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Omaha Rule May Ban<br />
Any New Theatres<br />
OMAHA—A proposal now being bitterly<br />
contested before the city council would virtually<br />
put an end to new theatres in Omaha.<br />
It is a recommendation by the city planning<br />
commission that the right to build a theatre<br />
be eliminated from property classed as first<br />
commercial. Almost all desirable spots remaining<br />
in the city would come under that<br />
classification.<br />
The subject came up as the result of a<br />
move by K. E. Ashley, owner of the Crestwood<br />
Shops, to build an 800-seat theatre next<br />
to his property at the corner of Sixtieth and<br />
William streets. There would be shops in<br />
the building, Ashley said. He declared that<br />
a majority of persons in the neighborhood<br />
favor his plan.<br />
But Attorney Thomas Quinlan, representing<br />
118 property owners, tells a different<br />
story. He said residents fear a theatre would<br />
devaluate their property and traffic it would<br />
bring would endanger their property.<br />
The planning commission was first to hear<br />
the case. It recommended the ban on theatres<br />
in first commercial areas to the council.<br />
The commission's proposal brought other<br />
interests into the suit. Tri-States Theatres<br />
Corp., which owns the Paramount, Orpheum<br />
and Omaha, has a site at the northwest corner<br />
of Seventy-second and Dodge streets near<br />
the city limits where it has planned a theatre<br />
of the future. This tract is zoned first<br />
commercial and would be affected if the<br />
commission proposal were adopted. Attorney<br />
Eugen Blazer spoke for Tri-States. He said<br />
the case should be settled on its merits. It<br />
is unfair to make a blanket rule, he said.<br />
The council decided to talk it over at a<br />
special meeting before acting.<br />
Federal Agency Forecasts<br />
Big Growth in Nebraska<br />
city, as a key point in the<br />
river basin development, has a bright<br />
as does the entire region, according to<br />
forecast by the Federal Power commission.<br />
The FPC estimates the Omaha population<br />
gain at least another 100,000 by 1970.<br />
Statewide the report is just as rosy. Eastern<br />
outside Omaha, is expected to jump<br />
,75 per cent in nonfarm population, while<br />
western Nebraska is expected to gain 60 per<br />
cent.<br />
PPC bases its prediction on low-cost electric<br />
power and improved navigation.<br />
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Uptown Offers Facilities<br />
As Community Center<br />
CITY. IOWA— Sioux City's newjest<br />
theatre, the 650-seat Uptown, opened last<br />
week in the north side. Robert M. Krueger.<br />
said the theatre is equipped with a<br />
address system and was constructed<br />
for use as a community center outside of<br />
hours. Various groups interested in<br />
activities may use the one-story<br />
structure for meetings during morning<br />
j<br />
hours.<br />
:Buy Stacyville Theatre<br />
IOWA—Mr. and Mrs. Bill<br />
jAdams have purchased the Stacyville Theatre.<br />
They plan to redecorate the lobby and<br />
ijmake additional improvements and repairs<br />
Mto the interior.<br />
His Theatre Is the Community Center;<br />
Goodwill Shows Up at the <strong>Boxoffice</strong><br />
CLARISSA, MINN.—In this community,<br />
the Mark Theatre is much more than a motion<br />
picture place. Because M. D. Plaisted,<br />
the proprietor, has made the theatre a community<br />
center, it has been an outstanding<br />
success in contrast to the predictions of many<br />
who said such an enterprise would never pay<br />
in this small town.<br />
Plaisted built the Mark during the<br />
winter of 1946, and opened it for the first<br />
time in April. He spared no time or money<br />
to make it the most beautiful motion picture<br />
place for many miles around. That he would<br />
gamble such a huge investment in a town of<br />
500 was the talk of exhibitors of the area,<br />
especially since Clarissa's last theatre had<br />
gone into bankruptcy back in the twenties.<br />
The Mark is not only a theatre to this<br />
community. Plaisted has made it a community<br />
