DECEMBER

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Big Detroi! Fox Tries
Bargain Family Price
DKTKorr A one-week experlmctU Willi
xpeclal biirgnin funilly prices Is belnK tried
by mumming director David M. Id74il at the
5,500-seal Fox Theatre. PlckliiK a bill especially
tailored for the family-type trade.
Idzal slashed admissions for adults to 62
cents up to 2 p. m.. for the week starting
Thank.sglving day, while children were admitted
at 21 cents Instead of the usual 25
cents. For holidays, Saturdays and Sundays,
the three big days of the week currently,
the normal policy Is to charge the
regular evening admission of $1.25, or $1.50
when the house has a stage show, nil day.
The current bill Is "My Pal Gus," with a
stage show headed by the Ray Anthony
orchestra.
Idzal Is aiming to get the family trade
downtown. Inspire early shopping, and get
the mothers—or fathers—and the youngsters
Into the house by 2 p. m., and off for home
by supper time. He is using not only newspaper
advertising, but cannily-timed radio
spot announcements, concentrated in the
early morning hours, to remind families to
enough out of the Christmas shopping
budgets to take in the bargain ,'how, and
Incidentally offer the kids a reward for good
conduct.
On opening day, Idzal bucked the Thanksgiving
day parade, televised over the NBC
network, which passed the doors of the theatre,
with an inducement for parade-viewers
to come to the show while they were downtown.
Major objective of the bid for family
trade Is to break the stranglehold of early
morning video.
Free Admissions Ruled
Legal by Treasury Man
COLUMBUS—The free
admissions plan of
the Little Theatre here apparently is legitimate,
according to T. W. Kienlan, special
assistant to the undersecretary of the treasury
in Washington. The plan was instituted by
Hofheimer and Albert Sugarman, operators
of the 321 -seat neighborhood house, as
I a protest against the federal admission tax.
Kienlan said he had consulted legal experts
of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and has
been told that "we have no way to require
a man to charge admissions to his theatre
unless he wants to do so."
speculated, however, that if the
practice becomes widespread, the bureau
would have to work out a regulation to cover
situation.
Big Tent 5 Affair
DETROIT—The start of the winter drive
In seasonal Industry activities was sparked by
Variety Club of Detroit Tent 5 on Tuesday
i2) w-ith an unusual buffet supper at the
clubrooms in the Hotel TuUer. All past members
of the club, as well as all prospective
members, were welcomed to this open house
event, according to Ernest T. Conlon, executive
secretary. Discussion at the session
were a drive for membership, the re-equipping
and redecoration of the clubrooms. and
the club's major charity activity, the construction
of the Hollywood House.
BOXOFFICE December 6. 1952
Michigan Allied Starts
Campaign for Drive-Ins
Please Return Scrolls
In Hospital Drive
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