Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 31, 1949 13 NEWSREEL CLIPS Dan Michalove Services Held Funeral services for Dan Michalove, 56-year old vice-president of 20th Century-Fox's National Theatres, were held in New York Sunday prior to shipping the body to Asheville, N. C, for burial. Michalove, who died last Friday afternoon of a heart attack, had entered the industry as an exhibitor in 1915. He joined 20th-Fox in 1939, and ever since then, with the exception of a five-year period as president of the Atlanta baseball club, has been in show business, going as far west as Australia, and serving Universal and Warner theatre chains as general manager. He is survived by his widow, Fanny, three children and three sisters. Dead WILLIAM C. BEERY, 70, elder brother of Noah and Wallace iBeery and, after resigning from Essaness Company, become business manager for his brother Wallace, on Dec. 25 in Los Angeles. JESSE K. FISHER, pioneer film theatre operator of Carroll, la., at Miami Beach, Fla., where he had gone for the winter, on Dec. 15. SOL GETZOW, 57, for many years manager of the Colonial in Philadelphia, last week in Philadelphia. Interment in Montefiore Cemetery. MARTHA MURNY, 62, 20th-Fox Cincinnati inspectress, on Dec. 19, of a heart attack. DAVE McELHINNEY, Film Classics Branch Manager in Salt Lake City, of a heart attack while on a sales trip to 'Montana. LOUIS RENNER, 76, co-founder with Louis Nelson of Endicott circuit of Brooklyn. N. Y.. and father of Irving Renner, present head of the circuit, in Miami Beach, Dec. 21. LEON SCHLESINGER, 65, retired producer of "Merrie Melody," "Looney Tunes" and other cartoons, on Dec. 24, Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles. W. W. THOMPSON, 81, veteran theatre owner and manager of Albia, la., on Dec. 16. FRANK R. TODHUNTER, 67, for two years vice-president of Local 103, AFM, Columbus, O., of a heart attack. St. Louis Mayor Extends Building Code Deadline Mayor Joseph M. Darst of St. Louis this week granted a fourth extension of the deadline by which theatres in the city limits must comply with the new building code. The extension gives theatre owners from Jan. 1, 1950 to Jan. 1, 1951 in carrying out the code provisos, the principal one of which applies to widening aisles so as to enable the houses to evacuate crowds more quickly in an emergency. Mayor Darst, whose extension had been opposed by Building Commissioner A. H. Baum who contended the previous extensions had given the theatres time to comply,, said this fourth extension would be the last as far as he is concerned. Free Shows for Kids Manager Harold Chestler of the Princess, Bingham, Utah, threw a free party for the children of that city last weekend with the local Lions Club cooperating. Manager Kostopolis of the Broadway, Salt Lake City, gave the kids his usual Christmas treat including a large Christmas tree, presents, a film show and eats. Something New San Francisco Theatres this week hit on a new idea for its New Year's eve shows with a short entitled "Previews of Re-Release Soon to be Shown Throughout the Nation." The subject is made up of scenes from reissues which are popular and was procured through arrangements with the Favorite Films exchange. The San Francisco chain, which usually seeks a novel stunt for its end-of-the-year special show, used the new subject to replace its usual "Major Hollywood Studio Preview." Its Coronet, however, went in for something still different, when .Manager Walter Chenoweth grouped a series of band shorts together under title of "Midnight Serenade of 1950" to bring in the New Year with "Music of the Moment" as he termed it. Film Row Irv Sochin, Universal Cincinnati branch manager, has been promoted to general sales manager for Prestige (the name U uses for some of the Ranks) in New York. He will be replaced by Joe Gins, manager of the Buffalo U office, with Dave Miller succeeding to the Buffalo post. . . . Paul Black of RKO has succeeded Leon Mendelson of Warner Bros., as secretary of the Omaha Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen. . . . Rita Beicker, Warner contract clerk in Cincinnati, is leaving to become a housewife after seven