Boxoffice-January.07.1950
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•<br />
^<br />
:<br />
. . Paul<br />
. . The<br />
. . Manager<br />
Steve Panora Dies<br />
Opening Theatre<br />
NEW MILPORD, CONN.—Steve Panora,<br />
74, died of a heart attack while opening his<br />
Twentieth Century<br />
"^'^K<br />
Theatre here December<br />
26. Panora and<br />
his brother John<br />
started the Opera<br />
.^; House, an upstairs<br />
jjf<br />
house in Winsted, over<br />
30 years ago. Subsequently<br />
he operated<br />
the Capitol, Milford<br />
the Plaza. Waterbury;<br />
Strand. Willimantic,<br />
and the Palace i n<br />
Stafford Springs,<br />
Steve Panora Conn. The latter<br />
A^k<br />
house he sold to the Markoff brothers last<br />
year. He was interested In the Colonial,<br />
Southington, at one time.<br />
Panora was interested in the shipping business,<br />
and had spoken to some of his film<br />
district friends about shipping off in the<br />
near future for visits to distant ports on one<br />
of his own boats. He is survived by one son<br />
John, who is also in shipping in New York.<br />
Drive-In Permits Issued<br />
To Michael Redstone<br />
BOSTON—On his last official day in office.<br />
Mayor Curley issued pemiits to Michael<br />
Redstone for erection of two-drive-ins to be<br />
built near here, one in West Roxbury and<br />
the other in Dorchester near the Neponset<br />
bridge. The licenses had been held up two<br />
year's because of protests from residents who<br />
claimed that the two theatres would be<br />
menaces. No permits for drive-ins have been<br />
issued imtll now within the city liniits.<br />
When the issuing of the two peiTnits became<br />
known, a storm of protests broke. Mayorelect<br />
Hynes was asked to take drastic action.<br />
He sent a registered letter to Redstone saying<br />
that he would revoke the pei"mit& when<br />
he assumed office. He also said that if Redstone<br />
persisted in his efforts to build the<br />
two drive-ins, he would do so at his own<br />
financial risk.<br />
Redstone replied that he had been advised<br />
by his attorneys that since the permits had<br />
been issued in strictly legal manner, there<br />
could be no cause for revocation. He also declared<br />
that if any evidence that a drive-in<br />
is a somxe of immorality is presented, the<br />
permits will be sm-rendered voluntarily. Redstone<br />
operates four drive-ins. two in Massachusetts,<br />
one in the Bronx and one in Valley<br />
Stream, Long Island, New York.<br />
He Learned About Music Early<br />
When Mario Lanza played marbles in the<br />
street at the age of 6 he listened to the voice<br />
of Caruso coming from a nearby record store.<br />
Slipping into the store, he learned much<br />
about good music from a friendly elderly<br />
salesman.<br />
BRIDGEPORT<br />
T ocal theatre managers, led by Matt Saunders<br />
of Loew's Poll, filed a protest with<br />
the board of library directors against the<br />
showing of filnis in the city-owned Klein<br />
Memorial auditorium. The Klein auditorium<br />
frequently features weekend bills of reissues<br />
or cartoons, and charges the same admission<br />
as the downtown first run theatres. Protests<br />
have been filed with the board every year,<br />
but the matter has always been "taken under<br />
advisement."<br />
The only midnight show here Christmas eve<br />
was at the Warner where "The Hasty Heart"<br />
was screened . Estrada is the new<br />
doorman at the Astor Theatre . . . Playwright<br />
Phil Dunning has returned to his home in<br />
Westport after several months of script writing<br />
in Hollywood . Charles Gaudino<br />
of the Hippodrome and his wife celebrated<br />
their wedding anniversary . . . Jerry<br />
Conboy was back in the booth at Loew's Majestic<br />
after an illness.<br />
.<br />
Film actress Margaret Sullavan started the<br />
new year with her three children at her home<br />
in Greenwich Ballet de Russe de<br />
Monte Cai'lo has been booked into the Klein<br />
auditorium for a single performance March<br />
Katherine Shea will offer the road<br />
23 . . .<br />
company of "Brigadoon" in one performance<br />
January 25 in the Klein auditorium.<br />
The MODERN THEATRE PLANNING INSTITUTE<br />
825 Van Brunt Blvd.<br />
Kansas City 1, Mo.<br />
Gus Schaeier Joins<br />
Hartford Circuit<br />
HARTFORD—Tlie immediate affiliation<br />
Gus Schaefer, former RKO northeastern division<br />
sales manager,<br />
as treasurer and stockholder<br />
with the Hartford<br />
Theatre circuit<br />
here, has been disclosed<br />
by Al Schuman,<br />
general manager of<br />
the local circuit. He<br />
succeeds Jacob Belford,<br />
resigned. Schae- ^^^^^ _<br />
fer, according to Schu- ^^^^B ^<br />
M<br />
man, will headquarter ^^^^^^"<br />
y\,<br />
at circuit offices in<br />
the Lenox Theatre Gus Schaefer<br />
building. The amount<br />
of cash involved in the transaction bringing<br />
Schaefer into the local five-theatre organization<br />
as a stockholder was not revealed.<br />
It is understood that Schaefer is retaining<br />
his partnership in the Colonial, Southington,<br />
and Rialto, Windsor Locks.<br />
To Star in 'Sidewalks End'<br />
Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney will star<br />
in 20th-Fox's "Where the Sidewalks End,"<br />
adapted from William L. Stewart's novel,<br />
"Night Cry."<br />
A RESEARCH BUREAU<br />
for MODERN THEATRE PLANNERS<br />
ENROLLMENT FORM FOR FREE INFORMATION<br />
of<br />
i"'"^"<br />
Gentlemen:<br />
Please enroll us in your REHEARCH BUREAU to receive information regularly, as<br />
released, on the following subjects for Theatre Planning:<br />
n Acoustics<br />
n Air Conditioning<br />
Architectural Service<br />
n "Black" Lighting<br />
n Building Material<br />
n Carpets<br />
n Coin Machines<br />
D Other Subjects<br />
Theatre<br />
Address<br />
City<br />
n Complete Remodeling<br />
Decorating<br />
n Drink Dispensers<br />
D Drive-In Equipment<br />
n Lighting Fixtures<br />
Pluml>ing Fixtures<br />
n Projectors<br />
Seating<br />
n Projection Lamps<br />
n Seating<br />
n Signs and Marquees<br />
D Sound Equipment<br />
n Television<br />
D Theatre Fronts<br />
n Vending Equipment<br />
State-<br />
Capacity<br />
Signed..<br />
(Ownar-Monagar)<br />
Postage-paid reply cards for your further convenience in obtaining information<br />
are provided in The MODERN THEATRE RED KEY Section (Nov. 19, 1949).<br />
BOXOFFICE January 7, 1950 79<br />
U