The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 On the opening day of “Francis,” Ber¬ nard Silverman, manager, Branford, had a parade through the main street with “Francis” the mule and his cousin lead¬ ing the procession. Lobby solicitation was the rule reflect¬ ing the part theatre managers throughout Essex County will play in support of the 1950 Cerebral Palsy campaign to raise $55,000,000. Essex County’s quota is set at $174,198. Spearheaded by Ben Griefer, managing director, Paramount-Adams, this blanket arrangement embracing 23 War¬ ner houses, the RKO Circuit, and smaller neighborhood groups was arrived at fol¬ lowing an official proclamation by New¬ ark’s Mayor Villani. The decision to blanket the arrangement allows one week for lobby solicitation and no audience col¬ lections. Irving Heintz, manager, RKOProctors, and Brad Manning, assistant, cooperated with Griefer spearheading group. Dr. Solomon J. Flink, court appointed receiver for Local 244, motion picture projectionists, Essex County, announced he will appoint George Gilligan, projec¬ tionist, Branford; Morris Hess, Savoy, and Herbert Dear, Central, to the Essex Trade Council, and Daniel Oliner, relief pro¬ jectionist, to the Essex County Building and Construction Council. The army talking mule and navy goat featured in “Francis” paraded with a police escort from the city hall steps to the Branford for a personal appearance. New York State Albany Joseph Weinstein, veteran booker for Warner Theatres’ Albany zone upstate circuit, has been promoted to head booker and buyer in the Cleveland territory. Weinstein assumes his duties immediately in the Cleveland headquarters, and re¬ places Ted Minsky, who moves to Phila¬ delphia to become head of booking and buying there. In a shift, Lawrence Lapidus, formerly of Philadelphia, will take Weinstein’s position as shorts booker. Weinstein has been in the industry for 24 years. He started in the booking depart¬ ment of Paramount as special representa¬ tive in the south. Before coming to Al¬ bany, he was booker and buyer for Shea’s Enterprises, Buffalo. The Colonial was leased by Allan Reisner, young actor, who will present legiti¬ mate shows with weekly changes. Leo Rosen, First Assistant Chief Barker Tent 9, and Leonard Simon, who replaced Neil Heilman as delegate, returned from the Variety Clubs International conven¬ tion at New Orleans. . . . Jack Schmitzer, RKO home office representative, was a visitor. . . . William Eddy, owner Rivoli, Schenectady, was ill with pneumonia, and his brother, John, was doing the booking. Alec Papayanakas, owner of a theatre in Canton, expects to open his new 350-car Ideal Drive-In, on the road to Gouvernour, on May 15. Papyanakas also operates a drive-in in Potsdam. . . . May Finin, Warner Theatres’ switchboard operator, spent a weekend visiting her son, Brother William Finin, CSC, Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. . . . The Van Curler building, Schenectady, has been sold by the Fabian interests to William Backer, operator of a dry cleaning business, for a reported $71,000. The broker was William W. Far¬ ley, Jr., Albany. . . . Beatrice Fournier is a new addition to Loew’s office staff. . . . Dave Leff, UA, branch manager, Buffalo, and Abe Dickstein, special repre¬ sentative, were visitors. . . . Gerald L. At¬ kin, Warner Theatres’ publicity director, attended a publicity meeting conducted by Harry Goldberg in New York. The new 400-car Whitehall Drive-In, owned by John Diresta and Raymond Shovah, is expected to open on June 1. Another drive-in expected to open on or about June 1 is the new Sara-Placid Drive-In, with a 400-car capacity situated between Lake Placid and Saranac. Both of these drive-ins are being furnished with equipment sold by assistant manager Mauro, National Theatre Supply. Visitors along The Row were: Phil Baroudi, North Creek; Sam Davis, Pheonicia; Bob Willard and John Alonzo, Bennington; Frank Weiting, Cobbleskill; Clarence Dopp, Johnstown; Morris Slotnick, Utica; Mr. Hathaway, North Hoosick, and Robert Baranoff, Little Falls. — M. E. B. Buffalo William Healy, United Artists’ exploiteer, was in to work with Eddie Meade, Shea publicity director, on “Champagne For Caesar.” . . . Major theatres in the territory cooperated with the Junior Chamber of Commerce in publicizing “Boys and Girls Week.” . . . James Eshelman, district