Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 18, 1944 REGIONAL Continued Kaddatz and Weber, the owners. Carberry has been in the insurance business for a number of years. The State Theatre at Alaxwell has been purchased by Paul Swanson from the former owner, Harold Goodwin. John R. Lewis is reopening the State Theatre at State Center, which has been closed for several months. Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Pierce have sold the Story Theatre at Story City to Mr. Neitzke of Peterson, Iowa. Neitzke will take over the house shortly. The Pierce's, who have owned and operated the house for the past several years, will move to Des Moines. DALLAS Creation of Variety Foundation, with an initial cash sum of $100,000, invested in government bonds, has been effected with the completion of a legal instrument to that end. Trustees who will administer the Foundation are : Karl Hoblitzelle, R. J. O'Donnell, W. G. Underwood, Julius Schepps, R. I. Payne, C. C. Ezell, and James O. Cherry. Principle object of the fund at this time is the Boys' Ranch of Copperas Cove. It has a present value in excess of $50,000, according to Mike Rice, early sponsor for the project. Film Row booking offices have had a spell of movings. Wallace Theatres vacated offices and moved across the hall at 302^ S. Harwood St. where Andy Sisk has set up his quarters and will add a secretary. Forest White, Index Booking Service, has moved into space vacated by Wallace. Space vacated by White will be added to Isley Theatres, an extension. And Tri-States Theatres, B. R. McLendon, takes an additional office in Allied headquarters, vacated by Henry Sorenson. McLendon will soend more time in Dallas. Cliff Queen, Oak Cliff, closed lately by fire marshal, is being completely -overhauled, according to L. L. Dunbar, manager. Dunbar has been tenant for 20 years and this is the first landlord attention to modernization in that time. Republic exchange has been reconditioned with the laying of floor covering, painting, new booking desks, creation of salesmen's office, new inspection room, and enlargement of shipping room. Prior to his departure for New York to complete details, Jack H. Adams announced the sale of his interest in the Adams Film Co.. franchise owners of PRC, to the PRC company. It is understood Adams will remain with the company as Southern Division manager. PHILADELPHIA Sam Steifel, exhibitor who has been selling his local interests because of his growing deals in Hollywood, left last Sunday for the Coast. Leonard Hetelson, who controls the Crescent, Aurora, Booker, and Colonial in West Philadelphia and the Roxy in Chester, has bought the Casino Theatre, now being operated by Mike Felt of Affiliated Theatres. Sid Stanley has resigned from the Boro and Roxy Theatres. The theatres were taken over last week by Bob Nisenson. Alex Steifel, formerly associated with the Boro and Roxy Theatres, has also severed his connection there. He will devote his time to the Carman Theatre, still owned by his brother Sam. Ray Schwartz of the Affiliated Circuit is vacationing in Florida. Harry Co'hen, former business agent of the Film Exchange Employes Union now in the Navy, was a Vine St. visitor. Lt. John Schmidt, formerly of the Earle Theatre staff, was a visitor in town, and told his friends that his wife had given birth to a baby boy last August. Charles Carver, assistant manager of the Uptown Theatre, has been transferred to the Frankford Theatre as manager, replacing Robert DeFino. Robert DeFino has been transferred to the Lane Theatre as manager, replacing Howard Kummerly, who has been incapacitated due to illness, and will be out of work for an indefinite time. Sam Teitlebaum, manager of the Rexy Theatre until it closed last Sunday night, has been transferred as manager, to the Nixon Theatre. David Moretzohn, the Brazilian consulate representative in Philadelphia, his wife, several of his countrymen and friends were the guests of the Warners at a private screening of the Republic Picture "Brazil." Sam Gross, 20th-Fox exchange manager, was a guest speaker at a meeting of the Rotary Club of West Chester, speaking on the subject, "The part that motion pictures play in the war effort." More than 400 representatives from distribution and exhibition jammed the ballroom of the Warwick Hotel on Monday to attend the 6th War Loan Drive meeting. Gathered from the corners of Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware, dozens were turned away, as the most enthusiastic meeting ever held in these parts got under way. WASHINGTON Committees appointed to spearhead the forthcoming "Smashing Sixth" War Loan Drive