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Charles<br />
Children's Shows Gain<br />
Favor in Albuquerque<br />
From Western Edition<br />
ALBUQUERQUE—Special children's Saturday<br />
morning programs in three of the theatres<br />
here, the Kimo, Lobo and Yucca, have<br />
been showing to record attendance since the<br />
PTA organization promoted the idea. Someone<br />
from the PTA is usually at each theatre<br />
to help with any problems of discipline which<br />
might arise. However, Blanche Hatton. manager<br />
at the Lobo, explained at a recent show<br />
that many of the PTA members just sit in<br />
the audience, with their own children and<br />
perhaps one or two belonging to neighbors<br />
unable to attend themselves.<br />
The discipline observed at a recent show<br />
was very good. A Shirley Temple reissue was<br />
playing and two shows were scheduled, the<br />
first at 9 and the second at 10:30. The Lobo<br />
only seats about 708 and nearly every seat<br />
was filled for the first show, with a long line<br />
standing out front for the second. In order<br />
to seat those wishing to see the second show,<br />
it was necessary for the tactful but firm<br />
young ushers to go through and insist that<br />
the "repeaters" leave. And don't think it<br />
was always the children who sought to stay<br />
on. A grandfather there with three little<br />
ones was as disappointed as his three charges,<br />
but was telling them as they filled out: "Now<br />
we'll just go out and buy us some more tickets<br />
and come right back in."<br />
George Tucker, city manager for the nine<br />
Interstate Theatres here, reports no business<br />
slump. All but a few of the theatres in town<br />
run daily matinees, something rare for<br />
neighborhood houses in most towns this size.<br />
This fast-growing southwestern city finds its<br />
entertainment needs growing with the population,<br />
and meets those needs as fast as<br />
building construction permits. A new 1,000-<br />
seat house is rising on the site of the old<br />
Mesa.<br />
Courteous Service Praised<br />
By Miami Theatre Patron<br />
MIAMI—Wometco Theatres here received<br />
the following letter from a satisfied customer:<br />
"We are regular moviegoers and went to see<br />
The Naked City' at the Surf. The first thing<br />
that i<br />
happened was that the lady Rita Haldeman.<br />
cashier i in the boxoffice had a cheerful<br />
smile. We had hardly recovered from this<br />
shock when the usher i Swenson > also<br />
with a cheerful smile conducted us to our<br />
seats. They did this as though it was actually<br />
a pleasure to serve us. We came away from<br />
the Surf with the feeling that its is the bestrun<br />
theatre in Greater Miami. (Signed)<br />
Samuel C. AUen." Wometco printed this letter<br />
in its house organ with thanks to the writer<br />
and thanks to the employes who inspired it.<br />
Capitalizes on Primaries<br />
By Posting the Returns<br />
ELBA, ALA.—Manager Dozier Roberts of<br />
the Elba Theatre scored a lot of goodwill during<br />
the state Democratic primary election<br />
May 4. He posted election returns on a large<br />
scoreboard in front of the theatre. He stimulated<br />
returns by awarding free pases to -the<br />
person presenting first reasonably authentic<br />
returns from the 31 polling places in the<br />
county.<br />
MIAMI<br />
A recent Claughton Embassy and 'Variety<br />
ad featured the full lineup of the news-<br />
Kentucky E>erby, Eisenhower leaves the<br />
reel:<br />
army, Europe hails U.S. aid, chimps in the<br />
news, bus village for Tokyo homeless, apple<br />
blossom festival . . Paramount is now showing<br />
.<br />
its "iceberg" art to lead off its advertis-<br />
ing, proving that summer must be around the<br />
corner for Miami. The "coolness" of the circuit's<br />
houses is being stressed.<br />
Thca;tre managers wish patrons would not<br />
leave their purses lying on adjacent seats,<br />
