The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 lOiWS or THK BRANCHES Cincmnati The 12-story downtown Keith building, housing the 1,600-seat first-run Keith, was purchased by Keith Building Asso¬ ciates, a group of eastern investors, for two millions from Cincinnati Playhouses, Inc. . . . The neighborhood Esquire, in cooperation with the Clifton Kiwanis Club, staged a two-hour Christmas show for neighborhood children. . . . The down¬ town Palace, in cooperation with The Times-Star, staged a “Never a Dull Moment’’ contest in connection with the first-run. . . . Holiday parties featured activities along Film Row. Popular 20thFox salesman Sam Weiss represented Santa in presenting a silver service to J. B. Rosen, branch manager, and gifts were exchanged at the party in the Hotel Alms, with 60 present for the buffet din¬ ner and evening. Paramount, UA, and RKO were among the other branches staging lively office parties. Among holiday vacationers were Marie Donelson, office manager-booker. Screen Classics, in Detroit; Charles Palmer, West Virginia salesman for Columbia, to New Orleans; A1 Kolkmeyer, West Virginia salesman, U-I, and Morton Perlman, city salesman, Columbia. The Variety Club staged its usual fine New Year’s Eve party, with food, drinks, and entertainment provided for a very nominal $10 per ticket. Because of the limited accommodations in the club’s quarters in Hotel Netherland Plaza, the party was limited to 150 members and guests. In town were George R. Giroux, Technicolor; “Bucky” Harris, to bally “Harvey,” Keith; Ray Smith, Shea Cir¬ cuit, New York office, and Charles Lamb and M. W. Van Sickel, Ohio Censorship Board. The mother of Gertrude Freeman, in¬ spectress, 20th-Fox, died. . . . Leonard Katz, head booker, RKO, has been ill. Recent visitors included: Charles Scott, Vevay, Ind.; A1 Thalheimer, Logan, W. Va.; Charles Behlen, Lexing¬ ton, Ky. ; Nelson Ward, Mt. Sterling, Ky. ; Don Reade, London, Ky. ; Charles Rich, Cleveland, O. ; Jim Herb, Dayton, O.; Bob Harrell, Cleves, O.; Gus Metro, Portsmouth, O. ; Floyd Price, Newark, 0.; Martin Junk, Batavia, 0.; Jack Needham, Columbus, O., and Ray Friz, Bill Luibel, and Mike Charkeres, Springfield, 0. Jack R. Keegan, Northio Theatres, has been named TOA co-chairman for “Brotherhood Week.” Cleveland Exhibitors have asked the projection¬ ists and stagehands to take a 25 per cent cut, according to report. Both union officials and Ernest Schwartz, president, Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, refused to comment on the report of pending negotiations. Down¬ town first-runs are not included in the alleged proposals. None of the affiliated circuit houses is a member of the Cleve¬ land Motion Picture Exhibitors Associa¬ tion, whose membership consists only of independent theatre owners. Reduction of the scale is asked, according to report, to prevent further closings. About 250 projectionists and 25 stage hands would be affected by the cut. Tony Stern, who, with Lou Ratener, operated the Ohio Theatre Service Cor¬ poration, which dissolved, joined the Ohio Drive-In Management Company, which operates drive-ins for which Stern will do the buying and booking. Theatres include the local Auto Theatre; Dayton Drive-In, Dayton, 0.; Miami Drive-In, Dayton, 0.; Toledo Drive-In, Toledo, 0., and the Pittsburgh Drive-In, Pittsburgh. M. J. Gordon is general manager, Ohio Drive-In Management Company, with offices in the Leader building. Stern succeeds Allan Shaw as buyer-booker. Abe Kramer, Variety Club Chief Bark¬ er, and Mrs. Kramer left for California to spend the holidays with two of their three daughters in Los Angeles. Irwin Shenker, Berio Vending Com¬ pany, and Mrs. Shenker are back from a Florida vacation. . . . Bob Desberg, with Loew theati’es in Brussels, Bel¬ gium, is home on his first vacation leave in four years. He is the son of the late Fred Desberg who, with Ed Strong, built and operate theatres now belonging to