Boxoffice-January.07.1950
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. . . The<br />
. . Bob<br />
. . Al<br />
. . . Annual<br />
. . Hanna<br />
^E<br />
P I<br />
T T S B U RGH<br />
lyrrs. Cele Carpe Abel, veteran of FUmrow<br />
and former Republic booker, is the mother<br />
of a daughter, bom in Montefiore hospital<br />
December 21 ... A plumbing-heating company<br />
at Warren was promoted to give away<br />
eight live turkeys at the Columbia ... A<br />
number of Warner theatres in the area presented<br />
Sunday (1^ midnight previews of<br />
•Montana" . . . Karlton at Williamsport presented<br />
the stage musical, "Blossom Time,"<br />
Monday evening (2).<br />
Harry Fry presented a free Christmas day<br />
show at his Wampum in Wampum and invited<br />
all kids up to 90 years of age . . .<br />
Dipson's<br />
Bradford at Bradford staged a kiddy<br />
toy matinee December 28 ... A free Christmas<br />
show was featured at the State in BeUwood<br />
. . . Youngsters of United Engineering<br />
employes at New Castle had themselves a<br />
time December 23 at the Penn and Victor<br />
theatres, and following the free shows they<br />
went to the company cafeteria for holiday<br />
The FoUy at Erie closed for the<br />
treats . . .<br />
holidays.<br />
BeUefonte merchants awarded many prizes<br />
at drawings at the Plaza . . . Butler Armco<br />
Ass'n sponsored Armco kiddy Christmas<br />
parties at all four theatres in Butler December<br />
24, with big candy treats after the shows<br />
Starlite Drive-In on Route 119 at<br />
North Connellsville continued in operation<br />
this week. Enabling patrons to keep warm,<br />
the theatre presents a gallon of gas to keep<br />
each car's motor running.<br />
A Filmrow collection for Harry Williams<br />
netted $53 for the veteran of the industry.<br />
We hope to make an additional report on this<br />
at an early date . . . Mario Battiston has on<br />
display at his home in Irwin a complete<br />
model of the Super 30 Drive-In which has<br />
everything, including motion picture projection<br />
from 8mm equipment.<br />
Certified at Harrisburg was the Twin Hi-<br />
Way Coi-p. Officers include George J. Saittis,<br />
Stephen Rodnok jr. and Robert C. ReithmuUer.<br />
This group is opening a new drive-in<br />
in Robinson towiiship on routes 22 and 30<br />
. . . Joe Volpe, owner of local drive-ins, reports<br />
his brother Amelato died at his Wil-<br />
CHICAGO<br />
1327 S. Wobash<br />
FILMACK<br />
NEW YORK<br />
619 W. 54»h St.<br />
SAM FINEBERG i<br />
TOMMcCLEARY |<br />
li<br />
170S Blvd. oi the Allies |<br />
PITTSBUHGH 19, PA. |<br />
Phone Express 0777 §<br />
merding home following a heart attack . . .<br />
Federal court suits against eight film distributors<br />
filed by a number of suburban theatre<br />
owners were dismissed December 30<br />
upon agreement of both parties . . . Leonard<br />
Bernstein, who composed the music for "On<br />
the TouTi," is guest piano soloist and conductor<br />
of the Pittsburgh Symphony here at<br />
Syria Mosque. Oscar Levant is soloist at a<br />
special concert January 10.<br />
The Penny Press of 50 years ago, Dec. 31,<br />
1899, reported that men crowded into the<br />
Avenue Theatre to see the new-fangled pictiu-es<br />
of the Jim Jeffries vs. Tom Sharkey<br />
prizefight, which took place Nov. 3, 1899. at<br />
the Coney Island Athletic club. Another<br />
turn-of-the-century event was skating at<br />
Duquesne Gardens, " 'way out in Oakland."<br />
For many recent years this has been the<br />
Gardens, operated under lease by the HaiTis<br />
enterprises.<br />
. . .<br />
Jimmy Ritter, Mm Classics salesman,<br />
Sun-<br />
spvent the holidays in California<br />
Telegraph Servicemen's fun, for 2,000 hospitalized<br />
war veterans at Aspinwall and Butler,<br />
received $1,621 through the Christmas<br />
day show at the Stanley.<br />
Lou and Roberta Hanna and sons Luis jr.<br />
and young Bobby have departed for a month's<br />
vacation in Florida . Munn resigned<br />
sales duties with Eagle Lion . . . New member<br />
of the Warner circuit booking department<br />
is Mary Lou Chekan . Weiland jr., proprietor<br />
of the Fifth Avenue at Coraopolis,<br />
was seriously ill . . . Chuck Mason of Warner<br />
circuit booking office and Kathryn Nist of<br />
the poster department will be married January<br />
21.<br />
Happiest of all the gang celebrating the<br />
holidays was Fred Elmer Hasley, new papa,<br />
who passed cigars. The East Pittsburgh and<br />
Conneaut Lake exhibitor and his wife, parents<br />
and grandparents, adopted a baby last<br />
winter and Johnny legally became theirs on<br />
Christmas. The adoption paper from the<br />
court was received in an envelope marked<br />
"Please do not open until Christmas," but<br />
the Hasley s knew what was enclosed.<br />
