Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1944)

56 S H O W M E N • S T R A D E R E V I E W June 24, 1944 * * REGIONAL NEWSREEL— Ccithiued ★ * Seattle, called to San Francibco. Lawrence Gillespie, exhibitor of Okanogan, Wash., on Seattle Row. Ralph Abbett, Seattle, and Walter Wessling, Portland, Monogram heads in Pacific Northwest, back from Los Angeles conference. Ellen Castleman, former assistant cashier at Columbia, has joined the Waves. Al O'Camp, RKO Radio e.xploiteer, back from trip to British Columbia. Bud Saffle, now corporal in the Air Corps, visiting with his parents and MGM staff in Seattle. Mrs. J. T. Sheffield, back from hospital and on way to recovery from serious illness. ST. LOUIS The Illinois Secretary of State's office has recently issued charters to the following corporations : All American Pictures Corp., 1246 Wabash avenue, Chicago, 10 shares of $100 par value common stock. Authorized to sell, distribute and exhibit motion pictures. Licorporators ; J. N. Jovan, L. P. Bernard, J. Clucksman and J. Loewy. Rock River Amusement Corp., Sterling, 111., 300 shares of $100 par value common stock. To exhibit motion pictures for •vaudeville performances. Incorporators: C. J. Kontos, F. Ford and C. A. Serriades. Sixty employes of Loew's, Inc., were awarded 20-year and 10-year pins as part of MGM's 20th Anniversary celebration at a dinner in the Coronado Hotel, June 19th. Those receiving 20-year pins were J. Zimmerman, local MGM office manager, and Mary Vaughn, chief inspectress. J. Frank Willingham, branch manager, received his 20-year pin some time ago while stationed in Memphis. The Ambassador Theatre, a Fanchon & Marco first-run house, will have a Bond Premiere at midnight on Saturday, June 24th, while similar shows are to be given at F&M's Fox and Missouri theatres at midnight on July 1st. Loew's State and Orpheum theatres held their bond premieres June I7th with excellent results. Due to a shortage of competent projectionists, many members of Local No. 143 of the Moving Picture and Projection Machine Operators Union, an lATSE affiliate, are not taking the one and two-week vacations with pay to which they are entitled. Instead they are working and collecting the vacation allowance in cash. St. Louis has a city ordinance which requires the use of two projectionists on each shift while a regular motion picture show is being given. A few non-union houses in St. Louis County use only one projectionist during a show, but those houses are not under the jurisdiction of the St. Louis ordinance. The high wind on the night of June 15th blew part of the scenery down during the first act of a performance of "Janie" at the open-air Roof-Top Theatre. The actors attemptecl to go on with the show but were soon driven to cover by a heavy downpour of rain. The final portion of their performance the night of June 18th was also waslied out. Rex Williams, resident manager of the Local Loew's theatres, is back from his vacation. Hubert Scott, manager of Loew's Orpheum, SIGNS EASILY PAINTED ABC L'.-tter Patterns make it very easy for you. Trace letters with No. 2 Cm ptnciland fill in the color with brush, and you have a neat sien. 1 O *J 1 -J ^-^^ "-"^ kind you may preTcr, al practically no cost. 1 J ^^i^^^ja Lctlcrsarecut from durable stencil board and will last foryt-ars. 3 ODP PRICE PER flLPMflBET 26 LETTERS A D riDld l':i.i.60c 2in.70c 3 m. BSc 4 in. tl.lO 61n.$1.7& 8 in. £2.50 /\ D No. 13 PRICE PER SET OF lO NUMERALS 1 TO O No -I • 1' J in. 25c 2 in. 30c 3 in. 3Sc 4 in. 45c 6 in. 70c 8 in. SI.OO • JOHN N. RAHN. r3'30 Nrci^nSarAve!.'^^'c Ml ^Pj^ 123 ABO 123 ABC 123 ABC 123 Can't Get It? Joe Hornstein Has It Mrs. Scott and their 2-year-old son, started their vacation June 19th. Their plans include visits to Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Ind. The Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion and Optimist Club all united in sponsoring a parade and War Bond rally at the St. Louis Amusement Company's Victory Theatre. VANCOUVER Renaissance Films, Inc., a new company, has been established in Montreal to produce French pictures. Studios are being established at nearby St. Laurent where "Le Fere Chopin," the first feature, will be started this week, with others to follow. The new company will use both French and local actors. W. P. Nicols, owner of the Royal Theatre, is now running the house, having taken it back from Franz Doye, who had it leased for the l:ast two years. This is the original Pantages house in Vancouver in the heart of Chinatown. tlhar.ge of policy has been announced by the Warrime Trade Board with respect to the construction of new buildings previously prohibited as a war measure under regulations enacted early in 1942. The board has rescinded clauses of the order banning occupation ol theatres not in actual operation for film entertainment purposes on Jan. 31, 1942, which means that dark theatres can now be reopened. The board has also removed restrictions on new theatre construction, but warns that difficulties may still be encountered in the securing of building materials, equipment, furnishings and fixtures still under priority for war uses. Paul Harmond has reopened his Squamish Theatre. He operates a chain of one-night