Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

ALBANY Variety Club members gathered at the Colonie Country Club Monday for tlie annual golf tournament and dinner. A raft of awards and drawings gave everbody a chance for a memento of the occasion. Chief Barker Charles A. Smakwitz and his coworkers directed the tournament. RKO sales crew, headed by manager Max Westebbe, will travel to New York for that company's sales sessions July 1. . . . Women employees of the 20th-Fox office hold all the committee assignments in the current A. W. Smith, Jr., drive. They are topped by Helen Wisper, who has been manager's secretary since the days of Moe Grassgreen. Miss Wisper is correspondent of Dynamo, Fox house organ. Three circuit bookers were in at the same time to set up dates. Chris Pope and Frank Lampe, for Schine, and Frank Williams for Benton theatres. ATLANTA Manfred E. Wiman, Sr., manager of the Monogram Southern branch, died at his home June 15. . . . Douglas Avey, son of Ro}^ Avey of the Community theatres here, also died June 15. . . . Fred LaVine, city manager of the Bach theatres, is vacationing in Florida. . . . Grover Schaefer, PRC, visited the New Orleans branch on his way to Memphis, where they are contemplating a new branch. . . . The Katz Brothers, former franchise holder for PRC Atlanta and Charlotte have organized a new company under the name of Kay Film Company and will open branches in the south. Visiting the city for a sales conference with district sales head Merritt Davis were Republic managers L. V. Seicshnaydre, New Orleans; Jack London, Charlotte; Harold Laird, Tampa, and Billy Talley, Atlanta. . . . William Higgins, special home office representative of Film Classics, visited the local branch; — Arthur C. Bromberg, president of Monogram Southern, visiting Savannah; — President J. H. Thompson, of Martin Thompson theatres, will build new houses in Hawkinsville, Cochran and Eastman, Georgia, just as soon as material is available. BOSTON Pittsfield is putting . into effect drastic new regulations to guard against "muggers" in theatres. Police Chief John L. Sullivan has ordered policewomen to visit all theatres daily and sit in different parts of the houses to check occupants. . . . Frank Dervin. Republic district manager, is back from a trip to New York. . . . Sig Horowitz, 20th-Fox salesman, has a new daughter, Claire Anne. . . . UA employees held their annual outing Monday at Cohasset. . . . Francis Driscoll, MGM, is vacationing at Hampton Beach, Me. . . . The father of Jerome Crowley, MGM booker, died recently. .. . Louis Gordon and Arthur Lockwood addressed a managers' meeting last week. . . . James Winn, UA district manager, will spend two months on Cape Cod recuperating from his long illness. CHICAGO Mrs. Jack Kirsch was host to the women at a get-together held at her home the past week for the Ladies Auxiliary of the local Cinema Lodge of B'nai B'rith. . . . Ten per cent of the proceeds of the Bob Hope show at the Coliseum Wednesday night (June 26) went to the Variety Club's pet charity, the La Rabida Sanitarium. James Coston, head of Warner Bros. Theatres here, greeted a theatrical group at his Eagle River, Wis., home recently. Included in the partv were Charlie Hogan, Tom Flannery, Alex Manta, Jack Rose, Maurice Rubens, Jim Chrissis, Nate Goldstein, Phil Biltgen, L. F. Gran and Charles Pulse. . . . Film-row recently mourned the death of Philip Hecksel, 48, bookkeeper for the Joe Stern circuit for 15 years. He is survived by a wife and son. . . . Irv Yergin, well known in local film circles, has resigned from Hal Wallis Productions in Hollywood to join Rooney, Inc. CLEVELAND J. W. Small, home office representative of Warners, was here on a visit. . . . Tom Eubanks and Mrs. Hazel Cheek, with Wilkin Theatre Service, were married June 16. . . . Mildred Castleberry, Martin theatres booker, is vacationing in South Georgia. . . . John W. Mangham, of Film Classics has sold his interest in New Orleans and Memphis. Charles Raymond, completely recovered from his