Boxoffice-March.20.1948

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