Boxoffice-January.07.1950

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:
. . Paul
. . The
. . Manager
Steve Panora Dies
Opening Theatre
NEW MILPORD, CONN.—Steve Panora,
74, died of a heart attack while opening his
Twentieth Century
"^'^K
Theatre here December
26. Panora and
his brother John
started the Opera
.^; House, an upstairs
jjf
house in Winsted, over
30 years ago. Subsequently
he operated
the Capitol, Milford
the Plaza. Waterbury;
Strand. Willimantic,
and the Palace i n
Stafford Springs,
Steve Panora Conn. The latter
A^k
house he sold to the Markoff brothers last
year. He was interested In the Colonial,
Southington, at one time.
Panora was interested in the shipping business,
and had spoken to some of his film
district friends about shipping off in the
near future for visits to distant ports on one
of his own boats. He is survived by one son
John, who is also in shipping in New York.
Drive-In Permits Issued
To Michael Redstone
BOSTON—On his last official day in office.
Mayor Curley issued pemiits to Michael
Redstone for erection of two-drive-ins to be
built near here, one in West Roxbury and
the other in Dorchester near the Neponset
bridge. The licenses had been held up two
year's because of protests from residents who
claimed that the two theatres would be
menaces. No permits for drive-ins have been
issued imtll now within the city liniits.
When the issuing of the two peiTnits became
known, a storm of protests broke. Mayorelect
Hynes was asked to take drastic action.
He sent a registered letter to Redstone saying
that he would revoke the pei"mit& when
he assumed office. He also said that if Redstone
persisted in his efforts to build the
two drive-ins, he would do so at his own
financial risk.
Redstone replied that he had been advised
by his attorneys that since the permits had
been issued in strictly legal manner, there
could be no cause for revocation. He also declared
that if any evidence that a drive-in
is a somxe of immorality is presented, the
permits will be sm-rendered voluntarily. Redstone
operates four drive-ins. two in Massachusetts,
one in the Bronx and one in Valley
Stream, Long Island, New York.
He Learned About Music Early
When Mario Lanza played marbles in the
street at the age of 6 he listened to the voice
of Caruso coming from a nearby record store.
Slipping into the store, he learned much
about good music from a friendly elderly
salesman.
BRIDGEPORT
T ocal theatre managers, led by Matt Saunders
of Loew's Poll, filed a protest with
the board of library directors against the
showing of filnis in the city-owned Klein
Memorial auditorium. The Klein auditorium
frequently features weekend bills of reissues
or cartoons, and charges the same admission
as the downtown first run theatres. Protests
have been filed with the board every year,
but the matter has always been "taken under
advisement."
The only midnight show here Christmas eve
was at the Warner where "The Hasty Heart"
was screened . Estrada is the new
doorman at the Astor Theatre . . . Playwright
Phil Dunning has returned to his home in
Westport after several months of script writing
in Hollywood . Charles Gaudino
of the Hippodrome and his wife celebrated
their wedding anniversary . . . Jerry
Conboy was back in the booth at Loew's Majestic
after an illness.
.
Film actress Margaret Sullavan started the
new year with her three children at her home
in Greenwich Ballet de Russe de
Monte Cai'lo has been booked into the Klein
auditorium for a single performance March
Katherine Shea will offer the road
23 . . .
company of "Brigadoon" in one performance
January 25 in the Klein auditorium.
The MODERN THEATRE PLANNING INSTITUTE
825 Van Brunt Blvd.
Kansas City 1, Mo.
Gus Schaeier Joins
Hartford Circuit
HARTFORD—Tlie immediate affiliation
Gus Schaefer, former RKO northeastern division
sales manager,
as treasurer and stockholder
with the Hartford
Theatre circuit
here, has been disclosed
by Al Schuman,
general manager of
the local circuit. He
succeeds Jacob Belford,
resigned. Schae- ^^^^^ _
fer, according to Schu- ^^^^B ^
M
man, will headquarter ^^^^^^"
y\,
at circuit offices in
the Lenox Theatre Gus Schaefer
building. The amount
of cash involved in the transaction bringing
Schaefer into the local five-theatre organization
as a stockholder was not revealed.
It is understood that Schaefer is retaining
his partnership in the Colonial, Southington,
and Rialto, Windsor Locks.
To Star in 'Sidewalks End'
Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney will star
in 20th-Fox's "Where the Sidewalks End,"
adapted from William L. Stewart's novel,
"Night Cry."
A RESEARCH BUREAU
for MODERN THEATRE PLANNERS
ENROLLMENT FORM FOR FREE INFORMATION
of
i"'"^"
Gentlemen:
Please enroll us in your REHEARCH BUREAU to receive information regularly, as
released, on the following subjects for Theatre Planning:
n Acoustics
n Air Conditioning
Architectural Service
n "Black" Lighting
n Building Material
n Carpets
n Coin Machines
D Other Subjects
Theatre
Address
City
n Complete Remodeling
Decorating
n Drink Dispensers
D Drive-In Equipment
n Lighting Fixtures
Pluml>ing Fixtures
n Projectors
Seating
n Projection Lamps
n Seating
n Signs and Marquees
D Sound Equipment
n Television
D Theatre Fronts
n Vending Equipment
State-
Capacity
Signed..
(Ownar-Monagar)
Postage-paid reply cards for your further convenience in obtaining information
are provided in The MODERN THEATRE RED KEY Section (Nov. 19, 1949).
BOXOFFICE January 7, 1950 79
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