla., to take, over the managership of Video Thea¬ tres. Theodore Petete, in charge of the Buckskin Drive-In, will serve tempor¬ arily as manager. Video theatres. Horace Clark, manager, Video Thea¬ tres, recently held “Movie Jubilee Week” in Chickasha, Okla., under the sponsor¬ ship of the Washita, Rialto, Ritz, and Chief Drive-In. It was the first time such a program was undertaken, and it was especially arranged in appreciation of the past patronage shown the theatres. September 13, 1950