Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 3, 1945 REGIONAL Continued now lives at Marysville, Wash., visited friends here. Ed Morey of New York, Monogram assistant general sales manager, and District Manager Sol Francis stopped off here on a tour of midwestern offices. John Redmond, RKO Theatres divisional manager, is in New Orleans on business. Maj. William Trites, former assistant manager at the Orpheum, is back in Omaha waiting for reassignment with Tri-States Theatres Corp. Mildred Williams, 20th-Fox office manager, is vacationing at her family home in Furtile, la. Harry Levy, 20th-Fox salesman, has moved on to the Minneapolis office. Terry Smoot, former Des Moines 20th-Fox salesman, has replaced him. Olie Broughton, MGM auditor, has left town. There are two engagements to report from the Republic office this week. Audre Irene Rasmussen, biller, is to marry Sgt. Clifford Thomas Wood of St. Louis, now awaiting discharge after 28 months in the Mediterranean theatre. Stenographer Margaret Andersen is engaged to Pfc. Norman W. Canaday, also of Council Bluffs. He is now stationed in Georgia. N. N. Galbreath, RKO salesman who broke an arm, is back on the job, with his arm in a sling. November 3 is the date set for the marriage of Betty McLucas, daughter of Don McLucas, United Artists branch manager, to Capt. Robert Elliott of Center Point, la. Capt. Elliott, who has two presidential citations and eight stars, spent 29 months in the Pacific Theatre. Teresa Yecha, MGM inspectress, is back at work following an accident in which she broke a rib. MGM held an office Halloween party October 29. The poster room was decorated for the occasion. Everybody wore masked costumes. In its first report made October 21, the Omaha WAC reported a record start on the Victory Loan drive. Forty-one premieres and 78 free movie days already were scheduled. Exhibitors, salesmen and branch managers gathered in the 20th-Fox screening room to hear WAC Chairman McLucas, Exhibitor Chairman William Miskell and Publicity Chairman Ted Emerson, talk. Miskell announced the appointment of Robert Livingston as coordinator for the Lincoln effort and of E. William Maloney of KOIL as radio coordinator. In the Omaha drive, Don McNeill's Breakfast Club was set for the Paramount, November 1. Two regular premieres also are scheduled. The Omaha Variety Club has named William Miskell, Tri-States Theatres district manager, a» its chief barker. Other officers include : Frank Hannon, first assistant; Harold Johnson, second assistant ; Eugene Blazer, proper master ; Mayer Stern, treasurer ; National Committeeman, E. I. Rubin; Alternate, Walter Green; National Convention, Sam Epstein ; Alternate, Edward Shafton. PITTSBURGH Charles Truman, veteran showman who until his recent illness managed the Park and Meade, Meadville, Pa., for many years, and his wife, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary October 30 after which they left for an extended visit to Tucson, Arizona, where Truman hopes to regain his health. Norbert Stern, who operates the Drive-in, South Park, Pa., has, petitioned the Pittsburgh City Council to permit him to open an outdoor theatre in Schenley Park, for which he has offered an annual rent of $2500. As yet, no action has been taken by the Council. It is reported that several other persons have requested that bids for the site be considered, should they consent to leasing the property in question for an outdoor theatre. David Allison, brother of Ray and Leonard Allison, who operate the Allison Circuit in this territory, died last week as the result of a fall down the steps of a restaurant in Ebensburg, Pa., where he managed the Rivoli. John Zomnir, who before entering service in the Coast Guard was office manager for MGM here, has returned to Film Row as city salesman for PRC. Since receiving his discharge from service, Zomnir had been working in a local defense plant. A special meeting of the AMPTO of Western Pennsylvania was called October 30 in the Roosevelt Hotel by Morris Finkel, for the discussion of issues pertaining to the industry. Charles Rosenberg, father of Morris A. Rosenberg, chairman of the Board of Directors of the AMPTO of Western Pennsylvania and former president of Allied, as well as president of the local association for many years, passed away at the Montefiore Hospital here last week after a long illness. A testimonial dinner for Louis E. Hanna, who has been in the film distribution business for many years and who