Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

2S SHOWMEN^S TRADE REVIEW, November 12, 1949 REGIONAL NEWSREEL Segregation Separation of popcorn and non-popcorn eaters in theatres was suggested in an editorial recently in the Des Moines Tribune. The newspaper said that "the thinking manager should divide his theatre (main floor only) with a partition of glass — soundproof, of course. Pro-popcorn would occupy one side of the theatre while anti-popcorners could enjoy the movie fully and the pro-popcorners could "drive no one crazy but themselves," the editorial said. The paper added that the balcony should be left for the young ones in love whether popcorn eaters or not. ville, visited friends here. ... Mr. and Mrs. Ben Belinson received a congratulatory cablegram from J. Arthur Rank on the occasion of The 20th anniversary of their Rochester Little Theatre. . . . Manny Brown, former Paramount manager here, is manager for Film Classics in Omaha, with the Des Moines area also under his supervision. Fire damaged the Lockport Rialto to the extent of $2,000 to $3,000 last Sunday afternoon. Blaze, discovered by Doorman William Levalley, consumed the curtain, screen and other equipment. Auditorium was empty at the time. . . . Paramount Theare Manager Joseph H. Clements plans a vacation trip to Portland, Ore., at the month's end. . . . Arthur Adler is student asistant manager at Schine's Palace, Syracuse. . . . Ray Whitford, after 10 years in the Navy, is familiarizing himself with Loew theatre management at the State, Syracuse, and then goes to San Francisco to manage a Loew house there. ^ Batavia Mancuso Manager Frank McCann ' reports Batavia theatre business good but adversely affected by the recent harness racing season there. . . . The Local Erlanger has become a movie house for two weeks with "Quartet." . . . Vaudeville is being added to Shea's theatres in Jamestown, N. Y., Bradford, Pa., and other houses in the Jamestown Amusement circuit. . . . Elmer C. Winegar, one of the operators of the Vogue and long prominent in Buffalo exhibition circles, is chairman of the vaudeville quiz show to be staged in Memorial Auditorium by local Shriners, Nov. 28 and 29. Alan Carney will emcee with Jerry Colonna as headliner. Dead : The brother-in-law of William Graham of 20th Century-Fox, in New York City. CINCINNATI phans. Jay M. Goldberg has succeeded Robert Law as local Realart office manager ; Geraldine Dick has been promoted to booker, and Harriet Wolf joined as secretary for Lee L. Goldburg. . . . Paramount West Virginia Salesman William A. Meier was married Nov. 5 to Virginia Hesseler. . . . Paramount Picture Report Girl, Mrs. Catharine Krebs is home after a spinal operation. . . , Universal Contract Clerk Beverly Luckinbill is on the job again following hospitalization for a kidney ailment. . . . Eagle Lion City Salesman Harold Hellman is recuperating at home following a major operation. . . . 20thFox Kentucky Salesman Sam Weiss, hospitalized for a kidney ailment, is expected back on the job next week. Marty Shear and Vernon Berg have opened the Art Guild Theatre in Toledo. . . . MGM exchange girls, Florence Herman and Ruth Beck, gave a luncheon and showe for bookkeeping machine operator, Ruth Yuengling, who plans to marry in November. . . . William Onie is local manager for Lippert Pictures, Sam Haber salesman and Margaret Woodruff, booker. . . . 20th-Fox's Mrs. Ritz Grau is resigning to help her husband in his business, being replaced by Mary Kotzbauer. Theatre Owners Corporation Secretary Helen Honnert is engaged to marry Johnny Leisgang, University of Detroit student. . . . Altec Service Inspector S. K. Brown has returned to his former territory — West Virginia — and Frank Riffle has rejoined as service man in South Carolina. . . . Eagle Lion front office employes will receive retroactive pay increases following the signing of a union agreement. . . . Vera Dellatosta is Film Classics' new contract and availability clerk. Managerial Changes In Jamestown Circuit Following the resignations of John Woodward. Dover, O., Duke Prince, Conneaut, O., and Neil O'Brien, Westfield, Mass., managerial changes were announced last week by E. C. Grainger of the Jamestown Amusement Co. Jack Baumgardt transfers from Geneva, O., to succeed O'Briend at Westfield; Bob Cannon leaves Amherst, Mass., to replace Prince at Conneaut, while Tom Turley, formerly assistant manager of the Palace in Manchester, N. Y., pulls