Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

{Continued from preceding page) Richey, manager of the Ritz, is on crutches, after falling off the curb and hurting his hip. . MEMPHIS A steady increase in attendance in Memphis marked the week just closed. ''Brief Encounter," at the Ritz and "Notorious," at Loew's State are being held over for a second week. Warner theatre closed "two good weeks" with "Cloak and Dagger," and got off to a flying start with "Nobody Lives Forever." Palace closed "Holiday in Mexico," after a holdover and started "Three Little Girls in Blue." Malco theatre had "Earl Carroll's Sketchbook." Exhibitors and executives from Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi will be in Memphis November 12-13 for the Tri-States MPTO annual convention called by J. A. West, Memphis, president, at Hotel Chisca. . . . Carolyn theatre, new showhouse at Piggott, Ark., owned and operated by John Staples, opened November 6. . . . Pix theatre, owned by S. L. Lichty, opened Tuesday at Perryville, Ark. . . . W. F. Sonneman, who operates theatres in Fayetteville and Springdale, Ark., was in Memphis on business. . . . Lloyd Lenhart, Commonwealth Circuit, Kansas City, was here. MINNEAPOLIS "Sister Kenny" northwest premiere at the RKO Orpheum draw a near-capacity house at a $3.60, $2.40 and $1.20 range for a $6,000 evening. All proceeds were turned over to the Elizabeth Kenny Foundation. . . . "I've Always Loved You" did the top average business in a pretty good week in the loop which saw "Notorious" wind up a highly successful five-week run. Frank McCarthy, retired Brookings, S. D., theatre operator, died at San Antonio, Texas. . . . Ben Berger, head of Berger Amusement Co., will be chairman of the nominating committee of the Northwest Variety Club. Other members are Roy Miller, Bill Elson, Jack Heywood, Max Toroder and Al Lee. . . . Minnesota Amusement Co. will try its first all-cartoon show at a loop house, the Gopher, November 14. . . . George March has purchased the building housing his theatre at Vermillion, S. D. . . . Jack Yeo and Frank McCarthy, Sr., have purchased the Uglow building, Palmyra, Wis., and will build a new theatre on the site. . . . Robert Malek has opened his new $150,000 theatre at Independence, Iowa. . . . Roy Mundon has completed improvements on his O.K. house at Lake Andes, S. D. . . . C. Ivan Besse has redecorated and out new booth equipment in the Strand at Britton, S. D. OKLAHOMA CITY Leona Matthe,ws, Universal biller, has resigned in order to be with her husband in Arkansas. . . . J. E. Garrison, St. Louis, Universal district manager, was in town last week. . . . Bob Malone, moved up from head shipper at Republic to assistant booker. .. . Russell Morgan, new RKO exploitation man for the Oklahoma area, has arrived from Dallas, his former spot. . . . Wes Hodges to open his new house at Anadarko Christmas. . . . Paul Ketchum, former local theatre man, has purchased another theatre at Texarkana. . . . Pat McGee, C&R boss, in town. . . . Howard Collier opened his Oak theatre at Hartshorne last week. . . . The Arrow (latest Griffith house) opened at Bartlesville. . . . Ray Hughes has opened his revamped Liberty theatre at Heavener down in "Little Dixie." . . . Henry Morris of Columbia, in town from Dallas. OMAHA Two theatre bills, in their second week, scored best among mediocre grosses as a series of outside events pulled many patrons to other forms of entertainment. Omaha is having unseasonally warm weather. . . . Ted Emerson, Orpheum theatre manager, was a colonel in the Community Chest Drive and Regina Molseed, 20th-Fox booker, was the major in charge of Film Row collectors. . . . Tri-States Theatres set off their district "Holiday Happiness Hypo" drive plans with a meeting here. Outside managers attending included: Ira Crane, Fairbury; L. E. Davidson, Sioux City, la. ; James Pickett, Hastings ; James Redmond, Falls City, and Wallace Kemp, Grand Island. . . . Oscar Johnson, former Falls City owner and now an exhibitor in