The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 NliWS OF THK New York City Crosstown The 86th Street Casino, long the show place of Gei'man-speaking motion pic¬ tures, last week announced it would re¬ open following a complete renovation. . . . Dr. I. W. Schmidt is currently hold¬ ing his second one-man photographic show at the Rivoli through arrange¬ ments made with Montagxie Salmon, managing director. The exhibit will con¬ tinue on view on the theatre’s mezzanine during the balance of the engagement of 20th-Fox’s “No Way Out.” Frank Soule, president, Pictorial Films, a subsidiary of Pathe Films, Inc., became a grandfather last fortnight when his daughter, Mrs. Andrew Uhri, gave birth to six pound Sue Catherine at Mercy Hospital, Rockville Center, L. I. ' _ , A son was born last fortnight to the wife of Joe Ornstein, booker. Indepen¬ dent Theatre Service, at Rockaway Hos¬ pital. Antoinette Longo, secretary to Milton Livingston, U-I trade press contact, was married on Sept. 3 to Michael Capo at Mt. Carmel Church, Bronx. E. S. Gregg, vice-president, Westrex Corporation, subsidiary of Western Electric Company, left last week for Denver to attend the seminar of the International Studies Group, Brookings Institute. ... A gold plaque was pre¬ sented by 20th-Fox to the winner of a special event held in honor of “The Black Rose” at the annual archery tour¬ nament of the New York Archers held at Corona on Labor Day. . . . Bonwit Teller put on display last week a series of six windows devoted to reproductions of fashions from 20th-Fox’s “The Black Rose,” Roxy. Three personalities linked with MGM’s “Three Little Words” who made per¬ sonal appearances recently at Loew’s State, New York City, are shown with Sam Pearlman, left, State manager, and Ernest Emerling, right, Loew’s adver¬ tising and publicity head. Next to Pearlman is Helen Kane, accompanied by songwriter Harry Ruby and Arlene Dahl. Ethel M. Bryan receives her first pen¬ sion check from Century Theatres comp¬ troller Martin Newman upon her recent retirement after 39 years service as an aide with the New York City circuit as general manager Leslie Schwartz looks on. She is the first recipient of Century retirement oenents, initiated in 194b. Raymond Sheerin, assistant manager, Loew’s 46th Street, Brooklyn, resigned last week to enter the armed services. October 10 was last week locked up as the date for the benefit premiere of “Onion Station” at the Paramount, it was announced by Max E. Youngstein, in charge of Paramount’s national ad¬ vertising publicity and exploitation. The gala opening, which will include, in ad¬ dition to the film and regular Paramount stage presentation, a show participated in by the top names of stage, screen, radio, and television, is sponsored by the Sister Kenny Foundation. All pro¬ ceeds of the premiere will go to the Sister Kenny organization. Harold Klein, J. J, Theatres, returned from a fortnight vacation. Arthur Fellig, known professionally as “Weegee,’’ prominent newspaper photographer who has published a vol¬ ume of his photographs under the title of “The Naked City,” arrived last week from California to aid in the advance promotion of U-I’s “The Sleeping City,” which has its world premiere at the Paramount on Sept. 20. Howard Dietz, MGM vice-president and director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation, returned last week by air from Paris. . . . Herb Crooker, MGM’s publicity department, returned last week from a vacation cruising around New York in his sloop. Margie Leczer, secretary to William F. Rodgers, MGM, returned last week from a vacation at Woodbury, Conn. , . , William B. Zoellner, in charge of MGM shorts sales and reprints, got back last week from his vacation. . . . William B. Levy, Walt Disney sales executive, re¬ turned last week from a six-week Pan¬ ama vacation. . . . Julian Lesser, pres¬ ident, Thalia Productions, arrived last week after a 10-week business trip to England, Europe, and Palestine, and proceeded on to Hollywood. Tickets for the Roxy’s unusual “sched¬ uled performances” engagement of Dar¬ ryl F. Zanuck’s “All About Eve,” which opens on Oct. 20, will go on sale at the theatre starting on Sept. 15. Twentieth Met. Patrons To Vote On Change New Yokk — It was learned last week that acting in the spirit of mutual co¬ operation, some 90 theatres in Queens are currently launcmng a non-competiiive campaign unique in exhibition his¬ tory. invoivea in the plan are all of the circuits and 99 per cent of the indepen¬ dents in the borough, including Brandt theatres. Century Circuit, tnterboro, Noew's, Prudential, RKO, and Skouras. 'today (Sept. 13), quarter-page ads ap¬ pear in The Long Island Daily Press and The Long Island Star Journal announcing; “Special Election For Queens.” The “election” aims to have tne moviegoers of the county vote on a proposed change in the scheduling of shows. Several months ago, Loew’s Embassy, North Bergen, N. J., launched an exper¬ iment by scheduling “early last shows.” The idea was to get the customers home earlier, and to have them see a com¬ plete two-feature show from beginning to end for greater enjoyment. By start¬ ing the last complete show between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m., and closing not later than 11:30 p.m., both aims were accomplished. After two months, the plan has been declared a complete suc¬ cess at the Embassy. Inspired by that experiment, the Queens exhibitors, if the customers so vote, will introduce the “early last show” plan throughout Queens, soon after Daylight Saving Time is lifted. A complete campaign manual has been pre¬ pared which outlines not only the elec¬ tioneering campaign but the steps to be followed in putting the plan into practice. If the plan proves successful in Queens, it is probable that it will spread to other boroughs. In addition to Queens, the exhibitors of Yonkers and Mount Vernon, Westchester County, also are uniting in a similar “voting” campaign to be followed, probably, by introduction of the new schedule. Serving on the publicity committee are Ernest Emerling, Loew’s; Harry Mandel, RKO; Nick Matsoukas, Skour¬ as, and Morton Sunshine, IOTA. A complete step-by-step advertising-pro¬ motion manual has been prepared for the guidance of the participating exhib¬ itors. Radio, television, newspapers, and other media will be used to “electioneer.’’ There will be ballots, lobby ballot boxes, trailers, lobby posters, and heralds, to¬ gether with all of the other showman¬ ship ballyhoo that the special publicity committee can devise. Century-Fox’s exhibition policy for this film marks a departure from convention¬ al, continuous-run methods. There will be no increase in admission prices for the scheduled performances, of which there will be four daily. All tickets sold will be for specified days and times, and will be unreserved, except for loge section seats. The Roxy will be emptied after each showing of the picture, and a new audience admitted for the next performance. No one will be seated nor will tickets be sold once the picture has September IS, 1950 NEW YORK