center, and the friendship and goodwill<br />
built by this policy has paid off handsomely<br />
at the boxoffice every night of the<br />
week.<br />
He opened the theatre for a gala Christmas<br />
party for children during the holiday<br />
season, and with the cooperation of local<br />
businessmen, treated them to a show and<br />
No MAC-Ted Mann Deal<br />
MINNEAPOLIS—Negotiations between the<br />
Minnesota Amusement Co. and Ted Mann,<br />
circuit owner, looking toward the acquisition<br />
of the Alvin Theatre here by the former,<br />
have been dropped because of failure to agree<br />
on terms. A proposal to trade two St. Paul<br />
neighborhood houses to Mann for the Alvin.<br />
acquired by the Mann group from the estate<br />
of the late W. A. Steffes, was rejected by the<br />
MAC because of certain stipulations insisted<br />
upon by Mann. The MAC lease of the Alvin<br />
expires August 31.<br />
CORNHUSKER DISPLAY—Some good<br />
exploitation by Chuck Kroll, manager of<br />
the Lincoln in Lincoln, Neb., is illustrated<br />
above along with the tasteful popcorn<br />
bowl recently completed at the Lincoln.<br />
The usher is wearing a fezz with a<br />
crest on front which reads, "Come to the<br />
Casbah Tuesday." Beside him is a good<br />
art job on "The Iron Curtain."<br />
fiee popcorn. He olfered the facilities of<br />
the theatre to the various farm organizations<br />
fur their annual meetings, and at least Ihi-ee<br />
days a year are taken up with farmer gatherings.<br />
Two school plays yearly are produced<br />
there, as well as the high school commencement<br />
exerci-ses in May. Other community<br />
events have included amateur shows,<br />
vaudeville attractions and golden glove boxing<br />
events.<br />
"The people of my community take a personal<br />
interest in the theatre," Plaisted said.<br />
"The fact that their organizations and<br />
schools are able to use it for special events<br />
give them a proprietary feeling, and bui.ds<br />
a remarkable friendship for me."<br />
He said those occasions have brought people<br />
into the theatre who rarely if ever w'ere<br />
there before, and he noticed that many of<br />
them started coming to the shows at the<br />
Mark instead of driving elsewhere.<br />
"Best of all," he said, "the community<br />
residents show a pride in the place that has<br />
sprung from this personal interest. If exhibitors<br />
in small towns really want to be<br />
successful, I suggest that they strive to make<br />
their theatres the recreation and entertainment<br />
centers of their communities."<br />
Variety of Norihwest<br />
Needs $160,000 More<br />
MINNEAPOLIS—Plans to raise an additional<br />
$160,000 for the Northwest Variety<br />
Club's University of Minnesota campus heart<br />
hospital were discussed at a meeting called<br />
by Chief Barker Bill Elson. The club already<br />
has turned over $300,000 to the university for<br />
he project, but rising costs necessitate an<br />
additional substantial sum to permit the sort<br />
of institution which the club has had in mind.<br />
The hospital, when completed, will involve<br />
an expenditure in excess of $700,000. The<br />
sum of $230,000 will be forthcoming from the<br />
federal government. A show or some big<br />
athletic event likely will be sponsored by the<br />
club to raise money.<br />
Northwest Variety Club won last year's Variety<br />
Clubs International award for the most<br />
outstanding philanthropic project of an)<br />
< lub.<br />
Charles Farquhay Shifted<br />
To Minneapolis Orpheum<br />
DAVENPORT—Charles Farquhay, assistant<br />
manager of the RKO Orpheum. has been<br />
transferred to the Orpheum in Minneapolis,<br />
after three years here. He is being succeeded<br />
by James Gillespie of Rock Island. 111., who<br />
has been associated with Rock Island theatres<br />
since his discharge from the army air<br />
forces in 1946.<br />
'Blandings' Opens June 10<br />
In Two Des Moines Spots<br />
DES M0II>JES—The first regular showing<br />
outside New York City of "Mr. Blandings<br />
Builds His Dream House" is scheduled to<br />
open June 10 at the Des Moines and Roosevelt<br />
theatres here.<br />
,m<br />
|BOXOFFICE : : May<br />
29, 1948