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Maurice Schweitzer
Into Drive-In Field
ST. LOUIS—Maurice Schweitzer lias resigned
as manager for Paramount here to
enter the drive-in theatre
field. He will be
an executive with a
recently formed corporation,
controlled
by St. Louis business
interests, that is building
800-car layouts in
Rockford, 111., and Lincoln,
Neb.
Schweitzer had been
with Paramount here
for some 20 years.
His resignation was
Maurice Schweitzer announced simultaneously
with announcement of the retirement
of Ralph C. LiBeau, Kansas City, as district
manager over Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha
and Des Moines. Under a new organizational
setup, LiBeau will not be replaced.
Schweitzer started his film career as a
salesman for Paramount in Minneapolis
shortly after his graduation from the University
of Minnesota in 1921. He was transferred
to Kansas City as a salesman in 1924
and remained there until 1926, when he came
to St. Louis as resident manager. He will
remain here until his successor is named.
Leo F. Abrams, St. Louis architect, designed
the new drive-in theatres in which
Schweitzer will be interested. Each will cost
about $150,000. Major interests in the enterprises
are held by Mannie Burdie and Sidney
Schermer, both of St. Louis.
Talent Shows Inaugurated
By Jefferson, Fort Wayne
FORT WAYNE—The Jefferson Theatre
inaugurated a Wednesday evening talent
show April 28 and will continue the series
for 13 weeks. The half-hour stage performance
is in addition to the regular screen program.
Paul Price, local radio announcer and
disk jockey, is master of ceremonies. Weekly
prizes for first, second and third place
amount to $25. A month's pass to the theatre
goes to all entrants. Final winner will receive
$100 cash or an aU-expense weekend trip to
Chicago.
Tax in Alton, 111., Is 4 Pet.
ALTON, ILL.—The new theatre admission
tax ordinance as passed by city council in its
final form carries a rate of 4 per cent instead
of the 2 per cent as previously announced
in these colunms. City officials promised
that if the total receipts from the new tax
are greater than the funds needed by the
municipality there may be dowiiward revision
in the tax rate at some future day.
New Theatres Are Planned
For Three Illinois Towns
NAMEOKI, ILL.—A 690-seat theatre is
being constructed here by Samuel Nieberg
and associates. It is scheduled for completion
early in September. The theatre is to
include a cry room on a balcony adjacent to
the booth. Seating will be all on one floor.
The building is to be 52x120 feet with adjoining
parking lots 120x100 and 120x160. The
house will have a full stage and dressing
rooms. It will operate on a seven-day
schedule.
BETHALTO. ILL.—Michael Horn of Gillespie
has been issued a permit for construction
of a 500-seat theatre. The permit
calls for a two-story structure that will include
apartments on the second floor. The
Horn family will operate the theatre and
reside on the second floor. Work on the
structure has started.
WENONA, ILL.—Arthur G. Struck and
George Thyge of Mason City have pm--
chased a vacant lot here as the site for a
modern theatre. Construction on the 450-
seater will be started within the next week
and it is scheduled for completion by the
middle of September. Tentative plans call
for a two-story building 40x120 feet, with an
apartment suite over the lobby for the convenience
of the theatre manager and his
family.
E. F. Gallagher Resigns
As Centralia Manager
CENTRALIA, ILL.—E. French Gallagher
resigned as manager for Fox Midwest Theatres
recently to go into business on his own
account soon in either Texas or Oklahoma.
He has been succeeded here by Glenn Boner,
who was manager of the Globe Theatre in
Christopher, 111. Boner has been replaced at
the Globe by Earl K. Mitchell, who was promoted
from the post of assistant manager of
the Plaza in Marion, 111. Gallagher had been
with Fox Midwest ever since it took over the
Reed, Yemm and Hayes houses in southern
Illinois in 1930. When that big deal was
closed he was a projectionist in Marion, 111.
He had been with the circuit ever since, except
for the period during World War II when
he served as a captain in the army. He was
transferred to Centralia in 1938.
