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. . Dan<br />
. . "Saigon"<br />
. .<br />
. . The<br />
Jacocks & Kilpalrick<br />
Gel Aldon Theatres Veteran Minot in Show Work When<br />
BOSTON—Don Jacocks and Alexander C.<br />
Kilpatrick have sold their interests in B&Q<br />
Associates in New England and have acquired<br />
control of the Aldon Theatres Corp.,<br />
Don Ja«ocks<br />
Alexander Kilpatrick<br />
which operates nine theatres in New Jersey.<br />
The Aldon circuit formerly was the Cocalis<br />
chain until its purchase by B&Q Associates<br />
in April 1947.<br />
Jacocks and Kilpatrick will retain their<br />
interest in one New England theatre, the<br />
Astor, which is not included in the sale.<br />
The Astor. newly rebuilt first run Boston de<br />
luxe theatre, was reopened to the public last<br />
fall. A month later Samuel Goldwyn purchased<br />
a reported 25 per cent interest in<br />
the house for a showcase for his product.<br />
Dan Finn, advertising manager for Warner<br />
Theatres of New England, has acquired<br />
an interest in B&Q Associates and<br />
will succeed Jacocks as general manager.<br />
Kill Bill Aimed at Shows<br />
In Willard Hospital<br />
ALBANY—The assembly codes committee<br />
killed a bill, passed by the senate, which<br />
would have made it a misdemeanor for officers<br />
of a state institution to charge admissions<br />
for motion picture screenings.<br />
Senator H. W. Griffith of Palmyra and Representative<br />
L. W. Van Cleef of Seneca Falls,<br />
sponsors, said the bill had achieved its purpose:<br />
namely, to stop such a practice at<br />
the Willard Mental hospital.<br />
Van Cleef explained that during the war<br />
and gasoline rationing, residents of the villages<br />
of Willard and of Ovid were allowed<br />
to attend films shown for patients and employes<br />
of the hospital, and were charged an<br />
admission. They said the practice continued<br />
after the war. Ovid has a theatre operated<br />
by Francis McCarell, who considered the situation<br />
created unfair competition for him.<br />
The showings were discontinued February 1.<br />
New Albany Madison Chief<br />
ALBANY—Herbert G. Jennings, 30 years in<br />
the motion picture business as a manager for<br />
the Schine, Loew and other circuits and exploiteer<br />
for United Artists and Selznick, is<br />
the new house chief at Warners Madison.<br />
Jim Morgan, who for a time managed both<br />
the Madison and Delaware, returned to the<br />
latter.<br />
Kupferman to Justice Peck<br />
NEW YORK—Theodore R. Kupferman of<br />
the Warners legal staff has accepted an appointment<br />
as law secretary to Justice Peck,<br />
presiding justice of the appellate division of<br />
the supreme court, first department.<br />
f/7ms Shown With Glass of Beer<br />
....NEWARK. N. J.—Charlie Minot. a.ssistant<br />
at the Ormont Theatre. East Orange, exprize<br />
fighter and bird fancier, is one of the<br />
oldest exhibitors in this area, having managed<br />
the local Strand, now Warners' Capitol,<br />
25 years ago. Even before that—so long ago<br />
that Minot does not hazard a guess as to what<br />
year it was—he was operator at Mike Murray's<br />
tavern on Market street, a popular<br />
rendezvous in the era of silent films.<br />
In this age of high living costs and the like<br />
it is a bit staggering to think back on those<br />
happy days when Mike Murray offered free<br />
cinema entertainment to those w-ho dropped<br />
in for a casual glass of beer, in the form of<br />
single reel pictures.<br />
Minot was the second man in New Jersey<br />
to obtain a projectionist license. For a time<br />
he ran his own nickelodeon, known as the<br />
Bandbox, in Vailsburg.<br />
At one time he managed the Strand,' Minot<br />
true perspective of motion picture exhibition<br />
was one of the most important decisions<br />
reached at the recent Los Angeles TOA<br />
board meeting, according to Harry Lament,<br />
temporary chairman of the Albany unit. Lamont<br />
thinks it vitally important that such<br />
a drive be instituted, that it have its "grass<br />
roots" in exchange cities and in towns removed<br />
from Los Angeles and New York.<br />
Finances and other matters were discussed<br />
at a Variety Club meeting Monday night following<br />
a dinner in Keeler's restaurant . . .<br />
Sam Shapin, Warner auditor, is at the local<br />
exchange . Houlihan, 20th-Fox manager,<br />
visited Kallet Theatres headquarters<br />
in Oneida, the Benton circuit offices in Saratoga,<br />
