DECEMBER

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capacity . . . Earl Perkins, film saleiimnn,
Joined the Don Swiirtz cxchanKc staff .
While circuit owner Eddie Ruben and hi.s
family were away, burglars entered the
Ruben home and carried off loot valued at
Don Swartz, Independent Film
$20,000 . . .
Distributors, will di.stribute the Lutheran
Church of America'.s "Country Parson" in
this territory . . . TwenUeth-fox
.special publicl.st
Art Herzog was clashinK the cymbals
for "My Pal Ou.s," set for Radio City here
December 14.
Arnold .Shartln, Paramount booking manager,
was proud because the exchange came
through the recent bli7.zard.s without a .single
rnKsout. "Hope the luck stays with us for
the rest of the winter," said Shartln ... As
usual, it's rugged going for film salesmen In
the winter In thLs territory. During one of
the recent blizzards, the going was especially
rough for the salesmen making their towns
via auto. On one day the visibility was
practically zero and the only way for the
drivers to tell if they were staying on the
road was to watch the telephone poles on
each side.
. . Joe
Penny Singleton, the Blondie of the movies
who was appearing at the Minnesota Terrace,
was interviewed at length by Virginia
Safford, Minneapolis Star columnist .
Rosen, chairman of the committee in charge
of arrangements for the first all-industry
Christmas party, scheduled for the Calhoun
Beach hotel December 13, advises there are
still a few of the 500 tickets left. The party
will include cocktails, a dinner, dancing and
other entertainment.
Amongr those who will be on hand at the
Northwest Variety Club's December 8 dinner
party, when the club will receive a plaque
from the University of Minnesota in recognition
of the club's heart hospital philanthropy,
will be Gov. A. E. Anderson of
Minnesota, the mayors of the Twin Cities,
President J. L. Morrill of the university,
heart hospital committee chairman Art Anderson
and William McCraw, Variety International
representative. Tickets are nowavailable
at $7.50.
Congratulations to Sherm Fitch, RKO's
Sioux Falls, S. D.. manager who captured
first place and top money in the last RKO
Ned Depinet sales drive. Hats off. too, to
Pay Dressell, RKO manager here, and his
boys who finished in second place in its
division, first place nationally for "Kon-Tiki"
sales,
second place for "I Want You" sales.
Reopen Gravity Theatre
GRAVITY. IOWA—The Gravity Theatre
here, which has been closed for the last two
years, was reopened in mid-November.
During Owner's Illness
Friends Run Theatre
Sihillrr. luwit—Mn Abhtr » ridtian*
iif Shrlby. Iowa, om nrr iif llir s< h.illrr
Tliratrr, ha» fouml »lir li.n l bit touch She'd bMO
i^.r:. iti Kaii-'i-. and Spent her nj\y Ule In
r.,:.,rado. nUrtMi ainglnc with • Denver
orctimtr*. and «hen not on the road, would
hire out m > domeatlc or cook. Arrtrlnc In
Milwaukee, she hettfd that the m*ld in ttM
ladln room at swanky Sam Pick » Club Ma*
drid »u quitting, and that the )ob paid 11
a niKht and iipn Hattie applied aod |ot
the Job, and made 13 or M the first lUthL
"At the lint opportunity." nhe revealed, "1
got in touch with the porter, and told hun
that If he would let the bic boM know that
I could sln«. I'd 'itrcaoe hu palm.' The following
Saturday night, the place wa* crowded
and many of the gue»t« stayed on after the
regular floor .ihow wax over Mr Pick *enl the
porter to fetch me, and after we talked It
over a Uttle. he nald to go ahead and keep
the people entertained If I could."
So, without makeup and sttU In her maid's
uniform, lihc walked on and let go with "8C
Louts Blues." It brought down the house,
and the crowd yelled for more. She then sane
one .song after another •When I got through
that night. " Hattie recalled. "I counted tllO
in tips!" Sh^ .stayed on for about a month
with Pick, as maid and singer, and then Pick
sent her to Chicago to get a Negro show
together. Returning, she and the troupe entertained
at the club for almost two years.
At the conclusion of this engagement. HatUe
took off for Hollywood, where she clicked
Immediately as an actress.
Of more than 275 parts, she played a maid
or cook or hou.sekeeper in 83 of them. She
became the first Negro to win an Oscar
when in 1940 she was acclaimed for her role
as the seri'ant and "mammy" to Scarlett
OHara in "Gone With the Wind."
Later on. she turned to radio and was a
success as "Beulah." Although the show Is
still running, she was replaced over a year
ago because of her illness, by Lillian
Randolph.
She was last In Milwaukee at the Riverside
Theatre In 1940. where she made a per-
.sonal appearance while on tour.
Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost are developing
"Saginaw Trail" as an upcoming
Gene Autry starring western (or Columbia.
Many Films Released in Sweden
During the year ending June 30. 1953. a
total of 322 new motion picture films were
released for showing in the theatres of
Sweden.
Level Site for Future Drive-In
DEVILS LAKE. N. D.— Leveling of a site
for a drive-in theatre east of town on Highway
2 has been started.
M
ti»*i
MINNEAPOLIS THEATRE SUPPLY CO.
75 Glcnwood Ave Minn
.
NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY
Des Moines, la ; Omaha, Neb ,
Minneopolis, Minn
PRODUCE A BETTER LIGHT
IN ANY SIZE THEATRE OR
DRIVE-IN . . . MORE KONOMKAUYi
URBONS, MC • nONTON. N. J.
BOXOmCE December 6, 1952 79