The Exhibitor (1950)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR the boxoffice, pointing a pistol at Nadine Oliphant and succeeded in taking every cent on hand. There just happened to be a preview of “The Great Jewel Rob¬ ber” holding intei'est of everyone inside the theatre. . . . Les Whittemore, former Egyptian manager, was on a fishing trip in southern waters. Milwaukee Harold J. Fitzgerald, president, FoxWiseonsin, has been reelected president, Civic Progress Commission. F. R. Peter¬ son, former Warner executive, is secre¬ tary of the group. . . . Pete Sundy, answering the recent attack in the direc¬ tion of the outdoor theatres, says: “The overflow of cars at every showing each night is proof enough that Milwaukeeans do want these theatres to remain.” An explosion of cans containing films in the vestibule of the Watertown, Wis., Savoy sent a sheet of flame out the front of the building, blowing out the doors. Seats, stage, curtain, and screen were badly damaged. The Savoy, oper¬ ated by the Rock River Amusement Cor¬ poration, closed for remodeling. Loss was placed at about $50,000. The De Pere, Wis., school police who contributed g’reatly to the school safety record achieved at De Pere were guests of the police department at a theatre party in the De Pere. Highlight of the Milwaukee County Better Films Council’s final session of the current year was the sparkling ad¬ dress given by Sam Shain, New York, 20th-Century Fox. Shain called the Coun¬ cil a composite of all organizations in the area, and lauded the members for their sincere efforts towards making movies better than ever. Hal Perlman, former advertising di¬ rector for independent trailer companies, announced the opening of his new special trailer organization, Variety Film Trailers. Perlman has been active in special trailer production for the past 11 years. The first in a series of benefit events sponsored by the Variety Club, the “Hearts Ball,” held at the Wisconsin Roof, resulted in a sellout. The club has pledged $25,000 annually to help finance a center in Milwaukee for the diagnosis of heart disease. Highlight of the ball was the presentation of its first gift of $10,000 to Dean John S. Hirshboeck, Marquette University Medical School, which will operate the diagnostic center. The Reel Fellows June Frolic, dinnerdance, and floor show, held in the Hotel Wisconsin’s Circus Room, was a success. Film Row heads who gave of their time and contributions included: Harry 01shan, Columbia; Joe Imhof, Eagle Lion Classics; John Kemptgen, Metro; Charlie Trampe, Monogram-Midwest; Johnny Mednikow, National Screen Service; Jack Frackman, Republic; Jack Lorentz, 20th-Fox; Casper Chouinard, United Artists ; Dave Goldman, U-I; Nat Mar¬ cus, Warners; J. T. McBride, Paramount and W. Benjamin, Screen Guild. The club roster, is as follows: Morris A. Anderson, R. W. Baker, N. S'. Bieringer, W. Brown, D. V. Chapman, S. R. Chap¬ man, J. Devlin, L. Dizon, G. W. Edgerton, W. J. Foley, H. L. Frost, W. S. Griffiths, A. W. Gross, R. F. Herold, M. Horwitz, M. Kahn, E. C. Krofta, R. McNamee, C. R. Morton, A. Perretz, N. H. Provencher, E. Resnick, H. Schlar, L. Seidlman, G. Spicer, H. Trampe, J. Weiss, and H. Wise. Officers are: Ander¬ son, president; Gross, vice-president; Edgerton, secretary-treasurer, and Hor¬ witz, sergeant-at-arms. Trustees are: Devlin, three years; Provencher, two years, and Kahn, one year. The Varsity received a visit from safecrackers. About $72 was stolen. . . . Charlie Koehler, Astor, is offering free, five single reels. Minneapolis New at Warners are Mary Conway, stenographer, Astrid du Fresne, biller, and Mabel Bakaler, stenographer. . . . Employees of 20th-Fox had their annual picnic at Excelsior Amusement park. . . . Leo Doty, U-I, office manager, was vaca¬ tioning in Denver and New Mexico for two weeks. . . . Pat Delton, branch man¬ ager’s secretary, 20th-Fox, was back from a vacation in Montana. . . . Alice Huhlman, cashier, Warners, spent her vacation at her home in Lester Prairie, Minn. Sarah Pichey, branch manager’s sec¬ retary, National Screen Service, will marry Morton Rotstein on Aug. 20. . . . Recent out-of-town exhibitors on Film Row were Douglas