Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

Ig SHOWMEIN'STRADEREVIEW November 11, 1944 ★ ★ REGIONAL NEWSREEL — Continued ★ ★ ail idea of getting school children as bond salesmen, with three and six-month passes as the prize bait. Eugene Spencer, manager of the RKO Lincoln Theatre in Trenton, N. J., has resigned and gone to the coast. Jim Conkiin of tlie RKO Broad is taking over. Howard Levy, MGM's New York City salesman, is back at work after a few days' illness. Irving Wernick is reopening the Lido Theatre, Amsterdam Avenue and 147th Street, which has been closed for a number of years. The theatre will be booked by Brandt. Sadie Cohen, secretary to Nat Goldberg, Universal assistant district manager, is spending her vacation getting an operation. Max Wallack of the Orpheum, New York, is around film row again after weeks as a juror in the Wolf murder case. Warners and the lATSE have signed an agreement concerning office workers in which the employes are awarded pay retroactive to December, 1943. Ben Ginsberg, head shipper at Universal, has been out for several weeks for an eye operation. Pvt. Harry Rosen of the Inwood Theatre, Forest Hills, L. L, did some visiting last week along the row while on leave. 1st Lt. Monroe Samsalig, formerly Shipping Clerk for S. O. S. Cinema Supply Corp., was killed in action in France, the War Department reports. Lt. Samsalig was the first to enter the Service from S. O. S. having been called up September, 1940. The Delmar Theatre and other buildings at Broadway and 138th Street have been purchased by Jacob Freidus from the Broadway-Hamilton Place Corp. for a reported $900,000. The house was formerly operated under lease by RKO as the Gotham. BOSTON Boston will have a new theatre and hotel, to be erected by the Ford Hotel interests, which operate hotels and other buildings in Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal. Structure will cost $2,500,000 and will be situated dn the downtown district in a site already purchased. Construction will start as soon as material and workmen are available. Film Exchange Office Workers' Union members are waiting a decision from the War Loan Board on their appeal for a 10 per cent raise. Union officials feel hopeful the raise will be granted. Francis Driscoll, Metro booker, complains about people who misspell his name. Bert McKenzie, Joe Longo and Joe DiPesa, with members of Loew's staff, are planning a major campaign for "Mrs. Parkington." Larry Laski is with the First Service Command, doing publicity work. There is a lull in the film district because of the between-seasons' gap. Airs. Agnus Rau, Universal contract department, is out with a bad case of infected throat Ruth Cummings, Metro booker, is vacationing with her family in Connecticut. Edna Perolman, United Artists, is recovering slowly at home from a pneumonia attack. James Henry is a newcomer at United Artists' exchange. Henry Myerson, former Metro checking supervisor, is now an army captain in New Guinea. Sgt. Joe Rahilly, recently awarded the Purple Heart, is out of the hospital and expects to go back to early duty soon. "Pop" Cummings, veteran former assistant office manager in the film district, visited his old friends in the industry last week. Publicity men along film row say the Sixth War Loan Drive will see the best campaigning ever put on by the industry in Massachusetts. my M FIRST BUYERS. Postmaster Neil A. Sibley, left, and Frank H. Durkee, circuit owner, photographed at the ceremony of the firstpurchase of a sheet of the 50th Anniversary Motion Picture Stamp in Baltimore, Md. PORTLAND Members of the industry in the State of Oregon have wheeled the big guns of the Sixth War Loan Drive into . position. They have named leading film salesman to head what is known as the "wrecking crew," among them are Mark McDougall, Warners ; Tillie Withers, Columbia ; Joe Warren, MGM ; and General Chairman of this branch of activities, Al Oxtoby. Other outstanding film executives included Walter Lee Casey, chairman, Idaho ; Hugh Bruen of PCCITO, national co-chair man ; Rotus Harvey, chairman northern California ; Henry Herbel, western division manager, Warner Bros., distributor representative ; Fay Reeder, assistant to the national publicity chairman ; .Albert J. Frinke, Evergreen theatres, state chairman, WAC in Oregon. Al Rosenberg, secretary of Evergreen State .