manager, Paramount The¬ atres, authorized house collections for the benefit of the United Cerebral Palsy As¬ sociation in the Paramount and Center. . . . Mary Randaccio, Paramount booker’s stenographer has that faraway look in her eyes since that “sparkler” adorns her hand. The date of the wedding has not as yet been set. . . . Wannita Washburn joined the MGM staff as booking clerk. . . . Leona Weber, MGM staff, expected to leave the Sisters Hospital after four weeks’ stay. . . . Mary Golbersuch, MGM assist¬ ant cashier, and Emma Clark also MGM were on the sick list. . . . Sid Kallet is back at his desk at the Kallet Theatres, Oneida, after a brief illness. Film Row was glad to know that Tom Walsh, Comerford Circuit, is reported on the mend after his illness. . . . Film friends extend condolences to the family of Harry Rosenblatt, MGM branch man¬ ager, New Haven, who passed away. Condolences go to Nettie Price, U-I, on the passing of her mother, Mrs. Julia Reichlin. The funeral took place at Our Lady of Lourdes. Arthur Pfleger, Edward Balser, and Rudolph Inderbitzen were the three guests of honor at the installation meeting of the Film Exchange Employes, Local B-9. Each has been employed in the industry for 30 years. New officers installed were: Helen Rubach, president, and Margaret Scheuer, recording secretary. Gerald Stark, former business agent, had the honor of installing. Reelected officers installed were: William Sheridan, vice-president; Evelyn Gamham, financial secretary; John Brunner, business agent, and Conrad Gruczak, ser¬ geant-at-arms. Clara Rosinski, William Abrams, and Lawrence Flavin were in¬ stalled as new trustees, and reinstalled was Francis Rubach. . . . Leonard Goldenson, president, United Paramount the¬ atres, was in town to confer with James Eshelman, district manager. Hempstead The second outdoor theatre on Long Island began operation when the Hemp¬ stead Turnpike Drive-In, situated between Farmingdale and Levittown, opened, operated by Saul Lerner. Rochester Paul Field, manager, Capitol, is chang¬ ing pictures three times a week instead of once. . . . Don Whitington, Lincoln, ran three features and a cartoon in effort to boost business. . . . Drive-Ins are run¬ ning double features during the week and singles on Saturdays and Sundays. Don Stevenson, Starlite Drive-In, is in¬ stalling playground equipment, pushtype merry-go-round, slides and teetertotters, to amuse the small fry before dhe picture starts. . . . John Hack, manager, Lake, Canandaigua, formerly at the Madi¬ son, became the father of a bouncing big baby boy, thus rounding out the cradlefilling forecast of last January. Harry Andrews, former assistant man¬ ager, Schine’s Rialto, Little Falls, moved in as manager, Dixie, after Richard Reamer resigned. . . . Hal Goodwin, assistant man¬ ager, RKO Palace, resigned; Hugo Paris, assistant manager, RKO Temple, succeeded him, and James Farrell, who attended Niagara University, became the new Temple aide. Goodwin was reported plan¬ ning to enter the drive-in field. Morris Slotnick and Phil Cohen, Cinema, played host to press and radio at a morn¬ ing preview of “Tight Little Island,” and then sent tiny bottles of cheer as sou¬ venirs. . . . Mrs. Ben Belinson, Little, con¬ ducted a “Don Quixote” essay contest with $25 in prizes in cooperation with the Rochester Association of Spanish Teachers. . . . Manager Lester Pollock, Loew’s, installed a large clock in rear of auditorium. ... A local food chain used a picture and headline, “Cheaper By The Dozen,” film promotion at the top of a full-page advertisement. . . . James E. Gleason, a leading industrialist, turned the first spadeful of earth at ceremony start¬ ing construction of the $200,000 Dryden, 600-seater for special film showings in connection with Eastman House photo¬ graphic center. . . . “The March Of Dimes” campaign netted $132,369 in Monroe County, of which theatres collected $13,282. . . . Joseph W. Phillips, Columbia, was in ahead of “The Good Humor Man,” Loew’s, with the “Good Humor” truck distributing gifts to institutions and public officials. . . . Manager Lou Thompson, Regent, arranged a sneak preview. Bill Carlisle, booked in as “the last of the western bad men” ahead of “The Capture” at the RKO Palace with a “crime doesn’t pay” routine in radio and press interviews and on theatre stage. ( Continued on next -page) May 10, 1950