Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

46 ^SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 13, 1945 REGIONA for a conference. The RKO offices are getting ready for the Ned Depinet Drive. Universal Booker Mannie Goodman reports that his wife has recovered from her bout with pneumonia. Glen Norris visited at the 20th-Fox exchange, when he journeyed in from Roanoke this past week. Regina Lust, daughter of Ben Lust, has gone back to her studies at Holy Cross Academy after the holidays. All Warner Bros, theatres will aid in the current Book Collections Drive! Twentieth-Fox home office traveling auditor Bernard Wolf is vacationing. Fox's Miss Griffin spent the holidays in Minneapolis ; and Dickie Young, son of Sara Young, booker, returned to the Augusta Military Academy after the holidays. CLEVELAND Robert J. Folliard, Nat Levy, and Henry Gittleson were here for a two-day session with RKO District Manager Bernard Kranze and the branch personnel of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Detroit office, to lay plans for the Ned Depinet drive which gets under way Jan. 19. The meetings were held at the Statler Hotel. Leo McCarthy, PRC general sales manager, spent most of the week in Cleveland with Branch Manager Mark Goldman calhng on the leading independent and affiliated circuit heads. Howard Reif of the Scoville, Essick and Reif Circuit is hosting his mother to a Florida vacation. S/Sgt. Frank Cost, former manager of the Shore Theatre, writes that he hopes to see Tokyo this year. Henry Hellriegel, theatre building contractor, who reported for military service last Summer only to be told he wasn't wanted, received a second summons Christmas. He closed up shop and last Saturday changed to khaki. Max Jacobs, of Imperial Pictures, will be in New York next week looking over independent product. Charlie DeardourfF, MGM exploiteer in the Cleveland area, J. E. "Watty" Watson of the Cincinnati area, and Norman Linz of Indianapolis, lead the MGM cavalcade of publicity experts to the home office in New York. It was a tough job but films were delivered to all theatres in this area in spite of heavy snow and ice that blocked many highways, cut ofT express service and delayed trains anywhere from two to seven hours. On Tuesday, there was no express service. On Wednesday, express brought to the depot was accepted. On Thursday, pick-up service was resumed. Warners reported that many of their out-of-town theatres held over their current shows rather than take a chance of nondelivery of new film. While roads were bad, all three of the messenger delivery services operating in northern Ohio managed to get through. Holiday week-end business defied the bad weather and all theatres reported big business. Midnight New Year's eve shows were well attended, due, in part, to the fact that the three leading downtown hotels eliminated their usual celebrations. Harry Lyman, 20th-Fox ad sales manager, announced the arrival of a son on Jan. 2. Jack Schlaifer, 20th-Fox central sales manager, and James J. Grady, district manager, were in town the early part of the week for conferences with Branch Manager I. J. Schmertz and +he local sales force. The Eddie Bergmans of 20th-Fox are back from a New York vacation trip. Paul Gusdanovic, head of the circuit which L Continued THEATREMAN CITED FOR BOND EFFORTS. Max Cohen (right), Sixth War Loan chairman of special events, is shown above inspecting a gold Merit of Honor lapel button presented to A! Weiss, manager of Loew's Pitkin, in honor of the Pitkin selling $1,035,000 in E bonds during the Sixth War Loan. Borough President John Cashmore stands between the two men. bears his name, has left for Florida where he goes each Winter to escape the virus of sinus. Sgt. Richard Dowdell, formerly of Warner Bros, and son of United Artists Office Manager Lester Dowdell, arrived home after three years' service in the South Pacific. Morrison Orr, WAC distributor chairman here, has announced the following results of the 6th War Loan campaign : 103 bond premieres and bond auctions ; 35 children's bond premieres, and 412 free movie days. This is outstanding compared with the Sth bond drive, with 80 premieres and 292 free movie days. Gertrude Lawrence, appearing here in "Errand for Bernice," at the Hanna Theatre responded to a curtain call with a plea for blood donors. VANCOUVER The Canadian press earlier this week, discussing the appointment of L. W. Brockington, K. C, as personal representative in the Dominion for the J. Arthur Rank interests, accentuates the closer understanding between the federal authorities and the active heads of the government in Great Britain on the promotion of British films in