The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-1 iXIiWS OF THE DISTRICT of COLUMBIA Washington After completing advance promotional tieups for the Eagle Lion release, “Ruth¬ less,” in Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, Laura Wells, special home office publicity representative, arrived here to set advance tieups for the local area premiere of the film. Everyone will be pleased to learn that J. C. Browne (known as “Brownie” to the trade) is recuperating very nicely in the Deaconess Hospital, Boston, where the Washington MGM News chief under¬ went surgery. Many of the local friends had wired him to hurry home, and now he is answering them with a cheerful letter telling about his early homecom¬ ing. Charles Mack, MGM, was called to the rostrum of the J. Russell Young School of Expression recently, and awarded his diploma for excellence in oratory. Already graduates are George Dorsey, Hugo Johnson, Tony Muto, and Bob Denton, among the news boys. Also on tap for the party was Paramount’s Russell Holman. During Adolphe Menjou’s recent visit to Baltimore, he met many of the local industryites, and here the star of MGM’s “State of the Union” exchanges greet¬ ings with William K. Saxton, Loew’s city manager. Menjou was on a book-selling jaunt. building owners. The present postpone¬ ment of the regulations extends until Jan. 1, at which time it is expected the Commissioners will adopt the new amendments for present buildings. Leading the fight for less stringent re¬ gulations, although continually interest¬ ed in the safety of the theatres, was A. Julian Brylawski, president, local MPTO. Doug Mellott, from Altoona, Pa., is now managing the Naylor, Kogod and Burka house. Mellott, a veteran, former¬ ly worked for Frank Boucher when the latter was in Altoona. KEY CITY Baltimore, Md. (23) — Stanley, “Four Faces West” (UA) ; Hippodrome, “Ad¬ ventures Of Cassanova” (EL) ; Mayfair, “The Man From Texas” (EL) ; Century, “Summer Holiday” (MGM) ; Town, “Fort Apache” (RKO) ; Keith’s, “All My Sons” (U-I) ; New, “The Iron Curtain” (20th-Fox). Baltimore, Md. (30) — Keith’s, “Ha¬ zard” (Para.) ; Century, “Homecoming” (MGM) ; New, “Green Grass Of Wyom¬ ing” (20th-Fox) ; Hippodrome, “French Leave” (Mono.) ; Town, “Berlin Express” (RKO); Stanley, “Silver River” (WB) ; Little, “Man About Town” (RKO) ; Mayfair, “I’ve Always Loved You” (Rep.). Warner Items: The former Pat Jones, advertising and publicity, is advertising and putting out publicity these days on the birth on May 11 of Sharon Jeanrenaud at Arlington Hospital. Sharon re¬ ported in at six and a half pounds, is the first production. . . . Dorothy Paira will be following in Pat Jones-Jeanrenaud’s footsteps shortly. She will be leaving the contact department in June, and taking up knitting, bootees. . . . Charles McGowan, head, contact, and Frank LaFalce, director of advertising and publicity, took three days to travel the circuit in Virginia. The pair discussed problems and policy with Lamar Keen, Capitol, Winchester; Charles McKinney, Masonic and Ridge, Down to Norfolk, Va., overnight went Loew’s Carter Barron. . . . Up to New York went Loew’s Gene Ford. . . . When Sybill Bowman played the Capitol recently, she confessed her daily diet consists of three chocolate ice-cream sodas. Don’t believe all the rumors that the old Belasco will soon reopen. It would cost almost as much to bring into code approval as to build a brand new house. It does have a dandy location though, but no parking facilities. Air-conditioning units in the local houses are being checked before the hot days hit towns. A completely revised and much watered-down version of the city’s stringent fire egress regulations will probably be voted by the Commissioners shortly. This new turn of events was evidenced following a public hearing, during which a 19-man special commit¬ tee of citizens and officials recommended that the city heads adopt a modified group of regulations. In September, 1947, local egress regulations were adopted which would have made the building code here one of the most stringent in the country, applying as it did to existing buildings. At the same time, regulations were changed for all new construction, which will remain in effect unchanged. Builders at that time com¬ plained that the changeover of existing buildings to comply with the new regu¬ lations would not only be prohibitive because of the high cost but would have been impossible because of the lack of materials and labor. From that time until the present, the Commissioners repeatedly postponed the effective date of the regulations as it effects pre¬ sent structures. The hearing held last week was for the purpose of once and for all adopting a new set of regulations which would meet with the approval of the building association, citizens, and The Trans-Lux, Washington, really put on three topnotch bits of exploitation re¬ cently with pictorial proof shown above. When RKO’s “This Is America” short, “Smoke Eaters”, was on the bill, a display of actual fire fighting equipment, top left, was set up in the lobby, with firemen on hand to demonstrate. The stunt, viewed by around 20,000 people, got a nice break in The International Fire Fighter, Fire Fighters’ organ. Top right and lower left photos give ample evidence of the catchy displays arranged for the Presidential straw vote poll in connection with The 20th Century-Fox march of Time, “Presidential Year”. Publicity on this poll was carried in local papers, with tremendous interest aroused. Incidentally, Eisenhower came out on top. Universal-International’s Technicolor subject, “Royal Wedding”, benefited from the special front, lower right, with a scarlet velour background and 12-inch gold molding to give a picture frame effect. The word “Technicolor” was made of vari-colored neon lights. June 2, 1948 WASHINGTON