years of WB terms and conditions. . . . Fox student booker Roy White, same town, will be a salesman come Jan. L . . . F. Eugene Dyer has joined Screen Guild at Charlotte with his former post at RKO I being filled by Clay Jessup, formerly booker and office manager, who has now turned salesman. . . . RKO Shipper Jack Ruth, Cincinnati, was confined last week with a strep throat. . . . Edward Salzberg heads the newly-formed Film Classics exchange in Cincinnati. Variety Club Notes The Buffalo Variety Club was to hold "open house" Dec. 31. . . . Officers of the Chicago tent are Chief Barker Jack Kirsch, First Assistant Nat Nathanson, Second Assistant Edward Brunnell, Dough Guy John Balaban, Property Master Albert Bartelstein, Sergeantat-arms Edward I..evin. Kirsch and Jack Rose will attend the coming convention with Nathanson and Brunnell as alternates. ... St. Louis \^ariety Tent is on record as referring the question of participation in support of the V ariety Clubs-Will Rogers Hospital at Saranac Lake and to discuss ways to help raise funds. Officers are Chief Barker Joseph Ansell, First Assistant Paul Krueger, Second Assistant John Meinardi, Dough Guy Mike Riordan, Property Master Dick FitzMaurice. Past Chief Barker Tom Film Events Calendar 1950 JANUARY 11, 12, mid-winter meeting of the ofRcers and directors of the Theatre Owners of America, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D. C. 21, annual convention. Screen Directors Guild, Hotel Shelburne, New York. FEBRUARY 9. 10. convention of United Theatre Owmers of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Springfield, 111. Canavan wa.s named National Canvasman. . . . Jake Ehrlich will receive the San Francisco tent's local -Great Heart Award for his work in raising funds for milk for school children. . . . Rufus "Al" Somcrby, owner-manager of the Old Howard, will be honored by the Boston Variety Club on Jan. 10, in recognition of SO years in show business. . . . The Memphis Tent directors reelected Chief Barker Ed Williamson, First -Assistant R. L. Bostick, Second Assistant Clayton Tunstill, Property Master Bailey Prichard, Dough Guy H. A. Chrisman, Entertainment Chairman Ben Bluestein. Theatre Openings The new $250,000 Stony in Chicago's south side on Dec. 29 . . . Joe Baisch's new Genoa, Genoa, Wis. . . Three Fox Midwe.st theatres set for Christmas Day opening were the remodeled 500-seat Roxy, West Frankfort, 111, the 400-seat Illinois (reopening) same city and the 500-seat Majestic, Jacksonville, 111. . . . Loew's Poll, Meriden, Conn., after a long closing and redecoration. . . . The Critchlows' remodeled Roxana at Roxana, 111. . . Mrs Ethel Miles' Grandview, Columbus, O, after redecorating and recarpeting theatre. Closed : the 35-year-old Majestic, Columbus, O., to make way for a store. Chartered Video Independent Theatres, Inc., Nevada, an Oklahoma charter, amount paid in $100,000. Registered agent, Henry S. Griffing, Oklahoma City. Miracle Television Company, Chicago. Incorporators : Dale Wright, Sidney and C. Field. Engaged Joanne Eleanore Dembow, daughter of Sam Dembow, to Fred Mohrhardt of Producers Service Corporation. Gloria Germaine, daughter of Henry Germaine, Paramount's exchange manager in New Haven, Conn., and, Richard Platcow. same city. Wedded Cary Grant and Betsy Drake, on Dec. 24 in a desert house 20 miles from Tucson, Ariz. Born to Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan, a daughter, Yasmin, Dec. 28, in Lausanne. Switzerland. RKO Cincinnati Booker Leonard Katz, a daughter, Dec. 10. Paramount Usher Injured In Battle With Hoodlums Eight teen-age youths wearing leather jackets and peg-topped trousers were arrested Tuesday after a knock-down-drag-'em-out fight in the lobby of the New York Paramount during which Usher Lawrence Ruisi. 22, was injured, probably seriously. Approximately seven more escaped. The fight started after the youths insulted an usherette and were told to leave the theatre by Usher Charles Diamond. The gang attacked Diamond, and Ruisi, coming to his assistance, was knocked down the stairs leading to the balcony, beaten and kicked. Other ushers, coming to his aid, with detectives, captured eight of the gang.