George Saittis had a tieup with the American<br />
Legion in presenting a free show and<br />
treat for kids at the Temple in the Sheraden<br />
BUI Nesbitt of Republic is<br />
district . . .<br />
steamed up on "Sands of Iwo Jima." In all<br />
the years we have known Bill he has never<br />
been as enthusiastic about a picture . . . Proceeds<br />
of the kiddy show with Santa Claus<br />
at Shea's in Bradford went to the Salvation<br />
Army Christmas basket fund . . . Capitol at<br />
Farrell held a free show for children and<br />
Mike's nut shop contributed popcorn balls<br />
. . . Altoona collected 59,079.33 in city amusement<br />
taxes for November.<br />
The "I Am a Movie Fan" tribute, reprinted<br />
from BOXOFFICE, was featured in a single<br />
column, 18-inch display in the Monessen<br />
Daily Independent . . . Norman Huhn, former<br />
proprietor of the Grandview, is hospitalized<br />
and is seriously ill.<br />
Ray Neal, manager of the Aladdin and<br />
Lamp at Irwin, reports the death of his<br />
mother . . . L. Hayes Garbarino, manager of<br />
Dipson's Bradford at Bradford, was pleased<br />
with the stage booking of Charlie Spivak<br />
January . . Greensburg's 10 per cent<br />
5 .<br />
amusement tax continues in force until repealed.<br />
City officials plan stricter enforcement<br />
of the amusement levy after reporting<br />
that some affairs are being held with no tax<br />
Howard Minsky, 20th-Fox division<br />
collected . . .<br />
Al Weiland jr.,<br />
leader, was a visitor . . .<br />
CoraopoUs exhibitor, who was very iU two<br />
weeks ago, is under treatment and was able<br />
to be back on the job last week . . . William<br />
Carr, Warner auditor, has been working at<br />
the local exchange.<br />
. .<br />
Frank Drumm, Nat Levy and Bob Folliard,<br />
RKO executives, were scheduled to conduct<br />
a new Ned Depinet drive meeting here January<br />
5 with Da\'id C. Silverman, local manager,<br />
and member of the sales organization<br />
. Harry Hendel, exhibitor who is spending<br />
the winter in Miami, and Bess Levj-, the former<br />
Mrs. Arthur H. Levy, were married in<br />
Charleston, S. C. The Manos circuit has<br />
. . .<br />
booked "The Red Shoes" for early playing<br />
Firemen's kiddy party was held<br />
at Springdale with the cooperation of John<br />
McCauley, proprietor of the Miami.<br />
Jules Lapidus, Charles Rich and Jerry<br />
Wechsler, respectively Warner division, district<br />
and Cleveland managers, conferred here<br />
with F. D. "Dinty" Moore, local manager . . .<br />
The steps of the old postoffice building at<br />
Fourth avenue became Mt. Suribachi as marines<br />
of the district, some of whom fought at<br />
Iwo Jima, portrayed the famous flag-raising.<br />
The scene was re-enacted in connection<br />
with "Sands of Iwo Jima," booked for a run<br />
at the Fulton ... A dozen local Warner neighborhood<br />
theatres featured Friday morning<br />
cartoon shows . . . BUI ZeUor of the Harris<br />
office is back at work after a week or more<br />
absence due to injuries suffered in a fall.<br />
Cathedral at New Castle will offer Horace<br />
Heidfs 1950 vaudeviUe revue and youth opportunity<br />
program Tuesday evening, January<br />
24. The Heidt show is booked January 22 at<br />
the Gannon auditorium in Erie . . . Dorothy<br />
Elpern resigned Film Classics duties and has<br />
joined Abe Weiner's Monogram staff . . . Iris<br />
at Cochranton inaugurated Sunday shows<br />
January 1 . . . Mannie Youngerman, last here<br />
with UA, is a member of Eagle Lion's sales<br />
organization at Buffalo Theatre<br />
.<br />
Service published a new Filnarow directory<br />
of addresses and telephone numbers.<br />
John A. Reilly, theatre manager from the<br />
old Rowland & Clark days who resigned duties<br />
at the Metropolitan in the Bloomfield<br />
district, now is managing the Mervis operated<br />
Rialto in uptown Fifth avenue, a few<br />
blocks from Filnu-ow . . . "My Father's House."<br />
produced in Palestine, was exhibited at Warner's<br />
Squin-el Hill . . . Equipment distributors<br />
here were busy taking yearend inventory<br />
Bill Thomas, Zelienople exhibitor and<br />
hotel owner, again is remodeUng and modernizing<br />
the Kaufman hotel.<br />
Building Costs and Parking<br />
Block New Theatre<br />
MEADVILLE, PA.—The North street property<br />
at North Cottage, recently purchased by<br />
the Park Theatre Corp. for the erection of<br />
another theatre, has been sold by the corporation<br />
to Brooks Bros. George J. Barco, counsel<br />
for the theatre interests of Dr. Harry C.<br />
Winslow, stated that the Park corporation<br />
has abandoned plans for a new theatre because<br />
building costs are too high. Lack of<br />
adequate parking space in the area also led<br />
to the decision to sell the 50x200-foot lot.<br />
70 BOXOFHCE January 7, 1950