TOTAL

PHILADELPHIA
ping Crosby slipped into town on an unpublicized
visit last weekend, and the female
help at the staid Curtis Publishing Co.
is still trying to climb out of an ecstatic
tizzy. He came in to receive the award of a
17th Century grandfather's clock, after Country
Gentleman's rural motion picture poll
named him the best actor of 1947. Bing. who
won the award for the third year in a row,
looked inside the clock and quipped, "There
ought to be a plaque inside here to show
I've won three legs on this thing and now I
can keep it." Robert H. Reed, editor, made
the presentation.
To create authentic atmosphere at the
Capitol for the local premiere of "Gaslight
Follies," the management wanted a couple
of genuine, pre-1910 mutascope machines.
They're the old penny arcade gadgetsput
a penny in tlie slot, turn the crank and a
wheel of cards spins creating an illusion of
moving pictures. Tliey had to chase all the
way out to Cleveland to get a couple of the
contraptions. They are vintage 1907, with
"movies" starring Fatty Arbuckle and Larry
Semon on them. Going all out, the Capitol
came up with a free lunch counter (pretzels
and coke) as well as a singing waiter for the
premiere. Both the lobby and the outside of
the theatre were fixed up with oldtime displays
well worth the price of admission. Old
favorites in the film itself include Mary
Pickford, Wallace Reid, Clara Bow, Mabel
Normand and 'William S. Hart.
Attacks on 'Curtain Boomerang;
Philadelphia Leftists Lay Off
PHILADELPHIA—Contrary to the action
taken in a great many other cities in the
comitry, Philadelphia left wing groups have
adopted the policy of "ignoring" the local
showing of "The Iron Ciu-tain." which opened
extremely well this week at the Fox Theatre.
Perhaps taking their cue from unsuccessful
picketing of films they objected to by Catholic
groups, local left-wingers' spokesmen said
they feel the effect of picket lines, placards
and demonstrations is simply to arouse enough
ciu-iosity among theatregoers to greatly increase
the boxoffice returns.
Police details have been posted in front of
the Fox, and have been held in readiness at
nearby strategic locations, but nothing has
'Fanny' in 15 N.Y. Houses
occurred. The only indication of the film's
meeting with any sort of di.sfavor has been
a handful of letters sent to the Fox management
claiming that the showing of a film
such as "The Iron Curtain" is "warmongering."
NEW YORK—"Fanny," the Siritzky International
release, is the first foreign film to
get 15 simultaneous bookings in neighborhood
houses immediately following the first
run. The theatres include the Tivoli, 'Vogue,
Parkside, Hopkinson and Irving Place.
A couple of "new 'Vine Streeters" were reported
last week—a son for Jerry Levy of
the Columhia accounting department and a
daughter for Lou Fortunate, Paramount
booker. The latter lassie is a granddaughter
of Ferd Fortunate, U-I booker ... A $5,000,-
000 building project is scheduled to get under
way soon in Drexel Hill, with a theatre, 50
stores and a supermarket.
Sick last week: Lee Klein, manager of the
Orpheum: Jim Flynn. Republic booker; I.
Yaffe, Unique Theatre; 'Walt Donahue, Columbia
office manager; Ben Fletcher, Columbia
salesman: Mike Lessy, retired theatre
owner; Claire Happ, Stanley-'Warner telephone
operator, and Florence 'Weiner, Film
Classics office manager and booker.
There was quite a fracas at the Southern
Theatre 'Wednesday: the screen was suddenly
afflicted with a rash of spots. About 20
of the 200 patrons thought the spots were
flames, fled the theatre and called firemen.
Two fire companies came on the run, found
the show going on as usual, and no spots.
Manager Robert Shrapaty told firemen and
patrons the rash was caused by dust from
the air conditioning unit, which had been
turned on that evening for the first time this
year. Unusual reflection of light gave dust
particles an eerie
look.
Ilka Chase and Robert Alda, stars of a
stage show here, will be guests at the annual
show given by Lincoln Prep's dramatic group
Junior star Margaret O'Brien
May 27 . . .
will be in town over the weekend with her
mother to talk to Lippincott's about publishing
her diary.
Character Actress in 'My Dream'
Character actress Iris Adrain has been
ticketed for a role in 'Warners' "My Dream
Is Yours."
SIT IN ON SALES HUDDLES—Members of three of Paramount's eastern exchange
staffs are pictured here during the recent sales conferences in New York. Left
to right they are: Top, Phil Isaacs, Nat Stern, Henry Randel, Myron Sattler, Eddie
Bell, Gene Ne^vman and J. Perley, New York; center. Ed Wall. James Moore, Ed Ruff
and Peter Holman, Albany; bottom, M. Simon, John Good, Richard Carroll and
M. A. Brown, Buffalo.
BOXOFFICE ;
: May
22, 1948 51