Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 5, 1949 31 REGIONAL NEWSREEL LOS ANGELES Rose Kline (Mrs. Charles Bell) from Loew's New York Home Office, and her husband visited with Loew's Los Angeles Office Manager Jack Valpey while here on their vacation • . . Vacationing in San Francisco this week is MGM Cashier Eve Goldman . • . S. and J. D. Burger, father and son exhibitor team, opened their new Buena in Ventura last week. They also own the Valley in" Camarillo, and the Del Mar in Carpinteria . . . Mr. and Mrs. Banduchhi of Arvin and Oildale were on the row last week buying and booking for their new house, the Rancho, which opens soon in Arvin. J. P. Filbert Co. Manager Don McLaren, is back at work from his trip to the Theatre Supply Convention in Chicago. From there he drove to Detroit to tour the Brinkert Factory • . . Altec Division Manager Stan Pariseau left for San Francisco to begin a swing through the territory, embracing Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake City, etc. Friends on the row extend their sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to Wilda Tanner, who entered the Torrance Memorial Hospital for surgery last week . . . ABC Theatres' Hollywood Hitching Post, till now a western house, opened as an art house as the Paris. Frank Eng has been signed as publicity director for the chain. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce sponsored a testimonial banquet last week at the Hotel Roosevelt to pay tribute to Sid Grauman, veteran of show business. The industry in Hollywood, Los Angeles and the state united to put over the affair. The film industry was represented by scores of its leaders, the city of Mayor Fletcher Bowron and the state by Governor Earl Warren. PHILADELPHIA The William Goldman circuit took over the Grange this week from StanleyWarner. . . . Roy Rogers presented his first annual School Safety Award to the John M. Patterson School as the "outstanding elementary school in the country in the field of traffic safety," in a nationwide contest conducted by Rogers in cooperation with the National Safety Council. The school was selected on the basis of having the most comprehensive and effective safety education program for its students in addition to having perfect accident prevention records. Meyer Adelman, New Jersey Messenger Service, and his son, have returned from their motor trip to the midwest. . . . Republic VicePresident and General Sales Manager James R. Grainger visited the local exchange to ponfer with Manager Norm Silverman and the salesmen. The Hippodrome, Pottsville, has instituted a three-day vaudeville show with five variety acts plus a feature, Thursday to Saturday. . . . Harry Chertoff is readying his new 1,000-car drive-in costing approximately $200,000 for spring opening on the Lincoln Highway, four miles East of Lancaster. PITTSBURGH Jimmy Brennan. assistant at the Pottsville Drive-In and formerly with Comerford's Hollywood, will soon take over his new post as Manager of Gilbert S. Wolfe's Joy in Plymouth, where he will be joined by his wife and family. DAV CITES ALLIED. For meritorious service rendered in the promotion and distribution of the Disabled American Veterans film, "How Much Do You Owe?", a committee appointed by General Jonathan M. Wainwright presents a citation plaque to officials of Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors at the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis. Above (l-r): Major Robert D. Armstrong, chairman, DAV; Gordon N. McDonald, DAV; Stanley Kane, Allied recording secretary and Allied President William L. Ainsworth. Melvin Mann, formerly with the Lund Circuit, is the new newest addition to the Paramount booking staff here. Norma Elpern, film row's only woman salesman, has resigned from RKO-Radio Pictures, where she handled 16-mm. productions, to go into the advertising agency business. . . . Rhea Aronsberg, formerly with the MGM and Eagle Lion exchanges here, has joined the 20th Century-Fox booking department. The Variety Club of Pittsburgh has purchased land next to the Rosalia Foundling and Maternity Hospital and will build a $300,000 addition, it was announced this week. The addition will be known as the Eleanor Harris Memorial Wing in honor of the late widow of John P. Harris, pioneer in the motion picture field, and mother of John H. Harris, International Chief Barker of Variety Clubs of America and head New Theatres Oklahoma City — Griffith Theatres, 400-car underskyer at Frederick, Okla. Washington, D. C. — A. E. Lichtman and Nat Rose, two 750-car drive-ins, one on Route 13, Delmar, Del,, the other on Route 40, Elkton, Md. Portland, Ore. — Multnomah, Ore., Exhibitor