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. . Also
CINCINNATI More Communiiies LOUISVILLE
gen Cohen, manager of the Telenews Strand
here, has been transferred to his home
town, Cleveland, where he will manage the
dowiitown Telenews. He has been with Telenews
Theatres five years and was assistant
chief barker for the Cincimrati Variety Club
in 1947. He is a board member at present
and intends to continue his activities with
Variety Club in Cleveland. His successor is
Jack Silverthorn. who was formerly with
Telenews in Detroit.
Jim Ambrose, manager of Warners, was
called to Pittsburgh to attend a meeting of
managers and district managers . . . Bob
Laws, Cincinnati and Dayton salesman for
20th-Fox, had a sick spell last week. He is
back at his duties but will imdergo a thorough
physical checkup to determine the
Milton Yassenoff,
source of his trouble . . .
Columbus, will attend an Allied convention in
Denver.
Arthur Greenblatt, sales manager of Screen
Guild Productions, spent several days in the
city with Manager Ed Salzberg . . . J. G.
Teeter, Cincinnati sei-vice engineer for Altec,
attended a television school in New York
. . . F. H. Riffle, Altec field supervisor in
Louisville, who has been away from his territoi-y,
has returned to Louisville.
Arnold Berger of the drive-in at Montgomery.
Ohio, stopped in on his trip through
the territory for Phil Smith EnteiTJrises . . .
Ralph Morley has been promoted from booker
to salesman at Eagle Lions a,nd will work
in the Columbus territory. Dick Breslin
will take over the booking duties . . . The
new drive-in at Bowling Green, Ohio, was
opened May 11. Messrs. Flowers and Palmer
are operating this theatre. Equipment was
furnished by Mid-West Theatre Supply Co.
. . . H. B. Enook of Midwest attended a
meeting in Chicago with executives of RCA
Victor. Ray Stimipert, sales representative,
accompanied him.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wyrick, Carlisle, Ky.,
will return from their vacation in Florida
May 28.
A new theatre is under construction in
Prestonburg, Ky. A three-man corporation is
backing this project . . . Midwest Theatre
Supply will open its Indianapolis branch
some time this month. J. Charles Clickner,
formerly with Gerbar Theatre Supply, will
be Indianapolis representative for Midwest.
Charles Humston of Lawrenceburg, Ky.,
enjoyed a little respite from work at Churchill
Downs, Louisville, and Paul Russell, Somerset,
Ohio, took time off for some fishing at
Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Harry and Pied Wheeler,
Gallipolis, Ohio, closed their Gallipolis
Theatre for considerable remodeling. The
house will not be reopened until late in August.
Crescent Refrigerates
BOWLING GREEN, KY.—Refrigeration air
conditioning equipment is being installed by
the Crescent Amusement Co. in the Capitol
Theatre here, J. P. Masters, manager, reported.
He said similar equipment has been
received for the Diamond Theatre, but that
it will not be installed until Crescent remodels
the house. The circuit is planning to make
over the Diamond for first run use.
Levy Ticke! Taxes
PITTSBURGH—First wage tax in Allegheny
county has been levied by McKees
Rocks school district, the rate being onehalf
cent on each dollar earned.
Conemaugh township school district will
be the first political subdivision in Somerset
county to levy a special 1 per cent income
tax, the levy to become effective July 5.
Erie school board has passed a one-half
of 1 per cent tax on all earned income, effective
July 1.
North Union township school district
(near Uniontown\ on July 5 will impose a
10 per cent tax on admissions, one mill
mercantile tax, $50 on each jukebox-pinball
machine, manufacturer's tax of two mills
and one-half mill on gross sales, five cents
per ton on all deep mine coal now unassessed,
ten cents per ton tax on all strip
mine coal, and five cents per ton on all coke
production. The new levies are exclusive of
the 35-mill property tax and the $5 per
capita tax.
PITTSBURGH—Additional work burden
imposed on the city treasurer's office as a
result of the new 10 per cent admission tax
calls for adding two more persons to the
present staff of six auditor-investigators. The
positions pay $3,000 a .vear and the new jobs
will add $4,000 to the pay roll for the balance
of the year.
