The Exhibitor (1949)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-3 The Governor of Kentucky* Earle Clements, has taken part in two sound movies filmed in Frankfort, and designed for showing in theatres of the state. Ohio COLUMBUS Oscar L. Thomas, director of ticket sales, Ohio State University, will join the F. and Y. Building Service, theatre builders, on March 1 in an administrative capacity. Leo Yassenoff is head of the construction company, which has built many theatres in Ohio and other states. Wade Kraner will succeed Thomas at Ohio State. Return to a state admissions tax, prohibition of television sets in automobiles, and grant of authority to the Ohio division of film censor¬ ship to censor television films are provided in bills introduced in the legislature. Senators Nicholas Bernard and Clingan Jackson, Demo¬ crats, Youngstown, introduced a Senate bill which would give the state authority to levy admissions taxes and deny that authority to the cities. Over 100 Ohio cities and towns en¬ acted admissions tax legislation in 1947 after the state had repealed the state admissions tax law. Representa¬ tive Fred L. Hoffman, Republican, Hamilton County, introduced a House bill which would prohibit television sets in any kind of automobile ex¬ cept emergency vehicles like police and fire trucks and ambulances. Senator Edward F. Sawicki, Democrat, Cuyahoga county, would give the state censorship division the same power over television films that it now has over films designed for theatre showing. Audie Murphy, star of "Bad Boy”, and Colonel William McCraw were guests at a dinner at the Variety Club. Kay Jewelry Company, sponsor of the WCOL “Inquiring Reporter" broad¬ cast heard from under the marquee at Loew’ s Ohio for the past 10 years, temporarily discontinued it. The broadcast may be resumed in the spring. Mary. McGavran Koebel, theatre editor, The Ohio State Journal, who returned to her desk following a week’ s illness, again is confined to her home. ... Samuel T. Wilson, theatre editor. The Columbus Dis¬ patch, moved his desk from the paper's library to the city room. CRESTLINE Peter Gregory, manager. Crest, purchased a new home at 332 North Wiley Street. WILMINGTON Kroger Babb, co-owner. Hygienic Productions, was the subject of a two-day feature by Don Strouse in The Columbus Citizen. Pennsylvania BADEN Marty Rothenstein, New Baden, re¬ cently came up with a stage attraction. BRACKENR I DGE The Valley recently presented the "Kara-Kum” and his mystic show. CLARION Lewis "Lew” Hepinger, Orpheum, has been spending the past month in Florida. COCHRANTON The highway between here and Meadville is now open for its entire length. W.L. Dunn, owner. Iris, was the contractor who did the work. Dunn was in Harrisburg for several weeks, and hoped to return with another state highway contract in his pocket. DUQUESNE Mayor Frank Kopriver, Jr. , in a recent letter to County Commissioner John Kane, detected ‘‘a smell of po¬ litical trickery’’ in Allegheny County’s finances. In the letter, the mayor lambasted the ‘‘double burden of the contemplated millage increase and the unjust raise in small prop¬ erty owners’ assessments.’’ The local Plaza and Grand are owned by Roth Amusements, and very capably managed by Joseph Gellman. EDINBORO St^anley Rawson recently returned from a business trip to Ohio. ELLWOOD CITY Andy Biordi, who assists in the operation of the Majestic, was absent from his usual haunts due to a business trip to Harrisburg. The Majestic secured a 24-sheet location outside of town, and is using this to plug coming attractions. ERIE Due to many changes of plan and delays in material shipments, the four walls are not yet complete on the new Lake, built by the Zeny brothers. William W. Zeny operates the Avenue, one of the suburban houses in Erie. At one time, it was planned that the Lake would possibly be open by the middle of February. The first television station in northwestern Pennsylvania will soon start operations in this city, WICU expecting to hit the air. FRANKLIN The Kayton, managed by Ray Woodard, recently had to shell out $750 when the theatre’s "Bank Night” jackpot was. hit by a regular patron. GROVE CITY Any exhibitor who would care to see a fine theatre remodeling job and classy interior decorating schemes should visit J. Glenn Carruthers’ Guthrie. It is really an eye-opener, and he already has taken a lot of bows from fellow exhibitors. JOHNSTOWN The Strand, operated by AltoonaPublix Theatres, is undergoing a complete remodeling and face-lifting job. Along with new display frames, entrance way improvements, and boxoffice location, the theatre will have a new marquee. F. E. McClelland, managing head, Ideal Amusement Company, which oper¬ ates a number of theatres in this territory, was confined with the flu. Dan Sheppard, who manages the Embassy, was another on the Western Pennsylvania sick list, having been quite ill with a case of strep throat. LIBRARY Jerry Castelli, owner-operator. Park, in addition to being a partner in the operation of the Super 30 Drive-In, Irwin, Pa., the Super-Castle Drive-In, New Castle, Pa., and Hi -Way 77 Drive-In, Belle Vernon, Pa., met death together with his wife, Eleanor, in the crash of their private plane on the north shore of Lake Simcoe in Canada, while on a flying trip to North Bay, Ontario, for a few days of ice fishing. The plane was reported to have crashed after being caught in blinding snowstorm shortly after he had taken off from the Malton Airport, Toronto. This fact was established when it was revealed that Castelli had telephoned his cousin, Albert Butti, who resides in North Bay, from Toronto. At one time it was reported that two of the Castelli’ s four children were with them in the four-passenger plane, but this was found to be er¬ roneous. The surviving children are William, Gerald, Melvin, and Gina. The engine of the four-passenger RyanNavion was torn from the all-metal body, and half of the plane broke through the ice, causing difficulty in the removal of the bodies. The bodies were brought to a funeral par¬ lor in Broughton, Pa. , a Pittsburgh suburb. Funeral services were con¬ ducted from the Galley Funeral Home, and many exhibitors and other repre¬ sentatives from the film business at¬ tended. Following the services, in¬ ternment was in Jefferson Memorial Park Cemetery, near Broughton. LINESVILLE The Borough Council took under consideration a 10 per cent amusement tax, which will affect the Regent, operated by Hoi is Hayes, in addition to the town’ s other amusements such as bowling alleys, pool rooms, and pinball machines. The council also took under consideration a wage tax, as well as a mercantile tax. MARI ENVI LLE Clarence Nuhfer, owner, Marien, re¬ cently announced that the theatre is for sale due to his many other busi¬ ness interests. MC KEESPORT City Council on the last day of January passed three new taxes in¬ creasing its net estimated revenue by approximately $99,000. In addition. Council gave all the city workers a $20 monthly bonus. The new taxes, voted unanimously, are: A 10 per cent amusement tax, expected to bring in $80,000 per year, a four-mill per¬ sonal property tax, estimated at $25,000 and a two-mill real estate transfer tax, estimated at $6,000. (Continued on next page) February 16, 1949