Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1944)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 1, 1944 * ★ REGIONAL NEWSREEL Continued * ^ CINCINNATI Jack Fineberg, United Artists sales representative who went on vacation this week, is expected to be a benedict when he returns. The salesmen of Film Row tendered him a lively stag party at the Variety Club on Saturday night. RKO's Helen Honnert is planning her vacation at Virginia Beach while their Ruth Harrer will vacation with her family in Huntington, W. Va. Max Matz, Bluefield, W. Va., stopped off en route to the Republican Convention at Chicago. Gene Henley, formerly with the Black Diamond Circuit, who served as 2nd lieutenant in the Ferrying Command and requested transfer to active duty, was in the combat area at the time of the invasion, a letter to Film Row stated. Warners have added Dorothy Maxfield and Mae Klarsfeld to their staff. The Republic Club of Republic Pictures, ci which George Kirby is branch manager, held a twilight outing, picnic and supper at Mt. Airy last week. The whole office personnel turned out and had a grand time. Mildred Post is president of the club. Phil Chakeres, Chakeres Circuit, Springfield, dropped in on his way to Florida where he will visit his son-in-law, Frank Collins, who has been commissioned Lieutenant, junior grade. Warners' Delia Menasche is vacationing. Universal's George Gomersall has returned from his vacation in Florida. Bill Blum, Universal representative, returned from Atlantic City, where he spent his vacation. Helen Whitehead had been added to the Universal staff as booking stenographer. Fred Fenner has rejoined Paramount as booker, having received his medical discharge after being wounded in action. MGM held a scrumptious birthday party celebrating their 20th Anniversary, at the exchange, Monday. CLEVELAND Jack Greenbaum, well known Cleveland film man, died suddenly here of a heart attack. I. J. Schmertz, local 20th-Fox branch manager, has been presented with his first grandson, a Gl^-pound youngster, named Keith Roger. Mrs. Ruth Blostein Tatt was called to Las Vegas, N. M., by the illness of her husband, Pvt. Sidney Tatt. A bond premiere held at the Capitol Theatre resulted in the sale of $1,975,000 worth of bonds, reports Max Greenwald, general manager of the Elyria Theatre Chain. Dick Wright, assistant to Warner zone manager, Nat Wolf, off for a two-week vacation. Sybil Englander, her pals at the Warner theatre bookkeeping department saiy, is a dead ringer for Bette Davis. Head Artist Al Stern of Warners' theatre department on vacation. A Universal district sales meeting was held at the Cleveland Hotel with Fred Meyers, Eastern division sales manager, and Dave Miller, district manager, presiding. New Universal product and sales policies were discussed. Pete Dana, branch manager; Jim Hendel, William Satori, Francis Guehl, Maurice Silverberg, salesmen; Peter Quiter, office manager; James Retter, head booker ; Joe Krenitz, branch manager ; F. Arthur Simon, Leo Gottlieb, Howard Hummel, salesmen ; and Herbert Horstemeir, office manager and head booker, were Pittsburgh and Cleveland personnel members present. Thomas Whyte, manager of the Garden Theatre, on leave of absence due to ill health. Hilliard Square Theatre Manager Fred Holzworth's boy, Bob, home from Miami College for a week with his folks. Co-operative Theatres of Ohio inked a deal with PRC's Fred Scheuerman, for a series of westerns. Nate Shultz, Monogram franchise owner, home from the West Coast after attending a company franchise owners' meeting. Dave Spizel's son, Pfc. Edgar Spizel, home on leave from his base in Trinidad. Local MGM exchange has a five-story birthday cake on display. Lou Milder, Warners' Colony Theatre manager, staged a bond premiere resulting in the sale of $48,000 worth of bonds. 