Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

October 7, 1944 S H O W MEN'S TRADE REVIEW 21 INDIANAPOLIS The following theatres have withdrawn from the Indianapolis Cooperative Theatre group. They are the Emerson, Esquire. Parker, Rivoli and Sheridan, all of the Cantor Circuit, and the Garfield, Rex and Tacoma, independent operators. Elinor Turner of the Affiliated Circuit, on the booking desk, is a patient at the Methodist Hospital. The Lincoln Theatre has been closed for several weeks, during which time the house is being renovated and redecorated. The Tivoli Theatre, Richmond, Ind., operated by Bob Hudson, was reopened after a twoweek closing for remodeling. Frances Van Treese, secretary to Al Taylor, Paramount manager, is on the sick list. She has been away from work all vi-eek. The Kentucky Theatre, Marion, Ky., destroyed by fire last December, has been rebuilt and will open in the near future. The house is operated by the Horsefield Circuit. Rex Carr, manager of Marcus Enterprises, is very proud of his good luck while fishing at Danberry, Wis., and to prove his success is showing photos of some of the big ones he caught. Harry Schilling, son of Joe Schilling, Connersville, Ind., exhibitor, now a Storekeeper, First Class, in the Navy, has been ordered to report to Evanston, 111., for special service. He has already seen overseas service. Adolescent youth played truant Wednesday to see the opening of "Youth Runs Wild," at the Lyric Theatre. Policewomen Mabel Wickel and Ona Duncan suspiciously examined the long line stretching away from the box-office and removed therefrom five boys and three girls who had neglected to attend their high school classes. They were taken to the juvenile aid division and then returned to their respective schools, after hearing Captain Clifford Richter warn them to report back to the division later, accompanied by at least one parent. A host of film stars and a Hollywood director arrived for a two-day appearance in Indianapolis for the United War Fund Rally. Included in the group were King Vidor, director-producer of "An American Romance" ; Brian Donlevy, Ann Richards, Walter Abel, Rags Ragland, Nancy Walker and Jean Porter. CLEVELAND Cleveland will have a new 2000-seat de luxe theatre as soon as building materials become available. The theatre will be part of a new $750,000 project announced this week by the office of Max Marmorstein. Approximately four acres at Warrensville Center and Kinsman Roads have been acquired for the development of a new shopping and amusement center. The building vnll be a two-story structure, the upper floor being devoted to office space while the street floor will have stores, a bowling alley and the theatre. Maxwell White is the architect. It is not stated who will lease the theatre. Genevieve Kennedy of National Theatre Supply Company was notified last week that her brother, Russell McMahon, 25, with the armored infantry, has been missing in France since August 26. Al Dezel's Roadshow Attractions is dead. Long live Film Classics of Michigan, Film Classics of Cleveland and Film Classics of Gin REGIONAL NEWS INDEX Boston 21 Charlotte 24 Chicago 22 Cincinnati 26 Cleveland 21 Dallas 28 Des Moines 22 Harrisburg 30 Indianapolis 21 Memphis 24 Newark 28 New York 26 Omaha 30 Ottawa 28 Philadelphia 24 Pittsburgh 28 Portland 26, St. Louis 21 Vancouver 24 Washington 22 cinnati ! While in town last week Bezel said he has dropped the name under which he has done business for many years and will use Film Classics name exclusive. He owns the Film Classic franchise for Michigan and Ohio. The Cincinnati office is just now being opened, with Louis Van Baalen in charge of sales. Van Baalen was booker for Paramount and RKO Radio in Cleveland. Joe Cosley has been ordered to take a long rest cure to regain his health. He was head Republic booker until last week, when he resigned. Ed Fisher, Loew theatre publicity director, and Howard Burkhardt, manager of Loew's State Theatre, eflfected a tie-up with the Press for a War Trophy exhibit. Loew's State is donating its spacious lobby for the exhibit, and the Press is offering $100 in cash prizes for the most interesting trophies. The exhibit, to last two weeks, will be free. Special police protection will guard the exhibits. Only stipulation is that