Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1947)

[Continued from page 39) Nicknell; Roy Harrold, Rushville ; William Passen, Jasonville; M. A. Wood, Terre Haute. KANSAS CITY Robert L. Conn has been assigned the northern Kansas territory for Twentieth Century-Fox, formerly covered by Joseph F. Woodward, who was recently made branch manager at Milwaukee. Charles D. Crawford replaces Conn. . . . Charles Boshart has been appointed manager of the Kimo, Dickinson midtown house here. . . . Commonwealth Theatres' Ashland, neighborhood house, remains open while new seating is being installed. . . . Bernie Evens, for the past five years MGM exploitation representative for this area, has been given the St. Louis territory also. . . . The St. Joseph Belt drive-in has opened. . . . The Jo theatre of the Dickinson circuit, St. Joseph, is being remodeled and redecorated. . . . A. N. Brown has sold his Roxy theatre at New Franklin to M. C. Hooper. . . . Among recent exhibitor-visitors to Film Row were : W. W. Weldon, Lathrop; Edgar Redfearn, Bronson; M. B. Presley, Savannah; R. C. Davison, Pattonsburg ; Paul Ricketts, -Holyrood ; L. Z. Henry, Plattsburg; F. C. Weary, Richmond; Charles Fisk, Butler; John Brandt, Oregon; L. Mahon, Burlingame; Eddie Henderson, Marysville; John Egli and John Egli, Jr., St. Joseph; L. Hickok, Effingham; Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Neal, Lenora; Harry Till, Hamilton; Rudy Rose, La Cygne ; P. R. Shaner, Odessa. LOS ANGELES Local exhibitors in the past week were busv as bees attending trade screenings, RKO at the Ambassador Hotel, Paramount at the Boulevard theatre, and Warner Brothers at their exchange. ... Joe Woods, Rowena theatre, Chandler, Ariz., was on the Row buying and booking. . . . George Giroux, Technicolor representative, was on the Row visiting with friends. . . . Ben Crandall has acquired the Melvan theatre from Doc Barsky and Sam Klein, former operators. . . . Ezra E. Stern. Film Row attorney, has returned from a business trip to San Francisco. ... Sol Berns has resigned as manager of the Florence Mills theatre. . . . Art O'Donnell, formerly of Seattle, is now salesman working out of the local U-I branch. . . . Seen on Film Row: Del Goodman, former Paramount district manager; C. Maestri, Lippert circuit booker; D. Jarvis, Rio theatre, Blythe; Mr. and Mrs. Ben Levin, General Theatrical Co., San Francisco. LOUISVILLE The new Evansville drive-in theatre, Evansville, Ind., has been officially opened. . . . Oscar Hopper of Liberty, Ky., has purchased the Artista, Lebanon, Ky. . . . Mrs. Mary Impellizzerri plans to construct a store and office building, housing a new theatre, in Louisville. . . . Recent visitors : Ray Coleman, Edmonton; William P. McGary, Hardinsburg; Robert Enoch, Elizabethtown; Otto Marcum and Edwin St. Clair, Lebanon Junction; Edward Ornstein, Marengo; Ira B. Dyer, Albany; D. G. Steinkamp, French Lick; R. L. Harned, Sellersburg; Oscar Hopper, Lebanon. . . . John Phelps has taken over as manager of the Brown at Louisville, having replaced Harry Newton, who took over the Strand, replacing A. B. McCoy. . . . "Odd Man Out" has opened at the National, "The Perils of Pauline" is at the Rialto, and "The Hucksters" at Loew's. MEMPHIS A mid-summer increase in theatre attendance is reported. Loew's State, showing "The Hucksters," reported a "terrific business." Loew's Palace, with "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," reported "very good" attendance. Malco said "Dear Ruth" had stepped up attendance over previous weeks. Warner reported "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" had brought increased atendance. Strand showed "Return of Monte