Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

Page 30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 1, 1941 The Talk of the Tents Up and Down the Land Vwcitty Clttf) Jlote* JOHN H. HARRIS. NATIONAL CHIEF BARKER Weekly Get-Together of Filmdom's Good Fellows Tent No. 1— Pittsburgh Banquet a Complete Sellout; McCraw to Be Toastmaster; Ladies Theatrical Club Holds Meeting in Club Rooms The banquet is a complete sell-out! Honorable Wm. McCraw of Dallas will be the toastmaster. The Philadelphia, Detroit, Columbus, Washington, Cincinnati and Dallas Tents will be represented at the banquet. The committee arranging for the speakers hopes to have Oscar Levant of Information Please, and incidentally, a native of Pittsburgh, at the banquet. Jim Crowley, coach of the Fordham Rams, will also be here. The Ladies Theatrical Club of Pittsburgh held their first meeting in the club rooms last Tuesday. All the barkers of Tent No. 1 are happy to hear of Benny Kalmenson's and Harry Kalmine's promotions. Harry Young, Universal manager in Cincinnati, was a visitor in Pittsburgh, other visitors at the club this past week included Baron Elliott and his wife and Bert Stearn, District Manager for United Artists. Tent No. 2— Columbus Club Sponsors Dance Caravan for Heart Fund; Hendel Tendered Farewell Dinner; Bill Pullin a Visitor Tent No. 2 is sponsoring the two-night appearance at Columbus Auditorium on Armistice night, Nov. 11 and 12, of the RCA -Victor dance caravan for the benefit of the Heart Fund. Tommy Dorsey and Shep Fields will be the two attractions. Barkers from all tents are most cordially invited to attend. James Hendel was tendered a farewell dinner on his promotion to the post of exchange manager at United Artists Cleveland office. Jimmy formerly was U.A. salesman here. One of the biggest and most successful events in recent club history was the dinner given Coach Paul Brown of Ohio State University and his staff. Members of the athletic family of Ohio State, including Athletic Director L. W. St. John, attended. Bill Pullin was a local visitor for several days. He is manager of the Vogue and Lyric Theatres in Manistee, Mich. Tent No. 3 — Cincinnati Gin Rummy Tournament Starts Nov. 5; 3 Detroiters and a Pittsburgher Visit; Schechter to Indianapolis All members are asked to participate in the forthcoming Gin Rummy Tournament starting on November 5. The prizes are right and the affair promises to be one of the best ever attempted by this tent. Mike Greenberg, Andy Niedenthal, Allan Moritz, Maurice White and Nat Kaplan are on the committee. So let's all get together and help them make the Tournament a big success. Harold Smiley, Irving Goldberg and Alex Schreiber of the Detroit Tent were visitors at headquarters during the past week. Another welcome guest was Legs Hawley, Athletic Director of the University of West Virginia, Morgantown, W. Va. Hawley is a member of Tent No. 1 Pittsburgh. Andy and Rosie Niedenthal made a fast trip to Dayton to visit with the Gem City Barkers and also to see Benny Strong who is doing the musicals at the Biltmore Hotel in that City. _ Noah Schechter was on a trip to Indianapolis and returned with several members of the "My Sister Eileen" company. Included in the caravan were Bob Milford, manager, Effie Afton leading feminine principal and Guy Robertson, the former "Great Waltz" singer. Tent No. 11— Washington Party Hosted by Club's Doctors One of Finest; Election Off Till Nov. 10; Carter Puts on Navy Day Dinner Believe us, lads, the party pulled off by the club's doctors was one of the finest treats in years. Imagine getting off the elevator at the first floor of the Willard Hotel, headquarters of Tent 11, and being whisked away on a rolling stretcher by a pair of strong-armed attendants with a nurse applying soothing ointments. And right smash through the crowds with the yell of gangway, too. This is the way some of the patrons were greeted. Inside the rooms, the medicos had plastered the walls with Red Cross flags and signs with puns on the medico trade with even a risque touch added. Elections of officers, originally scheduled last week were postponed until November 10 by Chief Barker Hardie Meakin. Will take place at a luncheon, .which Hardie states will be on the house. Swell, eh, fellers. On Saturday, November 1, Variety is sponsoring the Gracie Fields show at Constitution Hall for the benefit of the British War Relief Society. Carter Barron was chairman, aided by the entire crew of worthies. By the by, Carter, who holds down the important post of Loew division manager, held great responsibilities in putting on the Navy Day dinner in this town being the spot from which the President spoke his famous words about