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WB Zone Managers at Home Office
ADDRESSES WARNER MEETING—Jack L. Warner, executive producer, addresses
a group of Warner Bros, home office executives and district sales managers
at a two-day meeting called by Ben Kalmenson at the company's home office. Left
to right: Robert Smeltzer, Roy Haines, Harry Seed, Norman H. Moray, Harry M.
Kalmine, Samuel Schneider, Warner, Ben Kalmenson, Mort Blumenstock, Ed Hinchy,
Jules Lapidus, Jack Warner jr., F. D. Moore, Charles Baily, R. A. McGuire and Sam
Lefkowitz.
NEW YORK — Han-y Kalmine, president
and general manager of Warner Bros. Theatres,
presided at a zone managers' meeting
Lust Starts Construction
Of Virginia Drive-In
WASHINGTON—Sidney B. Lust, veteran
Washington and Mai-yland exhibitor, has begun
construction of a 750-car drive-in theatre
between Hampton and Newport News, Va.
in conjunction with the Tidewater Theatres,
Inc. Opening date is set for early July.
Located on the southside of 39th street, extended,
the new drive-in will cost approximately
$150,000 and wUl be equipped with
RCA individual in-car speakers, moonlight
lighting, high-power projection, hard-surfaced
ramps and other late developments in
drive-in design.
Associated with Lust in the project are
James M. Barnes and Thurman Hill of Washington,
and Harry H. Holt jr. of Hampton,
Architectural design is by George M. Petersen,
who has more than 150 drive-ins to his
credit. Lust also operates the Drive-In Theatre
at Beltsville, Md., rated as one of
America's finest. In addition, he directs a
circuit of nine conventional theatres in Washington
and subm-ban Maryland, and also has
theatrical interests in Alexandria, Va.
at the home office May 12.
Zone managers attending were: James Coston,
Chicago: Nat Wolf, Cleveland; I. J.
Hoffman, New Haven: Frank Damis, Newark;
C. J. Latta, Albany; Ted Schlanger, Philadelphia;
M. A. Silver, Pittsburgh: John J.
Payette, Washington, and Ben Wallerstein,
Hollywood.
The film buyers present were: Alex Halperin,
Chicago: Ted Minsky, Cleveland; Bert
Jacocks and Max Hoffman, New Haven; Sam
Blaskey, Newark: Max Friedman, Albany;
John Turner, Philadelphia; Harry Feinstein.
Pittsburgh; George Crouch, Washington, and
Leo MiUer, Hollywood.
Home office executives present were; M.
Alben. C. E. Bond, F. Cahill. H. Copelan, Zeb
Epstein, Nat Fellman, H. Goldberg, L. J.
Kaufman. H. Maier, F. Marshall, W. S. Mc-
Donald, F, Phelps, H. Rodner, H, Rosenquest,
D. Triester and B. Wirth.
In Television Division
NEW YORK—Paramount has made four
additional promotions in its television division.
Richard Hodgson, technical assistant
to Paul Raibourn, vice-president, has been
named director of technical operations. Carl
Maurer who has been with the television
for the last four years has been named supervisor
of development engineering. Maurer
has been working on Paramount's theatre
television system.
Walter Swenson has been promoted to
supervisor of studio operations, and Theodore
Grenier has been appointed supervisor of remote
operations for theatre television pickups.
These promotions make a total of seven
in recent weeks in the television division.
Film Vets to Give Blood
NEW YORK—The motion picture
chapter
of the American Veterans committee has
voted to contribute blood to the Red Star of
David of Palestine and service uniforms of
its individual members to the Hebrew fighting
forces there. Sam Geison is chairman of
the AVC chapter.
Park Ave. Sublease
Deal Is Under Way
NEW YORK—Universal-International is
negotiating a deal to .sublease the Park Avenue
Theatre to Nat Sanders, president of
English Films. U-I has about eight and a half
years to run on its original ten-year lease
with Walter Reade.
Both Reade and U-I have found it difficult
to get product for the Park Avenue. Reade
opened the house in the fall of 1946 on a subscription
seat basis for the de luxe trade. Advanced
admissions were charged. Reade's inability
to get product prompted him to lease
the house to U-I in December of that year.
Since that time U-I has had not set policy
on product. It has played its own J. Arthur
Rank releases, "Henry V" (UA), some Allied
Artists films, reissues and several English
Films releases.
First Quarterly Earnings
For Paramount Reported
NEW YORK—Paramount Pictures, Inc.,
estimates its earnings for the first quarter
ended April 3, 1948, at $7,760,000, after all
charges including estimated provision for
taxes on income. This amount includes
$1,846,000, representing Paramount's direct
and indirect net interest as stockholder in
the comlbined undistributed earnings for the
quarter of partially-owned non-consolidated
subsidiaries and approximately $650,000 of
non-recurring income.
Earnings for the quarter ended April 5,
1947, were estimated at $9,522,000, including
$1,700,000 share of imdistributed earnings of
partially-owned non-consolidated subsidiaries.
The $7,760,000 of estimated combined consolidated
and share of undistributed earnings
for the quarter represent $1.11 per share
on the 6,987,039 shares outstanding and in
the hands of the public April 3, which compares
with $1.30 per share for the quarter
ended April 5, 1947, on 7.303,972 shares then
outstanding.
The Paramount board of du-ectors also declared
the regular quarterly dividend of 50
cents per share on the common stock, payable
June 25, 1948, to stockholders of record
June 4.
Four Managers Roused
To Find Sleeping Child
PHILADELPHIA—A 7-year-old-boy had a
good nap at the Jen-y Theatre, but four theatre
managers lost a lot of sleep looking for
him. Robert Green left home in time to make
the 2 p. m. show at the Jerry. By closing
time at 11 p. m.. the boy was fast asleep in
his seat, and was locked in the theatre.
Frantic parents scoured the neighborhood,
then called police. They knew the lad had
gone to a show, but did not know to which
one in the immediate neighborhood. So managers
of the Stafford, the Peim and the Lyric
were routed from their beds and their theatres
searched. Of course, the lad was found
at the last theatre on the list, the Jerry.
54B
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'Furia' Is Reclassified
NEW YORK—The National Legion of
Decency has changed the classification of
"Furia" (PC I, Italian release, from C-condemned,
to B-morally objectionable in part
for all. The film was reclassified after revisions
were made.
BOXOFTICE : : May 15, 1948
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