Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

HOWMEN PERSONALS n New Posts: John Bodley, RKO Highland -k theatre, Trenton, N. J. Arthur Pearce, ;0 Broad, Trenton, N. J. E. Girard Wollaston succeeded John Rogers as manager of the Imer & Vincent State theatre, Harrisburg, Pa. X Betterly has acquired the Hazel Park in troit. Ldward Rehia, Merritt theatre, Bridgeport, m. Gordon Pahe, Hazel Park theatre, Hazel rk, Mich. R. E. J. Lewandowski, Rex theatre, troit. flappy Birthday: William H. Stanley, Ben isner, J. A. Pike, Richard Williamson, Edgar Mercy, Les F. Newkirk, Maurice B. Smith, bert R. Deitch, Henry H. Elsnick, William Heliums, James McDonough, Earl Potter, Hubert L. Trahan, Robert L. Collier, Dennis C. Walls, Nick Rajacio. Donald B. Fiske, Robert L. Alberts, John A. Goodno, J. Donald Edwards, Edwin C. Hough, W. H. Schumacher, N. Ray Carmichael, Evans J. Kali, Walter L. Culpepper, Mandell Yosowitz, Ervin J. Sedlack, H. M. Johnson, Jay N. Burton, E. B. Clayton, Arthur Peine, Lamar Swift, Bob Ray. George B. Pettit, E. C. Brandhorst, Ralph R. Donald, Otto A. Kammer, H. B. Tollett, Max Rodehau, Jerry McWhorter, Leslie Whitwell, Wybert A. Sandefur, Donald Oliphant, Jack A. Custer, Woodrow W. Shuman. Anq Lamm Follows Father's Footsteps [rving Lamm, manager of the Lex theatre, icago, 111., one of the Indiana-Illinois houses, a son of Julius Lamm, manager of Warner's )to\vn theatre, Cleveland. Irving worked as ler, doorman, chief of service and assistant mager at various Warner theatres in Cleveid from 1930 to 1938. From 1939 to 1941 .mm joined National Screen Service in eveland and thence to Akron, where he was dstant to Sid Holland. From February 1943 July 1944 Irving was in the Army, and on ;eiving his honorable discharge, assumed his esent post at the Lex theatre. eturns to Business ifter Service Discharge William Wrightsman, who manages the eith theatre, Indianapolis, Ind., an independit house, was born in Kokomo, Ind., August 1919. Bill started in theatre business as a lunkey" for Sam Neall at the Indiana theatre, okomo, in 1932 and kept working there go,g up the ladder from usher, doorman, asstant to manager. At this point, Wrightsman quit theatre work ir a job in an office while attending college. . little later, the Round Tabler resigned to )in the U. S. Army for two and one-half years id after his discharge went back to work for [r. Neall as manager of the Sipe theatre in !okomo. After a term at this spot, he switched ) his present post at Keith's. O'Neill Recuperates Vaughn O'Neill, manager of Loew's State in Syracuse, N. Y., a recent victim of polio, is up and around at home. Round Tablers will be glad to learn that Vaughn is raring to get back on the job and it is expected that his wish will be granted sooner than had been expected. ✓olantuono Gives MOT •eature Billing For the booking of MOT's "What To Do V'ith Germany," Lou Colantuono at the StanDn theatre, Philadelphia, played the short up ig giving it prominent display on his marquee. Since the first edition of the Philadelphia ')aily News by coincidence carried a strip of hotographs from the film, Lou contacted them nd made arrangements for the theatre playates to be included in the caption. Story book ieups were arranged at Snellenburg's and Brentanos for displays showing stills and play'ates prominently displayed. For front attention, Colantuono used two 4 'v 7s containing stills lined with captions durng the run of the film and a 40 by 60 with four lopies of the book were used in the lobby. Discharged from Service, Cullum Becomes Manager William A. Cullum, who manages the RCAF theatre in Gander, Newfoundland, was born in Montreal, November 25th, 1913, is married and the father of a son, aged seven. Bill has spent approximately fifteen years in the entertainment field prior to entering showbusiness. During that period he has held such positions as manager, leader and musician with numerous dance band aggregations playing night spots, stage and floor shows and radio work. Cullum enlisted in the RCAF in 1940 and was assigned to service military bands, as musician and drum major. Bill then entered showbusiness in 1942 as chief projectionist and in 1943 took over the position as manager of the Gander theatre. Sweeney Promotes Co-op Through a tieup effected with the utilities company in connection with "Gaslight" at the LaPorte theatre, LaPorte, Ind., Wayne Sweeney promoted a four-column co-op ad which featured a cut of Boyer, Bergman and Gotten. This was used in conjunction with window displays. Spritzer's Photo Tieup Through a tieup with a local photographer, Ed Spritzer at the Jerome theatre in the Bronx offered a cabinet size photo of themselves to each purchaser of an evening admission ticket at his house. An easel outside the theatre, carrying photos and mention of the offer, also included a plug for the cooperating photographer. Matis Rubber-Stamps Towels To sell his date on "The Master Race" at the Alhambra theatre in Milwaukee, Johnny Matis rubber-stamped all the guest towels in the rest rooms one week in advance of the date. Copy read: "You women who love your men; don't let these terrors come again. See," etc., etc. Berensky a Billposter At Age of Fourteen Nicholas Berensky, who manages the independent Manville theatre in Manville, New Jersey, was born in that city on June 12, 1921, is married and the father of two children. Nicholas started at the Manville theatre at the age of fourteen doing bill posting. After a spell of eighteen months at this position, he started studying at the Theatre Managers School and soon became assistant operator. At the age of seventeen, Berensky joined the U. S. Marines, where he followed this trade and learned, in addition, how to operate a theatre. After serving two years in the Marines Nick was injured, given an honorable discharge and returned to civilian life as manager in his present post. ^odis' Serial Poll To determine whether or not his adult oatrons liked serials, Ted Rodis at the Skouras' jrand theatre, Astoria, L. I., distributed small ards asking whether they would like to see the lerial "The Desert Hawk" each Saturday night, ^odis reports that adult reaction on this was ■errific with 97 percent voting "yes." By Siatr I'hoiusrapner ROUND TABLE VISITORS recently: Larry Levy, manager of Loew's Colonial, Reading, Pa., pictured left; at right, Seth Field, general manager for the Graphic circuit in Boston, Mass. i^ANASERS' ROUND TABLE, DECEMBER 16, 1944 57