Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, February 1, 1947 REGIONAL NEWSREEL (Continued from Page 23) 2-ounce son born at the Presbyterian Hospital. This is his second son. Linnie Beacon has been named manager of Ideal Films' Portland, Ore., offices. Jerry Wells is manager of the company's new Cambridge, Mass., offices. Larry Strong of the Essannay Electric Company is enjoying a winter vacation in Florida. Dale O'Brien, public relations director for Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, has returned from a business trip to New York. The Hallicrafters Company has moved into its new manufacturing plant at 440 West 5th Avenue, Chicago. New telephone number is Van Buren 6300. New appointments : Frank Corey, business agent IATSE stagehands union; Ray Kenney, manager, Beverly Theatre ; John Fields, manager, Rhodes Theatre; K. Edgerly, co-manager, B and K Paradise Theatre, Happy Meininger, manager, B and K Berwyn Theatre ; C. J. Hubbard, assistant manager, Will Rogers Theatre. MILWAUKEE Roadshows coming to the Davidson Theatre are increasing in number and quality in this, one of the last two legit houses left in this city. For Feb. 10 "Oklahoma" is scheduled, according to information received from the Theatre Guild. RKO-Pathe Newsreel, Inc. reports the assignment of Robert F. Fahrenkrug of Appleton, Wis., as official photographer for the Tristate area — Indiana, Illinois and Ohio — as his center of operations. Fahrenkrug has had 15 years of photographic experience, and was a captain while with the Army Signal Corps in Germany during the late war. Before joining the army, he was advertising man and photographer for the Fox River Paper Co. in Wisconsin. In Europe, during the war, Fahrenkrug says, he had charge of 150 cameramen, making stills and movies of con: bat area:, both for newsreel purposes and for battle study for the high command. Later he gathered complete film coverage of Nazi atrocities. He was a student of the University of Wisconsin before becoming a professional photographer. Nathan Marcus has been appointed branch manager of Warners' Milwaukee office. Marcus has b;en city salesman for Warners for the past two years. He now succeeds Don Woods, who left Jan. 19 for Dallas, Texas, to take over the office for Warners there. Flarold Wirthwein, branch manager at Milwaukee for Paramount, left here at the weekend for Los Angeles, Calif., where he is to be assistant district manager for Paramount. The Brandon (Wis.) conservationists have ordered a Bell-Howell movie projector and expect delivery of it in February. As the conservationists are interested in travel, sports, dog training, hunting, fishing, etc., they expect to use the new projector for showing films on those subjects. A demonstration was made by a projector dealer early in January for 65 persons present, at which time the decision was reached to purchase the projector. TORONTO Come spring, the Toronto district is to have its first automobile theatre. General Manager R. H. Manley of the Skyway Drive-In Theatres Limited, Toronto, has announced the purchase of a large site on Wilson Avenue, just north of the city, for an outdoor cinema to "seat" 1,000 cars. This will be the company's fourth unit in Ontario. StreetJohnson Amusements Limited, Toronto, is reported to have sold its first film arena, the Cascades Drive-In Theatre at Burnaby, B. C, to National Drive-In Theatres, Limited, which has been organized on the west coast and which plans similar projects for cities of the Middle West. Harvey Hunt, head booker of Odeon Theatres of Canada, Limited, plans to leave Toronto in the near future to make a study of the numerous Odeon houses in British Columbia where he expects to spend one month. With the transfer of Hilliard Conway to National Theatre Services, Limited, a new Ontario circuit affiliate of Odeon, Robert Gard'lier has been appointed assistant to Supervisor Tom Bowyer of Odeon Movie Clubs for Young Canadians. Conway, who becomes booker for the 23 units of National Theatres, was originally manager of the Colony Theatre, Toronto, and organized the inaugural movie-club program in Canada at that theatre which was attended by J. Arthur Rank and John Davis during their visit in May, 1945. Rev. F. W. L. Brailey, pastor of Glebe Road United Church, Toronto, publicly accused the screen of causing the "sliding morals" of the people, using "The Outlaw" as an example of what he meant. An anonymous theatre-chain spokesman retorted in the press that the clergyman was wrong — hundreds of people had claimed that "The Wicked Lady" was more daring than "The Outlaw." Queensway Studios, Limited, New Toronto, Canadian producing unit of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, is producing a film featuring the Leslie Bell Singers of Toronto in a repertoire of songs of many nations. The film is intended for release throughout the world as a good will medium. Various Odeon theatres in Ontario have added a regular stage feature as an added weekly attraction in the presentation of Ken Soble's amateur program. The Palace at St. Catharines is presenting local amateurs each Monday night and the Savoy at Hamilton has the feature on Thursday nights. The Belsize Theatre, a Toronto unit of 20th Century Theatres, started the movement last fall. Astral Films, Toronto, of which I. H. Allen is general manager, is handling the release in Canada of "Children on Trial" which was produced by the United Kingdom's Crown Film Unit as a documentary dealing with juvenile (Continued on Page 26) Participate in Launching of New Tent The extension of the Variety Clubs to countries abroad began with the establishment a couple of years ago in Canada, reached a new goal in expansion with the formal launching of a branch in Mexico City a fortnight ago. Among the industry figures participating in the gala events surrounding the opening of the Variety Club of Mexico are those shown in photos above and at left. Above: C. C. Caldwell, Brownfkld, Texas; Lew Bray, Harlingen, Texas; Marie Moreno, "Cantiflas" famous comedian; R. J. O'Donnel, National Chief Barker; Hiram Parks, Brownfield, Texas. Left: John H. Harris, "Big Boss" of the Variety Clubs, and Luis Montes chief barker of the Mexico City Tent, and one of the leading showmen of Mexico. At the outset of its career, the Mexico City Tent set definite plans for fundraising activities to establish a home for poor children.