The Exhibitor (1950)

NEWS OF THE Chicago In the midst of an 18-hour marathon, during which $200,000 was raised for the Cerebral Palsy Fund, John Balaban, B and K head, heard Bob Hope’s 47th birthday was coming' up, and had a surprise party staged for him. The resplendent new quarters of the Variety Club were formally opened with a gala open house. Chairman Van Nomikos provided rounds of entertainment, including dancing and Kaluki games for the ladies. Refreshments were on the house. Chief Barker Jack Kirsch and his committee received warm praise for arranging and perfecting the new clubrooms. Several of the club members donated furnishings, among them drapes from Max Levinson; Manny Smerling, flower boxes; Tom Flannery, signs and fixtures; Sam Krimstein, artwork; Sam Levinson, furniture recoverings, and Hans Teichert, decorations. Sweetened balls of colored popcorn, wrapped in wax paper, are quite the vogue. . . . Archie Allen is putting in a 375-car outdoor near Greencastle, Ind. . . . Harold Kariger plans modernization and reopening of the Harvard. ... A dry cleaning chain was giving customers 20,000 tickets to the Adelphia. . . . Busi¬ nessmen at Laporte, Ind., are building a 500-car drive-in. Miss Alice De Jong was made treas¬ urer, Better Films Council of Chicagoland, and reports on previews are now being received by Mrs. Charles L. Duax. ... A woman was hospitalized when a false suspended ceiling covering airconditioning pipes in the Avon, Decatur, Ill., collapsed. Alyce Dubin, Elman Enterprises booker, sojourned in Florida. . . . Mrs. Anastasia Kerasotes, wife of Lou Kerasotes, manager, Strand, Springfield, Ill., recovered from an auto accident. . . . Bartelstein Circuit bought the Palace, Cicero, Ill., from Booth-Lubliner. . . . Essaness turned over operation of the Essex to Jones, Linick, and Schaefer. Arthur Boegus bought the interests of Rube Levine in an outdoor near Joliet, Ill. . . . Lou Harris, Alliance mainten¬ ance chief, became a grandpa when his daughter, Shirley Gilbert, became the mama of Laura Lee. . . . Mrs. J. R. Chesser, Chicago, chairman, motion pic¬ ture committee, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, signed the award by the Federation to “The Stratton Story.” Irwin Franklin, midwest representa¬ tive, Artkino, was found guilty by a Federal District Court jury on six counts of misrepresenting himself as an Amer¬ ican citizen and on one count of failing to register as an alien during the war. EXHIBITOR Chairmen of Variety Club standing committees for 1950 were recently named as follows: budget and finance, John Balaban; house, Ed Brunell; membership, Harold Loeb; conservation, Jack Kirsch; publicity, Irving Mack; “Heart,” Walter Immerman; ticket, Harry Lustgarten; reception, I. W. Mandel; decoration, Hans Teichert; law, Aaron Stein; banquet, Van Nomikos; sports and pastimes, A1 Bartelstein ; welfare, Eddie Levin, and entertain¬ ment, Sylvan Goldfinger. Dallas Initial work on the new drive-in to be constructed by Rubin Frels, Victoria, Tex., just south of El Campo, Tex., on Highway 71, was completed. . . . Police last week nabbed the robber accused of robbing the State, San Antonio, Tex. He was captured while leaving the theatre with $1436 loot after tieing up Ray Chamberlain, manager, and four employ¬ ees, and locking them in a closet. Pro¬ jectionist Bill Campbell was the “hero.” He called the police. . . . Formal opening of the new Ray Drive-In, Marshall, Tex., was scheduled. R. W. Renyck, manager, said rainy weather interfered with its completion. . . . Work is under way on the Sinton, Tex., first drive-in, two miles south of town on Highway 77, between Sinton and Odem, Tex. R. W. Hailey and A. M. Gaines are constructing the proj¬ ect, set to open in July. It will have accommodations for 400 cars. . . . New Mexico A. and M. College was presented with a print of the $25,000 film, “Waves Of Grass,” after the picture had its pre¬ miere at the college. The picture was made by Dearborn Motors, national dis¬ tributor of Ford tractors and other farm implements. . . . Interstate’s Wilshire presented a school’s matinee. Manager James L. Reynolds presented a novelty gift to each boy and girl attending. NT-1 Denver A number of film men as well as theatre folks from other cities attended the opening of the 500-seat $100,000 Cliff, Wray, Colo. Proceeds from the ticket sale went to the building fund of the new community hospital. Also going to the same fund were proceeds from the special section about the theatre in The Wray Gazette, whose editor and publisher, Roscoe Bullard, acted as master of ceremonies at the opening, which featured introduction of several people. Flowers sent by friends filled the lobby and foyer of the theatre, built by Kenney Powell and Jim Hughes. The new theatre replaces the old Wray, now closed excepting for possible use week¬ ends. . . . The Knox-Trosper Investment Corporation is building a 450-car $50,000 drive-in, for a June opening, at Durango, Colo. . . . John Survant is building a 300-car $30,000 drive-in at Cortez, Colo. Robert Selig, assistant to the presi¬ dent, Fox Intermountain Theatres, acted as master of ceremonies at the dedica¬ tion of The Denver Post building. . . . Herb Cohen, Monogram booker, re¬ signed, succeeded by Dick Ivy, Eagle Lion booker. . . . Mrs. Glen Wittstruck, wife of the owner, Rio, Meeker, Colo., is recuperating from an operation per¬ formed at St. Luke’s Hospital. . . . Frank Whitbeck, Metro advertising de¬ partment head, talked before the Denver Ad Club, introduced by Hall Baetz, Den¬ ver district manager, Fox Intermountain Theatres. The talk was arranged by Ralph Batschelet, William Hastings, and Ross McCausland, managers, respec¬ tively, Paramount, Orpheum, and Welton. . . . Lola Staley bought the Kiowa, Kiowa, Colo., from W. A. Stapleton. The big National Theatres showman¬ ship drive gets underway in August. THERE’S NO Like A Vacation At ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN Just 3 hours from Chicago A THOUSAND THRILLS! Private Beach Dancing Nightly Star Entertainment Movies Tennis Golf Sailing Boating Bridle Paths Hiking Superb Food Extra! Trained Governesses for Children Reservations Now Available for July and August. American Plan Rates from $10.00 Daily including Meals. WRITE OR CALL TODAY for full information, rates and brochure SCHWARTZ HOTEL, elkhart lake, wis. Chicago Phone: COrnelia 7-3513 (May and June only) June Ik, 1950 MIDWEST-WESTERN