Loew’s. Hari’iet Page resigned from the Para¬ mount secretarial staff to join her hus¬ band, who has gone into business in* Cincinnati. . . . Ben Wolf is now Para¬ mount cashier, succeeding Robert Setele. . . . John Damm, after 18 years as manager. State, Sandusky, O., resigned and severed his association with the Seitz brothers. He plans to go to Florida, to manage an outdoor theatre. J. Stuart Cangney, J. L. Gertz Enter¬ prises, and Mrs. Cangney spent the holi¬ days with their daughter and son-in-law in Wellsbuig, Pa. Charles Bick vacated the managerial position of the Dipson-Constant owned Capitol, Steubenville, 0., to take over the management of the circuit’s deluxe new house in Erie, Pa. He is succeeded at the Capitol by Earl Oshenbein, trans¬ ferred from the State, Steubenville, now being managed by Jimmy Fisher, for¬ merly manager, American, East Liver¬ pool, O. Sylvia Reider is Paramount’s new switchboard receptionist. She takes the place of Helen Schoman, promoted to a secretarial position. . . . Capitol, Ely¬ ria, 0., and the Mozart, Canton, O., had full houses at their Hadacol sponsored matinee at which a Hadacol box top was the price of admission. The youngster with the greatest number of Hadacol box tops received a Schwinn bicycle. Nat Barach, National Screen Service branch manager, reports that his com¬ pany’s 11 X 14 easels for advertising away from the theatre are in demand. . . . Don Young, affiliated with his father Rufus Young, in the Maumee, Maumee, 0., moved into the new home in Maumee. New owner of the Palace, Tiltonsville, O., is Frank Slavik, Wheeling, W. Va. He is no relation of the h^'rank Slavik who owns the Capitol, Mount Gilead, ()., and the Lonet, Wellington, O. George Wakeley, who recently })urchased the Del-Lu, Gibsonburg, O., from D. B. Follett, now retired, is making extensive preparations to remodel the house. ... A new American, East Liver¬ pool, 0., is rising on the site of its pre¬ decessor, consumed by fire last summer. A. G. Constant is owner. . . . Mrs. W. B. Stewart leased her Star, Deshler, O., to C. A. Goller, and has left to spend the winter in California. Mrs. Nazera Zegiob, Lorain, 0., circuit owner, left the hospital to spend the holiday at home. . . . Hyman Mishkind, 72, father of Leonard Mishkind, former SRO district manager, and of Mrs. Albert B. Lefton, died in the Cleveland Heights home. . . . Henry Waggoner is improving his Star, Amsterdam, O., with a new marquee. Nes Auth, Palace, Akron, O., has been named TOA co-chairman for “Brother¬ hood Week.” Detroit William Schulte Theatres, 16-house upstate circuit, joined Cooperative Thea¬ tres of Michigan. M. F. Gowthorpe, W. S. Butterfield Theatres, Inc., has been named TOA cochairman for “Brotherhood Week.” It was a son, Barry, at the Harold Bernsteins. Father operates the Pines and Royal, Bay City, Mich. Neil Hogue, Republic, continues as president. Local B-25, for the third term, following the recent elections. Other new officers include : vice-president, Helen Stephan, Columbia; business agent. Fay Heady, National Film Service; treas¬ urer, Betty Lehr, Allied Films; financial secretary. Garnet Dalton, Republic; re¬ cording secretary, Alice Shelnic, War¬ ners; beard members, Mary Zemla, RKO; sergeant-at-arms, Vessie Kolb, Republic, and trustees, Lucille Foster and Marcella Sheesley, U-I, and Ann Kulas, MGM. “The MGM Story” was screened for theatre men and the press recently at the Film Exchange building. “Kim” is coming to the United Artists, and Loretta Luez was in to make per¬ sonal appearances. Charles Dietz, MGM, and Dillon Krepps, managing director. United Artists, invited all members of the press to meet her at the Book Cad¬ illac Hotel, and have a few toasts. Oscar Adelman, Cohen Circuit, is in Grace Hospital for a few weeks recover¬ ing from a heart ailment. . . . Fred DeLodder, Cooperative Theatres of Michigan, is in the hospital recovering form a back injury. Jammry 1951 MIDEAST