Ingalls, Pepin, Wis.; Joe Schindele, Granite Falls, Minn.; Bill Cammeron, Waterville, Minn.; and Bob Ehlers, Arlington, Minn. . . . Bill Gan¬ non, U-I home office exploiteer, was in for “Comanche Territory.” . . . Julia Proctor, head film shipper, NSS, was back from a vacation in northern Minn¬ esota and Canada. Wallace Bloom and Henry Steffen opened the new Sunset Drive-In, Alex¬ andria, Minn. . . . Nash and Watters opened their new drive-in, Fairmont, Minn. . . . Fire of unknown origin did $10,000 damage to the Majestic, Frank¬ fort, S. D. . . . Black Hills Amusement Company opened its new Dakota, Stur¬ gis, S. D. . . . A. J. Tremann will build a 500-seat theatre at Preston, Minn. . . . A1 Christiansen has been named man¬ ager, Eastman, St. Cloud, Minn. The house recently was acquired by Parsons Bros. . . . Jack Mergrue is the new man¬ ager, State, Huron, S. D., purchased recently by March Brothers from the Minnesota Amusement Company. General trade abuses was the highlight of the discussion at the recent special meeting of Twin Cities members of the North Central Allied. The selling of a 49-day run on “Cheaper by the Dozen” by 20th-Fox to the independent Hilltop Drive-In developed as the outstanding gripe. . . . Other complaints centered around 20th-Fox’s percentage policy, al¬ leged forcing by RKO of other pictures with “Cinderella,’’ and “must” percen¬ tage by Paramount for “Riding High.” Oklahoma City A federal court decision ending a four-year-old court battle cleared the way for the Liberty to change hands on July 1. The suit was brought by War¬ ners, which controlled the theatre through five and 10-year lease extensions since 1928. It sought to take over the lease negotiated in November, 1945, by Cooper Foundation with J. N. Harber and Mary Harber, owners of the prop¬ erty. The lease gives the foundation a 10-year control beginning on July 1, 1950. It includes an option to purchase for not less than $250,000 and certain other con¬ siderations. Warners brought the suit first in Oklahoma County District Court. The case was transferred to federal court early in 1946 because Cooper is a Nebraska corporation and Warner is chartered in Delaware. Oklahoma City In Tulsa, Okla., Tulsans were invited to a “listening party” at the Ritz to hear a full-length sound version of “A Kiss for Corliss.” . . . The Oklahoma Tax Commission reported sales tax for theatres for April, 1950, as 333 returns and $32,123.75 tax, as compared to 336 returns and $29,376.36 for April, 1949. Omaha Shifting of the Eagle Lion branch from Omaha to Des Moines resulted in Ed Cohen, former manager, and Tony Goodman, office manager, leaving the concern. . . . Walter E. Branson, New York, western division manager, visited RKO. . . . Bob Daley, salesman, stayed on for Eagle Lion in this territory. . . . Warners shifted William Wink, sales¬ man, from the North Platte, Neb., terri¬ tory to western Iowa. . . . M. Robinson, Home, Blair, la., vacationed in Canada. . . . Lincoln, Ill., will become the home of Hazel Brown, former RKO cashier. . . . Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Howarth, Manila, la., spent a fishing vacation in Missouri’s Ozarks. . . . Anna Corcoran is inspectress at U-I, filling in for Inez Miller, who had an operation. Film Row is chuckling over the ardor of newly-wed John Irwin, owner, Avon, Elgin, Neb. He gave a free evening show to mark his marriage. One of the films was “The Newlyweds.” Ted Mendenhall, UA salesman, made a fishing trip to Canada his vacation. . . . The wife joined Jack Jorgens, new MGM salesman from Minneapolis. They are hunting living quarters. Portland A special “Howard Stubbins and Mel Hulling Testimonial Play-Date Drive,” commencing on July 17 and lasting un¬ til Oct. 14, will be held to honor the two Monogram west coast franchise owners, celebrating a combined 70 years of ser¬ vice to the Pacific Coast exhibitor. The drive will be confined to the company’s four west coast offices, and exhibitors will be asked to book as many Mono¬ gram and Allied Artists pictures as they can during that period. Walter Brennan, screen star, is build¬ ing a 15-unit motel and theatre in Jo¬ seph, Ore., near his ranch. July 5, 1950