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. . . Mr.
. . . Henry
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Check Shows Sponsored Programs
Outdraw All Juvenile Competition
CLEVELAND—The better films committee
of the Lakewood PTA last week celebrated
the conclusion of its second successful year
of sponsoring Saturday children's matinees
at the Hilliard Square Theatre.
Members of the PTA members; Martin W.
Essex, superintendent of Lakewood schools;
principals of all of the Lakewood junior and
senior high schools; Fred Holzworth. manager
of the Hilliard Square Theatre, and
John J. Houlihan and Jules Livingston, Republic
branch manager and salesman, attended
a luncheon marking the end of the
second year of the shows. The success of
the project was evidenced by a report of a
sm-vey made by Manager Holzworth, covering
three successive Saturdays and three
successive Sundays. It showed that juvenile
attendance was bigger on all three Saturdays
at the Hilliard Square Theatre, where the
programs had the support of the PTA, than
the attendance at all six other Lakewood
theatres combined.
"This proves." Holzworth pointed out, "that
the Hilliard Square, with special children's
matinees, reached out into neighborhoods of
other theatres not showing children's specially
selected programs. It also shows the power
of the PTA and the schools.
Holzworth reported that on the three Saturdays
surveyed, February 7, 14 and 21, the
Hilliard Square played to 1,636 children while
1,554 children attended all of the other six
Lakewood theatres. The Sunday survey,
February 8, 15 and 22. tells a slightly different
story and indicates that when there
is no special program, childi-en remain in
their own domain. The Sunday figures of
the survey show attendance of 1,193 children
at the Hilliard Square, and a total of
2,136 at the other six theatres.
Continued cooperation was pledged by PTA
and school leaders. "We must not lose sight
of the fact that such a program must be
commercially sound in order to be continued,"
said Martin 'W. Essex, superintendent of
Lakewood schools.
Switches to Flesh Shows
DETROIT—The Broadway Capitol Theatre,
3,500 seat house operated by the United
Detroit Theatre circuit, switched over to a
stage policy featuring name bands Friday
(7 1, opening with Stan Kenton.
This is the first time that regular stage
shows have played the Broadway Capitol in
about ten years and the first time it has
been adopted by a downtown house in about
two years. 'With the definite switch over,
Horace Heidt has been booked in next with
the Harmonicats and Ella Fitzgerald to follow.
400-Seater Planned
HARRISVILLE, MICH.—A 400-seat theatre
is to be erected here by H. V. Rule of
Houghton Lake. The building will be of cement
blocks, 40 by 120 feet.
Build in Sanford, Mich.
SANFORD, MICH. — The Maticka Construction
Co. will build a $70,000 theatre here
for operation by J. H. Methner, operator of
the Gem in Beaverton.
From the BOXOFFICE Files
• • •
(T'wenty Years Ago)
pRANK LORENZEN, well-known to the
older men around the Paramount exchange
in Detroit, is now in the flower business,
owning the La Salle flower shop, catering
to film exchanges and the theatrical profession
Jake Schreiber of the Blackstone
. . . in Detroit has decided to keep his house at
116 Michigan Ave. open all night. The theatre
adjoins Detroit's leading drug store,
which also keeps open all night. The Comique
Theatre on Broadway, owned by Henry
S. Koppin. is also open all night.
* * *
Art Elliott of Detroit is looking forward
to May 14-21. the dates for the annual Film
Booking Offices convention, at which time
the company will announce 60 new features
and 72 short subjects for the season .
Frank Do-wTiey, MGM manager in Detroit, is
back from a sales conference at Pittsburgh
and Mrs. W. S. Butterfield of Favorite
Film Co. have retiu'ned from a motor
trip to New 'Vork.
* * *
Miss Katherine Jones and Thomas Jones
of Portsmouth. Ohio, are starting construction
of a $15,000 theatre in Waverly, Ohio
. . . Harold Wright has opened a picture
show in the building formerly occupied by
the T. H. Wright store in Georgetown, Ky.
Guenther and D. R. Davies will
construct a theatre in the rear of the present
building on Playhouse Square, Cleveland,
at a cost of about $125,000. Entrance will
be from Euclid avenue. It will be opened
about September 1 as the Cinema Theatre.
* • •
Al Ruttenberg, with Siegel & Feigenson,
proprietors of the Iris Theatre in Detroit,
have taken a lease on a new house under
construction at Mount Elliot and Oliver
streets, Detroit. It will seat 600 .. . Fred H.
Newman. 16, son of C. C. Newman, proprietor
of the New Strand in Sturgis, Mich., was
killed in a plane crash.