up stakes there to succeed Woodward in Dover. (Continued from Page 27) visor of student industries. The season opened with "Rope" followed by "Plellzapoppin." The manager is Phil Jacoby of Corning, N. Y., who spent last summer at a drive-in learning the managerial ropes. Other students assist him selling tickets, ushering, manning the booth, etc. Admission, open also to the public, is 25 cents in the 175-seat theatre. At the end of each week of operation, a critique is held among student workers and the supervisors. Theatre will operate according to plans, for about 30 week-ends, under supervision of a student committee. The town of Parkville has no theatre. MINNEAPOLIS Gross income from film rentals at the 20thFox exchange is at an all-time high, according to manager M. A. Levy. . . . Settlement of a non-buying situation against Paramount product by The Theatre Associates, buying combine, was reported near an end. Paramount manager Ben Blotcky said that "negotiations are under way but not yet completed." Sheldon Grengs, Wisconsin exhibitor, sold his interests in the Stardust drive-in, Sheboygan, Wis., to L. F. Gran of Standard Theatres. He also sold his interest in the outdoor stand at Wausau, Wis., to Ben Berger and associates of Minneapolis, and interests in drive-ins at Stevens Point, Green Bay and Janesville, Wis., to Ted Karatz' Badger Outdoor Theatres. Charles Rubenstein, part owner of the Faust and Dale, St. Paul, the Hollywood, Minneapolis, and the Skyview drive-in, Duluth, has purchased the Alhambra, Minneapolis neighborhooder, from the Donald Guttman-Ted Mann group. After disposing of the local Northtown, Mann is expected to transfer his theatre activities to California where he and Guttman operate drive-ins. American Seating Co., distributing through branches of National Theatre Supply Co., but maintaining its own sales personnel, has broken with the supply distributing outlet, and opened offices at 73y2 Glenwood Avenue. . . . Altec Service has moved its office to the same address. Arnold Mayer opened the Mayer, Hebron, N. D., and Grant Roseth the new Rose, Underwood, N. D. . . . Hugh F. Annett has purchased • theatres at Gonvick and Clearbrook, Minn., from Leo Schuck. . . . The Miner circuit will rename the modernized Orpheum at Menominee, Wis., the Stout. . . . Ernest D. Hanson is the new owner of the Portal, Portal, N. D. . . . Ed McMillan has purchased the Sauk, Sauk Rapids, Minn. . . , Lloyd E. Bellefeulle is the new owner of the Roxy, Argyle, Minn. . . . A. B. Muller opened his new 550seat Monticello at Monticello, Minn. BUFFALO Eagle Lion Manager Al Herman and wife will spend Thanksgiving with her parents in Boston. . . . Robert T. Murphy general manager of the 20th Century Theatre, will resume vaudeville starting Nov. 20. . . . Sally Bifarella, former secretary to Paramount Managers Manny Brown and Mike Simon, and now aiding her father at the new Joylan Theatre in Spring Manny Trautenberg has been elected president of the Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen. Other officers include Ross Williams, first vice-president ; Morton 'Perlman, second ricepresident ; Frank Schreiber, secretary; Manny Naegele, treasurer. Gil Shepherd, Bob Bums, Charles Palmer, and Johnny Eifert will serve as board of directors, in addition to the officers. Delegates to the convention in Kansas City Nov. 26-27, are : Manny Trautenberg, Ross Williams, Johnny Eifert, delegates, and Gil Shepherd, alternate. Variety Club members' wives have organized a ladies auxiliary, to support the various functions and purposes of the Variety Club, Mrs. Alan Moritz, wife of the chief barker, has been elected head. The wives plan to raise funds for the annual Christmas party given for the or Other changes announced by Grainger : Dale McCoy, from McKees Rocks, iPa., to Amherst, Mass. ; Bob Limbaugh, former assistant manager, from New Philadelphia, O., to Geneva, O. ; Armand Pepin, from Shea's Penn, Pittsburgh, to Orpheum, McKees Rocks ; Eddie Mason, former assistant manager, from Amherst to Shea's Penn, Pittsburgh ; James Hayes, assistant manager, from Dover to Ashtabula, O., same post ; Jack Gates, former chief of staff, from Colonial, Akron, to assistant manager, New Philadelphia, O, Boyle's 'Kiss' Contest Manager Joseph S, Boyle, Loew's Poli Broadway, Norwich, Conn., used a contest on "That Midnight Kiss." Contestants were asked to submit short letters on songs with the word "Kiss."