Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

WnriniuT 11. 1<>14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REV1E\\' 23 Newport, Kentucky, is back on tlic job after recovering from a recent operation. Paramount has two new brides-to-be. Florence Back, cashier, is engaged to Pvt. George Spitziniller, now on furlough. Evelyn Robbins, former booker, has announced her engagement to Clement Dwertman. Universal exchange is planning to remodel. Uistrict Manager Peter Rosian's office will be on the first floor after the new plans have been completed. Queen City Variety Club, Tent 5, will hold its annual election Monday for a new chief barker and board of directors. The Cinema Club is energetically working on the War Bond Award Drive, inaugurated by the club to augment the treasury. Pete Niland. Columbia, is in charge. Ross Williams, RKO, is the new Cinema Club president. The MGM Pep Club sent Christmas boxes to all its men in the service. OTTAWA Bea Pacaud, manager of the local Roxy Theatre (Odeon) has been under the doctor's care for the past two weeks in Montreal. Mever .\xler, stationed in Ottawa with the RCAF, has received his honorable discharge and is now associated with 20th Century Theatres in their head office at Toronto. Keith E. Saylor, assistant manager to Bob Martin at the .A.valon Theatre (Odeon), was promoted to manager of the Roxy in Selkirk, Manitoba. Henry and Mrs. Marshall of the Regent Theatre recently celebrated the fourth wedding anniversary. JERSEY CITY Robert (Bob) Suits has just been appointed manager of Skouras' State, key house of the chain in north Jersey, by Notis A. Komnenos, zone manager. Bob has been in show business 24 years, starting his early training with L. K. Sidney, now assistant to MGM's Louis B. Mayer on the coast. For 17 years Suits was manager of Loew houses in the United States and Canada. He comes to the State from the William Goldman circuit of Philadelphia, for which he had been citv manager at Pottstown, Pa. .'\nthony Sica, captain of ushers at Loew's (Released Wednesday. Noirmber 8) MOVIETONE (Vol. 27, No. 19) — MacArthur's forces land on Leyte; Gen. Eisenhower inspects U. S. troops at battle front; British forces, Greek patriots liberate Athens; Britain's fastest plane success against robot bomb; U. S. submarine rescues 22 fliers at Truk ; U. S. mops up in the Palaus; GIs in battle areas overseas entertained by Bob Hope. NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 16. No. 217)— MacArthur back in Philippines; Self-liberated Greeks hail British army of occupation: Personalities in the new,s; Eisenhower and Patton at front; Gandhi again in spotlight; Overseas with Bob Hope. PARAMOUNT (No. 20)— MacArthur back in Philippines; Britain's Prime Minister returns from Moscow; Gandhi meets Mohammedan Jinnah; Eisenhower and Patton meet; Athens liberated; With Bob Hope overseas. RKO PATHE (Vol. 16, No. 22)— MacArthur returns to the Philippines; Liberation of Athens; U. S. Generals at Metz front; Hero's baby home from Britain; Gandhi, Jinhah confer on unity. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 17, No. 341 )— Invasion of the Philippines; Siege of Metz; Capture of Nglsebus; Athens is free; Ruins of Ploesti oil fields surveyed by U. S. Generals; Gandhi appears; U. S. Embassy opens in Paris. ALL-AMERICAN (Vol. 3, No. 107)— Nation celebrates Navy Day; Inter-racial art display in New York; Negro girls admitted to Waves; Employes of WPB give blood to Red Cross; Derricotte stars in Michigan vs. Purdue game; Buddy Young stars as lUini fights Irish; Major Roberts and Carlton Moss report. Jersey, was given a surprise birtiiday supper ;uul dance attended by the entire staff Election eve. What he thought was to be a purely famihaffair turned into a jamboree w'hen the personnel of the theatre arrived at the hall after the last show. Maurice Hatof?, former manager of the State and other Skouras houses, now a master sergeant in the Army, is home on a 12-day furlough, \isiting his wife, Mrs. Diana Hatoff, manager ot the Rialto. A bond premiere will be held at the State Xov. 20, featuring the "Flying Varieties," an all-GI show. Picture has not been announced. ST. LOUIS The 700-seat Ivanhoe, in the Southwestern part of St. Louis, has been sold by the Ivanhoe Theatre Co., controlled by Mrs. Bessie Schulter. to the St. Louis Amusement Co. Deal was effective as of Nov. 1. This is the third time this important neighborhood theatre has changed hands in about two years. Fred Wehrenberg, president, MPTO of St. l.ouis. Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, as national co-chairman for the Sixth War Loan, lias announced a campaign rally luncheon at the Club Caprice, Hotel Coronado, Nov. 13. Funeral services for Clayton T. Lynch, 57, of Los Angeles, formerly MGM St. Louis branch manager, who died from a heart attack in Chicago Nov. 2, were held from St. Francis Xavier's Church. Mat S. Schulter, president, PRC Pictures of St. Louis, has returned from a two-week business trip to New York. Eddie Carrier of MGM has returned to New York City. Local quarantine that had been imposed in Jerseyville, III., to prevent the spread of infantile paralysis, has been lifted. Boys and girls of 20 and younger now are permitted to attend church, motion picture theatres, and other public places. Mrs. I. W. Rodgers of Cairo, 111., who, with her husband, operates the Rodgers Circuit in southern Illinois, southeastern Missouri and .Arkansas, is off for a Florida vacation. SHOWMAN SAM SAYS: Save up those war bonds, boys; the day is nearing when you'll be able to replace those seats and renew that projection equipment. {Released Saturday. Noi'einber 11) NEWS OF THE DAY (Vol. 16, No. 218)— First films of Churchill in Moscow; King George with Montgomery at front: New U. S. stamp honors movies' 50th Anniversary; Football: Navy vs. Notre Dame: New airborne lifeboat: Latest Army sky giant; Paris displays new modes. PARAMOUNT (No. 21) — King George visits front; New three-cent stamp honors films; Army Air Forces demonstrate new airborne lifeboat; St. Louis doctor charges hospital refuses to take government maternity cases; Football: Navy vs. Notre Dame: War Film Bulletin No. 28, "A Special Message from Tyrone Power." MOVIETONE (Vol. 27, No. 20) Churchill states hopes for peace in Moscow visit; New flying box car: American-trained Chinese Cadets graduate at Colorado Army Air Base; New postage stamp commemorates 50th Birthday of movies: Paris fashions come back; Football : Ohio State vs. Indiana — Navy vs. Notre Dame; War Film Bulletin No. 28. "A Special Message from Lt. Tyrone Power." RKO PATHE (Vol. 16, No. 23)— King George tours Holland front: New plane carries tanks and trucks: Churchill in Russia to meet Stalin ; Stamp commemorates movies' 50th Birthday; German prisoners in U. S. camps; Football: Navy vs. Notre Dame. UNIVERSAL (Vol. 17, No. 344)— New three-cent stamp honors movies' 50th Anniversary; New flying freight car for U. S. Army; Churchill visits Russia; New airborne life raft; Paris fashions back again; Football: Duke vs. Georgia Tech — Navy vs. Notre Dame. Together Again (Continued from I'age 13) rogue is always excellent. Smart comedy with the Coburn delivery puts us all into our own families, laughing with our ow^i people. Further down the line, the studio has uncovered two youngsters who show great promise — Mona Freeman and Jerome Courtland — who contribute important support to the drama and comedy, and project smash lines and situations like the most finished troupers. Direction by Charles Vidor has great finesse: the lines come over right, the manner of the players is correct and everything is timed for a splendid collection of laughs. The film was produced by Virginia Van Upp, who also contributed much to the W'riting of the screenplay. Miss Van Upp, it seems, has a definite flair for warm, clever comedy and smart dialogue. End of the Road Republic Drama 51 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A psychological drama for the not-too-discriminating. Lacks elements required to lift it above average. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Average program offering. Cast: Edward Norris, John Abbott, June Storey, Jonathan Hale, Pierre Watkin, Ted Hecht, Kenne Duncan, Eddie Fields, Ferris Taylor, Emmet t Vogan, Charles Williams, Edward Van Sloan. Credits: Associate producer-director, George Blair. Screenplay by Denison Clift and Gertrude Walker. Photography by William Bradford. Plot: A crime magazine writer, interested in the story of a man condemned to die for murder, and convinced of the man's innocence, decides to track down the real killer. He tries innumerable tricks on the man he believes guilty and finally gets a confession; after he fakes a killing of his own. With the innocent man released and the real culprit replacing him', the writer marries the girl who assisted him in his search. Comment: A program offering that is called a psychological drama, but which lacks all the necessary elements, such as suspense, chills and thrills, to carry it above the average class. In the houses where the patronage is less discriminating this lack may pass unnoticed, for the story is about a manhunt and the routine business of trying to prove a condemned man innocent, and holds enough interest to take care of its short running time. Edward Norris as the amateur sleuth and June Storey the waitress who helps him turn in satisfactory performances. John Abbott does okay as the slayer. 'Romance' Multiple N. Y. Opening The New York premiere of MGM's ''An American Romance" will be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, at Loew's State and ten other theatres in the New York-New Jersey area, including the Lexington, Metropolitan, Olympia, 72nd Street, 83rd Street, 175th Street, Valencia, Paradise, Newark and Jersey. To Air Durbin Film Music First radio performance to publicize the Jerome Kern music from Universal's Technicolor production, "Can't Help Singing," starring Deanna Durbin, is scheduled for Sunday evening, November 12, on the Texaco Star Theatre program. . . NEWSREEL SYNOPSES . .