Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

October 23, 1943 SHOWMEN'S, TRADE REVIEW 31 ★ ★ REGIONAL NEWSREEL and otlier injuries. The Lux Theatre at Messena has been sold by H. V. Mullins to L. W. Sackett, who will reside at Massena and operate the theatre. The Orpheum Theatre at Rock Valley has been sold by George Thacker to John Nebben. Clarence A. Foell, Manchester cafe operator, has purchased the Plaza Theatre at Manchester from Mrs. Edwin Cobb of Marshalltown. G. Ralph Branton, general manager of TriStates, is on a hunting and fishing expedition in Canada along with Sam Shirley, Chicago Metro executive. Robert M. Gillham, director in charge of advertising for Paramount, was a visitor in Des Moines. A well known figure in Des Moines Film Row, Harold Hilborne, former poster clerk with Warner Bros., died recently in Chicago. He was in the Army and was stricken with a rare skin disease. Second Lieutenant W. V. Toney, former maintenance and purchasing executive for TriStates, returned to Des Moines on a furlough and visited his former co-workers at Tri-States. His v/ife, Grace, accompanied him to Des Moines from Camp Wallace, Tex., where he is stationed. Mrs. Lionel Wasson, wife of the manager of the Palace Theatre at Burlington, came to Des Moines to visit with the Toneys. New employes in Film Row include Lucille Chicilli, who replaces Mary Funari as an inspectress at the Columbia exchange, and Homer Corder, new assistant shipper at the Paramount exchange. Geraldine Hamburg, daughter of Manager Harry Hamburg of Paramount exchange, has returned to Northwestern University, where she is a sophomore. DETROIT Detroit and Michigan theatres went over the top in a big way in the Third War Loan drive, according to Edward C. Beatty, Michigan head of the War Activities Committee. Michigan theatres sold more than $36,500,000 worth of bonds, and this figure does not take in the efforts of the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade and the Airmada bond-selling tour. Taking outstanding honors for single theatres was the Ferndale, which ran up a total sale of $533,525 under the leadership ,of its operator, Tom Ealand. The United Detroit Theatres accounted for more than $7,000,000 in sales. Top position outstate, when the limited territory is considered, went to the Temple Theatre of East Jordan, Mich., which ranked up sales of $62,200. The Temple is run by Hollis Drew. Jimmie Smith, former chief valet and chauffeur for William Powell, is now working in the hammer shop at the Lansing (Mich.) Drop For.ge plant. Lieut. Commander Robert Montgomery, who formerly gave the local girls heart throbs via the silver screen, made a personal appearance here recently for the Navy. But Montgomery was in town for serious war business, stopping at the Packard Motor Car Co. in the capacity of technical adviser for the film training program which the company is developing. With Detroit in the throes of trying to find a solution to its many-headed problem of juvenile delinquency, Len Shaw, movie critic of the Free Press, devoted a column last week to pointing out that vandalism must be removed. As if to accent Shaw's point, an incident happened in the Palms-State Theatre. A 19-year-old girl, Continued * * Geraldine Nowicki, was hit on the head with a pop bottle which was thrown or accidentally dropped from the balcony. It happened during the showing of "Behind the Rising Sun." The girl was taken to Receiving Hospital with a serious skull injury. The incident brought up the question as to whether refreshment counters should permit patrons to take bottled drinks away from the counter. "Sahara," which opened at the Fox Theatre Oct. 15, is being recommended to the public by the Detroit Water Board as a good study of the power water has in war. The board is settingout on an educational program to save water, £.s requested by the War Production Board. Detroit theatres are . co-operating in the national drive to save electric power by reducing the lighting on their marquees. Many marquees, formerly solid with light bulbs, are now merely using outline lights. INDIANAPOLIS Madison, Indiana, wonders what has happened to its movie future. The historic city situated along the Ohio River seemed destined to be the locale for a motion picture filmed by the Office of War Information for showing in foreign lands. But the venture started six weeks ago, has ended in a "fade out." All activities have been stopped without an explanation. F. H. Warren of the Republic Pictures sales staff has resigned and is now connected with 20th-Fox sales group, succeeding H. E. Richardson, who resigned several weeks ago. War {Coui'uuied on Page 32)