Boxoffice-January.07.1950

. .
DeLake House Burns
Just After Purchase
DeLAKE, ORE.—The Colonial Theatre at
DeLake, recently purchased by Clarence and
Betty Ward from Charles Slaney and P. H.
Littlepage, was destroyed by fire two days
after the Wards had taken over the house.
Firemen fought the blaze for two hours in
a moderately strong wind, but were aided by a
heavy rain. A short circuit near the projection
room was believed to be responsible for
the blaze which did an estimated $15,000 damage.
Also damaged by the blaze was an
adjoining electrical appliance store. The Colonial
was the town's only theatre.
PORTLAND
phil and Florence Carlin have sold the Elmo
here to Earl and Caroline Ressel of
Yakima, Wash. The Ressels fonnerly operated
a theatre in North Dakota. They have
redecorated the Elmo. The Carlins are retiring
from show business which they entered
here 25 years ago.
Walter and Winnefred Tebbetts have sold
the Portsmouth district Crest Theatre. The
new owners and operators are Howard and
Alvina Harvey. Theatre Exchange Co. negotiated
Belva Tauscher is new
the sale . . .
biller at RKO. She replaces Donna Little
who returned to college at Vanport .
George Jackson, salesman for RKO, recently
returned from his vacation.
Five Hamrick-Evergreen downtown houses
ran special shows New Year's eve, including
a few sneak previews . . . Tim and Mittie
Penn'ngton of Blue River have sold the Blue
River Theatre to T>' Correll and his mother
Mae B. Correll of West Fir, Ore, The Penningtons
operated the house for a year and
a half. The sale was handled by Theatre
Exchange Co.
Vaclav Kalina Celebrates 25th Year
In Exhibition at Malin, Ore., Theatre
MALIN. ORE.—Twenty-five years in the
theatre and dance business was celebrated
Tuesday evening (3i by Mr. and Mrs. Vaclav
Kalina with an open house to friends and
patrons in their Broadway Theatre and dance
hall.
Kalina recalled that his interest in the
theatre business started when he was 14 years
old. He sold picture postal cards to earn a
motion picture machine. This equipment was
run with carbide lights. That was back in
1921. An old barn was the show house and the
kids around town saw a three-foot film,
shown over and over. The show "took" and
yomig Kalina was in business.
In 1925 he bought a projection machine out
of the old White Pelican Theatre in Klamath
Palls but his knowledge of how to operate one
was limited to what he had read in books and
what he learned from the electrician who
helped him install it.
He installed it in the old Malin school house,
showing silent films. His first picture was
"Go and Get It," a Warner Bros, production.
Films from this corporation have been consistently
used during the quarter century of
operation.
The first orchestra was John Houston's.
Houston, Klamath Falls insurance man, is
now director of the Barbershoppers. Members
of the original orchestra have scattered
far and wide.
Movable seats on a flat floor in that first
film house, made dancing possible after the
show was over. The theatregoer paid to see
the show, then waited until the seats were
shoved against the wall and danced for free
until daylight if he wanted to.
This plan continued until the present theatre
building was constructed in 1930 and
sound pictures introduced in Malin.
VACLAV KALINA
In 1940 a new brick dance hall was built
and since that time many name bands have
been brought to Malin. The Oregon Hillbillies
have played in this hall every Saturday
night for 13 years and will donate music
for the dance on the night of the open house.
Kalina has donated use of the theatre each
year for high school graduation exercises and
each New Year's day gives a free show for
youngsters of the community. Other organizations
have also been permitted use of the
building without charge.
In 1948, Mr. and Mrs. Kalina bought the
Marcha Theatre in Tulelake from Mrs. Byrd
Heitz and now operate both houses.
Joseph E. Madsen Dies;
Office Manager for UA
SALT LAKE CITY—For the fourth time in
a week, death struck a theatreman in the Salt
Lake area. Latest death was that of Joseph
Earl Madsen, office manager for United
Artists.
Madsen died the day after funeral services
were held for Ti-acy Barham, vice-president
and general manager of Intermountain Theatres,
Inc., who was extolled for his civic leadership
and work in the motion picture business
for more th&n 40 years.
Like Barham and Hy W. Knutson, Livingston,
Mont., exhibitor, who also died last week,
Madsen was a veteran in show business. He
had been in theatre v.'ork most of his adult
life, serving in many capacities, including that
of manager of Intermountain Theatres at
Rexburg and Twin Falls, Ida. He was a native
of Utah and resided here most of his life.
He was 63 years old.
Compton Drive-In Opened
LOS ANGELES—Pacific Drive-Ins opened
its newest ozoner, the Compton, January 6,
with film celebrities including Reno Browne
and Dick Foote of Monogram making personal
appearances.
Herman W. Knutson Dies;
Exhibitor in Montana
LIVINGSTON, MONT.—Herman W. Knutson,
57, a theatre owner, died recently at his
home here following a brief illness.
Knutson owned theatres in Livings'.on,
Miles City, Gardiner, Harlowton and Big
Timber, Mont., and in Haley. Ida. He had
made his headquarters in Livingston lor
about 25 years.
His wife Susan, one son, thrpp brothers
and three sisters sm-vive. Burial v,'iH be at
Miles City.
Drive-In for Brighton
DENVER—Lem Lee, Paul Rothman, R. C.
Otwell and Elden Menagh, all theatre men,
are associated in a 400-car, $60,000 drive-in
being built at Brighton, Colo. Lee, Rothman
and Otwell also will have ready for a spring
opening a 400-car, $75,000 drive-in at Mc-
Cook, Neb. They have bought a site for a
drive-in at Longmont, Colo.
Elgin Rex Installs Screen
ELGIN, ORE.—The Rex Theatre here has
installed a new Cycloramic screen, according
to G. O. Cowley.
North California Tent
Votes Ellis Levy Chief
SAN FRANCISCO— Ellis
Levy was elected
chief barker for the Variety Club of Northern
California, Nathan Blumenfeld first assistant,
Ken Daily second assistant, Alan
Grubstick doughboy and Mel Klein property
master. Canvasmen include Cliff Giesman,
Gerald Karski, Rotus Harvey, Spencer Leve,
Neal East and William Couvert.
I
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FOR CAPACITY BUSINESS
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BOXOFFICE January 7, 1950 46-A