UNIONTOWN, PA.—Local school district
has imposed two new levies—a two-cent
amusement tax on each 25 cents of admission
and an increase from $5 to $10 on the
per capita tax—for meeting its 1948-49 proposed
budget set at $1,490,213.14.
MOUNT PLEASANT, PA.—The borough
school board will impose the following taxes:
two mills on each dollar of volume of gross
receipts of business transacted by retail
vendors or dealers, including places of amusement.
Effective date is July 1.
MOUNT UNION—The borough and school
district each have approved a 1 per cent
wage and profits tax, effective July 1.
DORMONT, PA.—A 10
per cent admission
tax is being prepared for enactment.
Outgrows lOOF Building,
Plans to Build Theatre
WHITE CLOUD, MICH.—Construction of
a 350-seat theatre here is being undertaken
by Glenn W. Beach, who has been showing
pictures in the Odd Fellows hall for the last
five years. The new building is to be ready
by September 1.
Benefit Show Staged
BEAVERTON, MICH.—Mr. and Mrs. James
Methner, owners, turned over the Gem Theatre
to the Beaverton Alumni Ass'n for a
benefit show April 8. The program consisted
of "Wyoming" and 20 minutes of highlights
from the .school's basketball games.
Proceeds will be used by the Alumni Ass'n
to light its athletic field.
Jn keeping with a recent trend new product
was brought in to the majority of local
first runs. "Sitting Pretty" opened at the
Rialto and "Winter Meeting" was brought
in to the Mary Anderson. Back to foreign
films was the Scoop with "Shoe-Shine" and
the Strand had "The Smugglers" and "The
Blonde Savage." Holdovers were "The Big
Clock" and "Caged Fury" at the Brown and
"State of the Union" at Loew's. The National
returned to a stage show and film
policy bringing in Spade Cooley and his band
plus a personal appearance of Smiley Burnett,
and "Bush Pilot" on the screen.
F. X. Merkley of the Rialto, Columbia, was
on the Row for the first time in many months
. . . Other visitors: Lyell Webb, Ritz, Burkesville;
Clark Bennett, Valley, TaylorviUe; E. L.
Ornstein, Ornstein Theatres, Marengo, Ind.;
A. N. Miles, Eminence: Louis Pumphery,
Sanders Theatres, Campbellsville; Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Brauer, Strand, Paoli, Ind.; Bob
Enoch, Elizabethtown Amusement Co.; Walter
L. Campbell, Bell, Ravenna; Oscar Hopper,
Arista, Lebanon; J. V. Snook, LaGrange;
J. T. Kennedy, Stanton.
W. E. Carrell, president of the Falls City
Theatre Equipment Co., returned from an extensive
sales trip through the state . . . Lew
Grofsik, sales manager of the General Register
Co.'s Chicago office, spent several days
here demonstrating new theatre boxoffice
control equipment . in town checking
recent Motiograph projection and sound installations
was J. E. Huckleberry, Motiograph
engineer.
Reports received from exhibitors throughout
various sections of the city and the state,
indicate a slump in boxoffice receipts. In
some instances the decrease was quite noticeable
. . . Delays have been encountered
in the completion of Foster Lane's new Lane
Theatre, Williamsburg, Ky.: and Walter L.
Campbell's Bell Theatre, Ravenna, Ky. Opening
dates on both houses will probably be
pushed back another 30 days.
Word comes from Pineville, Ky., that a
new theatre will be built there to replace the
Gaines which was destroyed by fire several
years ago.
Takes to Phone to Check
On Effectiveness of Ads
WILMINGTON—Joe R.
Murphy, manager
of the Murphy Theatre here, got some page
one publicity with a promotional stimt. He
took to the telephone to see how many persons
knew what picture was playing in his
theatre. He called five Wilmington residents,
offering each two passes if he could
name the picture and star. Only one out of
the five could do it. On the second day Murphy
tried the stunt, four out of five persons
called won passes.
New Marquee in Oxford
"oxford. MICH.—Ray Forman has installed
a new sign and marquee on the Oxford
Theatre. He said other improvements
are being planned.
Armada Theatre Rising
ARMADA, MICH.—Work has started on a
new theatre here. The building is expected
to be ready in September.
86-B
BOXOFFICE :
: May 15, 1948