Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

November 3, 1945 SHOW M EX'S TRADE R E V I E W 27 three sons and three daughters. WCAU this week sent out an announcement about its new building which will cover an entire city block. Supposed to be America's first center devoted exclusively to radio and television, the $2,000,000 building is expected to open in December, 1947. It will be a four-story structure surmounted by a television and FM tower extending 612 feet above ground level. The building will have a roof landing field for helicopters which will be used for remote television broadcasting. There will be a 500seat auditorium with two stages for sound and television broadcasting. A film projection room will also be featured. George Daub of Philadelphia is the architect. The Frank J. Larkin Construction Company will erect the building. It was open house on Monday for the Blumberg Bros., who celebrated the opening of their supply house. W ith so many managers in town for t.ie Victory Loan Drive luncheon, a goodly crowd was on hand for the festivities. Meyer Adelman of the Xew Jersey Messenger Service, announced that he has acquired Auto Messenger Service, which served several theatres in the Trenton. X. J. area. His son. Capt. Harry' Adelman, expects to be discharged from the Army soon and will be associated with him. Dave Molliver, who runs the Viola and Regis, took over the Gem. operated by K. Katz. Ray Schwartzes Temple celebrates its 10th anniversary on November 7, and will have Gloria Bair, "Miss Philadelphia,-' on hand as a hostess. Leonard Casey. Hunt Circuit representative in town, was receiving condolences upon the death of his mother. PORTLAND Executive Secretary (Banjo; Miller of Oregon Motion Picture Theatres has issued a call for a monster meeting in Portland, to be the kick-off event for the Victory Loan campaign, and the statewide choosing of the queens in various key cities of the State. Maury Saffle. branch manager for MGM. is back from a quick trip to Inland Empire key cities of Washington. Former Evergreen theatres managers back from armed services include Jack Hamokcr, Martin Fox, Ch'de Stroud and Dan Redden. Roberta Elstrom. one of MGM's commando girls from Xew York, is covering the Portland and Seattle exchange. Charles Feldman, western district sales manager for Universal, has left for California. Arthur W. O'Connell, has been appointed Seattle branch manager for Universal. Les Abbott, general manager for B. F. Shearer Equipment Company, Los Angeles, visited northwest headquarters for a few weeks. Earle Keate, 20th-Fox, is covering Inland Empire in the interest of the Victory Loan drive. , The Paramount and Oriental, Portland, are holding the premiere of "You Came Along," with a personal appearance of the author, Robert Smith. George Ballentine, western district sales manager of 20th-Fox, is covering Portland and Seattle exchanges. Stanley Outerbridge, Paramount auditor, is checking the Portland and Seattle exchanges. Red Skelton and his wife are spending a month's vacation in Montana. Booking on Seattle Row : Dale Fullerton, Port Gamble ; Charles Grieme, Wenatchee ; YVillard Gamble, Portland, Helen Reynolds, Yakima : Rex Thompson, Port Orchard ; Irving Fey. Renton ; Frank Graham, Auburn : Joe Rosenfeld. Spokane ; Billy Conners, Tacoma. MEMPHIS Memphis Variety Club resumed its winter social season Saturday night with a Hallowe'en dance and party. Al Rothschild, program chairman, was in charge. Kenny Sargent, former featured vocalist with Glen Gray's Casaloma Orchestra and now a Memphis Row employe, furnished the music. "Dillinger," which was barred from Memphis by Censor Board Chairman Llo}d T. Binford, broke house records when it opened for four days at J. Jackson Rhodes' Crittenden, West Memphis, Ark. The opening Sunday at 35 cents, was better at the box-office than "Gone With the Wind,'' at 55 cents. "Weekend at the Waldorf," "Mildred Pierce" and "George White's Scandals," opened here to cool reviews by Harry Martin and Mike McGee of the Commercial Appeal. Martin failed to find "Weekend" up to the "Grand Hotel'' standard, which he said apparently inspired the film, and "Mildred Pierce" he found a bit too much