-\musement corporation, announces that new sound equipment is now ready to be installed in both the Orpheum and Liberty theatres, Spokane, Wash., and the Liberty will have a new front. Paul Hull has joined the Seattle sales staff of PRC Pictures. Jack Kloepper of Star Film Exchange, Portland, week-ending on Puget Sound. W. C. Gehring, western division sales manager of 20th-Fox. covering Portland and Seattle exchanges. Booking on Seattle row : Walter Graham, Shelton : Lynn Peterson, Bremerton ; Richard Schmidt, Army houses ; Eldon Pollock, Mt. Vernon : Rad Pratch, Tacoma ; Ferd Nestle, Mid-State Amusement ; George Borden, Jr., Blaine ; Rex Thompson, Port Orchard ; Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Olson, Port Blakely : Al Baker, Spokane ; Gene Groesbeck, Enumclaw ; Walter Lee Casey, Bonners Ferry ; George Featherstone, Charleston. WASHINGTON Lew Carroll of RKO was in to confer with Frank La Falce, director of advertising and publicity at Warner Bros., and William C. Ewing, assistant director, on advertising campaigns for forthcoming pictures to play Warners Theatres. MGM Office Manager Joseph Kronman attended Loew's office managers' meeting in Cincinnati. Joan Nicola, availability clerk at RKO, will leave to make her home in California. New employes in the Warner contract department are Laverne Hoefert and John McCann. Vivian Kutner, formerly of the MGM cashier department, who moved to Norfolk to be with her sailor husband, is now employed at the Norfolk National Bank. Joseph Rosen, 20th Century-Fox booker, was in town to celebrate the christening of his son, Barry Lee. Godparents were Mr. and Mrs. William Zell, of Baltimore. Alice Anderson, who left Warner Bros, after 13 years, was given a farewell luncheon and gift by the girls in the office. Tommy Econnu, RKO assistant shipper, has been sworn into the Navy, and is awaiting call. Representing MGM at the War Activities Committee meeting were Rudy Berger, Johnny Allen, Frank Scully, Jack Goldberg, Harry Cohen, Tom Baldridge and Tony Fursee. Charlotte Duncan, secretary to Frank La Falce, Warner Bros., proved that she isn't just a career girl, when she came to the office proudly carrying a gaily decorated cake which she baked herself. Loew's Capitol put over a promotion stunt for the 50th anniversary commemorative postage stamp which was issued October 31 in New York and Los Angeles. Loew's arranged with Washington philatelists, newspapers, and Postmaster General Frank C. Walker to have a display in the theatre, which included items from President Roosevelt's personal stamp collection. Part of the display was "first-day" cancellation stamps postmarked in New York at 12 :01 a.m. Oct. 31 and rushed to Washington. The Variety Club, with its new blue and grey decor, was given everyone's stamp of approval. HARRISBURG Mark Rubinsky, manager of Rubinsky Theatres, is proudly showing friends through his renovated Capital Theatre Building. Glass block, attractive painting, and lighting by concealed fluorescent tubing have been utilized to produce de luxe effects in the main-office theatre of the company. Election returns were announced in most of the downtown and neighborhood houses last Tuesday as they were compiled, a service inaugurated by managers after many requests from patrons. Two re-issues attracted large crowds this week, with DeMille's "The Sign of the Cross" at the Colonial and "Farewell to Arms" at the Capitol. Mrs. Marian Poorman, Schuylkill Haven, is making week-end trips to Harrisburg to join lier husband, Charles Poorman, circuit manager for the Rubinsky Theatres, whose office is in this city. Ed Hughes, manager of the Hollywood, St. Clair, is awaiting the return of his wife and daughter, visiting relatives in Bethlehem. Clair Seidenstricker, manager. Lyric, Dallastown, has moved with his family to their new home across from the theatre. DALLAS Acting in his capacity as regional chairman of the 6th War Loan drive, Henry Reeve is holding a series of sectional meetings in Texas. Dates began with Austin on Oct. 30, Houston, Oct. 31, Tyler, Nov. 1, Fort Worth, Nov. 2, Lubbock, Nov. 8. Meetings consist of area exhibitors and War Finance Committee men in each location. "G.I. Bond Jamboree" is the name given to attractions made up to work an itinerary in Texas along the lines of the former "Stars Over Texas" tours. Shows will have a military band, military entertainers, war heroes, and civilian speakers. Four units will be on tour, headed by Phil Isley, Jimmy Allard, Vernon, (Continued on Page 21)