Showmen's trade review (Jul-Sep 1944)

26 SHOWMEN'STRADEREVIEW September 9, 1944 ★ * REGIONAL NEWSREEL — continued ★ * 105th St. and recently returned from a trip to California is back in town and has been appointed manager of the Shore Theatre, succeeding Max Feldman who has been shifted to the Union Square. Harry Henderson, manager of the Lorain Fulton, is back from a hshing and boating vacation on Lake Erie. Miss Ldhan Fisher, secretary to Warner contract manager Louis Ratener, has gone to California to see what makes the pictures tick. B. W. Steerman, contact manager of the Warner Pittsburgh branch and Mrs. Steerman were holiday week-end guests of Tony and Mrs. Stearn. J. Knox Strachan, Warner publicity director submits a new reason why assistants are hard to keep — two girls resigned because the work was too hard on their shoes. Donald Wolf, son and heir of Warner zone manager Nat Wolf has tossed the job of assistant in the publicity department into the lap of his boss, J. Knox Strachan, and has gone back to school. He is a second year student at Valley Forge Military Academy. Sam P. Gorrel, Republic branch manager, spent the week out in the territory making personal contact with the theatre owners in their own bailiwick. "Wilson" will smash all RKO Palace established policies by playing for three consecutive weeks starting Sept. 15. Dick Wright, Warner assistant zone manager has received word that Leon Ancea, former assistant manager at Warners' Ohio Theatre, Canton, received shrapnel wounds in the leg during the battle at Saipan and is now convalescing in a hospital in Honolulu. Al Dezel of Al Dezel Roadshows and Robert Snyder has acquired the Goldwyn 31 reissues for distribution in the Cleveland area. Miss Ruth Scharenberg of the Universal office force has announced her engagement to A/C Harvey J. McKenney, stationed at Enid Army Air Field, Enid7 Oklahoma. Some 45 Universalites and their guests are expected to answer the company's picnic roll call at Chippewa Lake Park on Saturday, Sept. 9. Milton A. Mooney has added the Lorain Theatre. Lorain to the more than 70 theatres that are being served by his Co-operative Theatres of Ohio. Don Kunich, ex-assistant manager at the Uptown Theatre, is reported hospitalized in France. He sustained a leg injury. Ensign Jack and Ensign Ray Ess'ck, sons of P. E. Essick of the Scoville, Essick and Reif Circuit, were home over the week-end. HARRISBURG Starting last Sundav midnight with a sp-^cial holiday preview of "The Merry Monahans" at the Senate, downtown theatres reported record Labor Day crowds. The b'a: business was believed to result from curta'led travel and the patriotic citizens who stayed home oyer the three-day week-end. Managers said matinees as well as evening performances were crowded. Pictures in town were "The Seventh Cross" at Loew's Regent; "I Love a Soldier" at the Colonial; "Tanie." State; the regular run of "Heavenly Davs" at the Senate, except for the preview at midnight :and a double b'll at the Rio including "Lady, Let's Dance" and "Port of 40 Thieves." Les Brown, who has been seen in recent movies, including "Seven Days Leave," brojjght his popular orchestra to the Hershey Park Ballroom Saturdav night, his first visit to his home territory since becoming one of the name band leaders. E. Gerald Wollaston, Rio manager, who returned from a vacation to his former home in C0N3RATULATI0NS! Universal General Sales Manager W. A. Scully gives warm greeting and expressions of admiration for a good job well done to Staff Sgt. Vincent Lacey. Formerly employed at the company's home office, Lacey recently returned to the U. S. after 30 missions as a Flying Fortress gunner, and winning awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with three Clusters. St. Mary's, found letters and cards from several former employes at the theatre, including Staff Sergeants Ed Smith, former Juniortown Master of Ceremonies, and producer of the soldier musical "Pennsylvania on Parade," now with the army at Camp Sibert, Ala. ; Jack Born, now in Italy with the Quartermaster Corps of the Army, and Gene Plank, former doorman, who has been transferred to Fort Lewis, Wash., where he has an apartment with his wife and youngster. Back on the job although with the aid of a cane is Miss Mildred Funk, cashier at the Senate, who was injured when she fell through an open cellarway at Davenport's Restaurant, North Second street. Mrs. Mary Wertz, Mrs. Sara Spotts and Mrs. Nellie Smith, Rio employes, have returned from late summer vacations. ST. LOUIS As a means of helping insure an ample number of trained workers to help erect the thousands of new brick homes, factories, schools, and other buildings that will be needed in the postwar period, the Structural