the Conery Theatres in Ravena and<br />
the Warner Theatres upstate offices . . .<br />
The son of Ray Powers, Warner office manager<br />
and head booker, has recovered from<br />
an attack of pneumonia.<br />
Marie Bartley, Strand cashier, battled off<br />
pneumonia but had an ear infection which<br />
kept her from returning to work. Nora Austin<br />
handled the ticket selling during her absence,<br />
with assistance from Manager Al La-<br />
Flamme and assistant Ted Friedman .<br />
Filmrow reports that Bill Smalley will remain<br />
in Florida for the Variety Clubs convention<br />
. is slotted for Easter<br />
week at the Fabian Palace.<br />
Optimism over the quality of Metro pictm-es<br />
scheduled for release in the next six<br />
months was expressed by Herman Ripps, assistant<br />
division manager, at a meeting here<br />
of MGM managers from Boston, Buffalo and<br />
Albany. Ripps was in Hollywood recently to<br />
recalls that there were two burlesque houses<br />
in Newark, the Walman on Market street and<br />
Minor's Theatre, which is now the Empire.<br />
Nickelodeons flourL-ihed on the outskirts of<br />
the city. The Paramount Theatre was across<br />
from the city hall and Keeney's Theatre was<br />
on the site of the present Adams. Proctor's<br />
was running and so was the Goodwin, which<br />
is now the Globe. Another popular theatre<br />
was the Sea Shell on Market street. The<br />
Brandford. Warners' leading hoiuse. was undreamed<br />
of and on its site was a cemetery.<br />
One of Minofs vivid impressions is of<br />
Houdini hanging on a building on Market<br />
street. The magician was likewise at the<br />
Strand, for Minot ran stage attractions in<br />
addition to pictures, bathing beauties rating<br />
one of the chief drawing cards. L. Bamberger<br />
& Co. made a box for the magician and<br />
Houdini with his usual ingenuity wriggled<br />
out of it to the applause of Strand audiences.<br />
look at the product. Ripps left here for a<br />
week in the Boston territory . . . "Welcome<br />
Stranger" is piling up phenomenal grosses in<br />
small situations. Paramount Manager Eddie<br />
Ruff reports. One of these was at the Smalley<br />
Theatre in Johnstown where Manager Harry<br />
Weiner conducted a strong exploitation campaign,<br />
which included a two-page coopera-<br />
ALBANY<br />
tive newspaper advertisement. The first baby<br />
to arrive during the Johnstown engagement<br />
was rewarded with a number of suitable gifts<br />
"Pile publicity campaign which TOA will by the advertisers . . . Anita Colby is due<br />
launch to give critics and the public a here the first week in May on promotion for<br />
"Unconquered."<br />
The Schine circuit reviewing board of<br />
eight, which includes George Lynch, Gus<br />
Lampe, Lou Goldstein and Bill Kraemer,<br />
were very favorably impressed by "Gentleman's<br />
Agreement," "Sitting Pretty," "Miracle<br />
of the Bells" and "I Remember Mama"<br />
. . . Lou Weinberg and Vince Borelli of<br />
Columbia's home office huddled in Gloversville<br />
with George Lynch, chief buyer for the<br />
Schine circuit, and Lou Goldstein, assistant<br />
buyer.<br />
Mrs. Mary Lurian, whose husband manages<br />
the Palace in Troy, has been transferred<br />
by Tri-State Automatic Candy Corp. from<br />
the Ritz to the Strand concession stand.<br />
Sid Deneau, former Fabian buyer here, later<br />
an assistant to Si Fabian in New York and<br />
then an executive of the Schine circuit, is<br />
moving to California with the transfer of<br />
Selznick offices to Hollywood. Deneau is assistant<br />
to Milt Kussell, sales manager for<br />
SRO. Deneau sold his Oldsmobile to Eddie<br />
Susse, new Buffalo salesman for Metro, and<br />
bought a convertible from Fi-ank Wietlng of<br />
the Park, Cobleskill.<br />
Pete Vournaks of the Liberty and Strand<br />
WatertowTi, who attended the dinner for<br />
Dick Hayes here, said that business was<br />
below par with the bad weather as one of<br />
the reasons .<br />
"entertainment-minded"<br />
Variety Club was commended for its enterprise<br />
in bringing "The Glass Menagerie"<br />
here for a benefit performance at the Strand<br />
by Paul Bruce Pettie, WROW show- critic.<br />
Shelton Rejoins A.F.E.<br />
NEW YORK—William Shelton has resigned<br />
as general sales manager for Siritzky<br />
International Pictures and has rejoined the<br />
A.F.E. Corp., headed by Paul Graetz. Shelton<br />
served with A.F.E. for several years before<br />
joining Siritzky about six months ago.<br />
BOXOFFICE March 1948<br />
50C