The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

NT-6 THE EXHIBITOR Edward B. Arthur, St. Louis Amuse¬ ment Company, announced that the St. Louis would be reopened again since an agreement had been reached with the AFL Theatrical Brotherhood Local 6. Under the agreement, only two stage¬ hands will be on duty at evening shows, and two additional men retailed for week¬ end matinees. As a further part of the agreement, the adjoining Missouri will eliminate weekday matinees, thus reduc¬ ing the number of stagehands at the Missouri to two, on days when there are no matinees. Five will be on duty all other days. Salt Lake City Kenneth C. Friedman, National Screen Service, succeeded Hugo Jorgenson, Rigby, Idaho, theatreman, as motion picture golf champion in the intermountain area by winning the annual tournament of the Exhibitors-Distributors Round-up. Gif¬ ford Davison, RKO branch manager, and chairman of the Round-up, was second, with Robert Hoese and H. S. Rose tied for third and fourth. K. O. Swanson was fifth, and Bus Campbell, Dave Edwards, Herb Turpie, Ed Montague, and Harry David tied for sixth and seventh in a field of 105 golfers. The round-up concluded with a dinner-dance at the Hotel Utah. Jack Paar was a speaker. More than 400 ex¬ hibitors and distributors and their wives from the intermountain area attended. Son Antonio Representatives of religious, social, med¬ ical, and law enforcement groups and agencies viewed a special preview at the Hi-Ho, of “Mom And Dad.” A stage-screen show tour of Interstate Theatres in key cities will introduce “Two Guys From Texas.” Stars will appear in the accompanying musical revue, and will play the Majestic here on Aug. 3. The group will open at the Plaza, El Paso, Tex., on Aug. 2. Besides Miss Malone, the stars are Jack Carson and Penny Edwards. Announcement was made by Eph Charninsky and associates and Inter¬ state Theatres Circuit, Inc., that, by mu¬ tual consent, they had agreed to terminate their association in San Antonio, effective on July 3. After that date, Charninsky and associates operate the Palace, Uptown, Highland, Harlandale, Prince, and Star. Interstate will operate the Majestic, Aztec, Texas, Empire, State, Woodlawn, Broad¬ way, Laurel, and Sunset. Tommy Powers joined the staff of Inter¬ state Theatres as a relief manager. . . . Bill Bell has been named manager, Plaza, Boerne, Tex., succeeding Tommy Whalen, who resigned to join the Oskar Korn Cir¬ cuit, Houston, Tex. With RKO's "The Best Years of Our Lives" playing the Shubert, St. Louis, Harold Russell, handless vet who won two "Oscars" for his performance in the film, was on hand garnering much publicity by participating in The Freedom Train Parade, and visiting many spots around town, including the zoo. He.e he has a smoke with "Tommie", pet chimpanzee. Among those booking LatinAmerican films were Ed Brady, Sr., owner and oper¬ ator, Rivoli and Palace, San Benito, Tex.; J. H. Rowley, Robb and Rowley United, Inc., Dallas; E. D. Williams, Melba, Mel¬ vin, Tex.; Frances R. Canas, Azteca, Har¬ lingen, Tex., and Mr. and Mrs. Cecil S. Bryan, Azteca, Bryan, Tex. Jose Carabaza, Laredo, Tex., purchased the Ideal, Pearsall, Tex., from Frank Tre¬ vino, who will remain as manager. . . . Oskar Korn, owner-operator, O. K. Cir¬ cuit, with headquarters in Dallas, an¬ nounced that he will start construction immediately on two neighborhood houses in Houston, Tex. One will be built in the Galena Park section, and will contain 1000 seats. The second, to be known as the Venus, will seat 750, and will be located on Lyons Avenue. This will give the cir¬ cuit eight local houses. . . . The three Skelton brothers, H. B. Mand, and Joe, have opened a 300 car drive-in, the TemBel, Temple, Tex. . . . Henry Bernard Till, city manager at Conroe, Tex., for the Jef¬ ferson Amusement Company, was instant¬ ly killed in an automobile accident while enroute from Conroe to Huntsville, Tex. . . . Lash LaRue made a personal appear¬ ance at the