Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

{Continued from opposite page) Receipts rose the past week, "The Kid from Brooklyn,'' and "The Stranger." leading the town. . . . Sam Stiefel, the theatre owner turned personal manager, is expected in town with his charge, Mickey Rooney, when the latter makes an appearance at the Earle shortly. . . . William Goldman's long vacant Erlanger theatre finally relighted with the legitimate show, "Park Avenue." The Wayne theatre was taken over again by Felt Theatrical Enterprises from Arthur Silber. Rumored around town was that William Goldman, prominent theatre man, had bought Station WDAS, in Philadelphia, for about $400,000. . . . Harry Weiner, Columbia district manager, became the most recent member of the industry club, the Picture Pioneers. . . . Jack Brodsky, Warner Club president, was in New York last week for the national Warner Club meeting and elections. Cormack G. Keeney, head of Keeny Theatres, Inc., Reading, Pa., is now a fireman, having been unanimously elected a member, in advisory capacity, of the West Reading Fire Company. PITTSBURGH Since the four-week power strike has ended and transportation restored, downtown theatre men are hoping that business will be brisk before the usual Christmas slump gets under way. With such pictures as "Cloak and Dagger," "Mr. Ace," and "Three Little Girls in Blue" drawing the suburbanites back to the first run houses, there is more than a chance that their hopes will be realized. Many of Dave Miller's friends went to Cleveland to attend the testimonial dinner by the Variety Club in the Statler Hotel. Miller was recently promoted by UniversalInternational and Pete Dana has taken over at the Pittsburgh-Cleveland exchange. Salesmen and others along Film Row now have organized the Motion. Picture Club of Pittsburgh. It is a social organization and the officers are : Jack Judd, president ; Harry Rees, vice-president ; William Scott, treasurer, and Sol Perlman, secretary. . . . Pittsburgh's Variety Club has reopened after being closed for three weeks owing to the hotel strike. PORTLAND O. J. Miller, executive secretary of Independent Theatre Owners of Oregon, in tendering his resignation after seven years of outstanding service, warns that coming legislature will impose another tax, either state or city, and advises that association should have strong representation before that body ; that an organization of exhibitors is now needed as never before, and that advice should be heeded from the PCCITO. The Mayfair theatre switched to stage shows with nine performances of "Up in Central Park." "Three Little Girls in Blue" scored well at the Paramount and Oriental ; "If I'm Lucky" moved to Music Box; "Rage in Heaven" opened to good business at Parker's Broadway. Heavy rains for two weeks kept away much business. SAN ANTONIO "Woody" Herman's Orchestra and stage review at the Majestic theatre won top honors for the week's, best business-getter. On the screen was "Faithful in My Fashion." Next best was "Till the End of Time" at the Aztec, and "Behind Green Lights" was the Empire first run for a three-day, split-week engagement. The Texas heldover "The Strange Case of Martha Ivers" for a second week after it played the Majestic. The weather was fair and warm, unusual for this time of the year. Leon Glasscock is another exhibitor who flies an airplane in Texas. He expects to open his new Dale at .Stockdale, and the West in George West before Christmas. . . . Visitors were plentiful as usual. They were: Louis Babb, Angora theatre, Rocksprings; Mrs. Taulbee, who is connected with Stout Jackson's theatres in Southeast Texas; Jose Suarez, Juarez theatre, Proteet; Mr. and Mrs. George Likins, Broadway and Grand theatres, Abilene; Mr. and Mrs. D.. J. Young, Jr., and daughter, Dianne, Mexico and Iris theatres, Brownsville. SAN FRANCISCO Inexplicably, box offices grosses continue their slump of the past few weeks. With no counter-attractions in town and good weather — although too "nippy" for the beaches — theatre men are at a loss to account for the poor business. . . . Mike Naify, head of T & D Jr. Enterprises, returned from Chico, after viewing the $100,000 damage to his American theatre there. The fire, which occurred around 2 A.M., almost completely demolished the 1,000-seat house. . . . RKO "This Is America" series, trekked out to San Francisco this week for shooting. Virginia Lewis, who for four years has been assistant bookkeeper at Nasser Bros. Theatres, left that organization to join the Bert Levey office in Hollywood. Featuring the early work of Viking Eggeling and Walt Disney, The Art in Cinema Series, sponsored by the San Francisco Museum of Art, presented their program, "The Animated Film as an Art Form," October 24. ST. LOUIS Business at first run houses in St. Louis slipped last week and observers attributed this to mediocre product plus letdown following seven-game World Series in which the Cardinals were involved. . . . Competitive winter attractions that started this week included professional hockey and basketball in the sports field and heavy concert season at Municipal Auditorium. . . . Harry C. Arthur, Jr., general manager of Fanchon & Marco who returned this week from eastern business trip, announced resignation from board of directors of St. Louis Browns, giving press of other business as reason. . . . Prospects that St. Louis will be without Daylight Saving Time next summer are indicated with announcement that Alderman Louis A. Lange, sponsor of the movement, intends to urge repeal of the ordinance. . . . New 350seat art theatre, devoted exclusively to foreign films, to be erected in West End of St. Louis by Ruby S'Renco, operator of the only art house in the city now. TORONTO After "Anna and the King of Siam" registered so well at Shea's, it was natural that Toronto fans flocked to both the Eglinton and Victoria for the day-and-date run of the British film, "Notorious Gentleman," which also stars Rex Harrison. . . . Republic Pictures gained further prestige locally with the holding of "I've Always Loved You" for a third week at Loew's Uptown. . . . By way of crowd contrast, the merry-seekers stormed the Imperial for "The Kid from Brooklyn" while the "weepers descended on Shea's for the current offering of "A Stolen Life." . . . General manager Gordon Lightstone of Canadian Paramount has announced plans for the 1947 construction of a Toronto building to house the Canadian head office and Ontario branch, after occupying the present Bond Street premises for 21 years. . . . Lightstone is also preparing for a new branch structure at St. John, N. B. . . . George W. Peters, executive assistant to President J. Earl Lawson of Canadian Odeon, has been named to the company board following the death of T. J. Bragg. . . . Ed J. Harris, brother-in-law of the late N. L. Nathanson, has been confirmed in his appointment of general manager of Gaumont-Kalee, Ltd., of which Lawson is also president. ... In Toronto for several days, Paul L' Anglais of Quebec Productions, Montreal, announced Walter Huston would star in "Apple of His Eye," following the making of "The Stronghold" at St. Hyacinthe. WASHINGTON Washington theatres are still feeling the effects of the hotel strike, especially downtown. The only holdover this week was the "Rage in Heaven," at Loew's Palace. New openings include "The Time of Their Lives" at RKO Keith's; "Strange Love of Martha Ivers" at Warners' Earle ; "Three Wise Fools," at Loew's Capitol, and "The Thrill of Brazil" at Warners' Metropolitan. The Little theatre opened with a two-weeks' revival of "Adventures of Tom Sawyer," and Sidney Lust's Hippodrome opened October 26 with the French film "Have You Nothing to Declare?" The Variety Club of Washington held a • stag buffet in the club rooms October 28 in honor of Al Benson, recently promoted to manager of the Paramount Cincinnati exchange. . . . While Merle Lewis of the Ambassador theatre spends five weeks in California, Frank Sobotka, manager of the Avalon theatre, will pinch-hit for him. . . . K-B Theatres held their annual Hallowe'en Children's Costume Parties November 2 at the Apex, Naylor, Senator and Atlas theatres. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946 45