recently resigned as salesman for Republic here to become head of the Acme Distributing Company, will be given at the Gray Wolf Tavern in Sharon, Pa., November 27. From present indications, it will be attended by many theatre operators as well as representatives of the local distribution companies. Hanna succeeds his late brother-in-law, Walter C. Thomas, as general manager of Acme. Film salesmen and field representatives are making a survey of 617 theatres in this area and offering cooperation in putting on parades, rallies and other bond-selling stunts to aid the Victory Loan drive. ALBANY Harry Goldberg, Warner director of advertising and publicity, is in town for conferences with C. A. Smakwitz, assistant zone manager ; Leo Rosen, Strand manager ; Sid Sommer, Troy, Troy manager and Andy Roy, Stanley, Utica, manager. Carl Shalit, Columbia district manager, Louis Weinberg, in charge of sales and Vincent Borelli, assistant to Weinberg, visited the Albany office on their way to confer with Schine Enterprises in Gloversville. A number of MGM workers weekended in New York — including Eddie Susse, Ruth Hogan, Marion Lippothj Ralph Ripps and Eleanor Miller. Fred Duffy, former Universal and Republic salesman, now retired and living in Utica, paid a visit to Film Row. Harry Berkson, upstate Monogram franchise owner, visited Film Row. Visitors along the Row included C. Dayton, LaPointe, Chatham; Mrs. Quigley, Coxsackie; Bill Featherly, Rensselaer ; H. Bernstein, Schenectady ; Sam Rosenblatt, Watervliet. Eugene V ogel, Universal branch manager, visited Boston to attend the 30th wedding anniversary of District Manager John Scully. The Warner Club is planning a party for Albany and Troy employes for December 12th. Warner employes entertained Evelyn Sussman, secretary, at a dinner at Jack's Restaurant in honor of her coming marriage to Jerry Scheer on November 11th. Mildred Steinbrenner, Universal secretary to Al Marchetti, has resigned and is moving to California with her husband. Lieut. Edmond Burke, son of Katherine Burke, Universal cashier, has been discharged from the Air Force in which he saw 32 months of service and figured in five major battles. He returns to the General Electric, Schenectady. Nate Sodikman, former Monogram branch manager, has been released from the Army after two years' service and is now vacationing with his in-laws in Detroit. Wm. Benson, Universal salesman, has resigned and expects to settle out west. Warrant Officer "Sonny" Smith, son of Ben Smith, independent salesman, has been discharged from the Canadian Army after serving six years and participating in most of the major battles. He has joined Regal Films (MGM ) in Canada. Andy Roy, Stanley, Utica, manager, has been elected president of the Kiwanis Club for 1946. Leon Herman, Buffalo Republic manager and Jack Davis, Republic district manager, are in town on their way to Gloversville to> confer with Schine Enterprises. J. Myer Schine is in Florida for a month's stay. . [ CLEVELAND Fred Meyers, Universal sales manager, spent most of the week in town breaking in Leroy Brauer to his new job as local branch manager. John J. Maloney, MGM division sales manager, was here on one of his routine visits to the local branch. Wedding bells will peal on November 25 for Esther Levine of the Universal secretarial staff and Howard Ponsky, released from the Army after three and a half years service in the Pacific area. Lester Dowdell, United Artists office manager, is still under the weather. He has been away from his desk for more than two weeks. George W. Erdmann, secretary of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association and Stuart Cagney, manager of the Broadvue, have gone on a two-week hunting trip in northern Canada. Bill Onie, Republic franchise owner in Cincinnati, was in town over the weekend. Bob Snyder, Film Classics representative, followed the twoweek opening run of "We Accuse" at the downtown Lower Mall, with deals for the University, Jennings, Lincoln, Ria'.to and Corlett. Morrison Orr, United Artists branch manager, last week closed deals with every circuit in the Toledo and Cleveland area. This little feat pushes the Cleveland exchange up from 24th to ninth place in the Grad Sears Drive. Judd Spiegel, formerly with Republic, now hangs his hat in the PRC exchange. He is continuing to cover the Toledo territory. Tom Alley last week ended a 20-year association with 20th-Fox to go into business for himself. Alley started as a booker but for the past