Boxoffice-March.04.1950

Central Illinois Exhibitors Attend Allied Rally
—Photo by E. D. Lar
SPRINGFIELD—More than 50 exhibitors
attended a regional meeting of Midcentral
Allied at the Leland hotel here last week (21).
Trueman T. Rembusch. Indianapolis, president
of national Allied; William Carroll, Indianapolis,
president of Associated Theatre
Owners of Indiana; William H. Hoffman,
Arthur, 111., national Allied director; A. B.
Jefferis, Piedmont, Mo., president of Midcentral
Allied, and Elwin Wiecks, Staunton, 111..
vice-president, spoke.
RESOLUTION ON 'STROMBOLI'
Resolutions were adopted: ill Suggesting
that all theatre owners not play "Stromboli";
(2) Urging members to telegraph their Illinois
congressional representatives on the
ways and means committee relative to the
abolition of the 20 per cent tax: (3> Extending
a vote of commendation to all film producers
tor the advancement and progress being
made in the use of fireproof film, and
urging that the work continue until film shipments
are 100 per cent of the acetate type.
Rembusch described the operations of
Zenith phonevision as it will be tested in Chicago
next month. It was his belief that this
type of television will be a real threat to the
in the midwest prairie lands, that the television
applications are currently "frozen." The
stations now interfere with each other in
many areas and the coverage obviously will
have to be changed.
"When the bands are changed to avoid
this interference, the present long-range
bands of two through six should be reserved
for theatre use." he said. "If the use of
phonevision becomes widespread it may become
the means whereby the television industry
can finance its further progress at
the expense of the theatreowner."
Hoffman explained the uses of the Caravan
reporting system and urged all present to become
members of the organization for their
own protection against "exorbitant film
costs." Carroll explained how the information
contained in Caravan was compiled.
Jefferis conducted the meeting and in the
drawing of the attendance prize, he was the
winner of a luggage piece contributed by the
United Film Service.
LIST OF REGISTRANTS
The photo includes all except a few of
those registered at the Springfield Allied
motion picture theatre inasmuch as the "boxoffice"
has been transferred to the telephone
company, and all that a patron has to do in
order to view a motion picture is to call the
telephone operator and have the charge put
on his bill.
He advocated that Allied request the use
of channels two to six be reverted to commercial
theatre use, thereby reducing the
radius of the big city stations. It is because
of the long range of these stations, especially meeting as follows (all from Illinois unless
otherwise designated) : Earl Williams, Knoxville:
R. H. Welsh and wife, Newman: A. B.
Jefferis and wife, Piedmont. Mo.: Dave Jones,
Springfield; E. H. Wiecks. Staunton: Charles
Dyas and wife, Earlville; Tom Brewer, Farmington;
Tom Keelen, Sheffield; Paul E. Stehman,
Winchester; Frank Stewart and wife,
Danville: William Carroll and Trueman Rembusch,
Indianapolis; E. D. Larsen, Chenoa;
Alfred Carius and wife, Morton: R. H. Deuterman
and L. E. Deuterman, Atlanta;
Charles Beninanti and wife. Carlyle: William
Hoffman and wife, Arthur: Russell Hall,
Waverly: P. Bissell Shaver, Henry: Art Diller,
Lovington; M. F. Bodwell. Wyoming; F. E.
Haskins, Viola; Vernal M. Elliott, Clay City;
Abe Werbner, Lewistown.
Commissioner Refuses
To Enforce Curfew Law
From Midwest Edition
OMAHA—This city's 10 p. m. to 5 a. m.
curfew has resulted in a major rumpus.
Mayor Glenn Cunningham called for strict
enforcement of the 1943 ordinance. That
drew a promise from Police Chief Fred
Franks.
But now Police Commissioner W. W. Carmichael
has said that if the mayor wants the
curfew enforced he will have to take over
the police department. The commissioner
contends the ordinance is impossible to enforce.
Youngsters under 16 would be arrested if
out of their homes at a theatre, basketball
game, other amusement places, or in a car
unless accompanied by a parent or legal
guardian. In event of violation fines of $1
to $100 would be assessed against the youngster,
or the parent if the latter said he had
control of his child.
Carmichael says the department lacks
manpower to enforce such an ordinance, that
it virtually would force youngsters to carry
birth certificates and their parents some
means of identification.
Carmichael insists the present policy of
nabbing delinquents only will be continued
until after a meeting of juvenile experts is
held.
Louis Livingston Named
To Filmack's TV Section
CHICAGO—Irving Mack, president of
Filmack Trailer Corp. here, has appointed
Louis Livingston to head Filmack's television
department. Livingston was former promotion
manager for the Chicago Herald-American,
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and the New
York Journal-American. He was a major
during World War II assigned public relations
officer with the Sixth army in Japan.
At the outbreak of America's rearmament
program, he was a special consultant for
Henry Morgenthau, then secretary of the
treasury.
Standard Theatres Buys
Kenosha, Wis., Theatre
KENOSHA, WIS.—Standard Theatres, Inc.,
has bought the Kenosha Theatre here from
Warner Theatres. L. F. Gran, general manager
for Standard, said his firm had operated
the theatre for several years and bought the
property "so we wouldn't have to pay any
more rent."
Standard Theatres has an $800,000 mortgage
on the property, with the Marine National
Exchange bank of Milwaukee as trustee.
The firm was not considering buying
any other Warner property. Gran said.
Lanark Theatre Robbed
LANARK, ILL.—Burglars entered the La-
Nar Theatre here recently and escaped with
$70 in ca,sh. Manager Fred Good said the
burglars entered the rear door of the theatre,
then used a file to pry off locks on the money
drawers in the boxoffice.
BOXOFFICE March 4. 1950 61