Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

ALBANY Exhibitors in Albany, Troy and elsewhere will be glad when L ent is ended. They think it may have been a contributing cause to the recent dip in business. Some sources estimate that half of the gain in theatre patronage during the war has been lost in the last 18 months in this district. Big pictures go well, but average films and slufts draw poorly. Most 01 the present patronage is on opening days and over the weekend. . . . Among the exhibitors who recently have booked in Albany exchanges are : Julius Perlmutter, of the Rivoli in Schenectady; John Gardner, of the Colony in Schenectady ; Dave Rosenbaum, theatres in Elizabethtown, Keesville and Ausable Forks ; George Thornton, the Orpheum in Saugerties; Walter Wertime, Sr., the Chester in Chestertown; Dave Willig, the AutoVision in East Greenbush ; Clarence Dop, the Strand in Johnstown and the Hollywood in Frankfort. . . . Tri-State Company appointed . Hubert Schenek manager in the Albany district. He will take the place of Joseph Grand, who is to give full time to the management of the Eagle theatre in this city. ATLANTA Bob Moscow has been appointed production chief of Harlemwood studio for Sack's Amusement Enterprises in Dallas, Texas. . . . George L. Danton, former owner of the Broadway theatre, Knoxville, Tenn., has sold his theatre to W. E. Drumbar. . . . E. D. Chessman expects to open his new theatre about May 1 in McClenny, Fla. . . . Hugh F. Prince, for the past 16 years with the Florida State Theatres, has been appointed assistant and booker to W. M. Snelson, president of Co-At-Co circuit of theatres in Georgia. . . . Floyd Stowe, formerly with Florida State Theatres in Atlanta and Jacksonville, has returned to Atlanta and been appointed office manager of Republic, replacing Ed Ashmore, leaving to go with PRC. . . . Charles W. Griffin, Jr., manager LaFayette theatre, LaFayette, Ala., has been named chairman of the annual Red Cross drive in this city. ... J. David Tidmore, owner of the local theatre in Moundville, Ala., is having improvements made in the theatre and will soon enlarge and increase seating capacity to 250 seats. BALTIMORE Considering that the week beginning March 22 is one of the worst in the year for business, the attendance in Baltimore, generally speaking, is holding up very well. Three theatres decided to hold for second week, including Little, with "It Happened at the Inn" ; Mayfair, with 'Abie's Irish Rose," and the Town, with "The Best Years of Our Lives." Stanley had big opening with "Beast With Five Fingers," New got off big with "Carnival in Costa Rica." Times and Roslyn only fair with "The Pilgrim Lady" and "Her Highness and the Bellboy." Valencia fair with "My Brother Talks to Horses." Keith's nice with "Swell Guy," Hippodrome okay with "Mr. District Attorney." Century brought back "Boomtown" to fair business. . . . MPTO of Maryland, Inc., elected offices, including: F. A. Hornig, president; L. C. Garman, vice-president; J. Levine, treasurer, and Mrs. Helen Deering, secretary. Board of Directors in 32 eludes Hornig, Garman, Levine, with W. Pacey, L. Gaertner, Harry Silver, A. B. Price, M. Allen, Meyer Leventhal, Luke Green, Richard Wornman, Harry Valentine, Oscar Coblentz. . . . Variety Club of Baltimore, Tent No. 19, special train leaves Wednesday, May 7, at 4:15 P.M. for trip to West Coast. BOSTON Elaine Kolvin and Claire Welch have been added to the UA staff. ... Ed Klein, head of Bay State Films, has returned to his desk after a short illness. . . . E. M. Loew was given a birthday party by his employees last week. . . . Henry Tobin has purchased WHEN AND WHERE April 20: Theatre Equipment and Supply Dealers meeting, Hotel Drake, Chicago. April 21: 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. April 21-22: North Central Allied annual convention, Minneapolis. April 21-25: Society of Motion Picture Engineers' 61st semi-annual convention, Hotel Drake, Chicago. April 23: Associated Motion Picture Advertisers' 30th anniversary salute to industry leaders, Hotel Astor, New York. May 6-8: Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners annual convention in Los Angeles. May 8: Twenty-fifth anniversary dinner of the Motion Picture Association at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. May 14-17: Eleventh annual Variety Club International convention at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. May 16: Motion Picture Associates annual dinner dance, Waldorf-Astoria, New York. July 13-16: Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio annual convention. at the Dashler Wallick Hotel, Columbus, Ohio. the Shea theatre in Turner Falls from the Z. Roy estate. . . . Charles E. Fish has rejoined-the Capitol Theatre Supply Corporation as installation engineer. . . . Conway Cohalan, student booker, is at the RKO exchange. . . . The Tub Thumpers of America held a dinner at the Hotel Vendome March 26. . . . Moe Grassgreen recently rounded out his 30th year of service with 20th Century-Fox. CHARLOTTE John A. Bachman, who resigned from the post of Charlotte branch manager of Warners' exchange after nine years service, was given a going-away party March 28. . . . Charles Thomas, manager of Temple theatre, Gastonia, N. C, for Wilby-Kincey, is being transferred to Charlotte to manage the State. He succeeds Dick Horton, who will manage the Rialto at Durham. . . . Martha Painter is in the cashier department of Warners' exchange. . . . Charlotte Drive-in theatre has enjoyed such growing patronage since its March 16 opening that it is adding room for more cars. . . . Grace Honeycutt, assistant booker at PRC, has resigned. Betty Mitchell has resigned from Paramount's playdate department. Frances Smarr has resigned as ledger clerk at Paramount to go to Columbia. Elizabeth Hemmings, box office clerk at Paramount, has resigned. . . . Broadway theatre, closed for two weeks for redecoration, reopened March 29 with "Count of Monte Cristo." . . . The Charlotte Variety Club was to hold a testimonial dinner April 4 for Ben Rosenwald and John Bachman, both of whom will leave Charlotte. Mr. Rosenwald, MGM, has been transferred to Boston. Mr. Bachman, resigned from Warners,, will take over the branch managership of UA in Atlanta. CHICAGO With fair weather finally here, business is still continuing at a steady pace in loop houses. In fact, the first quarter of 1947 is believed to be as big, if not bigger, than the same quarter last year. . . . Harold Pearlman, after five years as advertising and publicity director for Filmack, has resigned. He will announce his future plans following a Wisconsin vacation. . . . Several score exhibitors were guests of Eagle-Lion when Brian Foy, vice-president in charge of production, was host during his Chicago staj' en route back to the coast. . . . The Margaret Etter Creche Day Nursery charity organization called its annual benefit party March 29 "Suddenly It's Spring." Paramount and B&K worked the tieup. . . . Jack Rose, chief barker of the local Variety Club, reports that due to material shortages, the new quarters in the Continental Hotel will not be opened until mid-April or the first part of May. CINCINNATI The 3,300-seat RKO Albee, which recently resumed stage shows and pictures after a short season of all pictures, again has resumed a straight film policy, at least for the present, opening on March 27 with "The Red House." . . . Irving Sochin, general manager of Theatre Owners Corporation, organized to buy and book product for independent exhibitors in this area, reports sign(Continued on page 34) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 5, 1947