Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

(Continued from preceding page) Under proposed change, theatres would open at 1 P.M. on Sundays. Houses now open at 2 P.M. . . . Jack Robins, who owns and operates the Kameo theatre, Pittsfield, Mass., and a bowling alley at Framingham, Mass., has taken over the Keith theatre, Campello, a suburb of Brockton, Mass., from Corey Richmond on a long term lease. INDIANAPOLIS Film business continues to roll along at a moderate pace here, aided by unseasonably mild weather that brings the Christmas shoppers downtown. "Undercurrent" played to a fine $17,000 at Loew's and held over. "Three Little Girls in Blue" wasn't far behind, with a nice $16,000 at the Indiana. . . . The coal shortage hit theatres in South Bend, Mishawaka and Elkhart hard last week. . . . Boyd Sparrow had a full house at Loew's for a midnight horror show both Wednesday and Thursday. . . . The Variety Club's Good Will Christmas Committee, with Moe Esserman as chairman, will start its round of hospitals and institutions December 18 to provide inmates with a free show and cheer. . . . Indiana exhibitors are protesting the use of municipal auditoriums for concerts by dance bands and other attractions they consider direct competition with the theatres. Y and W is taking the lead at Gary. . . . Visitors on the row last week included J. B. Sconce, Edinburg ; John Micu and Roger Scherer, Fort Wayne ; Mrs. Eva Harris, Zionsville ; Walter Weill, Greenfield; C. W. Massey, Worthington and Joe Finneran, Columbus. ' MEMPHIS Attendance is at its highest point this year. All five Memphis first run theatres are holding over current attractions for a second week. This is the first time this year that all five have found simultaneous holdovers necessary. Pictures held are Malco, "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers"; Warner, "Never Say Goodbye"; Palace, "Margie"; State, "Undercurrent"; Ritz, "Henry V." Joe Simon, manager for Warner theatre, has resigned to accept a position as city manager for Ritz and Peabody Theatres, operated in Memphis by Dave Flexer. Jim Barnes, Warner zone manager, said Mr. Simon would not be replaced. Lloyd Miller, former salesman for Columbia in Memphis, has returned to the company here after working for several years in Florida. . . . Ed Sneed, formerly a Paramount booker and just recently discharged after five years in the Army, has gone to work as a booker for Monogram. Exhibitors visiting and shopping on the row included: W. F. Sonneman, who operates theatres at Fayetteville and Springdale, Ark.; G. H. Goff, Rustic theatre, Parsons, Tenn. ; Jack Watson, Palace theatre, Tunica, Miss.; Moses Sliman, Lux theatre, Luxora, Ark., and J. M. Mounger, Mart theatre, Calhoun City, Miss. MIAMI Business in local theatres has been on the good side for the past few weeks. . . . Both circuits have reported average and above business for their current attractions: "Mar gie" and "Notorious." . . . The latter opened in four Paramount houses, repeating the same policy of "Saratoga Trunk" last year. . . . Downtown first-runs upped their prices to the 85c-$l bracket recently. . . . Walter Manning has succeeded Norman Atwood as manager of the Boulevard. Atwood has taken over management duties of the new Shores theatre. . . . Herbert Rubenstien, manager of Wometco's Cameo theatre, accomplished a feat by tieing in with a cafeteria on Lincoln Road for a display in their window. Lincoln Road is the ultra-swanky road of Miami Beach. . . . Alec George is the new assistant at the Gables, relieving Eddy Curtin, who is now assistant to Ryt Suez at the Beach theatre. . . . Mary Pope, veteran Paramount employee, is ill. . . . William Green is filling in for her at the Paramount. . . . Ed. Claughton, Jr., has taken over the publicity desk at the Claughton Theatres office. . . . Ned Butler is the new assistant to Harry Brown at the Cinema Casino. . . . Finishing touches are being completed on the Flamingo theatre on the Beach which is expected to open December 15. MINNEAPOLIS Sensational Thanksgiving Day business