the last shot. And if you have not already sent in your $15 check for two tickets to the 8th annual dinner (to be known as the Victory Dinner) well, do it right away to Sam Wheeler, ticket chairman. And you will be mad at yourself for not having made reservations earlier when you have to stand on the chairs in the rear of the Willard ballroom to see what goes on. A visit, by the way, to neighboring Baltimore's tent atop the Stanley Theatre is worthwhile. The tent, former Penthouse Nite Clubbe, has been remodeled in excellent taste thanks to such stalwarts as Frank Durkee, Lou Rome, Rodney Collier, Bill Hicks, et al. . . . Tent No. 12— Twin Cities Six Barkers at Mich. -Minn. Football Game; Hy Chapman Couldn't Go; Farewell Stag for Herbert Krause The "little judge" Ben Meshbesher and Sol Torodor and Bill Levy were among the club members who, along with Abe Kaplan, Charlie Rubenstein and Eddie Ruben, witnessed the Minnesota-Michigan football classic at Ann Arbor last Saturday. Torodor and Levy nearly missed the contest when the engine pulling their train broke down 100 miles out of Ann Arbor. As WHEN? WHERE? WHAT? Nov. 1: Washington — British War Relief Benefit Nov. 2: Pittsburgh — Banquet Nov. 8: Charlotte — First Annual Banquet Nov. 11-12: Columbus — RCA Victor Dance Caravan Nov. 15: Washington — Eighth Annual Dinner Dance Nov. 24: Texas — Thanksgiving Party Dec. 14: Philadelphia — Annual Banquet Dec. 15: Texas — Induction of Officers Dec. 20: Texas — Christmas Carnival Dec. 31: Texas — New Year's Celebration it was, they didn't arrive until the start of the second quarter. Meshbesher, Torodor and Levy spent a couple of nights in Chicago and Torodor combined business with pleasure by making a deal in Chicago for a lot opposite his theatre to be used for parking. On the Friday morning Hiawatha was "Hy" Chapman, Columbia branch manager, wishing he were going the entire way to Ann Arbor, but only enroute to LaCrosse, Wise, on business. A sales meeting prevented him from attending the game. Incidentally, "Hy" was still looking in vain for two tickets to the NorthwesternMinnesota football game this week-end (scarcer than hen's teeth) for his brother and sister-inlaw. Charlie Rubenstein and Sol Torodor are in charge of arrangements for a farewell stag party in the clubrooms for popular Herbert Krause, local representative of Confection Cabinet, servicing theatres here, who has been transferred to Chicago to take over the showhouses there. The "Homecoming Football Game" party arranged by Lowell Kaplan-Charlie Rubenstein in the clubrooms, the first social event of the new season, proved a huge success. Tent No. 13— Philadelphia Banquet Date Changed Dec. 14; 100 Sailors from U.S.S. Washington Entertained; Hallowe'en Party Saturday A special meeting of the entire membership was held last Friday night in the Club Rooms with Chief Barker Earle W. Sweigert presiding. It was decided to change the date of the Annual Banquet from Thursday, December 11th to Sunday night, December 14th. As usual it will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. Following the meeting a buffet lunch was served. Saturday night's dance was well attended by the Barkers and their ladies. Sunday afternoon 100 Sailors from the U.S.S. Washington, now at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, were entertained in the Club Rooms by the Ladies Auxiliary. The gobs enjoyed a preview of one of the latest releases and were served refreshments following the showing of the picture. The preview was repeated Sunday evening for the enjoyment of the Barkers and their ladies. Monday night the Club Rooms were thronged by members and their guests prior to attending the Jim Clark Dinner held in the Ballroom of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. The Annual Halloween Party will be held this Saturday evening with special seasonal decorations and novelty effects. An all star floor show will be one of the features of the occasion. Tent No. 17— Texas Earl Collinses Host Bingo Party; One of Biggest of Season's Turnouts Greets Newly Arrived Dallas Couple Last Saturday night, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Collins were host and hostess at the weekly Bingo Party. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are newcomers to Dallas and Tent No. 17 but they were favored with one of the largest turnouts of the budding fall season. True Variety comradeship was displayed by the fine attendance of the Barkers and their wives and friends at the first party sponsored by Earl Colins and his lovely wife. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bostick joined the party Saturday night after having first taken their nuptial vows, accompanied by Barker