Boxoffice-December.25.1948

. . Ground
. . Ben
. . Marie
COLUMBUS
T ocal theatremen are watching developments
in a proposal to build a million dollar
spdrts arena on city property to be operated
by private interests. Mayor Rhodes has
declared that the city needs such an arena
and will do "everything we can to get it." He
said the arena would be patterned after
those in Toledo, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
The arena, with a minim.um of 7,500 seats,
could be used for sports events and would
be in addition to the 8,500-plus capacity convention
hall to be erected as part of the
Franklin County Veterans' memorial on the
Scioto riverfront.
Theatremen also are interested in a proposal
by Traffic Engineer Harry H. Turner
suggesting that the city set up a 2,500-car
downtown parking lot, cut into streets with
parking meters, on a 18-acre site near the
proposed new veterans' memorial. Turner
cited Cincinnati and Cleveland as cities in
which this system has been employed.
Friends of Larry Caplane, former manager
of the RKO Grand, are congratulating him
on the birth of a daughter Ronnie GaU. Larry
and his wife are now living in Omaha, Neb.,
where he is manager of the RKO Brandeis
. . . Phil Cochran, former local resident, will
be technical adviser with Bieirne Lay jr. in
preparation of the screenplay for RKO's "Jet
Pilot." Colonel Cochran, inspiration for Flip
Corkin in "Terry and the Pirates," attended
Ohio Stat-e university and was the commanding
officer of the air commandos in Btu'ma
during World War II. Howard Hughes has
set "Jet Pilot" as one of the most important
pictures on the 1949 schedule at RKO.
Harold Goodin, former student assistant at
Loew's Ohio, stopped off here on the way
from a training center in San Antonio to
Boiling Field, Washington, where he will be
stationed . . . Tom Gleba, WCOL staff announcer,
succeeded Bill Burt as Inquiring Reporter
on the WCOL program broadcast dally
from under the Loew's Ohio marquee . . .
Winter vacations were enjoyed recently by
John Barcroft. Harry Simons and B. L. Mc-
Graner of downtown houses.
Committee members who helped make the
Variety Club's Kiddies Christmas Karnlval a
success Included Floyd Gooding, rides; Ben
Cowall, arrangements: John Barcroft, entertainment
and special events; John Hardgrove,
decorations; Leo Yassenoff. executive committee;
Leo Haenlein, operations; John Murphy
and Sandy Hallock. gifts and giveaways;
Paul Winkhaus, publicity; Sidney Katz, children's
committee; Gene Hazelton. transportation;
Kenneth Agee. control; Art Robinson,
safety, and Oscar Little, grounds. Cecil Sansbury
of the club and Ramon Cram, Columbus
Dispatch promotion manager, were co-chairmen
of the four-day event.
P. J. Wood wants to know if Ohio exhibitors
are getting bad prtjits. The Cincinnati Exhibitors'
Ass'n complained to distributors about
the bad condition of prints plus insufficient
number . has been broken for the
new Bucyrus drive-in and incorporation
papers have been issued. Incorporators include
Baird Johnson. Margaret Mayer, Roberta
Vevenka and the firm of McConnell,
Blackmore, Corey & Burke. The corporation
was authorized to issue 1,700 shares of common
stock with $1 par value per share and
750 shares of preferred stock at $1 per share.
The project will be completed in the spring.
NTS Retains Leadership
In Detroit Booth Play
DETROIT—National Theatre Supply retained
the lead in the Nightingale Club Bowling
league by a close margin. Team standings;
Wo
National Theatre Supply
National Carbon Co.
Projectionists Local 199
Lorenzens Flower Shop
Altec Sound Service
Brenkert Projectors
McArthur Theatre Equipment
Ernie Forbes Theatre Supply
200 scores were rolled by; Ralph Haskin,
235; Roy Thompson, 213; Jack Colwell, 231,
and Edgar Douville, 201.
Scharun's retained the lead in the FUm
Bowling league with Alhed and Monogram
tying for a close second place. Team standings;
24
Won
27
Lost
Scharun's
25
31
Allied
Monogram
Republic
Theatrical
RKO
Co-operative
26
UA 21 35
High 3 team—Monogram, 2,547; Republic,
2.542, and UA, 2,532.
