Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

36 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 20, 1945 REGIONAL Continued front of the theatre. The lobby has been entirely renovated and redecorated, with satin finish cloth on the side walls, a new electric dome chandelier and non-skid asphalt floor. Now the lobby would do credit to Broadway. Vincent Valentine, former usher at the Palace, dropped in at the theatre before going overseas with the Army. Al Katz, projectionist at the De Witt, Bayonne, is proud of three sons now in the Army and a daughter who is a Spar. Ensign Norman L. Manfredonia, formerly of the Lincoln, Union City, is now in France. Alfred Kronberg, formerly of the Orpheum, is now assistant manager at the Capitol. Eron Cawn, at one time assistant manager of the Paramount, Denver, Colo., is now relief manager for the Rosenblatt & Welt Circuit in North Jersey. Cawn was with R & W before joining the Army and is back again after a medical discharge. The Orient Theatre is undergoing extensive improvements and alterations. The Astor Theatre, North Bergen, is under new management. Mrs. Helen Amitiam, cashier, Stanley, has just heard from her son, Jerry, who was wounded in action and is now convalescing at a base hospital in England. Tony Genito, assistant manager of the Palace, and Mrs. Genito are preparing for a visit from the stork. Jack A. Fein, manager of the Palace, despite the icy weather, is still going cod fishing each week on his day off in Sheepshead Bay. With the meat shortage Jack says he is finding plenty of friends who are seeking to renew acquaintance and enjoy the benefits of his angling. Miss Caroline Becker, cashier. Palace, will announce her engagement to a non-professional business man of Jersey City, in the near future. PORTLAND While enroute here for the Ned Depinet drive, Robert Folliard and Harry Gittelson were snow-bound in Montana, and Herb Mclntyre, RKO Western district manager officiated at the meeting. In attendance were Manager Marvin Corey, Portland ; Manager Ed Lamb, Seattle, and salesmen Louis Goldsmith, Floyd Henninger, Bill Englen, while Ken Mellgren and Al O'Camp represented the Canadian RKO exploiteers' division. Frank L. Newman, Sr., gave a cocktail party in Seattle for Lt. Robert Taylor, following a personal appearance of the star in that city. The 50th anniversary of Local 28, lATSE,. was celebrated here Sunday, Jan. 7, with Mayor Earl Riley, acting as host. Oscar Nilson, former member of the local and its first financial secretary, and the only surviving signer of the Portland charter, was among those present. Gus Jenkins is the present president, and W. C. Schulpius, recording secretary. Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Moore, operating the Oasis Theatre, Harmiston, Ore., grossed a total of $17,650, in the 6th War Bond drive. J. B. Conley of Fort Wayne, Ind., has been named general manager here of Westinghouse radio station. John Peterson resumed his activities as manager of the Palmoar Theatre, Seattle, following convalescence from an operation. Jack Flannery, Seattle head of National Screen Service, is working in conjunction with the Washington state chairman in the March of Dimes drive. Albert J. Finke, Oregon general manager for Hamrick-Evergreen Theatres, has been named chairman of the industry for the state of Oregon. Miss Charlotte Tabor, Seattle Paramount booker, gave out the news of her impending marriage to Ralph Resnick, USN. Oregon's total bonds sales in the 6th drive is upwards of $157 million, or 147 per cent over its quota. Exhibitors booking on Film Row : Caroline Armes and Janet Johnson, Princess Theatre, Edmonds ; Walter ' Graham, Shelton ; S. E. Olson, Bainbridge Island ; Mrs. W. A. Cochrane, Snoqualmie ; Clarence Baur, Bremerton ; Mr. and Mrs. Rex Thompson, Port Orchard; A. G. Basil, Raymond ; Cecil Miller, Spokane ; E. Adams, Bellingham ; Gene Groesbeck, Enumclaw. Holdovers here include "Hollywood Canteen," "Rainbow Island," Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," "The Doughgirls," "Together Again" and "Frenchman's Creek." Pacific Northwest industry executives and theatre operators viewed the racing ban on the Longacres track, and dog racing in the Multnomah Stadium, as a boon for better business. CINCINNATI Coast