The Exhibitor (1950)

NT.2 EXHIBITOR still confined to University Hospital. . . . Harry Brillman, Screen Guild, would like exhibitors to know that he has a revised 42-niinute version of Scrooge available for Christmas bookings. The Motion Picture Associates will sponsor an industry luncheon to U-I branch head Harry Martin and ELC branch chief Sandy Gottlieb on Dec. 11 at a place to be selected. Both men are new to the territory, and besides there hasn’t been a trade luncheon of the sort in some time. 20th-Fox’s Nat Rosen is chairman of the committee. The smile on Jack Engel’s face was the result of his finally having closed his deal with Lippert. William Pizor and Joe Smith, Lippert executives, were in town making the necessary arrange¬ ments, and now Engel is set with Lippert for years to come. He predicts a banner lineup of topnotch product from the Lippert studios. Sanford Gottlieb, ELC branch man¬ ager, expects to move his family into town soon. Motion Picture Associates announced committees for 19'50-51 : welfare, Joe Engel, chairman; Meyer Adelman, Wil¬ liam Doyle, and Sieg Horowitz; mem¬ bership, Ben Bache, chairman; Norman Silverman and Harry Blumberg; pub¬ licity, Mike Weiss, chairman; and George Nonamaker; finance. Jack Beresin, chairman; Lou Formato and Moe Koppleman; entertainment, Nat Rosen, chairman; Dick Doherty, Mel Koff, and Harry Freedman; constitution and by¬ laws, A1 Cohen, chairman; Alfred Davis and Max Gillis, and publication, David Titleman, chairman; Joe Schaeffer, and Milt Young. Circuits Stanley Warner The Chinery Players of Germantown present a variety program for all ages on Saturday mornings at the Orpheum, through the courtesy of manager Lee Kline. Two hours in length, they are open to the public. Faith Domergue, star of “Where Dan¬ ger Lives,” was in Philadelphia for a fast visit with press and radio people. . . . Irving Loomis, billing department, left, and was replaced by Sylvia Snyderman. Harriet Fingerote is the new girl in that department. . . . Kay MacNamee, Ted Schlanger’s secretary, was birthdaypartied. . . . Fay Wolf, Ellis Shipman’s “girl Friday,” was off to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a two-week vacation; less train fare, less travel time, and she hopes the same old sun. . . . Reesa Cooper, booking department, had her bag stolen for the third time. A few days later, her bag turned up, sans wallet and keys, in a building around the corner from the office. District of Columbia Washington The “Trio” opening at the Playhouse saluted the Washington hospital com¬ mittee, American Theatre Wing. Mrs. Bess Truman, wife of the President, headed a distinguished list of patron¬ esses who set up a special committee to handle publicity and promotion. Tieups for free spot announcements were ar¬ ranged with the local television station carrying Maugham’s “Teller of Tales and full page co-op. newspaper ads were appearing regularly. Windows were promoted in all of Brentano and leading independent book as well as department stores, and displays were set up in most of the city’s public library branches. Special screenings were arranged for the Washington film critics, the Press Club, radio and newspaper feature writers, college editors, literary groups, and women’s and civic clubs. Warner Theatres — Kenneth Davis, Avalon, had a successful special morning children’s show. . . . Miss Vera Mead is the new secretary to Frank La Falce, director of advertising and publicity, succeeding Mrs. Doris Hewitt, resigned. . . . Two hundred and fifty Warner Club members attended the Warner Club “Tacky” party at the Prince George’s Country Club. Harry F. Lohmeyer won a special prize for coming in the most unusual attire. Rod Clay, singer under contract to RKO, enter¬ tained _ Lou Kusner, manager, Apollo, Martinsburg, W. Va., promoted a jalopy from a used car dealer covered with teen-age wisecracks, and parked it in front of the theatre. Tickets will be given away at the theatre, and at the end of three weeks it will be awarded to some lucky kid. . . . The Capitol, Winchester, Va. ; Apollo, Martinsburg, W. Va.; Arcade, Waynesboro, Pa.; Tivoli, Fred¬ erick, Md., and