High 1 team; RKO, 974; Republic, 901, and
Theatrical, 892.
High 3 individual: C. Sheran, 635; E. England,
626, and R. Forman, 620.
High 1 individual: C. Sheran, 265; E. Eng-
245, and W. Goryl, 244.
"200 club": C. Sheran, 210; D. Fill, 201 and
208; D. Kaplan, 205, and R. Forman, 204.
Alhambra Leads League
Of Cleveland Bowlers
CLEVELAND—Following is the latest score
of the Movie Operators' Bowling league which
meets weekly at the Alhambra alleys, as announced
by Secretary Tom Fitzgerald:
Alhambra Theatre 20 9
Union Federated Insurance 18 11
National Theatre Supply 18 12
Auto Voice Speakers IG 14
R.C.A. Service Co. 15 15
Oliver Theatre Supply 12 18
Ohio Theatre Supply 11 19
Mobiltone In-Car Speaker 9 21
The Alhambra Theatre squad stepped out
and made the Union Federated team bite the
dust in two of three encounters and tied one
game up at 952 to take over the league leadership.
The tie game point will be rolled off
in the first game next week. The Alhambra
boys moved into second high team threegame
total and third high game team score
with the 2,971 and 1,030 results. Responsible
for this change in standings were "Emmy"
Fitzgerald, Bill Riter, Red Hillegas, Bert
Williams and Capt. Paul Collins.
A clean sweep of all three games by the
RCA Service Co. quintet from the MobUtone
Speaker team was due to the nice scores contributed
by Millard Ogle's 200-523, Ralph
Gertz' 177-474, George Donelan's 187-417 and
"Buzz" Buzek's 455.
To Distribute 'Room 20'
DETROIT—Albert Dezel, representing Albert
Dezel Productions, Inc., has completed
negotiations with John Jenkins of Astor Pictures
Co. of Dallas, to distribute Astor's new
all-Negro picture, "Girl in Room 20," in
Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit,
Cleveland and Cincinnati.
SPRINGFIELD
fhakeres Theatres, Inc., managers attended
an annual holiday meeting at the Bancroft
hotel. Forty out-of-town managers of
the circuit were present at the all-day affair.
The managers were guests at a cocktail
party following the meeting, and then
they and other theatre personnel attended
a Christmas dinner given by the company.
Gifts from the company were presented to
managers and employes.
Michael H. Chakeres, David Sawyer and
L. F. Weinsz of the Regent-State Corp. attended
the annual Warner Bros, meeting
and Christmas party in Cleveland . . .
Woody Owens, manager of the Majestic,
launched the new Superman serial with a
drawing for kiddies, giving away watches
and other prizes ... All Springfield theatres
have gala decorations denoting the holiday
season.
Art Longbrake, manager of Chakeres'
Frances Theatre m Mechanicsburg, was on
a leave of absence because of illness. Substituting
for him is Dwight East, assistant
manager of the Pi-incess Theatre in Springfield
Ed Paul, manager of the Logan
, . .
Theatre in Logan, was on the sick list and
the house was being managed by his assistant.
Dale Brooks . Wilkm, manager
of the Cliftona Theatre m Circleville,
was spending a vacation In Florida. Al
Spare was acting manager during her absence
. Hathaway has been appointed
assistant manager of the Chakeres Capitol
Theatre in Frankfort, Ky.
AKRON
Juvenile authorities are seeking six youths
who tried to crash into the Orpheum December
16 and succeeded only in crashing a
plate glass window in an adjoining store.
Claud Self, the doorman, said the boys tried
to enter the show and engaged in a scuffle
on the street, where one of the youths fell
through the store window. The youths disappeared
before police arrived.
The Palace pulled out "Berlin Express" and
replaced it on Friday (17) with "The Plunderers"
. . . This Christmas weekend the
Liberty showed a British musical, "The Great
Mr. Handel."
Two free Christmas parties for children
were held Saturday