Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

26 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 3, 1945 mwmin vm i m BOSTON Jack Markle, former co-owner with Leonard Tuttle in the Fine Arts, has left for Buffalo where he will join National Screen's sales department. Charles Hurly, manager of Herman Rifkin's Phillips, Springfield, Mass., visited the district to attend the opening Bond rally at the Statler. Nate Schutzman, manager of the Rockingham, Bellows Falls, Vt, recently added a dining spot to his theatrical interests. Allard Graves, Interstate district manager for New Hampshire and Vermont, left for Miami Beach with his wife for a vacation. Graves is also the manager of the Lyric, White River Junction, Vermont. Ensign Norton J. Wolf, son of MGM's District Manager Maurice Wolf, has been discharged from the Navy. Herb Donovan recently received his Army discharge and is back at his old job of booker at the MGM exchange. Merle Oberon and Benny Goodman's orchestra will be at the first Purple Heart dance here, sponsored by the Record-American. MGM publicists have arranged a special preview of "Her Highness and the Bellboy," for the bellboys of the Statler Hotel on November 10. The boys will be served a buffet supper. Joe DiPesa and George Kraska are the originators of the stunt. During 1944, some 86,111,341 soldiers, sailors and Wacs in the MTO sat through 186,739 showings of motion pictures, it has been revealed by Captain Bernard N. Levin, former Columbia booker in Boston. CHICAGO World Wide Pictures have acquired rights for "Lady of Fortune," "Evil Eye" and three Renfrew action films, which will be released soon in Chicago and Milwaukee territories. The Little Ogden, under the management of James Cooney, has reopened after repairs were completed. George Lefko has been named manager of Warners' Des Moines exchange, succeeding Elmer Tilton, resigned. Jules Rubens and Henry Stickelmaier, Great States executives, have returned from Tom Ronan's funeral at Danville, 111. Ben Kalmenson, Warner sales manager, is in Kansas City for sales conferences. The Sinclair Refining Co. has completed a film entitled, "Heaven With a Fence Around It," which will be shown to employes and customers over the country. Ed Morenz of Monogram and Irving Mandel of the company's Chicago office, were in conference last week. Helen Bolstadof, of the Balaban and Katz publicity department, has resigned. Mose Miller, 41, of the Metro Premium Office, is dead after a short illness. An explosion of film in the booth of the Annetta here caused several hundred in damages but no injuries to the operator. Norman Wrobel has returned from Des Moines and resumed his duties as assistant manager of the RKO Palace. Dick Berger has been discharged from service and is back at the RKO exchange. Elmer Koehler has been named manager of the Peru, Peru, 111. Armand Baum, B & K booker, has resigned. It is reported that Izzy Slavin, theatre executive, has sold his interest in the Hotel La REGIONAL NEWS INDEX Albany 30 Boston 26 Chicago 26 Cleveland 30 Columbus 28 Dallas 31 Des Moines 31 Harrisburg 29 Indianapolis 28 Memphis 27 Milwaukee 29 Montreal 28 New York 31 Omaha 29 Philadelphia 26 Pittsburgh 30 Portland 27 St. Louis 31 Vancouver 27 Washington 26 Quinta, Palm Springs, to Barney Balaban. Ralph Lawler has been made chairman of the Victory Loan drive at Peoria, 111. Hal Stevens, Paramount manager, has returned from Lynn, Mass., after attending his mother's funeral there. Irving Mack, Chicago Variety Club representative, attended the St. . Louis and Kansas City meetings this week. The Chicago Police Censor Board inspected 82 films last month totaling 413,000 feet and made 76 cuts. It pinked RKO's "Isle of the Dead," and Azteca's "My Friend, the King." Frank Williams, Warner exchange head booker, is in Hollywood on vacation. W. H. Strafford, president of local 780 of the IATSE, is in Springfield attending the state convention of the union. Irvin Lange, son of Moe, owner of the Harrison, has been discharged from the Army and is now with United Artists exchange service department. The Rose-Manta Circuit has re-opened the Lil, Forest Park, 111., after extensive improvements. Leo Haney has been named manager following an Army discharge. Bell