Variety (Jul 1944)

3 New Film Houses Planned For South Texas; Other Exchange Items San Antonio, June 11. i Permits for construction of two picture theatres, one costing $50,000 and the other $55,000, were granted Joseph J. Barshop, local produce dealer. Both nabes located in the northern section of the city, within 10 blocks of each other. New 600-Se»ter in Texa* . Houston, July 4. A 600-seat theatre Is being in- cluded in plans for a townsite to be located' 45 miles south: of the .city, which is being built by the Dow Chemical: Corp; It is understood that several Texas theatre men are bid- ding for the rights to the Mouse. Joseohick to Capitol, Trenton Trenton, N. J., July 11. . Henry Josephlck has been "named manager of RKO Capitol theatre here, succeeding two recent mana- gers. Henry Scholl and Harry Weiner. both now 1 in military serv^ ice overseas., Josephick is a popular vet in local exhibition,' having been manager- of the Brunswick since opened and the Palace Also was once associate manager of the Broad; , '': ■ Talbot Vice: Griffith ' In order to accept the chairman- ship of the War Council for the State of .Oklahoma; which .will require much of his time, L. C. Griffith, : southwestern circuit tycoon, has re- signed as Chief Barker of the Okla- homa Variety Club;. Tent No: 22, Ralph Talbot of Tulsa, a charter member til the Tent and one ot its present directors, will fill the va- cancy created by Griffith's resigna- tion. - j' . '.'V- clerk; Helen Paasch and Hannah Sundloff, bookers; Florence McHugh, head inspectress, and inspectresses Emma Olson,. Lenora Severson, Mil- dred: Walker and Beiilah Vadner. J. E. Flynn, western division man- ager, made the presentations and ex- plained details Of the company's pen- sion plan. : - ; ■ :.• Seattle Drama Kd. to V. A. . ' Seattle, July 11. Willard Coghlan,' drama editor ot Seattle Sin; tor more than three years, resigned* to:become exploited' for U. A. in northwest., Succeeded on Star by Willard Klsey, who moves up from the desk Prior to Joining Star, Coghlan was on ad staff of Hamrick-Evergreen. Metro's 10,20-Year Vets Minneapolis. July 11. :• •Nine employees each received loy- alty awards for 20 and 10 years of sei'vice.at the Metro anniversary din- nei at the Hotel Radisson here. In ■the.'20-year, group at the local branch 'and receiving gold pin citations were W II Workman, branch manager; . Alfred Pcrte: .sales manager; Norman Pyle, publicity; salesmen Bill Cam- eron and George Turner; Bertha •Nauer, secretary; Helen . Carney, clerk: Emma Fenske, cashier; and —Harrcy-hmUf!!.- shipper. —■—— The 10-ycar employees are sales- man John Kelley; Beatrice Rtngdahl, 'Atlantic City' in A. C. Preems Republic will hold a two-theatre premiere of "Atlantic. City" in that town July 29. with the Million Dollar Pier and Hollywood theatres doing double duty. Albert J. Cohen producer of the high-budgeter, will attend the dual opening with Con- stance Moore Brad Taylor and Charley .Grapew.in, toppers in the .cast. ". .'.■■■'■; ... : ■,'■..•;'."■ '■. '■•'■■'„' ■'. . ■ ■ '■" '. St. Loo Chit-Chat.'' ■.. ' St Louis. July 11 . Sterling, new. house in ■ Sterling; 111 . ready to open Labor Day,- While Frank J. Glenn, owner of Ashley .Ashley, 111., and other houses in Southern Illinois, is in Army, Ins brother-in-law, Glenn Hilemaij is Carrying, on. , Gem, owned by Harold Porta, Richland, Mo,,. reopened after face lift. ."'.:'■ : '' .'■'•■ •.•■'■■.■■■: Jim Donohue, Geo. Smith Off on Par Zone Tours Jim Donohue, former district head at Dallas, who was recently brought into the Paramount homeoffice to head the newly-created central di- vision for a total of three in the company, left Monday (10 < oh a tour of his territory, the first he will have made since the new appoint- ment. At the same time George A Smith, who has the western and southwest- ern division, took off on a similar swing of his territory to discuss cur- rent, sales: matters, policies and plans. ITs 1944-45 Production Budget Upped Some 30% to Around Horowitz With Vanguard Sam Horowitz, formerly , with U A. and A, H Blank circuit of Des Moines, , la., goes to Noil Agncw's distrib staff at Vanguard Films, Inc., and David O. Selzniek Enterprises this week. /. ','' :..>•■.'' ■'■, v , v;'./ He reports July 15. and works out of Chicago. '"•'.'■ :'".-:'V, Spa no Sells Out Forney, Texas.*July'4. The Spann theatre sold by J. Hairy Spann to W L .Mitchell, of -Dallas.