Joy-Tex, Houston, Tex. Texas exhibitors are offering their thea¬ tres to state agricultural authorities for demonstrations of cotton insect poisoning. Harry Conner, Ritz, Dawson, Tex., was among the first to offer his house to con¬ duct the demonstration. The Frost, Frost, Tex., owned and operated by Ross Wil¬ loughby, was also used. Officials of the United Building Supply Company, announced that they are con¬ sidering a project which calls for the world’s tallest building at Houston, Tex. Everything about the building would be on a “biggest” scale, including the world’s largest theatre. Interstate Theatres started distribution to its patrons of a 20-page magazine called Showtime, edited by Conrad Brady and Bob Kelly. The magazine features Holly¬ wood news about stars, films in produc¬ tion, and of those ready to play the Inter¬ state Circuit. Distribution is monthly to those signing a card at the various theatres requesting. First issue was 20,000 copies. Karl Hoblitzelle, Interstate president, sup¬ plied a dedicatory message in the first issue. Son Francisco William Coovert, manager, El Camino, San Bruno, Cal., was named to succeed Rex Stevenson as divisional manager, San Francisco and Peninsula area, Golden State Theatre circuit. Coovert will step into his new post on July 15 when Stev¬ enson’s resignation becomes effective. The new divisional manager served the circuit for 14 years. Coovert, a native of Ken¬ tucky, comes into the new executive posi¬ tion with many years’ experience in all types of entertainment business from circus work at the age of 12 to six years’ management of one of the top theatres in Golden State’s circuit. He has been located at the El Rey, San Bruno, for the past six years. The publicity campaign which sur¬ rounded the opening of “Mom and Dad” at the Tivoli suggested that its sponsors were seeking to establish a test case for its showing. “Mom and Dad” appeared suddenly at the Tivoli without advance build-up, and only a scattering of ads in two papers heralding its appearance. Theatrical interests prompted a new survey into California’s power shortage with findings which brought small com¬ fort to local exhibitors harassed by day¬ light saving’s long twilight. It is believed that by September an abundance of power will have been built up, and perhaps, happily for theatres, clocks will go back to Standard Time. All because of a lonely GI from San Francisco, the Park, Waukesha, Wis., is looking for a new aide. Five years ago, John Robert Forde, soldier-student, spot¬ ted a beautiful blonde cashier in the town he was attending Carroll College. Beside her was a sign: “Park bikes in rear of theatre.” “What about my little red scooter?” asked Forde. The cashier. Miss Dorothy Schultz, told him he didn’t own a scooter, and forgot all about it until months later when a letter from the Burma bush showed up at the Park ad¬ dressed to : “The blonde cashier, at the theatre across from the church, and down from the library.” Forde identified him¬ self as the “red scooter” kid, and a long¬ distance postal courtship flourished. Dor¬ othy is now Mrs. Forde, and the Park is minus its cashier. In a local maneuver by Variety Club members, radio’s Horace Heidt and his band are slated to present a two and a half hour exhibition from the show busi¬ ness organization’s tent in the Tivoli building. Plans also call for Heidt to broadcast his transcontinental show here under the sponsorship of the club, with a percentage of proceeds being chan¬ nelized into Variety’s Heart Fund, which maintains a nursery home for blind babies. Discovery heaps on discovery for A1 Dunn, manager, Orpheum. He has added the attraction of Rosemary Reece, who sings a deep and throaty contralto, to the organ concerts of his first protege, Don Seated comfortably at RKO'* projection room in San Francisco are member* of the Knight* of Columbu*, who were recently guest* of the company at a special screening of "Fighting Father Dunne", featuring Pat O'Brien. July 7, 1948