Boxoffice-December.25.1948

Real Christmas Spirit Infuses
Dallas Row
Parties Less Lavish This Year But Feeling of the Season Is More Evident
DALLAS—Harrison C. Gunter, owner of
the Buckhorn Drive-In at Alice, played Santa
Claus in plain clothes to everyone on Filmrow.
He had good luck on a deer hunt in
the southwest cattle country and shared it
with the many Filmrow workers who served
his drive-in during the last year. Gunter
brought the deer 500 miles in his car and
had Mitchell's barbecue shop prepare it.
Then he walked all over the Row asking
guests to come and get it later that day.
Buddy Harris was to be at the door to
admit only film employes but he had made
other commitments so Truman Hendrix filled
in at the job. The 168-pound buck was pronounced
ready and the crowd began forming.
Gunter personally got behind the counter
to help Mitchell supply the himgry line.
For several hours the two sliced all the
venison that could be eaten and many tasted
it for the first time. They said here that
Gunter's Christmas token ranked with the
best in recent years.
Gunter's home is in Celins. Buddy Harris,
who operates the Ritz there, said Gunter
worked behind the drug store soda foimtain
before the war. He joined the marines as
a private and came out a captain. He used
some of his army training to build his drivein
for 350 cars and he equipped it with incar
speakers and other modern services. Because
he had picked off quite a few Japs
under worse conditions, Gunter found it easy
to go out one afternoon and bag the two
deer before starting the night show.
J. A. Prichard, district and branch manager
for Monogram, has had the exchange
torn up from front to back, but it will come
out with a new look for the New Year. Everything
is being made all new. His office will
be the former cashier's department. Booking,
shipping and other facilities are being
streamlined to meet comparison along the
Row, which boasts several top streamlined
offices in one block, particularly National
Theatre Supply, Universal and R&R Theatres.
Although In the throes of remodeling,
the ustial Christmas cheer was observed by
Prichard and his staff.
The Columbia exchange personnel had its
yule party at Roth's restaurant on the Fort
Worth cutoff, with dinner, dancing and the
usual refreshments. A tree and exchange of
gifts at the exchange preceded the dinner.
Paramount Pep club reserved Casa Linda Log
Cabin, a nite spot, for a chuck wagon turkey
dinner and dance.
The Robb & Rowley Theatres booking department
held an informal party for film
men, but the Friday before Christmas was
reserved for the R&R family. This event
was quite an affair when the late H. B.
Robb would don his ermine trimmed Santa
Claus suit and hand out gifts from an overladen
tree. This time, however, Christmas
was to be observed in a quieter tone as in
the last several years, but there were to be
many gifts, food and refreshments. It was
to be the first Christmas in the newly remodeled
general office. E. H. Rowley left
earlier to spend the season in California,
Uncle Joe Improved
As Is W. W. Spruce
Dallas—The good news which came from
the sick rooms of J. E. Luckett and \V.
VV. Spruce was
welcomed for the
Christmas season.
The former, who
is manager of the
White Theatre
here, suffered a
heart attack after
returning from a
visit to Chicago.
He will remain at
home with his wife
in the Sanger hotel
for the next
J. E. Luckett
few weeks and
hopes then to return to his job. A former
film exchange manager for many
years. Uncle Joe, as he is widely known,
recently celebrated his 78th birthday, and
was still going strong.
Spruce, MGM office manager, was
resting easier in Veterans hospital at
McKinney, where he was taken recently.
He underwent a leg amputation in a
Dallas hospital previously. LeRoy Whitington
said, he visited Spruce the other
day and that his morale is picking up.
Friends who wouold like to send Spruce
a card may reach him in Ward 60 at the
hospital.
partly on business, but offered his greetings
to film men and to his employes before departure.
Eagle Lion had its family party with presents
and a tree Thursday afternoon. The
Warner club had its Friday night party in
Pappy's Showland. J. D. Hillhouse, manager
of the Maple Theatre, scheduled a free
kid show with A Christmas Carol as the
main attraction. There were to be cartoons
and Christmas songs by the audience. Candy,
nuts and fruit were to be distributed. The
Maple is owned by Forrest White and M. K.
McDaniel. Jimmy Cain, manager of the
Lakewood, had a similar program there. Admission
was by an old toy which could be
repaired for other kids. Each child received
a gift donated by merchants of the neighborhood.
The Lakewood is an Interstate
theatre.
Don Douglas did the unusual again in
getting up the Robb & Rowley Christmas
card. It was a miniature souvenir cover of
the 24 Sheeter, with a modernized Texas
theatre sketch, the circuit using that name
generally. Inside are pictures of the home
office executives Frank Dowd, C. V. Jones,
Deacon Bell, H. B. Robb jr., E. H. Rowley,
John Rowley, Ray Elkins and Douglas. Pictures
of the top feminine stars are between
the R&R men's photos.
Christmas cheer was spread abundantly
at the four Filmrow equipment houses. Berber
Bros.. National Theatre Supply. Modern
Theatre Equipment Co., and Southwestern
Theatre Equipment Co., each had special
departments arranged for the refreshments
and nicknacks. Each house passed out presents
or souvenirs to customers.
The MGM club gave a turkey dimier and
dance in the Danish room of the Adolphus
hotel. National Screen Service had its turkey
dinner and tree in the office a few days
earlier. Republic ordered the caterer's best
turkey dinner served in the exchange and
plenty of eggnog was there. It was Manager
John J. Houlihan's first Chi-istmas on
the Dallas Filmrow, he having been transferred
here last summer from Memphis.
Carl Craig, the little hunchback of Filmrow,
probably didn't realize just how much
the exchanges and circuit offices appreciated
his services during the year. Nearly all
offices took up collections for him, which
amounted to over $50. Carl is well in his
teens, although the deformity diminished his
size. He fell out of a tree when much
younger and injured his back. He was smart
in school and now it's shoving telegrams for
show business with him. Carl and his customers
are pleased with each other.
As usual, very few exhibitors were in during
the week as compared to other years
when they came by scores, especially to make
all houses on the Row for lavish yuletide
entertainment. It is some different now but
the Christmas spirit is perhaps more fully
realized during these times than it was then.
Seen along the Row were Joe Hackney of
Canton, S. G. Fry, Tyler; T. L. Richey, Linden;
L. A. Allen, Crawford, and Ernest
Rockett and Ben Knoch, Itasca. Others
dropped in as the week closed but nearly all
remained close by their homes and theatres.
Louise Jones, film actress, arrived from
Hollywood with her 9-year-old son George
for a holiday visit with C. 'V. Jones, her
father. She had parts in "This Time for
Keeps" and "The Razor's Edge." George
soon may be in pictures, too. He was given
a screen test recently, chosen from 200 applicants.
P. G. Cameron, who moved to Los Angeles
last summer, read in BOXOFFICE
two weeks ago that he was planning to
move back to Dallas. This week he was
back, hoping to complete a sale of three
theatres here to the J. G. Long circuit which
has operated them the last two years. He
said his son Guy and son-in-law Claude
Kennell want to come back anyway. All
have been in the motel business in Los
Angeles.
The opening of Alfred Sach's foreignlanguage
Coronet Theatre December 28 will
be one of the more prominent Christmas
week festivities here. The initial attfaction
is "The Barber of Seville" with Tagliavini.
The Dallas Symphony orchestra members
will attend a special showing the night before
opening.
BOXOFFICE December 25, 1948 sw 79