Clay Products Institute is arranging for the production of a film to encourage returning servicemen to become brickmasons. Technicolor Sergeant Ethan Allen Shepley, 21, radioman-gunner on the Eighth Air Force Flying Fortress, who has received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Three Oak Clusters, is a son of Attorney Ethan A. H. Shepley, who is a member of the local arbitration panel. Recent incorporations through the Secretary of State's office here include the C-M-C Corporation, 215 West 18th street, Kansas City, Mo., and the C-A-C Corporation of the same address. Each is authorized to own, operate, manage and carry on a general theatre business, including vaudeville, moving and /or talking pictures, public assembly halls and like places of public or private amusement, etc. The incorporators in each were O. K. Mason, C. A. Schultz and H. Ralph, all of Kansas City. Motion picture theatres of St. Louis and St. Louis County contemplate having special motion picture shows on V-day to help local men, women and children celebrate the final collapse of Germany. On the other hand, hotels plan to close their bars, taverns will be shuttered by the police immediately after the Victory signal is flashed and likewise the city's three large department stores have perfected plans for closing at once. Mrs. George Freiberg has been elected presi dent of the Little Theatre of St. Louis. Other officers are : Vice-president, Harold H. Elbert ; Secretary, Mrs. Clarence V. Beck, and Treasurer, Adam Rosenthal. Contributions by residents of St. Louis and St. Louis County residents through motion picture theatres to the 1944 March of Dimes campaign amounted to $56,185.27, according to the final audit fi.o^ures just released by Harry C. Arthur, Jr., Missouri Chairman for the drive. The state total for the drive was $114,717.43. Patrons of the St. Louis and St. Louis County motion picture theatres contributed $1392.76 to be turned over to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat's Cards-for-Fighters Fund. The campaign in the theatres was conducted under the auspices of the WAC, of which Harry C. Arthur, Jr., is chairman and Louis K. Ansell and Fred Wehrenberg are vice-chairmen, and Joseph C. Ansell, treasurer. The St. Louis Municipal Opera during its 1944 season in the Municipal Theatre in Forest Park played to a total attendance of 832,429 for the 88 performances. This total was exceeded only once in the twenty-six years the opera has been operating. WASHINGTON Mrs. Grace Fisher, of the Maryland Theatre, Cumberland, took advantage of the annual races by arranging with the track management to erect a "Canterville Ghost" banner on the sprinkler truck which paraded before the grand stand before each race. The former Miss Betty Robinson, now Mrs. Sid Salins of Loew's Billing Dept., was feted at a surprise shower at the home of Ann Burns, assistant to Metro's head checker. Seabee Morris Zell, former MGM checking head is now stationed at Davisville, R. I. RKO vacation notes : Frank Scatterfield vacationed in West Virginia; Rebecca White vacationed in Burlington, North Carolina ; Charles Hurley spent his vacation visiting his family in New England. J. P. Friedhof, Monogram traveling auditor, was a recent Washington exchange visitor. Rodney Collier, manager of the Stanley Theatre, Baltimore, was a recent Warner visitor. New Poster Clerk at United Artists is Margaret Landgraf. RKO's J. B. Brecheen, visited accounts in Baltimore. Harry Silver, of the Cluster Theatre, Baltimore, was a recent Monogram visitor. Warner theatre managers united in wishing a happy birthday to John J. Payette, general zone manager, by sending him flowers. Lou Carroll, RKO Exploiteer, is in townworking on "Casanova Brown" now at RKO Keith's. Monogram's Mrs. Murray visited in Baltimore and called on L Makover of the New Albert Theatre. Sgt. Morton K. Footer, husband of United Artists' Mildred Footer, is now in France. Due to the resignation of Fred Thomas, manager of the Earle Theatre and the joining of the Armed Forces by Raymond Burch, manager of the Kennedy Theatre, John J. Payette, general zone manager for Warner Bros. "Theatres, announces the following promotions : Fred McMillan, current manager of the Silver, to succeed Thomas at the Earle; Claude Land from the Calvert to the Silver ; Kenneth Davis from the Apollo to the Calvert ; Ray Powell from assistant at the Earle to manager of the Apollo ; Julian Lewis from the Savoy to the Kennedy ; Leon Wesley from the Home to the Savoy ; and Philip Rinaldi from assistant at the Metropolitan to manager of the Home ; and Floyd Haines from assistant manager of the Uptown to 2nd manager of the Earle Theatre. Mr. Thomas, who was affiliated with Warner {Continued on Page 29)