Elizabeth Slaney, a 550-car drive-in to cost $175,000 in the southwest hills district of Portland. Vancouver. B. C. — Famous Players Canadian, a 400-seat openairer at Edmonton, Alberta and a drive-in at Brandon, Manitoba. Louisville — Alton Rush and Earle Duff, a 500-car openairer at Bowling Green, Ky. Hartford, Conn. — Herman Klavir, a new theatre and office building at Bridgeport, Conn. Chicago — Essaness Circuit, three drive-ins, 700-car Chicago Heights Drive-In; a 1,100-car ozoner at Riverdale; and a 700-carrer at Desplaines, 111.; E. J. Williams, a 500-car under-skyer on Route 58 at Elgin, 111. Wallace, Ida. — Fitz and Holohan, a new theatre here. Mill Hall, Pa. — Park Drive-In Theatre, Inc. (Joseph Schleit, president), a 700-car drive-in here to cost $70,000. Fosston, Minn. — Les Danielson. a new theatre here. Bowling Green, Ky. — Warren Enterprises, a 700-car ozoner on U. S. 31-W. Sacramento, Calif. — San Francisco Theatre circuit, an under-skyer near the new state fair grounds, Carthage, Mo.— W. D. Bradfield and V. F. Naramore, a new 66 Drive-In on Highways 66 and 71. El Dorado, Kan. — Ben Adams and associates, a drive-in southwest of here. Wellington, Kan. — Sol Frank, a 500-car ozoner to be called the Chisholm Trail, a half mile east of the city. San Mateo, Calif. — Lester Park, a drive-in the Studio Village, on the southern edge of town. of the liarris Amusement Enterprises. Rosalia Foundling is one of the many charities of the local Variety Club, and Mrs. Harris, who died several years ago, took a great interest in it among her many other charities. Dead : Hyman Goldberg, 62, veteran operator of the Regent Theatre, Beaver Falls, Pa., and a partner in several others, died last week in Providence Hospital, Beaver Falls. Surviving are his widow, a son, a daughter, two grandchildren and a sister. lie was one of the oldest members of the Pittsburgh Variety Club, and on the board df directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania. His son, Arthur, is with the local RKO 16-mm. departinent. TORONTO An advance sale of $22,240 for the benefit performance at the Imperial, Toronto, for Toronto Variety Club Tent No. 28's vocational school for crippled children, was announced by Ticket 'Committee Chairman William Summerville at a club meeting. A total of $32,000 is anticipated. . . . Fred C. Quimby, once general manager of Pathe, Inc., and now short subjects' producer for MGM, and his wife have been visiting Mrs. Quimby's relatives at London, Ont., and in other Ontario cities. More than 200 exhibitors and other film men attended the annual meeting at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, Nov. 1 of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario to hear reports of the recently-formed Motion Picture Industry Council. President H. C. D. Main presided. . . . Manager V ern Hudson of the Capitol, St. Catharines, Ont., is seeking to learn the identity of two small boys, thanks to whose alertness in giving warning of a fire in the theatre during a matinee performance, the blaze was of small extent and was quickly put out by the fire department after the 400 patrons had filed out in an orderly manner. . . . The "adults only" policy of the Odeon Hyland Theatre, Toronto, continues to be a success. Famous Players Canadian inaugurated its television era, using its own equipment in the broadcast of a surgical operation in Sunnybrook military hospital, near Toronto, to a convention of 400 doctors. Six screens were set up in different parts of the hall to provide the doctors with a convenient view of the operation. Construction of the television unit was under the direction of George Cuthbert, chief engineer of Famous Players. DES MOINES Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd K. Kogle have taken over the theatre they recently purchased at Eldora, la., from Howard Briney. ... A. H. Blank, head of Tri-States Theatre Corporation, has been appointed co-chairman for the November Sister Kenny Foundation polio fund campaign in Iowa. . . . Ken Wagner, Wilton Junction theatre owner, is the father of a baby daughter named Cynthia Ann. ^Monogram Booker, Zora Fini, is engaged to Bev Mahon, owner of the theatre at Pella, la. The wedding will take place next spring. . . . George Baker and Finton Jones, partners in the Page at Shenandoah, la., have retired from exhibition. Baker's interest has been absorbed by the Commonwealth Theatres of Kansas City. Glenn Deeter will continue as manager of the house. J. M. Cappel, owner of the New Jesup at Jesup, La., held open house at his new theatre for four days before the seats arrived, admitting customers free for the entire four days.