The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

THE EXHIBITOR NT-1 NEWS OF THE DISTRICT of COLUMBIA Washington MGM Notes: Judy Jones, secretary to the assistant branch manager, was vacationing in North Carolina. . . . Dot Ffluger, former employee, cashier de¬ partment, was given a surprise baby shower at the home of Anna Ridgley, cashier. Those attending from the office were Rose Frank, booking department; Hazel McCarthy, booking department; Esther Blendmen, cashier department; Vivian Kelly, contract department; Alice Reighley, cashier department; Zelda Stough, telephone operator, and Ida Barezofsky, booker. . . . Audrey Smith, biller, was presented a Gold Star Emblem at Memorial Day Service by the Under Secretary of Air Forces. She was chosen to represent the Air Force Widows of World II by the District Com¬ missioners. Mrs. Smith’s husband, a B-25 pilot, was killed in action in the South Pacific. . . . Esther and “Iz” Blendman attended the liquor dealers’ annual dinner and dance at the Mayflower Hotel. . . . Sam Richer, cashier depart¬ ment, spent a weekend in Atlantic City. . . . Ida Barezofsky, booker, spent Memorial Day weekend at Beavers Lodge, Lackawaxen, Pa. 20th-Fox Facts: The lads have taken back their former posts in the reshuf¬ fling, which brings genial Glenn Norris to branch manager; Gordon Contee, sales manager, and John O’Leary, office manager. . . . Visiting the staff were divi¬ sion manager Ray Moon and his aide, J. V. St. Clair. With Moon was his charming wife, stopping at the Shore ham Hotel. . . . Chief booker Sara Young travelled to Staunton, Va., to visit Dickie, her son, during June Week. . . . Booker Dick Norris spent several days with his folks down to Statesville, N. C. Lillian Gish, who returns to town in several weeks to play the Olney, spoke to the Women’s National Press Club. Her topic was slamming the pictures which come from Hollywood with a “commie” tint. Paramount News: Off to the Phila¬ delphia City to clear the way for Para¬ mount crews was busy Bob Denton, who handles so many things for his company in the most expert fashion. . . . The com¬ pany’s mideastern division manager, Earle W. Sweigert, spent a day recently with his staff here, and, with branch manager A. C. Benson, attended the wedding of the daughter of the Warner Theatres’ zone manager, John J. Payette. . . . “The Emperor Waltz” is already dated in all key cities for national release date, July 2, or within a week or two later, according to J. Maxwell Joice, special representative. Around Town: “Henry V” is back in town, now down at the Pix on a noreserved seat basis and will be unspooled four times daily at 90 cents matinees and $1.20 in the evenings. . . . The Capitol is staging a mock battle between Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Voting boxes are being set up in the lobby of the theatre and in next-door’s Super Music City. Folks will decide their favorite as to Kelly’s “The Pirate” and Astaire’s “Eas¬ ter Parade”. . . . The four art houses which our city now boasts have had holdovers on previous weeks so that everyone now has his question answered about the town’s being able to support four such houses. Tom Donnelly, former drama critic to The News, who has been elevated to writing a free-lance column for ScrippsHoward, still keeps plugging the motion picture trade. This lad is going places. The National will begin operation as a motion picture theatre on or about Sept. 1. The change from legitimate operation was brought about, according to Marcus Heiman, head, Management Corporation, because of the edict from Equity that none of its players would continue to play the National because of its segregation policy. Heiman explained that his theatre was being used by Equity as a “target,” and that he proposed to continue the policy of segregation as long as the community of Washington con¬ tinued that policy. He pointed out that the local theatres, schools, fire depart¬ ment, and other agencies had a policy of segregation. In the meantime, negotia¬ tions were hinted for the reopening of the old Belasco, now owned by the government, and which will someday be the location of a Treasury Department Annex. Facing the White House, the Belasco was last used by the Stage Door Canteen, and is in no wise suitable, without major repairs, for use as a theatre. Any prospective lessee of the Belasco would, in addition to the expenditure of a large amount of money, have to bear in mind that the govern¬ ment could take over the building within Johnny Mattingly, New, Leonardtown, Md., stands at the left of his well stocked lobby candy stand in this recent shot. The new cold drink machine, which has proven quite popular with patrons, is shown on the right. one year after proper notice. This, of course, would depend on appropriations being made available by Congress to the Treasury Department. The National is the sole remaining professional house in the city. Other legitimate theatres include the Lisner Auditorium. This unit, however, is for school purposes only, and will not be made available for pro¬ fessional shows. The Catholic University Theatre, headed by the Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke, is solely for school purposes, it appears at this time, and unless Equity relents then Washington will have a dark When J. Van Cottom, left, editor and publisher of Belgium’s fan magazine, CineRevue, was in Hollywood recently he presented awards made by the International Film Festival in Brussels to Samuel Goldwyn, center, for his RKO release, “The Best Years of Our Lives”, and Myrna Loy, second from left, for the year’s best female performance. Robert E. Sherwood was also honored for the best screenplay, with Goldwyn accepting in his behalf. Others seen here are Annette DeLattre, Miss Cine-Revue, who presented Goldwyn with a special “Cine-Revue” award for the film, and George Coffin, Belgian consul in Los Angeles. This group of amazed sidewalk spectators just can’t believe that advertising manager Floyd Stawls is selling $1 bills for the bargain price of 50 cents in front of Fabian’s Colonial, Richmond, Va., all part of some recent promotion for Eagle Lion’s “T-Men.” The stunt landed a story in the local press. June 16, 1948 WASHINGTON