The Exhibitor (1949)

THE EXHIBITOR NT3 The Delsea Drive-In, Delsea Drive, between this city and Vineland, N.J., opened on April 29 with a goodly attend¬ ance of industryites on hand. SmithSablosky interests operate the open-airer. NEW EGYPT Howard L. Davis closed the Isis. OCEAN CITY The Surf reopens on Memorial Day for its third season. Samuel Prank, Hammonton Theatres, Inc., is owner. SEA ISLE CITY The Madaleine on the boardwalk re¬ opened for the 1949 season. TRENTON Louis H. Cahan, Philadelphia, announced that he would file suit in either the county courts of New Jersey or in the U.S. Dis¬ trict Court, Trenton, for one million dollars damages against the Township Committee of Lawrence Township, N.J., because the committee allegedly refused to grant him a permit in September, 1948, to erect a drive-in on the Brunswick Pike in the township, and then in April did grant a permit for a drive-in to the S and P Improvement Corporation, Camden, N.J. Conley George and family plan a vaca¬ tion trip to Northern Michigan to visit Mrs. George's parents. George is assis¬ tant manager, Mayfair and Stacy. WILDWOOD Hunt’s Casino, local and Hunt's Liberty, Cape May, N.J., have resumed seven-daya-week operation. During the winter, both of these theatres were closed on certain days. The installation of parking meters in Wildwood, long overdue, was about to begin. The Serv-U-Rite Record shop joined with Hunt’s Theatres in a joint promotion of “So Dear To My Heart’’. Children were invited to color a sketch of the film’s characters in The Wildwood Leader. Hunt’s Starlight Ballroom will reopen on Memorial Day weekend with the Alex Bartha band from Steel Pier and the Buddy Williams band from Philadelphia. Pennsylvania CHESTER A.M. Ellis Theatres’ 700 car drive-in near here, to be known as the Chester Pike Drive-In, wHl open in June. CLIFTON HEIGHTS The PamRy Drive-In, being built by W. Smith, Camden, N.J., operator. Starlight Gloucester, N.J., will open soon. Van Lloyd will do the buying and booking. EPHRATA Upon recommendation of Burgess Good, Borough Council has reenacted for another year the local curfew law. The off-thestreets hour is late enough to escape affecting the two theatres. HARRISBURG Gerry Wollaston, manager. State, at¬ tended a meeting of the State Advisory Committee for “Pennsylvania Week’’ in Pittsburgh on April 21. He represents the Pennsylvania industry on the advisory committee. Wollaston has tieins with local disc jockey Pete Wambacii and Red McCarthy in exploitation for “My Dream Is Yours’’. Poster displays with pictures of the pair and film plugs were placed in downtown music stores. Another tiein has a furniture store displaying a bedroom suite in the State lobby, carrying ad lines by Doris Day, the featured player. Governor Duff received House Bill 776 for signature. This bill deletes wartime provisions for the employment of minors between 16 and 18. With the enactment, minors may work not more than 44 hours a week, nor more than eight hours a day, nor more than six consecutive days a week. Wartime regulations allowed them to be employed 48 hours a week and 10 hours a day. Under this bili, too, physical examinations for minors must be made by a physician appointed by the school direc¬ tors in first, second, and third class dis¬ tricts, and by the State Board of Health in fourth class districts. This would rule out examinations by any physician with payment of a fee as the wartime law per¬ mitted. Anticipating “So Dear To My Heart’’, Bob Sidman, manager. Senate, entertained Burl Ives, in Harrisburg for a concert performance. Sidman hosted a press and radio party for the ballad singer at Inn 22, and the singer plugged the forthcoming film from the concert stage. Sidman and Fred Stone, assistant manager, Senate, distributed 1500 copies of a special Reader’s Digest featuring the synopsized “So Dear To My Heart’’. The cover bore a special “snipe’’ listing the play dates. For the opening of “Red Stallion of the Rockies’’, Sidman had four girls in western regalia ride about the downtown section on horseback. Posters on the girls’ backs plugged the picture. Along with the equine exploitation, Sidman gave special promi¬ nence to the short, “Basketball Head¬ liners of 1949’’, with a front display and radio and newspaper ads. Sidman’s daugh¬ ter, Helen, 14, is back in classes at Harrisburg Academy after being hurt in a fall there. Birthday anniversaries were celebrated by Mrs. Bertha Olsen (April 12) and Mrs. Stella Hicks (April 9), both Rio. Together, they have more than 60 years’ service in the industry in Harrisburg. The State Senate passed unanimously a measure exempting taprooms with tele¬ vision from paying an amusement tax to the Liquor Control Board. The proposal, already approved by the House, went to Governor Duff for his signature. The issue was raised last year when a court decision held that television was similar to motion pictures as a form of entertainment, and that liquor licensees having television sets must take out amusement permits. The State Liquor Control Board estimated at one time the fees expected from the action would amount to about $300,000, with the bulk coming from Philadelphia licensees. About 60 exhibitors and guests attended the “MGM Silver Anniversary’’ screenings on April 26at the Penway. Between shows, the group was taken to Inn 22 by cliartered bus for luncheon and a talk by Lou Formato, MGM. THEATRE OWNERS and MANAGERS It is IMPORTANT that you send us a copy of your program each week, no later than Tuesday. In this way, we can best serve you. Someone, maybe the booker, or perhaps yourself might forget to record a booking. By sending us a copy of your program, we will be able to check any mistakes. Please continue to wrap and ad¬ dress properly your return ad¬ vertising so that it can be delivered to the right exchange. IMPORTANT Don't put your return film in the lobby until all your patrons have left after the last show. HIGHWAY EXPRESS LINES, ING. 236 N. 23rd Street Philadelphia 3, Pa. LOcust 4-0100 MEMBER NATIONAL FILM CARRIERS, Inc. PROGRESSIVE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO., Inc. 240 N. 13th STREET • PHILADELPHIA 7, PA. THEATRE INSTALLATIONS and MAINTENANCE JEP — Your BEST Services DAVID E. BRODSKY ASSOCIATES INTERIOR DECORATORS 242 N. 13th Street • Philadelphia 7, Pa. PAINTING • DRAPERIES • MURALS STAGE SETTINGS • WALL COVERINGS May 4, 1949