Altec Installations
CLEVELAND—Altec Lansing's Voice of the
Theatre horn systems have been purchased
by the following theatres: Maryland, Cleveland:
Rankin, Bridgeville, Pa.; Northside
and South Hills, Pittsburgh, Pa.; DuBois. Du-
Bois. Pa.; Ready and Riviera, Niles, Mich.;
Delia, Roxy and Gordon, Flint, Mich.; Capitol
and Center, Owasso, Mich.; Liberty and
Larce, Benton Harbor, Mich.; Caldwell. St.
Joseph, Mich.; New, Middlesboro, Ky.; Joy
Marion, Ohio; Rex screening room, Louisville,
Ky.; Family and Croswell, Adrian. Mich.;
Bay and Center, Bay City, Mich.; Mecca,
Saginaw, Mich.; Irving and Palmer Park.
Detroit, Mich., and Norwood. Norwood. Ohio.
Students See Spanish Film
STATE COLLEGE, PA. — "Numataras,"
Spanish language film, was exhibited at Warner's
State recently, the presentation being
in cooperation with the modern languages
department of Pennsylvania State college.
'Prefty' and Tarzan'
Pittsburgh Leaders
PITTSBURGH—"Sitting P»retty" and "Tarzan
and the Mermaids" were leaders at the
Harris and Warner, respectively. Otherwise,
business was slow.
(Average is 100)
Fulton Old Los Angeles (Rep); Bill cmd Coo
(Rep) 85
Harris—Silting Pretty ( 20th-Fox) 125
Penn—The 'Sainted' Sisters (Para) 85
Ritz—The Bride Goes Wild (MGM), 3rd d. t. wk... yO
Senator—Foreign Correspondent (Masterpieces):
Trade Winds (Masterpieces), reissues 90
Stanley—To the Victor (WB) 80
Warner—Tarzan and the Mermaids (RKO) 105
Detroit Experiences Dull Week;
'Electra' Out After Five Weeks
DETROIT—Business was slightly off last
week, but was somewhat balanced by a good
Sunday. Cloudy weather kept crowds off the
highways and directed them into the show
houses. The roadshow date of "Mourning
Becomes Electra" ended the Cinema after
five weeks. Detail for week ending May 6:
Adams—state of the Union (MGM) 100
Broadway Capitol Sahara (Col), Destroyer (Col),
reissues - 85
Cinema Mourning Becomes Electra (RKO), 5th
wk 100
Downtown—The Overlcnders (U-1); Cobra Strikes
(EL) 90
Fox—Gentleman's Agreement (20th-Fox), 2nd wk.-.lOC
Michigan The Lady From Shanghai (Col); Madonna
oi the Desert (Rep) 120
Palms-State Duel in the Sun (SRO); Campus
Sleuth (Mono) 95
Paradise The Woman From Tangier (Col), 2nd
run, plus stdge show 100
(Jnited Artists—I Hememher Mama (RKO) 110
Cleveland Grosses Lower
With Outdoors Competing
CLEVELAND—Good weather, outdoor interests,
baseball and politics proved heavy
theatre competition last week, with only one
of the four new pictures on parade making
a good showing, ".?tate of the Union" at the
State. Holdovers made a better showing.
Allen—The Miracle of the Bells (RKO), 2nd wk 80
Hippodrome Winter Meeting (WB) 85
Lake—Sitting Pretty (20th-Fox), 3rd d. t. wk 115
Ohio—Are You With It? (U-I) 105
Palace—Tarzan and the Mermaids (RKO) 100
State—State of the Union (MGM) 120
Stillman—The Big Clock (Para), 2Tid wk., moveover
125
"State of Union.' Mills Bros.
Best Lures in Cincinnati
CINCINNATI—The Mills Bros, on stage at
the Albee brought the patrons in in quantity,
and the week's showing was very good. On
the screen was "That's My Man." "State of
the Union" at the Capitol topped the straight
picture programs, with second honors going
to "Tarzan and the Mermaids" at the Grand.
Both remained for additional weeks.
Albee—That's My Man (Rep), plus stage show 220
Capitol—State of the Union (MGM) 150
Grand—Tarzan and the Mermaids (RKO) 130
Keith's—Song of My Heart (Mono) 70
Lyric Unconquered (Para), 2nd d. t. wk 90
Palace—Winter Meeting CWB) 80
S'hubert—Sitting Pretty (20th-Fox), 6th d. t. wk 90
Old Theatre Bows Out
PITTSBURGH—An East Liberty landmark,
the old Family Theatre, 6113 Penn Ave., is
being revamped into a modern dress shop.
Formerly known as the Alhambra. the theatre
was one of the original motion picture
houses in the east end district, according
to J. O. "Jack" Hooley. veteran theatre manager.
Prior to becoming a film house it was
operated as a vaudeville theatre around 45
years ago. Since 1929 the Family had been
operated by the Harris interests.
86 BOXOFFICE
:
: May
15, 1948