Canada. Brockington is former head of the CBC Radio Commission. Business as a whole was impressive the past week, considering the holiday and its attendant diversions. Midnight shows were packed and the holiday itself went over with a bang which is considered unusual in that all downtown major houses are playing holdovers. "Hollywood Canteen" is the best drawing card at the Orpheum Theatre, with "Frenchman's Creek" at the Capitol a close second. The Sun and Province here have increased their amusement rates from 12 to 18 cents a line, causing an automatic reduction in space by theatremen, who also remarked it was "too bad" advertising rates did not come under the price-ceiling regulations. John Grierson, commissioner of the National Film Board, stopping here en route from Hollywood, said in an interview that Canada had assumed a new stature in the eyes of Americans, and that never has the industry offered Canadian writers the opportunity which now exists for themes dealing with the Dominion "provided they have box-office appeal." David Griesdorf, Odeon district manager, returned this week from a month's trip East where he stopped ofif in Toronto, New York, Montreal and Winnipeg. Mike Goodman, well known in western Cana dian show business, has been appointed manager of the Walker Theatre, Winnipeg, by Henry Morton, the new owner. The Odeon Theatre, Trail, B. C, closed by fire eight months ago, is expected to reopen at the end of the month, providing it can get new seats. Grace Malone, formerly with the Paradise Theatre here, announced the birth of a daughter. Mrs. Malone's husband is a flying officer with the RCAF. Edward Passmore, 84, father of William Passmore, manager of the Royal Theatre, Moose Jaw, Sask., was buried recently at La Fletch, Sask. Donald Findlay, former booker with EmpireUniversal and who has been out of the industry for two years, is now with 20th-Fox as shipper. The first Rank film released here under the new set-up, Odeon-Rank, is now playing in its third week at Mike Goldin's Vogue, regarded as the show-case for the Odeon Circuit, and one of the most up-to-date theatres in the Dominion. Theatremen are keeping their fingers crossed to see what happens Jan. 9, when the street railway men threaten to tie up all transportation unless the National Wage Board in Ottawa restores the 4^ cents per hour wage cut. Ed Taylor, production manager for Vancouver Motion Pictures, Ltd., has returned to Hollywood to resume production. While here, Taylor directed among others, major sequences fpr several "Canada Carries On" series. Employes of Famous Players are getting ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the circuit. Special shows will be given and a big dinner party will be held at the Hotel Vancouver Jan. 30. Employes with 25 years' service in British Columbia will receive service pins, and extra holidays will also be allowed to the old-timers. Theatre attendance in British Columbia is estimated to have dropped from 10 to 20 per cent last year, according to circuit and theatre heads, indicating that the peak in attendance has been passed. Before the holidays, receipts fell as much as 25 per cent, it was also estimated, but improved with holiday business. The reasons attributed are the unfavorable war news and the reduction of war work in some quarters. INDIANAPOLIS Leonard B. Sowar, Muncie, city manager for Theatrical Managers, Inc., and owner of the Strand and Uptown theatres, died Tuesday afternoon at Mt. Mercy Hospital, after a short illness. He had been on an extended vacation and entered the hospital only a few days ago. He recently returned from Washington, where he had received special tribute from the Treasury Department for outstanding war bond sale efforts. He is survived by his widow, a daughter, his parents and a sister. The Sebring Theatre, Shelburn, operated by Richards Phillips, has closed temporarily. Norman Linz, MGM exploiteer, is on his way to New York. George Landis, 20th-Fox exchange manager, was in Louisville, Ky., Wednesday and Thursday on business. " G. L. Heinrich, is the new office manager and head booker at Columbia exchange. He was formerly associated with RKO in the same capacity and more recently engaged with the 836th AAF. Sam Abrams, sales executive, PRC exchange, injured his left arm on New Year's Day. A. B. Thompson, North Vernon exhibitor, who operates the Ritz and Park theatres there, is the representative from Jennings County, and at present living in Indianapolis during the legislative term. Joe Schilling, Connersville exhibitor, had the surprise of his life when his son, William, paid him an unexpected visit on Christmas eve. He is home on furlough from Naval duties.