all entries must come from overseas. The exhibit is aimed to make the public war conscious in preparation for the Sixth War Loan drive about to start. Mr. and Mrs. R. L. White of the Diana Theatre, Rittman, were Film Row visitors last week. Lt. Tom Mooney, Naval air cadet, son of Milton A. Mooney of Co-operative Theatres of Ohio, and his wife were in town from Pensacola. Florence Gordon has resigned as secretary to Warner District Manager Charles Rich to take a new position as wife of First Lt. Philip Aster the middle of this month, provided he gets back by then from his two wears' service in Alaska. The wedding will take place in St. Joseph, Mo., home of the bride. George W. Erdmann, secretary of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, attended Max Steam's funeral in Columbus last week. Pvt. Dorothy M. Brown, the Air Wac daughter of Warner Theatre District Manager Ray C. Brown, has completed her training in Miami. Fla., and is now en route to an overseas assignment. "Wilson" maintained a uniform high average of attendance all through its unprecedented threeweek run at the RKO Palace. The daily gross remained almost constant during the entire run, with the final week doing only slightly less than the opening week. Belita in a dancing number, vyas the headline stage attraction during the entire engagement. ST. LOUIS Hall Walsh, Prairie district manager for Warners, and Carl Post, publicity director for the same district, flew to Des Moines, where Walsh conferred with Ben Kahnenson, general sales manager, and Roy Haines, Western and Sout'nern division sales manager. Bob Leonard, KXOX announcer, has replaced Bert Metcalf in charge of newscasts at Fanchon & Marco's Ambassador, Fox and Missouri theatres. Bert went to New York October 2. Tony Peluso, manager of the Fox, was crowned golf champion of the recently-organized Meadowbrook Country Club in St. Louis County as winner of its first golf tournament. Henry C. Arthur, Jr., president and ' general manager of the Fanchon & Marco Service Corp., became a grandfather when a son was born to his son-in-law and daughter, Lt. and Mrs. Thomas, of Evanston, 111. The Lincoln Theatre, Belleville, 111., a FoxMidwest house, has been completely redecorated. Work on the 1500-seater was under direction of Kent M. Cole, Fox-Midwest interior decorator. Lt. Eddie B. Arthur, Army, former assistant general manager of F & M, passed through the city en route from Camp Campbell to Camp Meade. Bob Lightfoot, checking supervisor and gin rummy champion of the Warner exchange, is on a swing tour through southern Illinois and western Kentucky. Don Thompson, chief of the Post-Dispatch magazine page, spent four hours in the Chase Hotel bar telling Carl Post about his visit to Warners' studio in Burbank, Cal., where he met Charles Einfeld, publicity chief, Jesse Lasky and Carlisle Jones. Mr. Lasky told Thompson he has not yet recuperated from the wonderful reception he received on his visit to St. Louis a few weeks ago. BOSTON The recent reconciliation between E. M. Loew, theatre chain head, and Lou Walters, theatrical promoter and producer, sets the stage for some extensive theatre building after the war, it was revealed this week along film row. Although nothing definite is as yet in sight, the hints are that there will be a huge new theatre in the metropolitan district and that the E. M. Loew chain may also branch out with new theatres in Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester and Portland. The Keith Theatre in Fairhaven and the Orpheum in New Bedford were closed for two weeks after the hurricane. Although the theatres were not damaged, they were unable to operate because of the lack of power. Harry Goldstein, for the past 20 years with M and P and Paramount-Publix in this territory, becomes the new publicity, promotion and public relations head for Monogram in this city, handling all New England publicity and promotion. Mervin Clark, for two years with the U. S. Navy, has returned to his old job as bookerstenographer with Universal after receiving his medical discharge. Art Moger, Warner publicist, is covering the country between New York, Buffalo and New England with such speed that he is not sure just where he is most of the time. Red King's exploitation work on "Wilson" (Continued on Page 22)