and Howell have issued a new catalogue of educational films compiled by William F. Kruse, director of the film division of the company. All Chicago film studios except Chicago Film Labs and Burton Holmes Films have signed contracts with local 780 of the IATSE, W. H. Strafford, president, has reported. Industrial cameramen affiliated with Local 666 are seeking new two-year contract retroactive to September 1. A 10 per cent wage increase for the first year and five per cent the second is sought. Newsreel cameramen are asking for 20 per cent, which would give them $150 weekly. Strafford will meet with Pat Casey during November for final details. The Barger's Drive-In is closing for the season with "Song to Remember" which, according to the management, totaled close to 2 million in attendance, a new record. At least three more Drive-Ins are scheduled for the Chicago territory for next summer. Fred Joyce, formerly special representative with Lester Cowan, has been named publicity director for the Stevens Hotel. Lt. Col. Orton Hicks of the MGM 16-mm. dept. is here for trade conferences. B. H. Keys has joined the western booking offices of the Alliance Theatre Circuit, Walla Walla, Washington. WASHINGTON Under the leadership of President Charles J. Mack of News of the Day, the White House Newsreel and Still Photographers Association held it annual dinner at which the President of the United States is the perennial honored guest. Six Supreme Court Justices, nine cabinet officers as well as a host of big name service men and industrialites were present. The party was the President's first pre-scheduled public appearance following V-J Day. Mr. Truman presented awards to winners of the organization's third annual contest and made a short off-therecord talk. George Jessel was master of ceremonies. The Fleet Marine Force Follies, flown in from Okinawa, topped off the show. All branches of the motion picture industry were well represented. Hardie Meakin, former manager of RKO Keith's and now an executive in Cincinnati, was in town and was honored at a luncheon at the Variety Club. Wm. C. Ewing, asst. director of advertising and publicity for Warners, spent a couple of days in the Maryland and Virginia zone, doing advance publicity on "Mildred Pierce." MGM Home Office Auditor Charles Bell visited the local exchange. Thieves carried off an 800-pound safe contining $1235 in cash and $15,050 in war bonds from the second floor office of the Highland Theatre. Lloyd C. Wineland, manager, said they entered through a trap door in the roof. Lew Carroll, local RKO publicist, is being transferred to Pittsburgh, and his post will be taken by Douglas Beck. MGM was represented at the Richmond Victory Loan meeting by John S. Allen, Jack Goldberg, Tony Fursee and Tom Baldridge. Fred Rippingale and Tom Baldridge represented the company at Roanoke. Baldridge and Phil Bobys attended the Fredericksburg Bond luncheon. Warners contact dept. is being repainted now that the office is back to its pre-war personnel status. The Earle marquee is also getting a coat of paint. Jack Katz, of Dominion Theatres, Charlottesville, had a visit from MGM's Jack Goldberg and John S. Allen. Speaking on the "History of Vaudeville," Harry Anger, managing director of the Earle and Metropolitan addressed the Speech and Drama student assembly of Catholic University. The invitation to address the group came from Father Gilbert V. Hartke, head of the de partment. PHILADELPHIA The WAC Distributors Committee arrived back in town after a week of meetings throughout the eastern part of the state all enthused about the turnout of exhibitors and increased number of pledges received for Victory Bond premieres. The Philadelphia meeting topped them all, with the appearance of General Wainwright, the highlight of the luncheon. Much credit for the beauty of the ballroom where the meeting was held, was due to the boys of the Mastbaum sign shop who went all out to make the appearance of the room the most outstanding of any held for any of the previous drives. Mrs. Anna Feeney Comerford, widow of Michael B. Comerford, former general manager of the Comerford-Publix Theatres Corp., died suddenly of a heart attack early Thursday morning at her home in Scranton. Surviving are