The Exhibitor (1950)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Minneapolis Minnesota Amusement Company, oper¬ ating 83 theatres in Minnesota, Wiscon¬ sin, North Dakota, and South Dakota, will move its Minneapolis headquarters on Jan. 1 to 1201 Hennepin Avenue. The circuit recently purchased a three-story building, which will be remodeled ex¬ tensively, bringing all departments of the organization under one roof for the first time. The first floor will house airconditioned offices and a 100-seat screen¬ ing room. The second and third floors will house the company warehouses and candy departments. Donald Swartz and associates pur¬ chased the Aster, Minneapolis loop house, from the Minnesota Amusement Com¬ pany, and will take over operation on June 29. The Swartz group paid in ex¬ cess of $50,000 for the lease. The theatre circuit held a two-year lease on the 800seat Aster with a five-year option. The house has been operated as a last-run at 25 cents top. Oklahoma City Expert safe-crackers robbed Barton’s U. S. 77 Drive-In of $1,423.35 cash and a $6.95 check. The theatre is owned by R. Lewis Barton. . . . Ed Thorne, man¬ ager Capitol, took over the management of the Criterion. He has been Capitol manager for the past four years, coming here from Pueblo, Colo. Replacing Thorne at the Capitol will be Lary Jen¬ sen, Lincoln, Neb. . . . The Air Line Drive-In has a special feature, a play¬ ground for children, with a modern merry-go-round. After operating the Dreamland, Carson, la., for 30 years, Harold Smith sold it to Howard Brookings, Oakland, la. . . . Brookings also has houses at Oak¬ land, Avoca, and Walnut, la. . . . High winds caused damage forcing the closing of the Starview Outdoor Theatre, Algona, la., for a month. It is operated by Earl Spike, Paul McCarthy and Elmer Brown. Wind tipped over the screen of the Highway Outdoor Theatre of F. H. Martischewsky, Mitchell, Neb., causing $3,000 damage. . . . Arden Davidson had to change screens following a storm which caused damage to his Twilight Drive-In near Lennox, S. D. . . . Burglars got $21 from coin machines when they broke into the West Dodge Drive-In. . . . The Pines Drive-In, York, Neb., has been reopened by Carl Rose and Keith Hines, former assistant manager, Sun. Portland In Eugene, Ore., an opinion upholding the three per cent admissions tax levied by the Eugene was filed by Circuit Court Judge G. F. Skipworth. Eugene, the first city in Oregon to attempt col¬ lection of a tax on theatre tickets and other admissions charges, began asses¬ sing the tax in April, 1948. Shortly thereafter, a suit seeking to have the t-ax invalidated was instituted by the Eugene Theatre Company and the West¬ ern Amusement Company, operators of the city’s five houses. Following a lengthy exchange of legal preliminaries, the suit came to trial in April. Theatre operators declared that they do only about 1/2000 of one per cent of the city’s annual business volume, but under the admissions tax have been forced to pay two-thirds of the total license fees charged by the city. They said the tax cost them $21,000 a year. Defense of the levy was based on the city’s contention that patrons have paid the tax as an additional charge placed on all tickets. St. Louis The 500-car drive-in at Natural Bridge and Ashby roads opened. Ray Parker, formerly with the Fanchon and MarcoSt. Louis Amusement Company, will manage. . . . The Queens Amusement Company, Inc., has taken over the Queens and Airdome formerly operated by Tom Curley, booking through the Kaimann Circuit for many years. Under the new management, the Queens and the adjoining airdome will cater to the Negro trade. The Princess Airdome, adjoining the Princess, has been opened by Adolph Rosecan, and will operate in conjunction with the brick-and-mortar house. . . . The Armo Airdome was expected to open. A funeral Mass for Michael J. Byrne, 46, a brother of Patrick F. Byrne, RKO, was read in the Church of the Little Flower, followed by interment in Me¬ morial Park Cemetery. . . . Gloria