Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

ALBANY The Palace offered "It's a Wonderful Life." The Fabian theatre also played it, with "The Private Life of Adolph Hitler, and Eva Braun" as top supporting short. The Strand booked "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim." The Grand, after six weeks of holdovers, played "The Wicked Lady." Second feature was "The Unknown." The Ritz, which had a series of first run pictures, reverted to a holdover policy, with "Nora Prentiss," down from the Strand. "The Brute Man" completed the bill. Fabian's Leland ran "The Jolson Story" for five days, following a four-week run of the film at the Palace and Grand. "The Jolson Story" and "Blue Skies" are proving the leading grossers in this section. . . . Samuel Slotnick, who operates two theatres in Syracuse, and the Casino in Waterford, was on Film Row with his brother Morris, also an exhibitor, and Morris Koffsky, manager of the Casino. . . . Horace Robinson, Marine veteran and former theatre manager in the Philadelphia and South Jersey regions, is now directing the Colonial in Albany for J. Stephen Holt and Jacob Olshansky. . . . William Featherly, who managed the Colonial after it was reopened last September, is now operating a theatre-hall in Athens. . . . Howard Goldstein is now headbooker for RKO. He was formerly with Paramount. ATLANTA Mayor William B. Hartsfield recalled and vetoed a Council-approved measure authorizing the Mayor and the Council and the Carnegie Board to delegate to Miss Christine Smith, Atlanta's motion picture censor, such power as they deemed proper in censoring exhibitions in Atlanta, the Mayor said that the reason that he vetoed the bill was that it should have more study and that the facts had never been considered by the Board. . . . Theatres in Georgia collected an amazing total of $64,992 in the recent drive for the March of Dimes. . . . Visitors : Carl Floyd and Lukie Stein, of Stein and Floyd, theatre circuit in Florida ; Herman Arbans, Lumpkin theatre, Lumpkin, Ga., and Lester Morgan, Desoto theatre, Valley H.ead, Ala. . . . "Jolson Story," 10 weeks at the Rialto theatre, still playing to SRO. . . . W. T. Murray, owner Rialto theatre and New Hilan, has added another theatre to his circuit, having taken the lease of the Center, formerly owned and operated by Mrs. Pearl Bach. . . . Mrs. Ray Collins, for the past twelve years with Universal, has resigned. . . . Fire virtually destroyed the Pinson theatre, Pinson, Ala., with a loss of $15,000. . . . Harry Paul, for the past nine years branch manager of the local Wil-Kin Theatre Supply Company, has resigned and will join RCA as division manager here. . . . Roy E. Martin, Jr., of Martin Theatres, Columbus, Ga., will donate $5,000 for the next three years to Phenix City's new hospital. . . . Sunday shows legalized by the State legislature opened to large crowds. . . . The new theatre at Fort Deposit, Ala., will soon open and will be under the management of F. E. Waters. BALTIMORE Snow, rain, sleet and moderately cold weather hit box offices again beginning the week of February 27. Despite this there were two holdovers: Keith's, with "California," and the New theatre, with "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim." Century opened fair with "The Mighty McGurk." Hippodrome had "Beat the Band" with Sammy Kaye and his orchestra on stage, and did well. Stanley opened nicely with "Nora Prentiss." Little appealed to the elite with "Brief Encounter," which had a first run in Baltimore previously. Mayfair fair with "A Scandal in Paris." Town did big with "Sinbad the Sailor," while Times and Roslyn opened good with "The Trap" and "The Unholy Garden." . . . Met, managed by Maurice Freuhlinger for Milton Schwaber, now closed for extensive remodeling. Governor Lane has appointed Mrs. Eva M. Holland to succeed Miss Agnes Noon as member of Maryland Censor Board. Baltimore Sunday, Sun has put film and theatre news on first page of the Features section with next two inside pages for other news and amusement advertisements ; started February 23 issue. . . . Fred C. Schanberger, chief barker, Baltimore Variety Club, Tent No. 19, is in Bon Secours Hospital for a WHEN AND WHERE March 18-19: Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio annual convention at the Dashler Wallick Hotel, Columbus, Ohio. March 20: Balaban and Katz "alumni" luncheon, in honor of William Hollander, in Hollywood, Cal. March 25-26: Rocky Mountain area exhibitors meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, to discuss affiliation' with national Allied. March 26: Motion Picture Association of America annual meeting in Washington, D. C. April 23: Associated Motion Picture Advertisers' 30th anniversary salute to industry leaders, Hotel Astor, New York. May 5: Independent Exhibitors of Rhode Island, affiliated with Independent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England, testimonial dinner to Edward M. Fay, circuit executive, at the Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel, Providence, R. I. May 13-17: Eleventh annual Variety Club International convention in Los Angeles. checkup. Club had new member induction February 25 and discussion of various matters. Itinerary of trip to California has been sent members by Chauncey Wolf. BOSTON Leonard Richter wili open his new Star theatre at Pascoag, Mass., about April 1. . . . . The local Knights of Columbus will oppose the granting of a license for "The Outlaw" in this territory. . . . Thomas J. McDonough, for the past three years manager of the Strand theatre, has been named manager of the Park at Rockland, Maine. . . . A new 700-seat theatre is to be built at East Walpole, a Boston suburb. The owner is listed as the Park Neponset Corporation. . . . Allston Theatres, Inc., has been granted a permit to build a new theatre on the BostonWorcester Turnpike. . . . Peterson's Orpheum in Somerville reopened this week after being completely rebuilt. It is under the management and operation of Harry Lazarus. ... A new drive-in theatre is to be erected at Lynn under the ownership of John Georges. . . . The Tremont is currently packing them in with a revival of "Daniel Boone." . . . Sam Soroker, well known to New England theatre men for the past 20 years, has joined forces with Jack Riff to handle the New England distribution of the Filmack Company Trailers. . . . "The Jolson Story" is continuing to break all house records at the Loew's State and Orpheum theatres. CHARLOTTE Variety Club of Charlotte has approved plans for the complete rennovation of their club rooms on the second floor o£ Hotel Charlotte, according to Cy Dillon, Chief Barker of the Club. . . . James Simpson, shipper at Republic, has been promoted to the booking department. . . . Clifton Hoover, head shipper at United Artists, has resigned to work outside of the film business. . . . Everette Enterprise moved into their new office February 28th. . . . Worth Harris, Charlotte Transfer company executive, is renewing his once-rejected application for permission to build a combination motion picture theatre and shopping center in the Wesley Heights section of Charlotte. . . . J. L. King, owner and operator of the Pix theatre at Bethune, S. C., was to observe an anniversary March 7. His theatre is a year old, and he was to give the patrons of his theatre a big party at the Pix to celebrate the occasion. . . . Bill McClure, office manager of Universal, his wife ; his brother Bob of the Theatre Booking Service and his wife, were in a serious automobile wreck the past week. . . . Variety Club of Charlotte held its first 1947 party March 1. CHICAGO Business is going on at a steady pace. Holdovers are doing the bulk of the business. These include "Best Years," "The Yearling," "Till the Clouds Roll By," "Sinbad, the Sailor" and "Humoresque." ... Si Lax has joined the local sales staff of Columbia Pictures. . . . William K. Hollander, B&K publicity director, has been appointed motion picture promotion chairman for the Chicago Red Cross Drive. . . . Edward (Continued on opposite page) 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 8, 1947