The Exhibitor (Nov 1948-Feb 1949)

NT-2 THE EXHIBITOR Bank, N.J., Herb Gordon, manager, Walter Reade’s St. James, as a kiddie matinee giveaway in connection with MGM’s “HUls Of Home.” PLAINFIELD Teaser picture postcards, mailed from a Miami Beach, Fla., hotel, were one of the means recently used by Bierney Feld, manager, Walter Reade’s Oxford, to tell localites about 20th-Fox’s “Apartment For Peggy”. Feld contacted a Miami Beach hotel by mail, and got 500 hotel postals. His aides addressed these to local residents, and wrote the following message: “Having a swell time. Will be back in Plainfield in time to see “Apart¬ ment For Peggy” at the Oxford. The cards were then stamped, mailed back to the hotel, and the hotel manager posted them from Miami Beach. New York State ALBANY Tom Ponkos, Warner Theatres’ book¬ keeper, announced his engagement to Cornelia Card, Hudson.. ..U-I enjoyed its Christmas party at the Colonie Country Cluband Paramountat the Madison Tavern ....Bob Landry, who, at one time, owned the Strand and Liberty, Ogdensburg, and the Malone, Malone, died recently at his Ogdensburg home. ...John Younakis, mana¬ ger, Rialto, Potsdam, is the father of a baby son. ...Lee Drexler, Warner Theatres’ assistant contact manager, is back at his desk after battling pneumonia. BUFFALO The annual Christmas party of the Co¬ lumbians was held in the exchange. Christ¬ mas gifts were exchanged, and dinner was held at Pfeiffer’s Restaurant, after which the employees returned to the office for refreshments. Knee-Hi, the safety teaching dog, and his master. Dr. George Bronson, appeared on the stages of community theatres, the Lackawanna, Seneca, Roosevelt, Kensing¬ ton, Niagara, Elmwood, North Park, and Kenmore . Art Crosson presided at the console of the grand organ in a medley of song hits, at the gala New Year’s Eve midnight show at Shea’s Buffalo. George Smith, Civic and Novelty, Syra¬ cuse, left for Florida to spend the Holi¬ days. ...Ken Colley, former manager. Shea’s Seneca, sends seasons greetings to his many friends in film row. He is now mana¬ ging a W.T. Grant store in Gouveneur. Here are members of the press and industryites who took part in a recent ceremony in New York City at which a check for $65,000 was presented for Christmas parties, etc., for hospitalized and bedridden veterans. “A Bedside Report”, short dealing wiUi this subject, had been shown at Skouras houses and patrons donated this amount. Noted from left to right are; Sam Day, managing editor. The New York Joumal-American; WUliam Randolph Hearst, Jr., publisher and chairman. War Wounded Christmas Fund; Dorothy Kilgallen, The Joumal-American columnist and radio commentator; William A. White, general manager, Skouras Theatres Corporation; William A. Curley, The Joumal-Ameri¬ can editor, and T.E.J. Crowly, the prominent Joumal-American business manager. Diana Barrymore, who plays the part of the “Maid of Orleans” on the stage, recently greeted members of the Joan of Arc Post, American Legion, as they came to attend the opening at the Fulton, New York City, of the Wanger-RKO production, “Joan of Arc” * Fully-furnished trailers, parked in front of Walter Reade’s Paramount, Long Branch, N.J., recently provided a forceful sales ballyhoo for 20th-Fox’s “Apartment For Peggy”. Shea Theatres, in Cooperation with The Buffalo Evening News, played host to thousands of orphan children at their an¬ nual Christmas parties. The children were transported by bus, saw a pair of Abbott and Costello features at Ed. Miller’s Shea’s Hippodrome, and received candy. A throughbred collie pup was given away by Shear’s Great Lakes, WEBR, and the CoUie Club of Western New York through an essay contest held in conjunc¬ tion with MGM’s “Hills of Home” at George Mason’s. The Variety Club sponsored a Christ¬ mas party for the Cerebral Palsy clinic, and gifts were presented to the patients. Phil Pox was chairman, assisted by Myros Gross and Harry Berkson.-M.G. Harry Colburn, Columbia home office representative, left for Albany. W.E. Andersons, Mt. Jewett, was forced to close his Empire, Addison, because of heating trouble.. ..The Colonial, Bel¬ mont, has been taken over by R.C. Cald¬ well. It was formerly operated by Lewis Hausser. Harry Berinstein visited film row, and bid adieu prior to his departure in Janu¬ ary for Honolulu for his vacation. Columbians and Eagle Lions suspended their bowling activities until after the holidays. Merritt A. Kyser, president. Motion Picture Theatre Owners, New York State, Inc., arranged a luncheon meeting with Gael Sullivan, executive director^TOA, as guest speaker, at the Stage Door, 416 Pearl Street, opposite Sheas Great Lakes, on Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. Sullivan will discuss topics of vital interest to all theatre men and exchange personnel. One of the subjects is the conciliation plan, which should be of interest to aU theatre men and exchange branch managers. President Kyser recently named the following ex¬ hibitors to the conciliation board. Robert Hayman, Strand Niagara Falls; Lloyd January 5, 1949