The Film Daily (1948)

imi Wednesday, July 14, 194^ DAILY Portable Drive-Ins Grow in Carolinas (Continued from Page 1) tween $7,000 and $8,000, it was said here yesterday by H. D. Hearn of Exhibitors Service, Charlotte, and a leading North Carolina circuit operator. Portable operators lease a tract of farm or woodland for $50 to $100, clear and level it, frequently attach the screen frame to trees left standing and install their equipment in a small frame booth that may or may not be fireproofed. As a rule, no attempt at fencing is made. Portable booth and sound equipment (35 mm.) is now obtainable for a unit price of $2,695, it was said. Unit includes two projectors, lens, rectifiers, etc., etc. Portables are usually adjacent to small towns, many of them of only 2,000 population. Prevailing admission scale is 30 cents, including tax. Product, Hearn said, is hitting the Drive-ins from four to six months after release, and in the event there is no established theater close by, it's just a matter of whether prints are available. Theater business generally in the Charlotte territory is down, Hearn stated, although it is still well above the pre-war level and a "good" picture continues to bring 'em in. Attendance drop in the small towns, he added, reflected the demands of the farming season. During the boom years, this seasonal drop was offset by the fact that urbanites had plenty of money. Today, it's another story — money no longer is so plentiful and living costs have soared. Coast PR Council Plan Runs Into Opposition (Continued from Page 1) union background, MPAA prexy Eric A. Johnston had agreed to allow Cheyfitz to offer his services as secretary for a few months to help launch the council and find a permanent secretary. However, the Board of Directors of the SWG has voiced some opposition to this proposal. Council's first year budget had been tentatively fixed at $30,000. Babe Zaharias in Golf Series Columbia has signed Babe Didrikson Zaharias for a series of three golf shorts. The trio will be part of the "World of Sports" series with Bill Stern as narrator. It will be released in the Fall. i| Se n a Sir tn da y, | II Qi'eeting.3 ZJo — July 14 Irene Dunne Dare Fleischer Charles Weinstein Stuart Stewort Lucien Prival Zita Johann Olive Borden Hoi Sloane Jay Henry John S. Twist George Blake George Tobias ♦.^♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.* ^V^h^ — ^ '•*t(^ PHIL M. DALY Dotvn The Broadway Trail • • • UA's FORTHCOMING HUMDINGER. "The Pitfall," is headed for the Capitol on Broadway, opening around Labor Da/. ... • First Enterprise pic to be distributed domestically by Loew's will be "No Minor Vices," slated for Fall release. ... • That phoney who, using various names, is attempting to get on home office screening invitation lists by saying he's on this paper's staff is heading for trouble a-plenty. ... • If you still don't believe the dog days are here, consider the canine fight on in Local 802, AFM. ... • Loew's State projection ond sound both much improved by one of Herman Gluckman's Nu-Screens. ... • Joe Minsky, who recently quit as Eagle Lion district manager, has opened an Army and Navy Store in Alliance, O. . . . • Still another Hollywood pic cycle on the way, this time about New York cops Latest addition is announced by Sam Goldwyn who proposes to glorify the "average cop" via a story by McKinlay Kantor, with Dana Andrews playing "one of the finest." ... • Allied Artists has $1,500,000 invested in "The Babe Ruth Story," including prints and advertising Pic easily could prove to be a gold mine. T ▼ ▼ • • • PIX INTERESTS, whether major companies or exhibs., better waste no time if they want to get on the video station bandwagon or they may find the field pre-empted by the country's newspapers Of the 28 stations on the air, dailies control 11 FCC has granted permits to 24 other papers to erect stations And 71 others have permit applications pending. ... • Vincent (NSS) Trotta, dean of "Miss America" judges, will fill his 14th annual assignment at Atlantic City, come September. ... • Mary Pickford has dropped plans to produce in Britain, instead probably will make "The Demi-Widow" in France. . . . T T ▼ • • • HAVE YOU PONDERED some of the titles dualled on the marquees around town o'late? For instance: "Here Comes Trouble" and "Duel in the Sun" or "Art of Love" and "The Bedroom Diplomat" or 'Midnight in Paris" and "Les Miserables" "Club de Femmes" and "School for Sinners" "Next Time We Love" and "Sin Town" "State of the Union" and "linx Money" "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes" "Bride Goes Wild" and "The Big City" "Berlin Express" and "Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hay" "Other Love" and "Butch Minds the Baby." ▼ T T • • • UNIVERSAL SEES Walter Wanger's "Tap Roots" as a potential $4,000,000 grosser domestically. ... • Cute selling gag, those "Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven" boxes being sent out by UA Texas is represented by a key ring with a miniature cowboy's boot as the pendant Brooklyn's case, the pendant is a baseball, of course But heaven — ah, heaven is a sales contract for the Golden pic! . . , • Reports from important Coast film buyers who have seen rough cuts have tabbed the Film Classics, Cinecolor suspense-thriller "Sofia" an SRO-sleeper Like "Casablanca" — "Sofia" will unfold a headline story that is real, rugged, rough and timely! ▼ ▼ T • • • SID (20th-FOX) BLUMENSTOCK, who deserted Fair Malverne for Manhattan, once again is a Long Island Railroad commuter, having purchased a Long Beach home. ... • No, Bud, that forthcoming Sir Alexander Korda production of "Saints and Sinners" will not be based on the famed circus luncheon club. ... • Can a Technicolor pic be brought in on a $425,000 budget on an 18-day shooting schedule? Eagle Lion, William Moss, indie producer, and Technicolor think it can The test is "The Big Cat," now in production. Fairbanks Will Make TV Series in Mexico w (Continued from Page 1) test films, which turned out satisfactorily. They were musicals, fea turing Tito Guizar, four "ranchero' bands and native dancers. Rajnex Productions, a subsidiary o(^ r,'ie Churubusco Studio, was in chai^P' of the filming. Hollywood actors are filling the principal roles in the crime series with local players filling out the cast. All technicians are Mexican. Since Fairbanks left for New York, Marjorie Freeman is representing him at Churubusco. Wilson Nixes Talks On Quota Variations (Continued from Page 1) observance weekly by each individual U. K. theater. Meanwhile, a Films Council subcommittee yesterday began to scrutinize the 2,600 applications for relief from the quota under the Films Act. It was expected that the Council would reject many. London (By Cable) — A three-hour meeting attended by 150 exhibs. here last night discussed the problems of the quota and the JAR plan. They will resume sessions before the next General Council of the CEA to determine advisability of the formation of an independent section within the association to protect their interests against the circuits. Bonded Film Storage Opens New Facilities Bonded Film Storage Co., Inc. has opened its new exchange facilities at 630 Ninth Ave. These new facilities are said to constitute the largest independent exchange for the physical handling of film in New York City and will supplement Bonded's existing storage and screening services. Bonded was recently appointed by National Film Service, Inc. as New York rep. New facilities vdll permit the handling of an unlimited quantity of film for that organization. UIEDDIRG BELLS PurteU-Weisfeldt Detroit — Joseph Weisfeldt, manager of a Milwaukee Drive-In, and son of Eddie Weisfeldt, general manager of Associated Theaters, will be married July 24 to Patricia Mary Purtell. Bryer-Chessin Bucyrus, O. — Carol Bryer, daughter of Milton H. Bryer, former manager of Schine's Bucyrus, will wed Richard Chessin.