Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 19, J949 23 Show Business COAST TO COAST: Kid shows continue to pay dividends in goodwill even if they don't always pay in cash profits to Irving Hillman, manager of the Empress at Danbury, Conn., the latest showman to come up with a testimonial for them. His Saturday matinees for children, sponsored by the Danbury Parent-Teacher Council, have clicked so well that he plans to keep them going indefinitely. This view is probably shared by Ira L. Schiffman of National and Rialto in uptown Harrisburg, Pa., who is getting an excellent play from his children's shows at both houses. . . . And over at Paxtang, Pa., Dr. Samuel Goldstein invited the children of the St. Chaterline Laborne's church as guests of his Paxtang for a Halloween show with the Parent-Teachers Association co-sponsoring and awarding prizes for outstanding costumes. + * * Arthur Stadler is now managing the Circle at Greenfield, near Hollywood. . . . San Francisco's Marin county area now has an "art" house in the Blumenfeld Circuit's Lark. . . . Out in Omaha Tri-States District Manager Bill Miskell has been reappointed to the Police Civil Service Commission . . . in Hartford Katharine LaBlanc is the new candy girl at E. M. Loew's and James Duffy the new doorman. . . . The town of Victoria on Vancouver Island is currently being rated by some showmen as the "worst" picture town in British Vancouver. . . . L. J. Duncan of West Point, Ga., has taken over two houses in Atlanta, one in Buckhead and one in Garden Hills from Co-At-Co Theatres. . . . Trafalgar Theatres has taken over the Winter Haven Drive-in at Winter Haven, Fla., and will increase its capacity from 200 to 350 cars. . . . Skyview has sold its 500-car under-skyer at Garden Junction, Mo., to Frisina, as one of the first in the latter's acquisitions under drive-in policy. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Harry Stanee have sold the Cairo at Cairo, Neb., to Norman Vanke of Grand Island, who will remodel before reopening. . . . The Totowa Amusement Company is improving the Plaza at Clifton, N. J., to the tune of $109,500— sweet music. . . . Jack Michel is remodeling his Grand at Massillon, Ohio. . . . And the same goes for the Charlotte in Charlotte, N. €., one of the town's oldest houses which is getting a face lifting by Manager Walter Griffith. * * * OPENINGS: The 700-seat, stadium-type Stadium, Nov. 9 by the Pirtle Amusement Company at Jerseyville, 111. . . . The Gulf -toBay Drive-in at Orlando, by Jim Pirtle. ■■■ * * * MANAGEMENT: James Forscheid, formeirly ssrvice officer at Shea's Buffalo, is now manager of the Paramount Community at Kenmore, N. Y., replacing Richard Carroll, who quit to become booker for the Alpine Theatres at Kingwood, W. Va. . . . Tom Maxedon, formerly of the Chakeres Grand at Frankfort, has moved to the Morehead Trail as manager with Arthur Wall, former assistant of the Springfield, Ohio, State, taking over at the Grand and Billy Clifford transferring to the Springfield house., . . . Loew's has shifted Lou Jasse from Meriden, Conn., to the Midland, Kansas City, as assistant manager. . . . W. Perry Neal is the new manager of the Florida States' Florida at Tallahasee, transferring from the State, with James McDonnold succeeding. . . . C. F. Greene, Jr., has been named manager of the same circuit's Ritz. . . . Bob Evans is assistant manager of the Art at Springfield, Mass. Jackson . . . {Continued from Page 22) without film entertainment, such a gesture, properly publicized, is certain to rcHect to the g^ood of yourself and your theatre. Of course, there's the matter of using care in the selection of your attractions. If you've been so short-sighted you failed to attend to this important matter until now, there's little that can be done about it. If at all possible you should book only light entertainment during this week when everybody has the "Peace On Earth Good Will Toward Man" spirit. Don't let your selfish desire for revenge on the distributor who is deinanding high terms for a potential low-grosser overcome your good judgment. You can do a lot of harm to your theatre by giving the customer the worst of it during this period. Try to get "Christmassy" cartoons, song reels and features with moral content in keejiing \vith the sea-onal spirit. Don't overlook the atmosphere of your front, lobby, interior and screen. Be sure that you do a good job of decorating and that care is used to insure its effectiveness as an attention-compeller to all who get within vision of the establishment. Tinsel, cotton, reproductions of Santa, life-size and bigger, and other seasonal decorative matter is inexpensive. But, for Santa's sake, don't overlook the need of care in planning their placement, lighting, etc. Start The Season Early Instruct the service staff to start passing out "Merry Christmas" greetings early. Let the customers hear it from the cashier, the doorman, the usher — it's a greeting that becomes more cherished with repetition, so you can't overdo it. You can afford to spend a little more time (Continued on Page 24) Above: Photograph taken on location at the Alexander Film Co., during the production of a new series of movie-ads for the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. MORE THAN 9,600 THEATRES BOOST PROFITS WITH ALEXANDER SERVICE It's more than just cameras, Klieg lights and settings . . . it's experience that makes Alexander movie-ads the most viewable in America. For back of the varied skills of the Alexander cameramen, directors, scenarists and technicians, are more than 30 years of experiments and progress in sight, sound and color . . . advanced techniques and brilliant innovations, tested and approved in more than 9,600 theatres throughout the United States. Arrange now to exchange a few minutes of screening time daily for regular added profits! Write for full information. COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO — BRANCH OFFICESSOD Fifth Ave. Wrigley BIdg. 308 S. Harwood 125 Hyde St. New York City Chicago, HI. Dollas, Texas • San Francisco