D. B. Stout Takes Over Arly
ARLINGTON, KY.—D. B. Stout, owner
and operator of a number of theatres in western
Kentucky and southern Illinois, has resumed
operation of the 300-seat Arly here.
The lease of R. L. Harwood expired April
24, at which time Harwood terminated his
contract to go to Mississippi, where he purchased
a theatre recently. Jimmy Dunn,
who has been connected with the Arly for
several months, is local manager for Stout.
Three Antitrust Cases
Pending in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS—The final effect of the recent
.series of supreme court decisions on motion
picture cases in this area defies conservative
prediction.
There are three antitrust film suits pending
in federal court here. One has been
the
brought by Fanchon & Marco attacking
New York federal court decision and the
American Arbitration Ass'n. This action grew
out of a clearance dispute filed with the local
AAA tribunal by Adolph Rosecan and the
Princess Theatre.
SHUBERT LESSEES SUE
Plaintiffs in the other actions are former
lessees of the Shubert. Fanchon & Marco,
various film distributing companies and individuals
are defendants. The Fanchon &
Marco interests and their affiliated corporations
are seeking total damages of $285,000
under the antitrust laws. An interesting
twist of this case is that two of the defendants,
Rosecan and Joseph Litvag and
the Apollo Theatre Corp., operators of the
Apollo Theatre, in their answers to the petition
of the St. Louis Amusement Co., Fanchon
& Marco Service Coitj., et al., have filed
coimter antitrust damage claims against the
plaintiffs.
Martin W. D'Arcy, who operated the Shubert
for about three months in 1942, filed a
suit Dec. 18, 1946, seeking $600,000 damages
from Fanchon & Marco and various corporate
and individual defendants, and last November
1 Victor G. Mossotti filed a suit in
federal court for $300,000 damages from
Fanchon & Marco, St. Louis Amusement Co.
and various film distributing companies,
charging that he was forced to cancel a fiveyear
lease on the Shubert 30 days after signing
it Oct. 5, 1942, because of an alleged
combination to restrain him from obtaining
adequate pictures. He claims to have suffered
an actual loss of $100,000. which under
the trebled damages provisions of the antitrust
act. makes his over-all claim $300,000.
GIRARDEAU SUIT PENDING
Some of the original defendants, among the
minor film companies, by stipulation of
counsel, have been dropped in both these
actions.
The original petition of Adolph Rosecan
in the clearance case before the AAA tribunal
here is still pending. It was directed against
Paramoimt, RKO, Warner Bros.. 20th-Fox
and Loew's, Inc., owners and operators of
all first run houses in St. Louis, and of the
Melba, Cinderella, Gravois, Shenandoah, Granada.
Ritz and Avalon theatres, all of which
have runs prior to the Princess.
There also is pending in federal district
court at Cape Girardeau, Mo., the antitrust
suit brought by the owners of the 800-seat
Esquire Theatre against various film distributing
companies and the owTiers of the rival
Broadway and Orpheum theatres, units of
the Fox Midwest chain.
John Riggs Dies
WAYNESVILLE, MO. — John Riggs, a
brother-in-law of "Buck" Lewis, general manager
for the Carney Theatres of RoUa, Mo.,
died here May 3. Riggs had been associated
with Lewis in the operation of motion picture
houses in Lebanon, Mo., until some ten
years ago.
Building in Bloomington
BLOOMINGTON, IND.—Construction of
a
500-car drive-in theatre is well under way
here and Roy O'Keefe, city manager in
Vincennes for the Alliance circuit, said he
hopes to have it in operation by late this
month. O'Keefe supervised the opening of a
new drive-in in Vincennes in April.
Skyway Is Not for Sale
INDIANAPOLIS—Edward Campbell, head
of the Indiana Outdoor Theatre Corp., reports
his Skyway Theatre in Louisville is not
for sale. Campbell has been approached on
several occassions by prospective buyers who
have been erroneously informed the Skyway
w^as up for sale.
BOXOFFICE :: May 15, 1948 63