Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, June 22, 1946 33 REGIONAL NEWSREEL for Iowa managers, including Jerry Bloedon, Orpheum, Des Moines ; Joe Dostal, Orpheum, Davenport ; Andy Talbot, Iowa, Cedar Rapids ; Russell Beach, Orpheum, Waterloo; Harry Bearmin, Strand, Marshalltown ; and Milton Troehler, Orpheum, Sioux City. R. J. Dalton, Oxford exhibitor, and Mrs. Dalton celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary here. Ed Roza, Republic shipper, is vacationing in the Black Hills. .Branch Managers Jess McBride, Frank Hannon, Joe Scott, Donald McLucas, Jack Renfrew and Jerry McGlynn attended the Cooper Theatres annual party at Lincoln. Melina DaGosta, Paramount contract clerk, will marry Tony Culotta of Omaha June 30. Robert Hoff, office manager of the Ballantyne Company, and Mrs. Hofif have left for a month's trip in the East, during which Mr. Hoff will make business stops in a dozen cities. KANSAS CITY An amusement tax covering motion picture theatres and other "commercial" entertainment in Springfield is being considered by that city council as a possible means of increasing its sagging general revenue fund. One proposal calls for a 5 per cent ticket tax, while another calls for a general 20 percent tax on gross admissions. The latter would bring in $138,000, city officials estimate. Cecil Cupp, owner of the Royal Theatre at Arkadelphia, Ark., has announced installation of new sound and projection equipment costing $6,000. Fred Spear will manage the Folly Theatre next season, Warren Irons, owner, has announced. During his long career in show business here. Spear has been associated with the old Garden Theatre, the Shubert, the Orpheum, Mainstreet, Tower and Empress. The Civic theatre at Webb City, operated by Larry P. Larsen Sr., has had some new lighting and a new front installed ; the lighting measures out a quarter of a mile of Neon tubing placed on a metal canopy extending 75 feet across the building. Vandalism is being fought by the Brookside Theatre here, operated by R. R. Ruddick, through the use of a trailer which informs the audience that the theatre is there for all to enjoy pictures, and not as a place of vandalism. July 3 has been set by Charles Borg as the opening date for his new theatre at Osceola. HARRISBURG Sam Gilman, manager of Loew's Regent, who just finished heading one civic drive, has been appointed as publicity chairman of another. Gilman last week turned over to Dr. Samuel B. Fluke, cancer committee executive director, a check for $5654.77, the sum collected in Harrisburg area theatres in the campaign against cancer. At a meeting last week Gilman was named chairman of the publicity committee for the Health Bond campaign of the Tuberculosis and Health Society. The Colonial has utilized a vacant storeroom on the busiest corner of the city. Third and Market Streets, and until the shop is taken over by a jewelry firm in early fall. Manager Jack O'Rear will use the window for display purposes. He will transfer lobby displays to the WEITMAN HONORED. Robert M. Weitman (center), managing director of the New York Paramount Theatre, receives a scroll for his outstanding achievements in the field of entertainment during the war. The ceremony took place at a testimonial luncheon at the Park Central Hotel, tendered to Weitman by the Musicians' Division of the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York. Bill Feinberg of the Musicians' Union is at the left, while on the right is Maurice Bergman of Universal Pictures, who presented the award. window and will have large posters on current attractions. Edgar Goth, director of publicity for the Fabian theatres, his wife and children, and Franklin Maury, assistant manager of the Colonial, his wife and son, had an outing at Pine Grove Furnace last week-end. Mr. and Mrs. George L. Ickes have returned from their honeymoon and have taken up residence in Harrisburg. Ickes is manager of the Fox, Duncannon, and the bride was Miss Sara B. Logan. Visitors at Loew's Regent were Carter Barron zone manager of the Loew circuit, and his new aide, Marty Burnett. New on the staiT of the Regent here are Sylvia Tule, Rachel Given and Margaret Bittner. They replace Betty Lentz and Corrinne Duke, resigned. The Paxtang, recently sold, will be managed by Sam Frank, starting July 1. Absentees from the staff of the Senate last week were Hope Robinson, Catherine Jackson and Betty Thornton, all of whom were ill. June 30 is the date selected by Gloria Oyler of the State for her wedding. Mrs. Arlene J. Hughes, Palmyra, succeeds Patricia Breslin as secretary to Ed Goth, Fabian publicity man. DALLAS J. G. Long, chief of the Long Circuit, has taken a flyer into the radio field by becoming a partner in the City Broadcasting Co., which has been granted a permit for a radio station at Bay City, Texas. The Carral Theatre at Hallsville, which was opened only three weeks ago, was completely destroyed by fire of undetermined origin on June 12. Loss was estimated at $35,000. The blaze was reported shortly after 2 a.m. Claude Ezwell and Mill Underwood are set to open their new Circle Drive-In theatre at Waco Friday, June 21. William Sargent has been named manager of the house. The theatre is located on the Dallas highway and has RCA in-car speakers, concrete ramps, a cry room and a play park for children, and is licensed under Park-In Theatres, Inc., patents. .Two masked bandits, who apparently were looking for a larger loot, took only a small amount of cash, war stamps and a rifle last week from Robert Whitney, night watchman at the Northwest Highway Drive-In theatre here. Variety members held a banquet June 11 at College Inn, Houston, with Bob O'Donnell, national chief barker, as principal speaker! Other speakers were Bill O'Donnell, who is the local Chief Barker, and Julius Schepp, assistant Chief Barker. Proceeds of the banquet went to the Texas Boys' Ranch of Copperas Cove. The arbitration case of Tri-State Theatres vs. Paramount has been set for next Wednesday, June 26. The circuit is seeking 45-day availability for its Casa Linda theatre here. Evant gets its first theatre in many years when F. W. McGilvaney, war vet, opens his new Plaza there. "The Outlaw" continues to have troubles in the Southwest. In Alexandria, La. two fines of $100 each and two 30-day jail sentences were given John W. Sasser, manager of the Joy Theatre there. The fine and sentences were suspended however. INDIANAPOLIS The wmner in the W^IBC-RKO Radio letter writing contest for a pony was William Hayes, 11-year old orphan from the Indiana Baptist Home, who was presented with his pony on the Circle Theatre stage. The two-week contest began May 20 during the showing of "Badman's Territory." Jennie Friedland, cashier at the Cinema Theatre here, was robbed of $100 when a youthful bandit drew a small gun, demanded the cash, and fled in an automobile. Mrs. Lula Stevens, business agent for Local B-35, and head inspectress at PRC has been confined to her home by an attack of pleurisy. Vance Schwartz, representative of L. Grau of Milwaukee, Wise, is now making headquarters at the National Theatre, Louisville, one of the Grau houses. Edward Brauer, Republic manager, is planning a trip to Chicago, to attend a 3-day meeting of mid-west exchange managers at the Blackstone Hotel. The meetings will be in charge of William Baker. Rud Lohrenz, United Artists district manager, was a visitor at the local branch on business, Wednesday through Thursday. Rosa Freeman, of Warners office staff, and Haskell Smith, were married June 13. They are honeymooning in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. L. J. McGinley, former manager of Universal here, is vacationing in the East prior to assuming new duties with the company. Peter Rosian, Universal district manager spent the week here on business. L. F. Hewitt, in charge of the new building at Universal exchange, was in the city during (Continued on Page 34) New Ideal Theatre Chairs JOE HORNSTEIN has it.'