helped Loop theatres hold at or above averages last week despite the normal letdown that comes during Christmas shopping season. "Two Years Before the Mast" was the big gun, drawing $27,000 at Radio City. "Undercurrent" ran well and "Margie" still still registered sufficient popularity to earn a fifth week. The St. Francis Hotel property in St. Paul, which houses the RKO Orpheum, has been purchased for, $826,000 by the St. Paul Theatres Co., RKO subsidiary. John Redmond, RKO district manager, said the theatre would be modernized as soon as materials are available. . . . Max Torodor, neighborhood house owner, left for a long Arizona vacation. . . . Guy Hower has closed the Grand, Worthington, Minn., for remodeling. . . . George Billings has reopened his improved Marion at Marion, S. D. . . . Spurge Miller is the new owner of the Veblen, Veblen, S. D. . . . W. H. Workman, Minneapolis Metro manager, will be back soon from an extended Florida vacation taken for his health . . . L. J. Miller, Universal branch chief, who recently had an operation, is reported on the road to recovery. OKLAHOMA CITY The new Home theatre at Sixth and Robinson will open December 16 with FranMe Masters orchestra ticketed as the card for the motion picture house. C-srrand and H. T. Braucht will the stage and road shows and R. ?s Barton, owner of the Redskin and other theatres will operate the motion picture end. It's the largest theatre in the city. . . . Mrs. Henry J. Griffith, 76, mother of L. C. and H. J. Griffith Jr., was buried here last week. . . . Harry Lawrence opened his new Ritz at Madill last week. . . . "Oklahoma" was a tremendous success on the stage here. . . . Connie Carpou new booker at the MGM exchange here; comes up from Dallas. . . . Saddie Markowitz moves from MGM office here to San Francisco. . . . Visitors on the Row last week included L. A. White from Weatherf ord ; Virby Conley, Perryton; Garland Wilson, Shattuck; Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Burns, Apache; Elmer Rook, Cheyenne; Dana Ryan, Pawnee; W. I, Kerr, Sulphur; Ed Crew, Waurika; Oda Terry, Konawa; Sam Elzo, McCloud; W. E. Richardson, Langley; Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Funk, Guymon; Marlin Butler, Albuquerque; R. H. Duckett, Taloga; Don Avernathy, Fairview ; L. E. Brewer, Pauls Valley, Wesley Hodges, Anadarko; Johnny Jones, Shawnee. J. E. Holt, Coalgate; Roy Eakins, Helena ; H. M. Bates, Techumseh. OMAHA "Two Years Before the Mast," the only single feature in town, picked up an excellent $17,800 at the Paramount to top a good holiday week. It was cold, but Omaha was free of snow. . . . Leroy J. Miller, Minneapolis Universal branch manager, Hospital here. . . . RKO's Christmas party will be December 21, Paramount's December 23. . . . Frank Simek, veteran exhibitor at Ashland, Neb., has purchased a building there, is extending it and plans to open a new theatre in the spring. . . . Kay Theiler took first cash prize in an intra-office Paramount short subject drive for women employees. . . . Morrie Smead, Council Bluff's exhibitor and popcorn machine official, is in California for six weeks. A $3,500,000 City Auditorium that will bring in much outside entertainment is listed first by Mayor Charles Leeman on the $14,000,000 post-war list approved by voters November 5. PHILADELPHIA Business was on the upbeat the past two weeks. "Blue Skies" is scoring sensationally topping $52,000 and leading the town. . . . Alfred J. Davis, Monogram branch manager was elected chief barker of the Variety Club, Tent 13. . . . Variety Club dues were raised from $50 to $60 annually, still the highest in the country. C. E. Peppiatt, 20th Century-Fox district manager, was in Lankenau Hospital for an operation. . . . Harry Dembrow, of the Media, Media, Pa., filed a complaint With the local American Arbitration Association asking that 14 days' clearance be established in his favor over the new College, in Swarthmore. . . . Local exhibitors are awaiting a decision from (Continued on page 50) 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 14, 1946