in Washington theatres have been appointed by A. E. Lichtman, the District of Columbia chairman for the motion picture industry. Experienced showmen with five previous drives to their credit, the theatre men are expected to stage a most aggressive campaign. At a record turnout of Tent No. 11, Barkers, officers and directors for the Variety Club were elected for the coming year. New Chief Barker for 1945 is Fred S. Kogod, owner of KogodBurka Theatres ; 1st Assistant Chief Barker, Eddie Fontaine, branch manager. Paramount Pictures ; 2nd Assistant Chief Barker Nathan D. Golden, Chief Motion Picture Unit. Dept. of Commerce ; Treasurer, Sam Galanty, division manager, Columbia Pictures ; and Property Master, Jake Flax, franchise holder, Republic Pictures. C. E. Peppiatt is the newly elected director, while the following were all reelected to serve for another term : George Crouch, A. E. Lichtman, Carter Barron, Rudy Berger and Harry Bachman. Ex-officio past Chief Barkers remaining on th^^ Board are Tohn Allen, Sam n^heeler, Hardie Meakin, Sidney Lust and Vince Dougherty. Dorotny Donaldson, of the MGM home office, helped out in the local AIGM exchange for a week, in the cashier dept. Sam Galanty, Columbia's Eastern division manager of sales, announced the addition of Isadore Beiser to the sales staff of the Washington district office under Ben Caplon. Beiser was formerly a film salesman out of Kansas City. Doris Mullineaux, W'arner Bros, advertising dept., is back at work after a two weeks' illness. The AIGM Nov. 15 blood donors' list included : Vivian Kelley. contract dept. ; Esther Blendman, cashier dept. ; Ida Barezofsky, booking dept., and Salesman Tony Fursee. ST. LOUIS Nearly 150 theatre owners, managers, exchange personnel and union representatives gathered at the Coronado Hotel Monday to hear final plans for this territory's participation in the Sixth War I^an. Fred Wehrenberg, Weh renberg Circuit head and president of the MPTO of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, presided as national exhibitor co-chairman. E. B. Coleman of Dallas, Tex., Loew's district advertising and publicity director, and' Barney Evans, MGM's Kansas City exploiteer, are helping in the campaign for the world premiere of MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis" ai Loew's State November 22. Joe Oitker has succeeded Harold Branstetter as manager of the new Clark Theatre, Barry. 111. Oitker is a projectionist. Congressman Walter Ploeser (R), 12th Missouri District, who some time ago announced plans for a Congressional investigation of the use of motion pictures for political and propaganda purposes, has been re-elected. He has not announced whether he will go through with the investigation. Warner District Managers Discuss New Product at Meet The two-day meeting of Warner Bros, district managers in New York ended Friday (10) with the final day's session featuring talks by Major Albert Warner, vice-president, and Joseph Bernhard, general manager of Warner Theatres. Sessions also were addressed by Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager, who presided, and Charles Einfeld, Mort Blumenstock, Norman H. Moray, and Arthur Sachson, and other home office sales executives. Lou Smith Enters Partnership With Margaret Ettinger Agency Lou Smith, former studio publicity director for Columbia and Universal and Eastern publicity head for MGM in New York, has become a partner in the Margaret Ettinger organization with headquarters in Hollywood. The move. Miss Ettinger stated, was to the end of improved service to the existing accounts on the firm's contract list. Lt. Col. Roach Demobilized Lt. Col. Hal E. Roach joined the ranks of Hollywood producers on the inactive list this week after serving with the Army Air Corps overseas and here for approximately three years. He has returned to the Coast where he will make a survey of the industry before announcing his own plans. .Emery Cast in Cagney Film John Emery has been signed for a role in "Blood On the 'Sun," starring James Cagney and Sylvia Sydney. William Cagney will produce for United Artists' release. Lubin to Direct 'Paradise' -Arthur Lubin has been selected by Walter Wanger to direct his next Universal Technicolor production, ".\ Night In Paradise," scheduled to start next month. Paramount Buys Unproduced Play "Feature for June," unproduced play by Graeme Lorimer and Eileen Tighe, has been purchased by Paramount and will reach the public first as a motion picture. Trauner N. Y. Sales Manager Saul Trauner has been appointed to the newly created job of Sales Manager of its New York Exchange, Columbia announced this week.