Guardsmen of this area were guests at Warners' short subject screening of "Beachhead to Berlin," a 20-minute film originally filmed by Coast Guard cameramen. Margaret Korb, MGM, had word that her brother, Ed, who was wounded in the German push, is in a hospital in England. Harris Dudelson was host to Lon Macallister, under contract to Sol Lesser, and now a private in the Army Air Force. Macallister was here for the advance campaign in connection with the showing of "Winged Victory." He appears in both versions and will be in the ■box-oflfice to help boost ticket sales. Ada Marvin, Universal, is back at her desk, fully recovered from a recent appendectomy. Robert Green is the new assistant manager of the Lyric Theatre. Col. Arthur Frudenfeld and Hardie Meakin left for Washington where a testimonial dinner is being tendered Meakin on his recent transfer from Washington to Cincinnati. Gladys Pollack, MGM, is happy over a visit from her hubby who is home on furlough. Frank Doyle, brother of MGM's Betty Doyle, is home on furlough after 40 months of service, three years of which were spent in the South Pacific. MGM's Virginia Kinney ad Dorothy Lang are on vacation. Dick Roach, formerly with Warners, is home on furlough. Guy Greathouse, formerly with ElliottWard Circuit, Lexington, Ky., is reported somewhere in the Pacific area. Mrs. Greathouse is carrying on in her husband's absence. George Kramer, Warners, has received word that his nephew. Jack Huebner, formerly with the Ohio at Marion, is now serving in the Signal Corps. Abe and Sol Hyman, Greater Huntington theatre operators, are in Florida on business. Col. Arthur Frudenfeld has been appointed chairman of the March of Dimes Drive and attractive donation booths have been set up in all Cinicinnati theatre lobbies and film exchanges. Mary Pickford will be here on the 20th to make personal appearances in connection with the drive. Exhibitors booking on Film Row were: James W. Brandenberg, Fullerton, Ky., RayLaw, Lebanon; Joe Lee, Covington, Ohio; Bill Luibel, Springfield; Gene Custer, Charleston, West Va., whose son is now seeing service in France; Paul V. McKay, Montgomery, Weat Va., Jim Weddle, Lawrenceburg, Ind., Mrs. Eon Sexton and her son, A. J., Ashland, Ky., and Foster Lane Due, Williamsburg, Ohio. Frank Wetzel, former booker on the Alpine Circuit, is now a Seabee in an undisclosed ^rea. Wetzel also formerly worked for Ralph Kinsler. OMAHA The Epstein Theatres Company has purchased the Benson Theatre Building here for .$65,000 from B. Gestring. The Epstein Co., has been operating the theatre for 14 years, and now plans to renovate and remodel the building. Thomas Fisher, district manager of the RCA photophone division, Chicago, and J. F. O'Brien, of the theatre equipment sales division, Camden, N. J., were visitors here. Raymond Cooley, son of Clyde Cooley, 20thFox screening room operator, has returned to Great Lakes, 111., following a furlough. Betty Rhodes is back at 20th-Fox in the contract department. Joe Chantry, Osceola exhibitor, has sold the Avalon Theatre at Schuyler, Neb., to E. G. Gannon. Jack Connor, MGM exploiteer, will be operated on at St. Catherine's hospital. Hazel Andersen, MGM office manager, is attending a company meeting in New York. Wes Mansfield is planning a new theatre at Tama, la., following a fire that burned dowoi the Tuka. Damaged booth equipment was salvaged and will be used temporarily in the Mills Theatre. A'lansfield is working out building plans with Quality Theatre Supply Company and will start the new house when buiding conditions permit. Sol Sominiski, former exhibitor, writes from Holland, where he is stationed with the Army. MGM branch manager John G. Kemptgen is making some territorial changes here. Carl Nedley's Iowa sector has been split in two parts, with Fred Thortsen taking the upper half, Clarence Blubaugh, the lower. Thortsen, who {Continued on Page 38) MEET TO PLAN MARCH OF DIMES COLLECTIONS. Theatre owners, distributors and managers met in New Haven, Conn., recently to >discuss plans to make this year's March of Dimes collections 100 per cent over last year. Shown above, l-r: Dr. Joseph Linde, New Haven County chairman; Paul North, New Haven campaign manager; I. J. Hoffman, Connecticut motion picture chairman, and Harry F. Shaw, co-chairman.