-newcoHU'i-- Ui_thcatr.e—npenu. tions, Spann Was - a former Mono- gram Salesman. UV Staggered Ballyhoo Staff , Universal, which in the past has put on exploitation men temporarily When and where needed, has evolved: a different setup than exists in other companies. " While there will be two men on a regular weekly basis one tor the south and the other stationed in Chi- cago, .under the new arrangement the homeoffice will permanently carry five exploiteers pn its payroll .who will he assigned to various parts of the country as needed. Maurice Bergman, eastern adver- tising-publicity head, who is directly Over all exploitation. Hank Li net, assistant to Bergman., and Al Hor- wlts,. publicity .director, have been ■going out themselves on campaigns and openings right along. They will continue to do so, .'' . U's permanent representative headquartering in Chicago lor cov- erage in that area and, other terri- tories, is. Harry Keller, while for the South it's Eddie Bonus, who: will work Dixie,domain out of Memphis, Universal, not: only jeels that a permanent; field stall is impractical because there often isn't, enough work to do in each given zone with dating also staggered a lot In these times,- but also that, exploited- at the homeoffice .will, alV ays be better infor med an d equipped to g o out on .assignment anywhere since, ttley will be closer to things . Coe's Report to N.Y. Film P.A.s; Home Chairmans Hal Home, 20th-Fox publicity chief, is the new chairman ot the Public Relations .Committee (eastern division) to serve six'months. Chair- manship is. revolving, with different ad-publicity heads taking .over. for sixmonth terms;. Charles F. "Socker" Coe, Hays of- fice counsel and v.p;, gave the results of his.swingarpund the country dur- ing which he spoke before outstand- ing' business groups in some 20 cities. His appearances were in behalt of the .film industry and to get the, re- action of different sections to .the picture business,, Coe told the ad- publicity, heads what,the gripes were, and what the folks really thought about the picture industry, and what it was doing in different fields of endeavor; Coe's talk was keyed .as a benefit to the ad-pufjlicity chiefs so they would know mote about local conditions. '■>"'" '' ':••■'■.■•„"".' .<.'.■.' , Nayfack to Ad Agcy. Bertram Nayfack. who's been counsel for Donahue & Coe, ad agency for more than seven years, reportedly is giving up his law office i to assume an executive post-with that I agency. However, no definite deci- sion has been made. Nayfack also is United. Artists Theatres secretary and member of Its directorate. '':•■','■ .-■' .: >: '[■:^.,:' : DIETZ'S 'ftUIZ' SHOW Howard Dietz, v.p and ad-pub- licrty chief ot Metro, joins, the American, team for, the "Trans- Atlantic Quiz" .show,'starting July 15 This .'■ is . the Blue Network-British Broadcasting Corp, weekly feature. ■ Dietz ' replaces Russell Grouse, sharing the American side of the "Quiz' wiffi - ^tu1sU)pli"eT TVIOTteyr writer. . .'. ' •. '?»',:'::.-":,''/■ '-. Universal is moving further up on its coming season's (1944-451 pro- gram, when it will, make mote so- called "A" pictures and substantial- ly increase the production budget: to cover. It is understood that ap- proximately $38,000,000, perhaps niore. will be spent on the product: which represents around 30'';, more than was spent oh the current sea- son's output. This figure Will be, an alltime high in the history of the company. >-'V ',■■■/■'.',-; ".. Reported that the spending of more money on pictures and get- ting away from cheaply-ftiadft_^Bi features is in line with desires of various interests in U to raise tha standards of the company's product: Of the 55 pictures scheduled for release during the 1944-45 season. 18 will be of the "A" or so-called .''special" character. One picture, "Can't Help Singing," starting Deanna Durbin. Will carry a budget of $2,600,000, highest the company has ever had. The smaller pictures on the program, including the ac- tioners. will all be increased in cost, with an average of around $100,000 more each to be thrown into them, it is understood, Budget for '44-'45 Is further Lipped through plans to make seven pictures in Technicolor,: new high there also for U. Five so-called "specials." including two from Walter Wanger. will !>e sold under separate contract rather than as a part of the season's pro- 'gram, under present plans. N. Y. Nitery's Tradeshows Drinks and food as a prelude to seeing pictures, is in the offing at tradeshbwings, as result, of facilities to be provided by the Monte Carlo, N. Y. restaurant-nitery . which has built a special projection room at its Beach Club Special room; to seat 125. has been decorated by Franklin ■Hughes. :-/ ': ' :'. , :.',.'...:■ —ThrTEalTy^flTm^-Web^ controls the Monte Carlo.