Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

26 S H O W" Al E N ' S TRADE REVIEW February 17, 1945 NEW ORLEANS The new policy of a musical comedy and a feature picture is bringing the fans up Baronne Street. The Tudor and Globe, two ParamountRichards theatres, continue to get a big share of patronage that flows along Canal Street. Both Loew's State, with "Meet Me in St. Louis," and the Saenger with "Laura," are doing better than all right — especially the former attraction. In the midst of the Canal Street competition, Mrs. Lazarus's Center Theatre registered a mighty nice run with "The Kid From Spain." The sixty-odd suburban theatres, despite the downtown opposition, continue to do big business. Changes have marked the recent doings in local exchange circles. W. M. (Snake) Richardson resigned as manager for Universal and is returning to his former home, Atlanta, to enter independent distribution there. Snake's many friends here treated him to a stag party at the Film Club — and it was evident at the jolly ai¥air that he's going to be missed along the Film Row of this town. Another change is the resignation of Jack Auslet, president and general manager of Astor Pictures of New Orleans and vice-president and manager of Film Classics, to open his own exchange — the Dixie Film Co. Theatres here went all out to aid the March of Dimes collections drive. Joy Houch and L. C. Montgomery came back to town full of pep about forthcoming product following a meeting of franchise holder in St. Louis. Bill Fox, owner of Fox Theatres at Pollock and LeCompte, accompanied by Mrs. Fox, was a Film Row visitor. Manager Vuccovich of the Belmont Theatre, Pensacola, Florida, was another visitor to Row. Speaking of visitors, the annual appearances here of R. M. Savini are milestone affairs in New Orleans film circles. Bob, president of Astor Pictures, is a former New Orleansian, well remembered by a host of friends as the owner of the "Old Dixie," the first film exchange in the Crescent City. Savini, this time, did a double-feature appearance, stopping back on his return from a combination business and pleasure trip to Houston, whither he went from New Orleans. On the second stop he arranged a deal under which Snake Richardson will distribute Astor product in Atlanta. Two recent exchange switches : Joe Fahrbacher, well known in this territory, is with Monogram following his resignation as salesman for Columbia; E. F. Briwa, who left the MGM exchange here, is now booker for the theatre department of Film Service Co.; Miss Cecile Robins is now head inspectress at Astor Pictures; Mrs. Bernard Mortensen is the new secretary at Film Classics. The charming Phyllis Mancuso has been promoted to assistant booker at Jay Theatres, Inc. Tom Healy, National Theatre Supply manager, completed a swift trek through the territory. BOSTON Theatres here suffered one of the most devastating blows last week concurrent with the worst blizzard in 25 years. Only last Friday did a few houses show signs of resuming activity. REGIONAL NEWS INDEX Boston 26 Charlotte . 29 Chicago 28 Cincinnati 30 Cleveland 29 Columbus 29 Denver 32 Des Moines 28 Harrisburg 31 Indianapolis 32 Jersey City 30 Memphis 32 Montreal 32 Newark 29 New Orleans 26 New York 28 Omaha 30 Philadelphia 30 Pittsburgh 31 Portland 31 St. Louis 26 Vancouver 31 Washington 26 The New England Sportsmen's show in Mechanics' Hall took a precipitate drop from the usual 20,000 daily attendance to less than '1500. Thousands were marooned in the heart of the city when cab and street car service failed. The local hotels gave refuge to many by placing divans and cots in sample rooms, mezzanines and in the lobbies. The Variety Club rooms in the Statler Hotel kept open house Thursday night. The only approach in degree of severity was St. Valentine's Day about five years back ; but even the rigors of that storm were surpassed this time when more than 13 inches of snow were recorded while drifts were nine feet high. The brownout is expected to save 2 million tons of coal annually here, according to official estimate. So far, however, no theatre in t"ne metropolitan district will be forced to close as a result of the coal shortage. A few suburban theatres anticipate dropping their customary matinees. Irving Mendelson, United Artists office manager, has passed his physical examination and is awaiting orders prior to induction into the Army. Jack Markle and Leonard Tuttle, operating the Fine Arts Theatres, gave a special preview of "The Virgin of Guadalupe" to a group of Catholic clergymen. Tom Mooney, veteran showman, and the former owner of the first theatre to open in Lawrence, Mass., died last week at his residence in Brookline. Leo McCarthy, PRC general manager, spent a few days visiting with Zippie Goldman, local manager. Monti Sheridan, former Monogram press agent here, is serving as a foreign correspondent for the Globe in the South Pacific. Mrs. Julia Powers, one of the veteran exhibitors and owner of the new theatre in Carabou, Me., which replaced the Powers Theatre after its destruction by fire, celebrated her 86th birthday recently. Burt McKenzie, MGM exploiteer, is giving out elaborate souvenir programs of the opening. Frank Fisher, formerly on the staff of the Transcript, is now affiliated with the Warner exchange in the publicity department. James Stoneman, son of Harold Stoneman, president, Interstate Theatres, has enlisted in the Navy. WASHINGTON John S. Allen, WAC distributors chairman of the Washington exchange territory, held his first monthly branch managers' meeting at the MGM offices here 6n the subject of the current Red Cross drive, and also placed before the assembled group a comprehensive organizational plan for the distributors' participation in the 7th War Loan drive. Among those present were Eddie Fontaine, Paramount; Joe Brechman, RKO ; Mark Silver, United Artists ; Ben Kaplan, Columbia ; C. E. Peppiatt, 20th-Fox ; Max Cohen, Universal; Sam Flax, Republic; George Hill, PRC; Jack Safer, Monogram, and Fred Biersdorf, Warner Bros. Carter T. Barron, Loew's division manager, is proud of the record made by his theatres in the March of Dimes drive. The first seven days of the Capitol .Theatre's collection netted $11,714, probably establishing something of a record in its contribution to the National Foundation's fund. Sam Galanty, Columbia division manager, returned to Washington Sunday following a sales trip to Pittsburgh and after two days at his office was off again for meetings in Cleveland. George McQuinn, first baseman of the St. Louis Browns, has become manager pro tern of the Center Theatre, Alexandria, Va., until spring training beckons. Skating stars of the Ice-Capades were given an "open house" and reception by the Variety Club. • John Marcon, manager of the Colony Theatre, has sent a letter of thanks to those who contributed the total sum of $1240 to the March of Dimes campaign under his aegis. Victor Wallace, former MGM booker, was feted by his associates at a luncheon at the Willard Hotel last Saturday prior to his induction into t"ne Army. Washington theatre managers and executives were recipients of citations from the Treasury Department Feb. 9 in the Warner Bros, 'offices in recognition of their exceptional efforts in the 6th War Loan drive. Robert Cousins, recently honorably discharged from the Army, has joined the Warner publicity department. William Gleicher, supervising theatre auditor of Loew's home office, visited the MGM exchange here. Lauren Bacall was a guest of the National Press Club last Saturday. ST. LOUIS Attorney Joseph T. Davis has been chosen arbiter in the complaint by C. Carey, owner of the Stadium Theatre, Caruthersville, Mo., against five of the majors charging unreasonable clearance granted to the Gem and Rodgers theatres operated by the I. W. Rodgers Circuit, and that Loew's has refused to grant some runs for MGM pictures. The Rodgers Circuit has intervened and will oppose any change in the present clearance arrangements. The case is expected to be heard in the local AAA tribunal the latter part of this month. Fred Wehrenberg, president MPTO of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, announced the total amount of war bonds sold in the 6th drive in St. Louis and Eastern Missouri was $5,300,452. The total sales of bonds bought by the film companies and allocated to {Continued on Page 28)