Cristo," and Ritz had a double feature. Attendance was "very good" at both. . . . Princess theatre, one of Lightman's three Main Street houses in Memphis, is in the midst of a remodeling program which includes a new front and larger concession stand. . . . Mid-south exhibitors visiting the Row included : F. R. Watson, Elaine, Ark. ; Ned Green, Mayfield, Ky. ; J. M. Mounger, Calhoun Citv, Miss.; J. W. Wofford, Eupora, Miss.; Clifford Nix, Swifton, Ark. ; L. B. Bays, Grenada, Miss.; Roy Dillard, Wardell, Mo.; T. O. Hensley, Jonesboro, Ark. ; J. C. Mohrstadt, Hayti, Mo. ; G. H. Goff, Parsons, Tenn. ; K. K. Kink, Searcy, Ark. ; R. R. McCormick, Senatebia, Miss., and Wilfred Bonds, Dyer, Tenn. MIAMI "A Likely Story" has moved into the Royal and Variety theatres here. The Olympia has "Imperfect Lady," while "Ivy" is at the Capitol, and "The Unfaithful" is at the Paramount. . . . "The Hucksters" has been making a hit, as has "Moss Rose." . . . With a heat wave and the rainy season both in full swing here, the air conditioned theatres are attracting crowds. . . . The Capitol has offered a double bill of reissue horror shows, "Dracula" and "Frankenstein." MINNEAPOLIS Theatre business remained on a rather dull level, although "Duel in the Sun" wound up four good weeks, and "The Egg and I" was held over for its fourth week. All houses were looking forward to good business during the Aquatennial week. . . . Conrad Kriedberg has been named Minneapolis branch manager for Selznick Releasing Organization, succeeding Charles Weiner. . . . Jack Wright, veteran rural exhibitor, is a partner of Gordon Greene in building a new Golden Valley theatre. . . . Burell Bengston is building a quonset hut theatre in Pierpont, S. D. . . . Arthur C. Bean has resumed operation of the Capitbl, Lakota, N. D., which he sold last December. . . . Walter Saylor has opened the new 425-seat Dakota at Wishek, N. D. . . . Leo Goldman is the new owner of the Cuba at Cuba City, Wis., and Sharkey Payne has reopened the Verndale at Verndale, Minn. . . . The Legion theatre at Lake Bronson, Minn., has been taken over by the American Legion. A new 300-seater at Westhope, N. D., is being built by Howard Henry. NEW ORLEANS Downtown theatres reported a good week last week, with business headed by Loew's State's presentation of "The Hucksters." The Saenger offered "Possessed" ; "The Woman on the Beach" was RKO's Orpheum feature, while their Liberty theatre presented "The Vigilantes Return." The Joy showed "Miracle on 34th Street" to packed houses. "The Two Mrs. Carrolls" was the Tudor presentation, and the Globe showed "I Cover the Big Town." . . . "Louisiana Boy" is the working title of the production which brought Robert Flaherty of Flaherty Productions, New York, to southwestern Louisiana for filming. OMAHA Air conditioning at theatres seems to appeal to Omahans with grosses bouncing (Continued on page 44) STAFF LUNCHEON — Samuel F. Roth, president of Valley Enterprises, Virginia, is host. The occasion was resumption of operation of the State and Strand theatres, Harrisonburg, Va., by Mr. Roth, after 10 years under Warner management. Attending were the staffs of the two houses and others of the circuit and Mr. Roth and his executives from the Washington office. With Mr. Roth were Morris Fradin, John G. Broumas and Charles Freer, auditor. Others included Cyril Mee, Alton W. Lowson, Harry T. King, L. C. Taylor, Donald Pattee, Otho W. Bricker, Jr., W. W. Hinegardner, Mrs. Nan Welsh, Robert Ramsey, Norman Wilfong, Carl F. Behrman, David R. Manning, James Dwyer, Betty Miller, Janet S. Puffenbarger, Nancy Butler and Lawrence P. Mclnturff. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY 26, 1947