on the dramatic side. McGee wondered if "Scandals" might bring back vaudeville. "Weekend" was packing them in on the big name appeal however, and "Mildred Pierce" had capacity houses over the weekend. "Scandals" also had good houses. Garland Brown, who spent 18 months overseas with the Air Forces, has returned to Film Row arid is working in the shipping department of Republic. James R. Fly. chief booker at MGM prior to his induction into the Army two \^ears ago, has received his discharge and will return to work within the next two weeks. \V. B. Mallory, formerly in the MGM booking department, has been promoted to lieutenantcommander in the Xavy Bonnie O. McCarley. former head shipper at 20th Century-Fox here, has returned to the company in the booking department. Robert L. Pigue, Jr., w-ho recently received his discharge as a captain of Marines, has joined 20th Century-Fox as assistant shipper. Pigue's father is a widely known Memphis sports commentator and now is news editor of radio station WMC. Exhibitors booking on Memphis Film Rowlast week included Orris Collins. Paragould, Ark., who has just been discharged from the Army ; Xorman Fair, Somerville, Term., on leave from the Army ; R. R. McCormick, Senatobis. Miss. ; K. K. (Deacon) King, Searcy. Ark. ; S. T. Freeman, Dell, Ark, and Burris and Henley Smith, Pocahontas, Ark. VANCOUVER Amy Brewster, manager of the Stanley, Vancouver, has resigned to have a babyr. Jack Burdick, recent RCAF dischargee, is in charge temporarily. Four more Odeon Circuit houses have started Saturday morning movie clubs. The Park had the best turn-out with 750 in attendance. Vancouver's mayor, at the opening, talked on good citizenship. The Olympia, Oak and Dunbar are the others showing Saturday films. Shows get under way at 9 :30 a.m., but may be made a little later. The customary overcrowding on Saturday nights has been relieved byr the absence of children. The Vancouver Park Board is planning a new outdoor stage to house the "Theatre Under the Stars." The present memorial bowl in Stanley Park is suitable for an orchestra but not for a full-fledged stage attraction. Famous Players have announced a series of regional meetings across the Dominion. Western Canada meetings will be under Larry Bearg, western division manager. Local meetings were called because of railway and hotel congestion. The Vancouver meeting is scheduled for Xovember 3-4. Norman Duncan, former manager of the Strand, Vancouver, recently discharged from the Xavy. is now in the office supply business here. Joe Dalman is back as shipper at Columbia after being in the Canadian Army. Frank Phillips, manager of Famous Pla3'ers art dept. is exhibiting outstanding fronts at the Capitol, Dominion, Strand and Orpheum for the Victory Loan. Bing Crosby, Joe Brown and Howard Hughes have invested $750,000 in two B-C race tracks and a downtown office building. Two top features failed to click here, with "\\ ilson." at the Capitol, below average and staying only one week. "Story of GI Joe" at the Vogue only did average business but was held over. Vancouver had a wet stormy week which cut business in all first runs below par. Howard Boothe. Odeon B-C manager, returned from an inspection trip of five circuit spots on Vancouver Island, reports business as good. More than 500 educational films will be made available through the Royal City Junior Board of Trade for Xew Westminster and district organization meetings. Floyd Rogers, operator of the Grand. Cres( Continued on Page 28) FILM AC K TRAILER CO. ™&«o"T& DOOB HONORED BY WAR ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE. Oscar A. Doob, director of theatre advertising and publicity for Loew's. Inc., was the recipient of a plaque from War Activities Committee for services as chairman of the Public Relations Division. The presentation was made at a luncheon tendered by the WAC Trade Press Division to the industry's Victory Loan Committee at the Astor Hotel last Friday. In the picture above George J. Schaefer is shown presenting the plaque to Doob. second from right. At the extreme left is Jack Alicoate, chairman of the Trade Press Division, and at the right is S. H. Fabian, chairman of the Victory Loan Committee.