Swanson was in for a visit in connection with “Sunset Boulevard.” In Wellsville, Mo., the Regal, owned by John Rees, installed new Magnarc lamps and rectifiers and Simplex ped¬ estals and magazines obtained through National Theatre Supply. . . . The onestory brick and terra cotta building at 3112 to 3216 Olive Street, recently was sold by Sol E. Keplar, Chicago, to D. Samuel Wise. Presently, the building is occupied by National Theatre Supply, Eagle Lion, Sleznick Releasing Organi¬ zation, Monogram, and Allied Artists. Salt Lake City During the fifth annual exhibitor’s and distributor’s roundup, Variety Club, Tent 38, received its charter in Variety Clubs International. Exhibitors on Film Row included: I. H. Harris, Harris-Voeller Circuit, Bur¬ ley, Idaho; Frank Judd, Jerome Auto, Jerome, Idaho; E. E. Harris, Caldwell Motor-Vu, Caldwell, Idaho; J. H. Moran, Laurel, Mont, and J. M. Suckstorff, Prin¬ cess, Sidney, Mont. Associated Amusements Company an¬ nounces the starting of construction on a new drive-in at Twin Falls, Idaho. The first drive-in to be built on a rustic motif in this territory, it will be called the Movie Car-ral. Tentative opening date is set for July 20. Associated Amusements Company also operates the Motor-Vu Drive In, Twin Falls. . . . Miss Janet Olsen, Monogram cashier, was vacationing in California. . . . Berney Wolfe, New York representative, Na¬ tional Screen Service, was visiting Ken Freedman, manager, NSS. San Antonio A cross section of patrons reviewed “Three Came Home” in recent advertise¬ ments. Interstate Theatres invited a group of local citizens to a private screening prior to the opening of the regular run at the Aztec. . . . Producer William H. Pine and Lalo Rios, in “The Lawless,” Aztec, were honored by the Mexican Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Good Neighbor committee. The duo were presented with member¬ ship certificates in the local Good Neigh¬ bor committee at a luncheon. Accidental sounding of the siren on an auto borrowed from a deputy sheriff so excited the driver he knocked over five loudspeakers at the Highland DriveIn. C. H. Weaver, manager, stated that he was paid $37.50 for damages to the equipment. . . . Hiram Parks, Lubbock, Tex., announced that he and his brother-in-law will start construction soon on a 750-car capacity drive-in to be built on West Commerce Street. San Francisco With specially recommended shows for children, the Fox, Fox West Coast show¬ case, will launch a week’s anniversary activities starting on July 1. To ac¬ quaint a larger number of youngsters with the theatre, the management made special arrangements with Dr. Herbert Clish, superintendent of schools, endors¬ ing an anniversary matinee of “The Wizard of Oz” and the preview of a new film designed for juvenile interest. When laughter overcame a patron at the showing of “City Lights,” Larkin, he had to be rushed to the emergency hospital for treatment to a broken rib. However, as soon as his rib was patched up, the fan asked the hospital steward if he would be able to return to the Larkin to catch the second half. Seattle Indications are that the annual golf tournament of the Northwest Film Club on July 21 will be the most suc¬ cessful in the club’s history. Committees are; Tickets — Ed Lamb, chairman; Herbert Sobottka, J. T. Sheffield, and Chilton Robinett; trophies — Tom Shear¬ er, chairman; John Danz, Dwight Spracher, and Frank X. Christie: grounds — Neal Walton, chairman; Roy Brobeck, B. F. Shearer, and Vete Stew¬ art: women’s committee — Mrs. George DeWaide, chairman; Mrs. Chilton Rob¬ inett, Mrs. Keith Beckwith, and Mrs. Joe Garcia, and press — John Longo, chairman; Sam Siegel, and Willard Coghlan. The tournament, at the Rain¬ ier Golf Club, will close with a dinnerdance. Les and Cora Theuerkauf, Tacoma, Wash., exhibitors, were on The Row from Tacoma with their granddaughter, Trudy Theuerkauf, visiting them from Oregon. ... El Keyes, booker, Midstate Amusement Company, was here from Walla Walla, Wash. June 28, 1950