recent long illness, is vacationing at his summer home, Scituate, Cape Cod, and resumes his duties as Loew theatre division manager about September L . . . Rain and wind storm of near tornado proportions killed Sunday evening theatre business and theatres were empty Wednesday night as well because of the Louis-Conn fight broadcast. Ed Hinchley, Warner playdate and print manager, was here to consult with booker Tony Stern. . . . Jules Lapidus, Warner eastern sales manager, was due to arrive at midweek. . . . ex-Marine Marvin Samuelson is back in the Warner theatre booking department, relieving Bud Friedman for the job as theatre relief manager. DALLAS Despite the opening of Dallas' (outdoor) summer operetta season, motion picture houses had a good week. . . . "Badman's Territory" hit $19,000 at the Maiestic, and "Two Sisters From Boston" got $16,000. . . . T. E. Laird is the new branch manager for the Dallas exchange of United Artists, replacing Forrest Nine, who takes over the Arkansas Oklahoma territory, but continues to make his headquarters in Dallas. Mr. Laird has been with UA for 14 years, and previously was with the old First National company. The Dallas chapter of Paramount's 25Year Club was inaugurated with a dinner for exchange employees, honoring Louise Kay, Willie Simmons, Julia Purvis and Leafy Taylor. ... J. J. Donohue, division manager, Hugh Braly, Denver district manager and Duke Clark, district manager of this territory were speakers. . . . J. B. Underwood, southern division manager of Colombia, entertained the press of Fort Wortli with a cocktail party in the Blackstone Hotel last week. DENVER Business was generally good in first run houses, with the world premiere of "Smoky" helping grosses at the Denver, Esquire and Webber. . . . Monogram had films in five Denver first runs this week — "Junior Prom" at Denver, Webber, Esquire ; "Joe Palooka, Champ" at the Paramount, and "Dark Alibi" on a moveover at the Rialto. . . . Flitch summer stock, 10 weeks, opened Sunday night to a packed house. . . . C. W. Inman has sold the Hugo, Hugo, Colo., to Marion Smith. . . . Nadine Marie Amato, manager of the East, Trinidad, Colo., and V. E. Caselnova were married June 22. . . . Dewey Gates is taking over the Pix, Johnstown, Colo., later this summer. . . . Delay in securing materials is holding up opening of the new Lamar, Lamar, Colo., to late summer or early autumn. . . . Out-of-town exhibitors seen on film row include Ed Schulte and Clarence Chidley, Casper, Wyo. ; George Nescher, Springfield, Colo. ; Sam Cain, Pueblo, Colo. ; Larry Starsmore, Colorado Springs; J. H. Roberts, Ft. Morgan, Colo., and C. E. McLaughlin, Las Animas, Colo. DETROIT General slackening at the box offices this week. Three days' rain ending in floods and a tornado cut sharply into business. . . . Otto Smitzerla and Bob Goldstaff are back at the Fox as assistant managers after military service. Outstate Round-up : The movement to close business houses one afternoon weekly is spreading out-state, but hasn't found favor in Detroit yet. . . . The Thum theatre, Deckerville, has been purchased from the Graham interests by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ogger, Detroit. . . . O. A. D. Baldwin, dean of Baldwin business men, has sold his Bridgeman to his son-, Bun. Bun takes over after his discharge from Percy Jones Military Hospital. He was wounded while serving in Europe. . . . Three theatres are credited with unusual work in recent cancer drive in Iron Mountain area : Braumart theatre, Bradley V. Stiles, manager, collected $938.51 ; Colonial theatre, Charles Nelson, manager, collected $187.82; The Rialto, Mrs. Irene Zeni, manager, $75.55. After serving nine years as projectionist at the Lyric, Harbor Springs, Russell Cassidy returns to the Walrond hardware store of which he is a partner. . . . Manager Dennis, Strand theatre. Paw Paw, has installpd new seats throughout the house. . . . R. G. Hoagg returns to Sebewaing as manager of 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE 29, 1946