2,144 people bought $1,008,000 worth of war bonds for the bond premiere staged at the Warner Theatre in Youngstown. Admission prices at Loew's and Warners' downtown theatres were revised. The minimum price of 43 cents at Loew houses and 44 cents at Warner houses go to 45 cents. Change is to eliminate dealing in pennies. Charles Rich, Vitagraph district manager, back from New York. DES MOINES Due to the manpower shortage, the A. S. Ames circuit, which operated theatres in smaller Iowa communities, has closed down, it has been disclosed by A. S. Ames, owner. Dakota, Iowa's Lakota Theatre has been reopened by a group of the community's business men. The house has been re-opened several times unsuccessfully in the past. The operation of the Uptown Theatre at Arnolds Park has been taken over by the March circuit. The house will remain open during the summer months only. " 'Buffalo Bill' doing sensational in the Des Moines territory," reports Stanley Mayer, manager of 20th Century-Fox exchange there. "The picture did the biggest gross of any 20th-Fox 'U' FORCES GATHER IN BOSTON. Fred Myers, eastern division manager, presided at the regional meeting of the Universal sales forces in Boston last week. Among those, in addition to Myers, whom you may identify in the photo above of the meet are: John J. Scully, E. T. Gomersall, Maurice A. Bergman, Meyer Feltman, fames Kennedy, Fred Brigden, Harry McDcjnald, Walter Dyer, Philip Trent, Ernest Warren, Abe Weiner, Harry 'Martin, Wm. Benson, Heury Wolper, John Pavone, Jere Spandau, Wm. Bork, Carl Herrdt, Justin Speagle, Sylvan Leffi Al Marchetti, Charles Weil, Eugene Vogel, Stanley Taylor, Joseph Kelly. KISSES FOR DOLLE. When 20th-Fox's "Home in Indiana" had its world premiere in Louisville (together with 200 other theatres in a 5-state opening) Fred Dolle, general manager of the 4th Avenue Amusement Co., also celebrated— it was his 32nd wedding anniversary. Fred is seen above blushingly receiving felicitations from screen stars Jeanne Grain and June Haver, who attended the Louisville premiere. picture at Knoxville," said Mayer, "and is piling up similar records in other houses." National Screen Service Division Manager Paul Mooney was a visitor in Des Moines last week while Stanley Mayer played host to M. A. Levy, 20th-Fox division boss. Mrs. Mabel Krumveide, theatre and oil station operator at Preston, Iowa, for the past 26 years, has closed her oil station to devote her full time to running the theatre. The Des Moines Theatre in Des Moines was the scene of the largest bond premiere ever held in Iowa. Bond sales totaled $3,154,000. The picture was Bing Crosby's "Going My Way." Recent transactions in theatrical real estate include the Stuart Theatre at Stuart, sold by Lee Henry to George Parlow, owner of the Manson Theatre at Manson, Iowa ; and the Grand at Caladonia, Minn., sold by Earl Kerr to Harry Pace. INDIANAPOLIS Kenneth T. Collins, city manager of the Indiana-Circle-Lyric group of theatres, announced the following changes in managerial posts : Moe Esserman, formerly at the Lyric, succeeds Earl Rutledge, resigned ; Frank Paul, manager of Keith's until it closed for the Summer, replaces Esserman at the Lyric ; Fred H. Radford, formerly of the Fountain Square and Drive-In theatres, assistant at the Indiana, succeeding George King, and Charles G. Pitts will assist George Pappas, manager of the Circle. More than 1,000 youngsters jammed the first "Kiddies' War Bond movie premiere" in this city at the Talbott Theatre and invested approximately $20,000 in bonds for free tickets. Two shows were required to accommodate the young bond buyers. Double billing at the Rivoli Theatre : "I Married a Witch" and "I Woke Up Screaming." Film salesmen report excellent progress by Indiana exhibitors in the sale of Fifth War Loan bonds. Isaac Sollers, Covington exhibitor, has entered a sanitarium in Richmond, Ind., to be treated for arthritis. Luther Knifley, Knifley, Ky., will open the Art Theatre, a new picture theatre with a seating capacity of 200. Maurice (Bucky) Harris of RKO publicity department, is presently working in this area. Patricha Foster has been named secretary to William Lehman, chief accountant at Paramount. Jane Gibson, Warner Bros, accountant, is vacationing in Kansas City. Mrs. Edith Ziese, (Continued on Page 26)