Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 22, 1949 REGIONAL NEWSREEL (Continued from Page 23) working conditions. The 750-seat York, Victoria, which was acquired last February by three Victoria men, Thomas Matheson, William Henson and Herbert Hampton, has reopened with Matheson as managing director and Hampton, a former theatre manager, as resident manager. The theatre was formerly a Pantages circuit house and since that time has had many owners. It is situated in the Oriental section of the British Columbia capital. BUFFALO A scroll containing the signatures of approximately 35 western New York distributors was presented to Columbia Manager Pliil Fox at a luncheon marking his tenth anniversary in that post and his 25th anniversary with the company. The scroll was presented by George J. Gammel, president of the Motion Picture Theatres Owners association of western New York. Paramount Theatres District Manager James H. Eshelman, is sporting a new convertible. . . . Word has reached Buffalo that WKBW's former disc jockey, Foster Brooks, has been signed by Mitchell J. Hamilburg, Hollywood movie agent, to a featured part in Smiley Burnette's Columbia picture, "Riders of Ghost Town.". . . Mrs. Mary Raf¥erty is the new secretary to Manager Harold Mortin of Loew's State in Syracuse, replacing Alice Budziak, resigned. Universal General Sales Manager William A. No Adults Only Sheriff George Blaine of Tulsa, Okla., was promised Tuesday that no more "adults only" movies will be shown at the State Theatre. The sheriff said the owner of the State told him he "would be glad" to stop shows for "adults only." Earlier in the day Blaine told Tulsa exhibitors they could show such films. The county attorney's office backed him. Blaine's ire was directed at the State which advertised a film featuring Evelyn West, an entertainer with whom he had run-ins when she appeared at a Tulsa night club. Scully and Eastern Division Manager Fred Meyers were here for a sales conference with Manager Joe Gins and staff. . . . John McMahon is the new Paramount city salesman here ; Donald Kranz of the Albany office replaces McMahon in the Syracuse area but will work out of the Buffalo exchange. . . . Harry Berinstein of Berinstein Brothers, Ithaca, has bought the Burg in Trumansburg, N. Y. Donna Donahue has been appointed stenographer to Booker-Office Manager Chuck Harter at Columbia, replacing Annette Sarles. . . . Lou Heukrath, Columbia head inspectress, has returned from a vacation. . . . Johnny Rana, Columbia assistant shipper, is driving a new convertible. . . . U-I District Manager Dave Miller is now a grandfather. His daughter, Edith, has a baby boy, who has been named Steve. MGM SALES CONFERENCE IN ROUSING KICK-OFF MGM's sales conference in New York last week got off to a rousingly colorful start in a hip-hip gridiron setting replete with green turf striped with white yard lines, grandstand and band with plenty of brass in it — visual sample at left above. Right, Loew's and MGM President Nicholas M. Schenck addressing the meeting, with Distribution Chief WiUiam F. Rodgers and Advertising-PubHcity Director Howard Dietz seated at his right. Expressing confidence that the organization would overcome the obstacles which face all branches of the industry due to unsettled conditions at home and abroad. President Nicholas M. Schenck made the opening address Thursday (13th) of the annual MGM Sales Conference in New York. Mr. Schenck was introduced by Distribution Chief William F. Rodgers, who later emphasized that the gathering was not for the purpose of discussing any new policies but to discuss forthcoming product and servicing of exhibitor customers. Prominent among those who addressed later meetings were Advertising-Publicity Director Howard Dietz, who outlined promotional plans and declared that MGM definitely has not changed its policy in connection with cooperative and applied advertising ; and .A.dvertisnig Manager Si Seadler. Eleanor Paradeis, office manager at Screen Guild, has returned from a vacation motor trip through the Adirondacks. . . . Abe Harris, MGM Rochester representative, and Mrs. Harris have returned from a vacation motor trip to St. Anne DeBeaupre, Montreal and Quebec. Elmer Winegar, treasurer of the Motion Picture Operators .Association, is in charge of Ismailia Temple's vaudeville and quiz show to be staged Nov. 28-29 in Memorial Auditorium. . . . George Stevens, a stage hand at Loew's State, Syracuse, was in Buffalo for the funeral of an uncle. MILWAUKEE Fire destroyed the Metro Theatre and other parts of the building which houses it at Prairie du Chien Oct. 12, the loss being estimated at $500,000. George Panka operated the theatre. . . . The Owen Theatre here has been sold by Leonard Hamm and Paul Stasek to Virgil Callahan and a brother. Fred Perry, who managed theatres in downtown Milwaukee, is now manager of the Capitol Theatre at Middletown, Conn. . . . .\cting manager for Universal-International here since the death of Jack Bannan has been City Salesman Dave Goldman. . . . Harry Chapman, former manager of the Fox-Princess, has joined the Paramount sales force in Minneapolis on special assignment. ... A former Milwaukeean, Heinz Roemheld, is in Hollywood supplying the musical score for Columbia's "Good Humor Man." Screen Guild Manager William Benjamin did a little duck hunting in the Wisconsin's north woods this month. . . . Also to northern Wisconsin, and to Upper Michigan, but on business, went Film Classics Manager Eddie Gavin. , The Variety Club's new headquarters, after Nov. 1 in the Hotel Wisconsin will be on the mezzanine floor with an entrance just above the top of the stairway. . . . H. O. (Muggs) Mugrido, distributor in the Wisconsin and Minnesota territory, passed away early in October. He was especially well known to old timers in the Milwaukee area. HARTFORD New area appointments : By Loew Poli circuit— Robert Ritzert, assistant manager. Globe. Bridgeport, replacing John DeBenedetto, shifted to Loew's, Columbus, O. ; David Lee, assistant manager, Bridgeport Globe; Agnes Linskey is the new candy girl at the Webb Playhouse, Wethersfield ; and Margaret Shea, Colonial Hartford cashier, is new cashier of the Princess here. Warner Hartford District Manager Henry L. Neeles, Jim McCarthy, manager of the Strand ; Lou Cohen, manager, Loew Poli ; Fred R. Greenway, manager, Regal, and George Landers, E. M. Loew's Hartford division manager, attended a public safety meeting with Police Chief Michael J. Godfrey. . . . Needles was recently named chairman of the Hartford theatres' fire prevention week campaign committee. Mrs. Joseph Dolgin, wife of the .general manager of the Pike Drive-In Theatres, has been named director of the Young Adult and Adult Little Theatre group at Hartford's Jewish Community Center. . . . Hartford Allyn Manager Ray McNamara and Mrs. McNamara observed their twelfth wedding anniversary. . . . Star Katharine Hepburn appeared at the Bushnell Memorial on Oct. 12 marking the start of the Hartford Community Chest drive. . . .