The Exhibitor (Nov 1942-May 1943)

THE EXHIBITOR 4a BAD WEATHER HURTS UPSTATE, SURVEY SHOWS Albany — Reports from the territory last week indicated that theatres had been hit hard by the bad weather, with utilities causing personal and business inconveni¬ ence for periods of time. (Editor’s Note: For additional news, see column correspondence in this issue.) Among houses which had to go dark were some in Gloversville, Johnstown, Narrowsburg, Adams, Waddington, and other spots. Githens Enters Service New York — W. French Githens, presi¬ dent, Newsreel Theatres, Inc., operating the Embassy Newsreel theatres, is tak¬ ing a leave of absence for the duration, having received orders to active duty as lieutenant in the navy, Bureau of Aero¬ nautics, Division of Photography, it was stated last week. He is also taking a leave of absence as chairman of the board of Sound Masters, Inc., producers of com¬ mercial and training films and as presi¬ dent of Newsreel Distributors, Inc. Francis Carter Wood, Jr., will become executive vice-president of The Newsreel Theatres, Inc., having formerly been treasurer, and Stewart R. Martin will become treasurer of the corporation, in addition to continuing as supervising man¬ ager. Harold E. Wondsel will continue as president and administrative head of Sound Masters, Inc. "Shadow" In Gala Bow New York — Universal’s “Shadow Of a Doubt” was worltd premiered at the Rivoli last night (Jan. 12) at $5.50 top, with the loges sold out at $11. The premiere was sponsored by the Citizens Committee for the Army and Navy, with all receipts earmarked for the purchase of recreational equipment for the men in service. Who’s Screening Today? See the Territory Trade-Screening Guide. N. Y. Legislature Watched ALBANY — Theatremen were watch¬ ing last week as the 1943 legislature convened for the first time to hear Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s message and to begin business. It was expected that there may be measures such as introduced in the past, affecting children’s stage appear¬ ances in theatres, chance games, in addition to possible tax legislation. PRELIMINARY MEETS SET MET. UN DRIVE Publicist Holds Several Confabs New York — Edward Dowden, local chairman, publicity committee, United Nations Week, which begins tomorrow (Jan. 14), conducted six meetings during three days last week. On Jan. 4, the sub-committee to work with the headquarters of foreign groups met with Dowden, and to each of them, Mannie Frisch, Randforce; Jerry Sager, Loew’s; Miss Janice Rentchler, Skouras; and Miss Ethel Edell, RKO; he assigned different United Nations. This was fol¬ lowed by a meeting with the school com¬ mittee, John Hearns, RKO; Sam Coolich, Loew’s; Clement Perry, Joelson; and Peter McCarthy, Loew’s. Their duties are to contact public, parochial, and Jewish schools. On Jan. 5, Dowden’s meeting was at¬ tended by Harry Mandel, national pub¬ licity director for the drive; Irving Windisch, Strand; Ben Serkowich, Capitol; Jack Mclnerny, Paramount; Harold Janacke, Skouras’ Academy; Miss Janice Rentchler, Skouras; Larry Beatus, Maurice Seidlitz, and Jerry Sager, Loew’s; and Vincent Liguori, RKO. Later, at the Brooklyn office of Joe Lee in the Paramount building, the Brooklyn publicity committee gathered to line up plans for the week. Among those present were Louis Goldberg, John Hearns, Pat Grosso, RKO; Teddy Trust, Brooklyn, Strand; Myron Siegal, Leonard Freund, Century; Irving Ludwig, Rugoff and Becker; and Coolich. The next day the Queens County Pub¬ licity Committee met with Dowden at Skouras’ Jackson, Jackson Heights, L. I. Present were Murray Ashman, Interboro; Teddy Amow, Loew’s; Ray Malone, Sig¬ urd Wexo, RKO; and George Rich, Skouras. The RKO Fordham was also the scene of the Bronx publicity committee, and at this gathering to swap ideas with Dowden were Edward Sniderman, Fred Herkowitz, RKO; Gene Meyers, Carl Fish¬ man, Jerry DeRosa, Loew’s; Herman Starr, Skouras; and Perry. Maurice Harris, RKO, publicity chair¬ man for Westchester County, also held a meeting with 27 managers of the various theatres in that vicinity at RKO Proctor’s, New Rochelle. Newark — A rally of 277 theatre own¬ ers and managers representing northern New Jersey theatres was held last week at RKO Proctor’s, in the interest of United Nations Week. Speakers included the Honorable Sylwin Strakacz, Consul General of Poland; Francis S. Harmon, co-ordinator, War Ac¬ tivities Committee, Motion Picture In¬ dustry; Co-chairmen Sam Rinzler, Rand¬ force, and Fred Schwartz, Century; Wil¬ liam F. Rodgers, Harry Mandel, Leonard Goldenson, and Leon J. Bamberger. National campaign director Leon J. Bamberger announced with considerable elation that in conjunction with United Nations Week, the New Jersey territory had gone over the top. Weekly Newsreel Information Is a Regular Feature of This Publication. J\Tew York City Crosstown Highland, Highland Beach, is closed. . . . Warner has assumed control of the Frank¬ lin, Nutley, N. J., and opened the house on New Year’s Day. . . . Max Cohen has taken over the Park Hill, Yonkers. Metro last week selected “Tennessee Johnson” as its first Broadway offering of the New Year, and held the world premiere of this film at the Astor on Jan. 12. Ross Doyle, formerly assistant war news editor of the New York World-Telegram, last week joined the Metro home office publicity department. Doyle previously was assistant city editor of The Herald Tribune. Harry Goldberg, former ad sales man¬ ager, Co^mbia, who enlisted in the army recently, can be reached by writing to Private H. Goldberg, Co. H, 397 Reg. -Inf., A.P.O. 100, Fort Jackson, S. C. . . . Dave Jacobs, Columbia’s new Brooklyn booker, has been doing a swell job Brandt circuit is no longer buying and booking for the Regent, Brooklyn. . . . Rex, Bronx, closed. . . . Art, Marcy Ave¬ nue, Brooklyn, has been closed, and the building is being demolished. . . . Savoy, Cliffside, N. J., has been taken over by the Walker Amusement Company, Jean Radano, president and treasurer; Morton Isaacs, secretary. . . . Stillwell and Wind¬ sor, Brooklyn, have been taken over by the Prudential Circuit, and will be oper¬ ated under the corporate name of Asso¬ ciated Playhouses, Inc. C. W. Thornton, executive vice-presi¬ dent, Hal Roach studios, has returned to the coast after a business trip. Corporal Leo Weiss, husband of Hal Roach eastern publicity representative Grace Rosenfield, has left for Officers Can¬ didate School, State College, Starkville, Miss. . . . Here in New York on a short vacation with his wife is Warner player Dennis Morgan. . . . Frank Liberman, who was formerly Warner publicity man in Chicago, has been commissioned a second lieutenant. . . . Bob William, in New York for Warners before leaving a year and a half ago for a post on the coast, is now a civilian instructor at CalAreo on the coast. Put on in practically every music store in America is the new co-operative plan between RCA-Victor and the various com¬ panies. The stunt is to make as many re¬ cordings as possible of songs used in pic¬ tures, and then having the stores plug them. One of the big successes was the set of recordings made by Tommy Dorsey of the tunes from “Ship Ahoy,” all of which reported big sales. January 13, 1943 NTS.