Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

20 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 26, 1949 Show Business COAST TO COAST: Must be the holiday spirit in the air or something but theatres this week were rolling up their sleeves and getting ready to show their appreciation for one thing or another to their respective communities. Over in Bridgeport, 111., the Frisina Capitol had gotten under the wire slightly with an "Appreciation Night," held by Manager Glen Dale earlier in the week, while at Ferguson, Mo., the Fred Wehrenberg Savoy was instituting a Youth Cinema Club, which brings the total of these units up to 13 in the St. Louis Area. . . . And out in Salt Lake City, that live go-getting "Uncle Charlie" Pincus is planning a 29th birthday party with cake for the Intermountain Utah with Dec. 4, date upon which the house first opened, set for the event. Quite a party — -the Fourth Annual St. Louis Week dinner held this past week with Spyros Skouras as guest speaker who told the hearers that if they "lose the children, you will lose other patrons" and urged them to work for the kid trade. . . . The Frisina Roxy at Springfield is getting a face-lifting job which will increese capacity from 1,000 to 1 ,500 seats. Burglars were active again this week, this time getting $318 from the cash box of the New Lake at Rib Lake, Wis. and the weekend receipts from Eddie Brumler's Metropole at Chicago. . . . The Alhambra at Campbellsville, Ky., has joined the Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners. . . . The Dixie, Negro house at Louisville, Ky., is planning to reopen after a two-year sleep. . . . When Loew's takes over the Warfield in San Francisco Dec. 1 the house will drop duals for singles. Manager Boyd T. Sparrow says. . . . Mary Hennessey, who used to write publicity for Fox West Coast will take over as the house's press agent. Vancouver got its March of Dimes' drive going at the Cspitol on Nov. 24. . . . Those old jalopy nights at the Alliance State in Chicago are proving quite a draw, almost as good as the Old Timers night which features square dances and barbershop quertets from the stages of several Windy City houses. . . . Ottawa got its first look at television last week when the Famous Players mobile unit put on a show. MANAGEMENT: Eugene Hedge is the new manager of the Varsity, Carbondale, Pa., succeeding John Nolan who quit to work in St. Louis. . . . Jack Lightness has been named manager of the Orpheum, Terre Haute, Ind.; Robert Trublood is the new chief at the Alliance Mars, Chicago. . . . Loew's Cleveland Division Manager Orville Crouch has been shifted to Washington to replace Carter Barron on leave to help Pres. Truman on the Columbia Sesquicentennial Celebration. . . . Loew City Manager Frank Murphy has been subbing for Barron to date. Edward Selette, formerly of Warner and E. M. Loew's theatres, has joined Walter Reade as Manager of the Perth Amboy, N. J., Strand. . . . Ben Rivers has resigned as manager of the Lackhart, Fla., Ri-Mar Drive-in with Jack Martin succeeding. OPENINGS: The Glenn at Joplin, Mo., the Lakeside at Oklahoma City, Maurice Easterling's 627-seat, complete with special lamp approached booths for cripples, at Mexia, Texas. Century has opened its new 2200-seat Fresh Meadows Theatre in the Queens area of New York with Charles J. Call, manager. CLASS AND COMFORT keynote the Academia, new $125,000 71-seat screening room erected as an annex to the Motion Picture Association of America's Washington, D. C, headquarters. Attending the opening Tuesday night were President and Mrs. Truman, cabinet officers, industry chiefs and Harold Wilson, president of the British Board of Trade. Theatre Newspapc Down in North Carolina the operators of the Spartan Theatre, Sparta; Pastime, Boone; Appalachian, Boone, and Parkway, West Jefferson, are doing a swell job with their threecounty newspaper which they call "Tri-County Theatre News." It's fashioned like a tabloid and contains not only news and pictures of current and coming attractions but also an institutional column, other interesting items and merchant advertising. The paper carries two slogans, "Boost Youp Home Town Merchants" and "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Year 'Round Entertainment." Contest Being Conducted Currently a contest is being conducted for the best conclusion, in 25 words or less, to this statement : "You can't beat motion pictures for your best year 'round entertainment because . . . " ( Bet the winning answers would make swell advertising copy.) Anyway, contestants are to submit entries to their favorite theatre, TOYS FOR NEEDY. With the cooperation of the local Lions Club and the Fire Department, I.M.P.S. Member Dick Peffley held a free children's show recently at the Paramount Theatre, Fremont, O. Children brought new or used toys which were turned over to the Fire Department for repairs and Christmastime distribution to underprivileged children. Newspaper stories were plentiful, and ads were promoted from local manufacturers. That's Manager Peffley (left) with the mountain of toys received from the youngsters who attended. : Covers 3 Counties and the winner in each case wins a pass to that theatre. Incidentally, the manager of the Spartan is R. C. Houser; of the Pastime, Russell Swift; of the Appalachian, J. W. Beach; and of the Parkway, J. V. Caudill, Jr. 'Million Dollar Days' Theatre managers cooperated with Salt Lake City merchants during the recent inauguration of "Million Dollar Days," arranged as the greatest sales effort in the city's history. The special event went over so well that it isnow planned to take place annually. During the two-day sales theatres, department stores, restaurants, etc., reduced their prices. New Theatres Warwick. N. Y. — Charles Finger and GeorRe Miller, a 300-car drive-in here for spring opening. Chicat'o — Andy Dietz, a 600-carrer between Keokuk and Ft. Madison, la.; Contracts have been let for a 400-car outdoor theatre at Mt. Prospect, 111. Vandalia, 111. — Tanner Theatres, two 750-car openairers, one at Pana. the other at Vandalia. Indianapolis — Brokau circuit, a 700-seater at Angola, Ind. Victoria. Tex. — Ben A. and Ruth Dyer, a 750-seat deluxe neighborhood theatre here to be called the Campus. Littleton, N. H. — John B. Eames, a new theatre here to replace the Premiere, recently destroyed by fire. Boise, Ida. — Joy Naylor, Milt Fry and Omer R. Travers, a drive-in east of Boise. Louisville — Alton Rush and Davis Duff, an ozoner to be called the Lost River Drive-In near Bowling Green, Ky. Atlanta — Plans have been announced for $200,000 drive-in at Broadway and Walker Blvd., Knoxville, Tenn. ; A 950-seat theatre is planned for Dickson, Tenn. Milwaukee — Lakeland Theatre Corp., a new theatre at Whitewater, Wis. Vancouver. B. C. — Inland Industries, a drive-in at Kamloops, B. C; J. Hackman and M. Popowich, a $60,000 under-skyer at Vernon, B. C. Omaha — Tri-States Theatres, a 900-car openair theatre on Highway 275, three miles outside Council BluiTs, la. Dyersburg, Tenn. — M. E. Rice, Jr., a drive-in on Highway 31. three miles south of here, to cost $40,000. Cedar Grove. La. — George H. Mercer, a $150,000 modernistic theatre here. Dallas. Tex. — Harold Brooks, a drive-in on Ledbetter Drive near Highway 75. Devine, Tex. — R. B. Carpenter and O. R. Reed, an ozoner here. Delmar. Del. — Nat Rosen, a 900-to-l,000-car underskyer to be known as Delmar Open Air Movies, with total cost around $300,000 on the outskirts of Delmar. San Jose, Calif. — Arthur Yarimie and Paul Catalana. a $150,000 drive-in at Almaden Road and Alma Ave.