even though, as just happened in a downtown<br />
theatre the patron was holding a child<br />
on her lap. Mrs. Ida Adams lost $21 in this<br />
manner when a "pickpurse" helped herself to<br />
the contents of a pocketbook lying conveniently<br />
within reach. The money disappeared<br />
with the elderly woman who sat next Mrs.<br />
Adams.<br />
Miami Movie Makers club held its annual<br />
election of officers. On display at the meeting<br />
was the ten-inch trophy offered by the<br />
club as first prize in its movie contest which<br />
ends July 1. All amateurs are eligible and<br />
Local club owner<br />
there is no entrance fee . . .<br />
Murray Weinger has gone to Hollywood to see<br />
about booking film names for appearance<br />
here.<br />
"Gone With the Wind," featured in a box<br />
on the Sunday amusement page as the "movie<br />
best bet," is the attraction at the Opa-Locka<br />
Theatre. It seems there is no limit to<br />
GWTW's pulling power in this area .<br />
. .<br />
Charles Moskowitz, says George Bourke, has<br />
the Vagabonds set for some MGM recordings<br />
when the ban goes off. Moskowitz is spending<br />
some time here, but Bourke says he is<br />
unable to get confirmation that the firm<br />
name will be Metro-Goldwyn-Moskowitz one<br />
of these days.<br />
Harry Fields was in town for some work on<br />
"The Babe Ruth Story." Ruth spent part of<br />
last winter here . . . Wometco, whose theatres<br />
blevins<br />
popcorn<br />
company<br />
are playing "The Iron Curtain," received a<br />
letter from 20th-Fox officials. Fox is circularizing<br />
exhibitors throughout the country<br />
declaring that attacks by American-Soviet<br />
pressure groups on this film are unfounded<br />
in fact. Wometco's letter further said, " 'The<br />
Iron Curtain' is not only based upon fact,<br />
but much more than that: it is dramatic and<br />
gripping entertainment of the highest degree.<br />
We will stand behind our picture, and,<br />
in the event of any action which pressure<br />
groups may stage, will defend the exhibitor<br />
and hold him harmless of liability."<br />
The Edward N. Claughtons of the theatre<br />
clan have returned from the Kentucky Derby<br />
to which they went as the guests of John<br />
Davin, president of a railway company. Ben<br />
Kalmenson, general sales manager for Warner<br />
Bros., and Dennis Morgan were in the<br />
Davin box. The Claughtons left the party<br />
at Cleveland and flew back to Miami.<br />
Juddy Johnson has just taken over as manager<br />
of the new Embassy, a Claughton downtown<br />
theatre. He also will handle publicity<br />
for all local Claughton houses. Johnson, for<br />
a long time associated with the supper club<br />
business, was for eight years general manager<br />
of the Rainbow room at the Henry Grady<br />
in Atlanta Jack Mussom, former assistant<br />
at<br />
. . .<br />
Claughton's 'Variety on Miami Beach,<br />
has been promoted to manager. Cecil Tuggle,<br />
former manager there, has become assistant<br />
city manager for the circuit here, and<br />
will act as general trouble-shooter for any<br />
emergency.<br />
New confection sales girls at Wometco's<br />
Tower, Surf. Plaza, and Ritz are Mary<br />
Adams, Arlene Adams, Priscilla Wagner and<br />
Mattie Lee Williams.<br />
Dorothy Kaymer of the Daily News unearths<br />
the fact that Jack Monroe, head waiter<br />
at a local club, is a former dancer, and also<br />
taught dancing to Rudy Valentino and George<br />
Raft.<br />
bee -hive popcorn<br />
extra<br />
has so much<br />
volume<br />
you are urged to use<br />
V4 less<br />
corn per popping (with the same<br />
amount of seasoning)<br />
T<br />
southeastern industrial district<br />
650 murph'y ave., s.-w., bldg. e, unit 8<br />
atlanta, georgia • amherst 7141<br />
inai7i offices in popcorn village, nashville<br />
BOXOFFICE :: May 22, 1948 109
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