Maryland, Hagerstown, Md., are planning “Pay Day Matinees” as a pre-Christmas promotion. These five theatres have tied in with banks who will furnish envelopes and cash to put in envelopes to be distributed to each child attending a special matinee. . . . A. Julian Brylawski, head, real estate department, returned from a pleasure trip to Mexico. . . . Neighborhood thea¬ tres are going in for promotional stunts. Miss Suzanne Dalbert, in “Break¬ through,” was a visitor for the world premiere, and was put on a merry whirl by publicists Frank LaFalce and Bill Ewing. The young lady toured radio, newspapers, and television. The climax came with an appearance on the stage of the Warner. Ewing arranged for an appearance on Milt Ford’s disc jockey program, and as an added attraction they had Richard, the talking parrot. Then the actress visited the French Embassy to ask Ambassador and Madam Bonnet to come see the show at the theatre. She made an appearance on the show of handsome Gene Archer, and had a television spot with Nancy Osgood, a good friend of the trade, a lunch with drama critics and radio personalities, helped out with photos for arthritis, put in a plug for the American Legion foot¬ ball game, made an appearance at a special screening at the MPA screening room, where Army Secretary Frank Pace held a private showing for Korean wounded from Walter Reed Hospital, and then went to the Warner for the premiere. Looking in on the premiere brought back memories of how the shows used to be put on in town. Thanks to LaFalce, Ewing, and the entire Crouch organization, the town was made to feel that showmanship is still very much alive. The Dupont reported that with a $935.45 gross, “Bitter Rice” broke all house records for a non-holiday opening. Comes word from Fred Kogod, chair¬ man, Variety Club welfare awards com¬ mittee, that we are lagging way behind last year in our welfare drive. “I would personally appreciate it if you and your committee would put a little extra effort behind the drive in the few remaining days in an effort to increase our gross. You know that we are urgently in need of this money to continue our fine wel¬ fare program for 1951. I am counting on your help during the coming week to greatly increase the sale of welfare awards.” Joe DeMaio, Kay, proudly announces distribution of “King of the Bull Whip.” This opus not only stars Lash LaRue but it has Jack Holt, Anne Gwynne, Michael Whalen, Tom Neal, A1 “Fuzzy” St. John, and Dennis Moore. . . . The trade was saddened locally at the pass¬ ing of genial Sam Keller, who worked for Ed Plohn at the National. . . . Bernie Mills, Equity, made the trip to New York. . . . William Stewart has been added to the Equity staff to handle the roadshow attraction, “Because Of Eve.” . . . C. J. DeMaio, Kay special represen¬ tative, left for a tour. . . . Fred Sapperstein, Baltimore, Md., and Western Maryland salesman for Lippert, was a visitor to confer with branch manager J. Edward Fontaine. — C. S. Delaware Wilmington U. S. District Judge Richard S. Rod¬ ney reserved decision after hearing an argument on the motion by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., to dismiss the second, fourth, and sixth causes of ac¬ tion in a breach of contract suit filed on Feb. 8 by Jacob B. Fox and Helen E. Fox, his wife, and Melvin J. Fox and Marion S. Fox, his wife. The lawsuit charged Warners with failure to do maintenance and repair work on five New Jersey theatres, the Fox, Riverside; Fox, Mount Holly; Fox or Bever-Lee, Beverly; Fox, Burlington, and Embassy, Swedesboro. The various claims against Warners total more than $1,000,000. Judge Rodney also reserved decision after hearing argument on a motion by plaintiff Shore Amusements, Inc., opera¬ tor, Shore, Milford, Del., for production of documents by defendants Schine Chain Theatres, Inc., Schine Circuit Inc., and Chesapeake Theatres Corp. The anti-trust action, filed originally in the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was transferred to Delaware in July, 1949. Sterling Smyth, 58, who recently operated a Salisbury, Md., theatre, was drowned in a boating accident near Princess Anne. November 22, 1950