Boxoffice-March.20.1948

. . , The
. . . Dorothy
. . Morton
. . . "Road
. . With
. . Count
. . Mrs.
. . For
. . The
. . The
HARRISBURG
lyTarch has been a headache to Harrisburg
exhibitors. The troubles of the showmen
started with the imposition of the city
amusement tax March 11. This, said the theatremen,
has kept away customers in droves,
despite the fact that the increase was only
a nickel. Coupled with the imposition of
the levy, the Lenten season doesn't do business
any good, and for that reason film
companies are holding out their better pictures.
Just when the local managers feel
they should have topnotch films to counteract
the bad effect of the tax, they are
saddled with pictures which they claim
wouldn't sell even in boom times.
Harrisburg and Philadelphia have been
named as premiere cities for "The Miracle
of the Bells," to open March 25. The local
showing will be at the Senate where Manager
Bob Sidman is planning a big to-do.
The advance exploitation started March 15
with the visit to Harrisburg of Russell Janney,
author of the book from which the picture
was made. Jamiey autographed his
books in a downtown department store, was
a guest of librarians and newspaper folk, and
was entertained royally. Sidman expects
either Claudette Colbert or Frank Sinatra, or
both, for the premiere. The local manager
already has planted stories on various angles,
including fashion notices, music tieups, and
front-page breaks in city newspapers, and is
planning numerous co-ops. Dinners, receptions
and cocktail parties will be scheduled
for
the celebrities.
A box alarm which called out about eight
pieces of fire-fighting apparatus was turned
in last Sunday when a passerby noted smoke
issuing from the Colonial Theatre. Firemen
discovered that the smoke was caused from
the burning of damp paper towels in the
theatre's
incinerator.
Television Seminar Held
By General Electric
S'^RACUSE—Approximately 125 engineering
and management executives of
television
stations and affiliated firms attended a
three-day television seminar at the General
Electric plant here and at the GE television
station 'WRGB in Schenectady, Tuesday
through Wednesday (16-18). Speakers covered
a variety of subjects from selling time
on television programs to technical operations
and maintenance of transmitters.
Guests who addressed the sessions included
J. D. McLean, WPTZ, Philadelphia:
Jack Pegler, Jerry Fairbanks, Inc., New
York. M. P. Mahony. vice-president of
Maxon, Inc.; Paul 'Wittlig, -WCBS, New York.
One of the highlights of the seminar was
a television program, which was relayed from
New York to the Schenectady station.
MPA to Send 30 Children
To Camp During Summer
NEW YORK—Motion Picture Associates
will .send 30 underprivileged children, whose
parents are connected with any branch of
the film bu.slness, to camp during July or
August. The children will be sent to Camp
Moodna, Mountainville, N. Y.
MPA sent 12 children there.
Last year the
THE SCHWARTZES RETVTRN — Sol
Schwartz, vice-president of RKO Theatres,
and his wife, on their arrival by air
in New York from Hollywood.
RICHMOND
T 60 Stern of the Berlo office in Philadelphia
was here inspecting the Berlo candy
stands in the local theatres, and making final
arrangements to install soft drink vendors
Midlothian Drive-In opened March
16. Joe La Prade is back in the booth there.
The Metropolitan Opera Co. will present
"La Traviata" at the Mosque on March 31.
Bookings for the near future at the Mosque
include Gene Autry, Stan Kenton, Eddy
Arnold and "Hollywood on Ice."
The Chesterfield county board of supervisors
cleared the way for construction of a
$50,000 stadium seating of 10,000 just off the
Midlothian pike. The stadium will be used
by Bob Streeter for midget auto races . . .
James Woolridge. Grand, was off duty suffering
from an ear infection.
Jerry Joyner, doorman at the Westhampton,
reports his Ford was battered up again when
sideswiped by another car on his way to work
Hall, cashier there made a quick
trip to Norfolk.
toretta Gordon, wife of Sam Gordon of the
Venus, is about again after a stay in the hospital
. . . George Roberts, co-manager at the
State, is improving rapidly . . . Actor James
Mason and his authoress wife, Pamela Kellino,
had to cancel a scheduled autograph
session in the Miller & Rhoads book department
due to
^^
illness.
Two nationwide broadcasts will originate in
local auditoriums March 21. The Detroit
Symphony will broadcast from the Mosque,
and Horace Heidt will broadcast from Loew's
NEWARK
JJarry Schnitzer, new assistant at the Castle
in Irvington, was recently reley.sed from
the marines. He was connected with the Sanford
in Irvington four years ago. He replaces
Richard Haines . Howard Hall, wife
of the manager of the Savoy, is serving as
cashier at the Court . Court has a new
mailing list. It has started issuing flash
heralds on Saturday matinees.
Cooperating with the fuel conservation
bureau during the oil shortage, the Rex in
Irvington cut out midnight shows on Saturdays
. the backing of the PTA, the
Rex is planning to swing from cartoon shows
on Saturdays to westerns or other types of
films suitable for children . Court has
installed a new automatic popcorn machine
eliminating the need for an attendant.
Cash prizes were awarded to the three
.sisters, ages eight to 28, who were winners in
a contest conducted by Loew's during the
run of "Three Daring Daughters" . . . Ann
Bontempo, publicity head for Loew's, served
as a judge in the "Mr. New Jersey" contest,
a Leap year event in which the state's most
"Shoe-
eligible bachelor was chosen
Shine" was held over at the Little Theatre a
second week . Basie was greeted by
a delegation from his home town of Red
Bank while playing at the Adams Theatre.
William H. Waldron, manager of the Claridge,
Montclair, arranged tieins with local
stationery and book stores for "Ti-easure of
Sierra Madre" . "Body and Soul" he
tied in with a sports ad in the Montclair
Times announcing the championship bout
between Garfield and Dorrell. one of the big
scenes of the drama. As another tiein, the
Dale Co. featured boxing accessories in a
window display along with stills plugging the
film . . . Waldron had an attractive display
in the Montclair library for "Captain From
Castile."
James Mason, British film star, was a
visitor at L. Bamberger's, where he autographed
copies of his wife's novel "Del Palma"
to Rio" was held a third week at
the Paramount.
Men who dated girls named Susan. Susie or
Suzanne got breaks at Proctor's on the opening
day of "If You Knew Susie." They were
required to pay the price of only one admission.
Girls having the name of the title
character were asked to provide written proof.
Trenton-New Brunswick
Has Operating Trio
NEW YORK—A three-man committee to
operate theatres has been appointed by the
board of directors of Ti-enton-New Brunswick
Theatres Co. The operating committee
consists of Sol Schwartz, Walter Reads
. stage G. Thalhimer, head of the
Neighborhood Theatre circuit, attended the
jr. and Fi-ank Hirst. Their directives will
TOA convention in Los Angeles.
be subject to the approval of the directors.
The mad scramble for sevens (marquee Walter Reade jr. has been elected director
numerals) is really on. Howard Rubin, Petersburg
and secretary of the company, replacing Wal-
city manager for Neighborhood, was ter Reade, resigned. Schwartz and Hirst are
here trying to track some down so that he vice-presidents. Malcolm Kingsberg is president.
could properly display "Call Northside 777."
BOXOFFICE :: March 20, 1948