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Robinson<br />
Building Is Started<br />
On Litchfield Airer<br />
(<br />
LITCHFIELD, ILL.—The Harry Jones Construction<br />
Co. of Law:-enceville, has started<br />
construction on the $100,000 drive-in on the<br />
outskirts of this city for the Pi-isina Amusement<br />
Co. of Springfield.<br />
The contractor hopes to complete the<br />
rough work on the drive-in by the middle of<br />
January. Plans call for opening of the theatre<br />
early in the spring of 1950. The 50-foot<br />
towers supporting the screen will be put up<br />
on the west side of the ground. Then construction<br />
of the ramps will be started. Plans<br />
call for a large projection building on the<br />
east side of the field. A concession section<br />
and offices will be included in the projection<br />
building.<br />
The drive-in will accommodate 750 automobiles.<br />
Frisina will continue to operate the Capitol<br />
and Ritz theatres here. Russell Hogue<br />
resident manager.<br />
is<br />
Expansion of its drive-in program by Frisina<br />
calls for the building here of the first<br />
such amusement place in Macoupin county.<br />
The company's local associates Mrs. Frieda<br />
Paul and her son Norman will manage the<br />
new drive-in as well as the 750-seat Marvel<br />
Theatre, which they have managed for the<br />
last 30 years.<br />
The proposed drive-in will accommodate<br />
750 cars and cost about $100,000. Frisina also<br />
plans drive-ins in Springfield, Lawrenceville,<br />
Gordon Junction i, Effingham.<br />
Taylorville and Olney, 111.: Hannibal and<br />
Mexico, Mo., and Keokuk, Iowa.<br />
Butler Brothers Lease<br />
Hillsboro Ozoner Site<br />
HILLSBORO, ILL.—Elbert W. Butler, local<br />
lawyer, and his brother Homer S. of Centralia,<br />
have leased a 14-acre tract northwest of<br />
the Butler Y Junction as a .site for a 480-car<br />
drive-in.<br />
The land is sufficient to provide space for<br />
additional cars if and when business warrants.<br />
The theatre may open in the early<br />
summer.<br />
Entrance to the drive-in will be from Route<br />
16 and the exit on Route 127. The Butlers<br />
have a similar project at the western edge of<br />
Centralia, which is due to open early in 1950.<br />
They also are interested in theatres in Louisville<br />
and Toledo, 111.<br />
Bamett Brothers Start<br />
Mount Vernon Drive-In<br />
MOUNT VE:RN0N, IND.—Construction<br />
ramps for the 300-car drive-in east of the city<br />
limits on the old state road has been started<br />
by Harnett Bros., Henderson, Ky.. contractors,<br />
for Mount Vernon Drive-In Theatre, Inc.<br />
The drive-in company is controlled by Thomas<br />
Baldwin and his wife and Mr. and Mj-s. John<br />
Herbert Leffel, all of Mount Vernon.<br />
Louis Davis soon will terminate his 17 years<br />
of management of the New Vernon Theatre<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE<br />
PORT HOLE BLOWER<br />
Eliminates Dust, Bugs and Rain From Coming in Port<br />
Hole — Also eliminates use of Optical Glass, Therefori<br />
giving clearer and cleaner projection.<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE MFG. CO. JZ^^^^yTo.<br />
of<br />
liere for the Southern Enterprises of St. Louis,<br />
and return to St. Louis to take a position in<br />
the home office of the company, which also<br />
owns the Will Rogers Theatre there as well<br />
as the New Vernon and Empress theatres<br />
here. Cos Ofer has been named resident<br />
manager of the New Vernon Theatre and Gilbert<br />
Skelton, house manager.<br />
For six of the 17 years he has been manager<br />
in Mount Vernon, Davis was associated<br />
with his father, the late Samuel Davis. Mrs.<br />
Bettie Davis will accompany her son to St.<br />
Louis. Another son Maurice has been managing<br />
the Will Rogers in St. Louis for some<br />
years.<br />
Facelifting Job Planned<br />
At Olney, 111., Drive-In<br />
OLNEY, ILL.—The Olney Drive-In, owned<br />
by H. E. "Barney" Coen, Robert Hill and<br />
associates, will undergo an extensive facelifting<br />
job this winter in which the capacity<br />
will be increased.<br />
The drive-in is closed for the season. The<br />
improvement program calls for reworking the<br />
entire surface, installation of additional lighting<br />
to insure safe traffic and a complete playground<br />
for children in front of the screen<br />
tower. The concession stand vrill be remodeled<br />
and tables will be furnished.<br />
Slate 700-Car Drive-In<br />
Near New Haven, Ind.<br />
NEW HAVEN, IND.~A 700-car drive-in is<br />
to be built at a site on Route 30 west of here<br />
by Horace E. Shock, who operates two theatrs<br />
In Lima, Ohio, and a drive-in near<br />
there. The new drive-in will be erected on a<br />
ten-acre tract bought recently by Shock from<br />
Paul Werling. The project is expected to be<br />