California, visited here before going on to see his brother, Carl, Red Oak, la., exhibitor. PHILADELPHIA Business was steady in downtown houses. At the Mastbaum "Two Years Before the Mast" shaping up as a record breaker. . . Millville, N. J., area news is that the first quonset hut theatre in New Jersey will be erected in the vicinity. . . . The Philadelphia Record, morning daily newspaper, gave its attention for a feature article and picture spread, to Leon Behal, salesman for Hollywood. The reason — his striking resemblance to the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt. . . . Frank Zajac, just released from the Navy, is back as assistant manager of the Forum. . . . Joe Bergin, manager of the Stanley, in Chester, will become Warners' district manager in the York area. He replaces Eddie Moore, who will manage the Rialto, in York, leaving his district post because of ill health. Reading, Pa., exhibitors are still suffering from the lack of newsprint, as local dailies are accepting no display advertising. The Rajah, in Reading, finally lit up with a legit j show, Mae West's "Come On Up," and j did well, in spite of complete lack of display advertising. . . . The newsprint shortage is now in its fifth week in Reading, and | shows no signs of easing. . . . Paul E. Glaser I manager of the Embassy in Reading, wrote j a history of Reading theatres for the official magazine of the Historical Society of Berks j County. PITTSBURGH Now that the month-old power strike has ended, managers of the first run houses downtown are trying to think up ideas to ! promote new films and try and get those | important averages up. . . . Manager John Walsh of the Fulton theatre did a swell job . with "Canyon Passage," and Sam De Fazio, who controls the destinies of the J. P. Harris wasn't far behind in his promotional j efforts with "Three Little Girls in Blue." i Both pictures boosted extremely low aver j ages during the past week. Warner houses have donated $1,000 to the Community Fund. . . . H. M. Addison, t former manager of Loew's Penn theatre, has joined the PRC exploitation staff at Atlanta. A wave of reissues is beginning to flood 1 the district. Among those now showing are "Strike Me Pink," with Eddie Cantor, and "Stella Dallas," with Barbara Stanwyck. . . . I. G. Gross, formerly of Warners, bas been added to the PRC staff here. . . . Bob Newkirk, who was assistant manager of Loew's Penn theatre, is now working ,'j with Gabe Rubin at the Art Cinema. SAN ANTONIO Business, at all downtown first runs is about average. The Majestic theatre continued to do the best business last week I with "The Big Sleep"; the Aztec had "If ! I'm Lucky" ; the Texas showed "The Dark j Corner," and the Empire, "Spook Busters," j Monogram's Hallowe'en offering. . . . Paul Garza plans to open his new Follies about I December 30. . . . The new airdrome will ! cater to vaudeville only and will present j Mexican film stars from time to time. Cost price of this unique outdoor theatre is $65,000, Garza announced. . . . Recent visitors j include W. F. Armstrong, Interstate book I er, Dallas ; C. L. Ortega, Clasa-Mohme Val j ley checker-representative, Weslaco ; W. M. Skillman, General Electric district manager, Dallas, and Lymie Stillwell, Fort i Worth stage show producer. ST. LOUIS Mediocre new product and revivals didn't help business at the' first run houses last week, and the Indian summer weather wasn't much help, either. . . . "The Specter | of the Rose" which played the Ambassador, I likely won't get to second run houses, as the Art theatre is playing it on two-a-day basis. . . . William Bein of Cincinnati, district manager for National Screen Service, conferring with Herb Washburn, St. Louis manager for the company, here last week, i . . . Gov. Dwight Green of Illinois, chief j guest at opening of remodeled Washington theatre at Granite City, 111., part of the Fanchon & Marco circuit. . . . Thomas A. Mul j (Continued on opposite page) l' 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 9, 1946