Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

August 25, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 31 REGIONAL Continued One mother who has every reason to be excited over Japan's surrender is Mrs. Byrnes, of the MGM inspection dept. She is awaiting the return of all five of her sons, who are in various branches of the service and have been in all parts of the world during the past four years. Patricia Roc, British film star, arrived in Baltimore Monday on a British Overseas Air Corporation ship from London, on her way to Hollywood to appear in Walter Wanger's "Canyon Passage." Miss Roc was tendered a dinner by The Hon. Theodore R. McKeldin, Mayor of Baltimore. Included among the other guests were Fred Schanberger of the' Baltimore Keith Theatre. MEMPHIS News of victory over Japan last week brought crowds into the theatres which remained open. Both Loew's State and Palace and the Warner kept their doors open and managers reported audiences well behaved despite the shouting and parading crowds trooping up and down in front of the theatres. Suburban houses closed as did the Malco, Princess and Strand in the downtown section. Excitement of the evening hurt attendance for houses which remained open, however. Charles Shaw, RKO exploiteer, has been transferred from the Memphis-New Orleans territory to the Dallas-Oklahoma City territory. Fred Ford, veteran RKO exploiteer, long stationed in Memphis, returned here from Atlanta. Transferred recently. Ford was unable to find suitable housing and returned to Memphis, where he owns his home. Mrs. Mabel Landers of Harrisburg, Ark., who is operating her husband's house while he is in the Army, has received a set of theatre chimes from him. Her husband, Don Landers, is operating an Army motion picture theatre at Ansbach, Germany. The chimes which he sent home were used in a German theatre. Mike McGee, motion picture critic of the Commercial Appeal, is on vacation. Dave Jones, assistant reviewer, is subbing for him. City managers of Malco Theatres Inc. were called to Memphis for a cocktail party and dinner on Tuesday at the Gayoso Hotel, where they were addressed by M. A. Lightman, president; M. C. McCord, secretary-treasurer ; Herb Kohn, general manager and Clayton Tunstill, general field representative. Plans for the postwar building and operations of the Malco system were outlined by McCord. Some 30 city managers were invited to the meeting as well as headquarters personnel. Max Pruniski, Malco partner, also attended the meeting. Herb Kohn, general manager of Malco, reports two service men have returned to the company. William Schrecker has again taken over his old job at West Point, Miss. Ralph Lehman, formerly at Pine Bluff and North Little Rock, has been discharged from Kennedy General Hospital at Memphis and will return to the company immediately. He probably will be sent to Hot Springs, Ark. Dave Groskind, booker ; Mrs. Virginia Jetton, Vivian Gilmer and Jeanne Thatcher of the Malco office staff, have returned from vacations. HARRISBURG Harrisburg joined with the rest of the nation in celebrating the end of the war, and movie managers reported booming business for the twoday holiday August 14 and 15. Curious fact noted in local movie columns was that many persons, when the news of the surrender was flashed on the screen and loudspeakers, refused to leave the theatres to join the celebration in the street, until they had seen the entire show. BOWL OF MUSIC. Mr. and Mrs. Walt Disney, right, and Mr. and Mrs. Roy Disney, at the Hollywood Bowl concert featuring music written for Disney pictures. The suite from "Bambi" was narrated by Claudette Colbert. Other numbers on the program based on films made for RKO Radio distribut'on by Disney were You Belong to My H°art, from "Three Caballeros" and When You Wish Upon a Star from "Finocchio." Downtown houses provided radio flashes of the event, and immediately raised American Flags and other patriotic decorations. The Senate had a special front. The drive for Sunday movies is continuing locally, with considerable opposition from the church element of the community, which rallied to defeat the measure both in 1935 and 1940 when it came to a vote. While the required number of signatures on petition is nearing, the Ministerial Association has become active in objecting. A sermon was preached by the Rev. Newell C. Grimes at an outdoor church program, in which he urged all church-goers "to vote to retain the Christian Sabbath." Fifteen hundred signatures are needed to get the question on the ballot for vote in November. Another community to ballot on the same proposal is Carlisle, where petitions are displayed in the lobbies of the Comerford and Strand theatres, seeking names of voters to get enough support to bring it to a general vote. Ralph Wrightstone, 42 years old, projectionist at the Senate, was fatally stricken August 11, when he reported for work. Wrightstone was a victim of a heart attack, and collapsed in the projection room. Member of Local Union 488, he is survived by his widow, several brothers and sons. His sons and brothers are employed in various capacities in Harrisburg and nearby theatres. Funeral services were conducted August 14, at his home in Mechanicsburg, and a large group of theatre personnel attended the rites. A promotion stunt has been arranged by the -State and a local photographic studio, in sponsoring a baby picture contest. The studio takes the photographs to be submitted as entries and winners will be announced from the State stage early next month. Cal Lieberman, Senate, has arranged a permanent display in the Sunbeam Drug Store, in cooperation with Joe Salinger, owner of the soda fountain. Absentees at Loew's Regent are Manager Sam Gilman, who is replacing Billy Saxton, Baltimore, and Mae Arnold, cashier, on vacation. In Gilman's absence, Pete Stainbach, Richmond, Va., former local assistant manager, is handling t'ne managerial duties. Gerry Wollaston, State manager, was called (Continued on Next Page) Atlanta — Astor Boston — Embassy Buffalo — Pam-O Chicago — Elman Charlotte — Astor Cincinnati — Popular Cleveland — Imperial Dallas — Astor Denver — Commercial Detroit— Allied Des Moines — J. H. King ndianapolis — P.R.C. Kansas City — J. H. King Los Angeles — IVIajestic Minneapolis — Astor Milwaukee — Astor New Haven — J. Levlne New Orleans — Dixie New York — Astor Philadelphia — HollywMd Pittsburgh — Crown San Francisco — Astor St. Louis — Astor Washington — Astor tr^ASTOR nCTURtS AK BOX-OKia fROM ANY ANGU!