completed and ready for opening next May 1.<br />
Highland Theatre Opens<br />
HIGHLAND, WIS.—The new Highland has<br />
been opened here. The hou.se measures 40x86<br />
feet, with 350 seats. Tlie building is insulated<br />
with rockwool and air conditioned. A cry<br />
room has been placed on the second floor<br />
next to the projection room. Charles Imhoff<br />
is president of the theatre company and the<br />
theatre has been leased by Carl Lunenschloss,<br />
who owns other theatres in Wisconsin.<br />
Renovate Tuscola, 111., House<br />
TUSCOLA, ILL.—An extensive improvement<br />
program is in progress at the Strand<br />
Theatre, owned and operated by George B.<br />
Barber of Villa Grove, 111. A new carpet has<br />
been laid in the foyer and a 7x9-foot plate<br />
glass mirror has been hung facing the entrance.<br />
Another improvement has been the<br />
enlargement of the cry room. The theatre<br />
al.so will be redecorated soon.<br />
Build Benton, 111., Airer<br />
BENTON. ILL.—Robert Strauss and Joe<br />
Sullivan, both of Benton, are constructing the<br />
Midway Drive-In pn the Benton-West Frankfort<br />
road. They hope to have it ready for<br />
operation early in the spring of 1950 It will<br />
have accommodations for about 400 cars.<br />
Plan Elletsville Drive-In<br />
ELLETSVILLE, IND.—Plans for construction<br />
of a drive-in on Route 46 about one mile<br />
west of here have been disclosed by officials<br />
of the Cascade Amusement Co.<br />
Two New Theatres<br />
To Open in Chicago<br />
CHICAGO—The Engelwood Theatre, a<br />
landmark at 63rd and Halsted, owned and operated<br />
by Basil Cliaruhas and associates, has<br />
completed a modernization program costing<br />
$75,000. The main floor and balcony were recarpeted<br />
and pushback seats installed. New<br />
interior decorations were placed in the lobby<br />
and auditorium and a new entrance was built<br />
with glass doors. New stage settings were installed<br />
for vaudeville and additional sound<br />
improvements added.<br />
Southsiders will welcome on December 29<br />
the newest theatre in their part of town, the<br />
Stony at 6855 Stony Island Ave. This new<br />
house, erected and operated by George GoUos,<br />
Bernard Moore and Morris and Dave Solovy,<br />
proprietors of a string of south side theatres<br />
and dance halls, was built at a cost of $250,000.<br />
The policy will be double features plus newsreels<br />
and shorts, with doors opening at 1:30.<br />
Another new community theatre, the Mercury,<br />
located at North and Harlem avenues,<br />
opens December 30. The theatre is owned<br />
by Howard J. Beck, who also operates the<br />
Tiffin. Designed by architect Edward J.<br />
Nitsche, the theatre embodies all advance<br />
ideas in construction. It will seat 1,500 persons.<br />
Burglars Wreck Offices<br />
In Franklin, Ind., Robbery<br />
FRANKLIN, IND.— At least $1,000 damage<br />
was counted in the wake of a burglary attempt<br />
at the Artcraft Theatre here, where<br />
three offices virtually were wrecked before<br />
a hurry-up getaway was .staged by thugs who<br />
left several hundred dollars behind in their<br />
haste.<br />
A 400-pound safe containing boxoffice receipts<br />
and change wavS found on a two-wheel<br />
cart in a rear alley by city police who happened<br />
on the scene at 5:30 a. m., while the<br />
robbers apparently had gone after their car<br />
or truck to haul the safe away.<br />
Offices riddled were those of Syndicate<br />
Theatres, Inc.: its president Trueman T. Rembusch,<br />
and Theatre Manager William A.<br />
Handley. The safe in the office of the theatre<br />
chain was ripped .so badly that police<br />
for a while believed it had been blasted<br />
with nitroglycerine. It contained mostly theatre<br />
records. Entrance to the theatre was<br />
gained through a coal chute.<br />
Two Chicago Theatres<br />
Lose $7,900 to Bandits<br />
CHICAGO—Three well-dressed bandits fled<br />
with $5,000 from the RKO Palace Theatre, in<br />
Chicago's Loop, unknown to 1,000 patrons<br />
watching the late Sunday show. Two other<br />
bandits escaped with $2,900 early Monday<br />
from the Irving Theatre, a suburban house,<br />
after knocking unconscious the assistant<br />
manager, Roy Allred.<br />
The Palace bandits apparently followed the<br />
assistant manager, Jerry Cohen, as he left<br />
the boxoffice for the basement office with<br />
Josephine Paul, cashier, and Henry Glick,<br />
an usher. The bandits forced Cohen to open<br />
the safe. They then took both Saturday and<br />
Sunday receipts and fled.<br />
At the Irving Theatre, Allred said he was<br />
walking upstairs to his office next to the<br />
projection room, when two gunmen came up<br />
from behind and f.orced him into the office.<br />
62 BOXOFFICE December 24, 1949
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