stands in British Columbia. Hon. W. E. Rowe said in the Canadian House of Commons that more money was spent by the National Film Board than was shown in estimates due to $1,187,000 it had collected from other government departments in a year for work done for them. Nothing was known of the expenditure of this money by Parliament, he claimed, and said a clearer picture of financing should be presented to the house. The leader of the opposition said that payments to John Grierson, film commissioner, and other N.F.B. employes, were "nothing at all" compared to those paid in the private film industry. The school board of Winnipeg suggested censorshop of theatre advertising in newspapers after a member protested against a scene showing an American soldier plunging a dagger into a Jap. The film mentioned was Universal's "Gung Ho." The Lyric Theatre, after being without pictures for the past ten weeks, came to terms with its projectionists and is again operating. The Lyric, a downtown house, was formerly the Orpheum. Lome McCarney, accessory manager for Fox, i.-. in the General Hospital for an emergency operation for appendicitis. Swollen by an influx of war workers from the prairies and Eastern Canada, Vancouver has outstripped all other Canadian cities in wartime population increase. Statistics show that the population increased by 36,198 persons between June, 1941, and September, 1943. It gives Vancouver a population of 345,123 in September, 1943, as against 308,930 in June, I'Hl. New Westminster shows an increase of ()()()() during the same period, while Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg show decreases. Patronage at downtown theatres was reported only fair following the European invasion, while attendance at neighborhood houses was meagre, as many persons remained in earshot of home radios. "Up in Mabel's Room" at the Vogue is the only picture to go over par, and is being held over for a third week. Leon Shelly, managing director of Vancouver Motion Pictures, is at present in Nova Scotia with a crew of cameramen working on a colored film for the Nova Scotian government, depicting . beauty spots in the province for tourist consumption. The film is expected to obtain a major release. WASHINGTON George Payette, manager of Warners' Maryland Theatre, Hagerstown, has arranged a stunt to spur support of the Fifth War Loan drive. Through the cooperation of the Fairchild Aircraft Corp., Payette is offering bond purchasers a, chance for a free ride in the new Fairchild plane, F-24. Charles Demma, manager of the Apex Theatre, will have a Kiddie War Bond Show as part of his campaign. Gaily colored handbills are advertising his show, with admission by purchase of a $25 bond. Feature attraction will be the MGM musical, "Broadway Rhythm." In addition to four cartoons, the gala aflfair will offer Johnny Rah's "Punch and Judy," Joe and Earline King, the Five Floradoras and other stage acts. Bill Brooker of Paramount was in to confer with Frank La Falce, Warner Theatres' director of advertising and publicity, on forthcoming Paramount attractions. Willie Hicks, Baltimore exhibitor, and owner of the Mayfair, Lord Calvert, Little, and other theatres in Baltimore, died suddenly in New York City last week. Lloyd Krause, student booker at 20th Century-Fox, has left the Washington office to work in Cincinnati. Republic booker, Mrs. Monfried, spent the week-end in New York. Elizabeth Anne DeMello, daughter of Anne DeMello of Warner Bros, advertising department, ranked first in scholarship in her class ( f 68 children. Fred Kogod, area chairman for the Northeast Washington area, has arranged a concerted campaign which managers under his supervision will follow. Each manager has received a two-page bulletin explaining in detail the plans for his theatre throughout the drive. This system gives the manager a comprehensive view of his campaign. Theatres in the area include Apollo, Atlas, Beverly, Home, Princess and Senator. Ann Griffin, 20th Century-Fox, will spend her vacation in Minneapolis. The District of Columbia is honoring the patriotic work of the children by designating Bond Premieres for their particular enjoyment. C. E. Peppiatt, 20th Century-Fox manager, visited accounts in Baltimore this week. Rodney Collier, manager of Warner Bros.' Stanley Theatre, Baltimore, was in Washington to attend meetings. Tivoli Theatre, Washington, celebrated Central High School Night on the opening night of the Fifth War Loan drive. The high school concert band appeared in the orchestra pit for the occasion, and on the stage several specialties by students lent a festive air to the show. All bonds sold were credited to the Tivoli drive. Helen McConnell and Bernice Kahn, Republic, week-ended at North Beach. Billy Brantley, mail clerk at Warners, graduated from high school. He has been attending classes at night and working in the contact department during the day. Lou Kusner, manager of the Apollo Theatre, Martinsburg, promoted a full-page ad in the Evening Journal to exploit his giant War Bond Rally on June 12. Sponsored by the Retail Business Men's Association, the rally was a huge success. Recent visitors at Republic : Mr. Flowers of the Rex Theatre, Berkeley, and Mr. Mellett of Denton, Maryland.