Boxoffice-July.01/1950

. . Gene
OKLAHOMA
The Warner here held the southwestern premiere
of "Return of the Frontiersman."
As an added attraction the Warner had the
Kiltie band and Boy Scouts Indian dancers
in front of the theatre for an evening appearance.
Cathy U'Doiinell played the lead in "Our
Town" at the Home June 28. 29. The Wayne
Campbell Players offered this production as
their .second stage venture. The film star is
a former local resident, and is a former student
of Campbell's. A popular price policy
prevails for the stage offerings.
.
. .
The Ritz Theatre had some after-hour visitors.
However, the overturned safe had not
been opened
. . State Tax commission reports
the April sales tax receipts topped the
same month in 1949 by 9.35 per cent . . .
There was an 18.71 per cent increase in sales
:ax for the same period for other amusements
and athletic events Theatres and
tent shows recorded a large
.
increase in use
taxes during last April in comparison to
Other amusements and athletic
April 1949 . . .
events show-ed a 51.95 per cent
decrease
in
April.
Dee Fuller takes over the management of
the Municipal auditorium on July 1. Meantime,
he is looking around under the supervision
of Jimmy Burge who has resigned to
become special events director for the Oklahoman
Publishing Co. Burge will vacation
from July 1 until August 1 when he will
report to his new job. Dee left the Criterion
for the auditorium on June 15.
Lucille Ryman, head of the MGM talent department,
interviewed girls in Oklahoma City,
Norman and Chickasha in search of an Indian
maiden to play opposite Clark Gable
in "Across the Wide Missouri." She went
from the city to Houston to continue her
search. She also was looking for a Negro
singer in the city to play in "Show Boat."
COMPLETE
DRIVE-IN
EQUIPMENT
Stormy Meadows
BLEVINS POPCORN CO.
302 V2 S. Harwood
DALLAS,
TEXAS
CITY
Bob Itrowney ol the Will KoRcrs Theatre,
operated by Video Independent Theatre circuit,
made the news when he found a billfold
in a downtown phone booth and gave it
to the Daily Oklahoman for return to the
owner, a nurse, who promi.sed she'd see that
he got some gentle care without charge, if
lie ever got sick.
The Home has been robbed again, this tin;e
for $400, and it .seems the robber pretty well
knew his way around. Charles Smith, manager,
reported the thief got through three
locks tlien relocked them to escape with
the funds. Smith and his assistant Vonely
Alden found Smith's door open Saturday
morning (24). He said he'd locked it upon
leaving the night before. He checked the
money box but found it locked so he didn't
check further then. However, later he went
to the cabinet for funds and found the
money mi.ssing in two cash drawers. Both
boxes had been relocked and nothing else
was disturbed.
BOXOFFICE correspondent Polly Trindle
is back at work after a holiday on the west
coast. While in the vicinity such films as
MGM's "Grounds for Marriage," Republic's
"Black Hills" and Warners' "The West Point
Story" were seen in the making. Kathryn
Grayson is starring in the MGM epic with
Van Johnson and Barry Sullivan. Final work
on the film was to be completed the week
of June 26, and the singing star planned to
take off on a European junket in mid-July
if her company consents. With her on the
journey will be her voice teacher, Mrs. Minnaletha
White, former Oklahoma City resident
and OU faculty staffer. Mr^ 'Vhite,
who discovered Kathryn manv
touring
v"'^'^
the city recently after abou"" ^^^^ . . .
W. D.
to return to Hollywood Stewart
tcf'^coac':.
T>a^->
and
'
others.
. . . Visited 20th-Pox
On the "Black Hills" set were Rod Cameron,
Adrian Booth, Chill Wills and Forrest
Tucker. Wills had just signed another contract
Out at Warner studio
with Republic . . . on "The West Point Story" set stars James
Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Gordon Mac-
Rae were in action
for lunch and a tour of the lot . . . At
luncheon in the MGM commissary, visited
with George Murphy who asked that his
best wishes be extended to friends in Oklahoma
. Autry has completed his
first TV picture and said the first release
would be in the east in July. His sponsor
has bought the eastern market only. The
westerns, he said, will run 27 '2 minutes and
each print will be a separate story. Tlie
sponsor of his CBS radio show also will
sponsor his video show.
Another Oklahoma boy making strides Is
Bruce Cowling, formerly of Eufaula, who is
signed with MGM. He took John Hodiak's
part in a Loretta Young starring vehicle.
The picture had just been finished and
should be ready for distribution soon.
. . The
The Morris Loewensteins of the Majestic
in Oklahoma City observed their wedding
anniversary in June . . . "Ma and Pa Kettle
Go to Town" is new with three Cooper
Foundation situations, the Criterion, Plaza
"Annie Get Your Gun" held
and Ritz . . .
at the Midwest for a second week .
Daily Oklahoman's Sunday tabloid section
has a new film reviewer, Jeannette Hopkins,
who also is a comparatively new editorial
reporter on the Oklahoma City Times. Jeannette
replaces Paul Hood as film columnist
for the Sunday feature section. Paul, assistant
city editor of the Times, has been
writing up local theatre bills since Ernestine
Brown Gorman left the paper many montlis
ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Townsend are vacationing.
They are touring the western section
of the nation by car. Paul is manager of
the WB-owned Midwest Theatre here . . .
The new Stovall, a conventional hou.se, was
opened Thursday i22) in Sayre, Okla. George
Stovall, partner with Video Independent Theatres
at Sayre, is manager. Th« new Video
situation's opening drew Henry S. Griffing,
Claude F. Motley, C. O. Fulgham, Roy Avey,
Cliff White, Roger Rice and Bob Clark, all
of Video's home office in the city.
Grover Livingston, manager of the Warner
Bi-os. exchange here for about the last two
years, has been transferred to Charlotte, N.
C. as head of that city's branch. Livingston
left by plane Monday (26) to assume his new
duties. Doak Roberts, Dallas, Warner district
manager, came to the city to direct the
office until Livingston's successor could be
named. Livingston, who started on the Row
with MGM many years ago. worked with the
company in many capacities, including shipper,
booker and salesman, until about four
years ago W'hen he switched to Warner Bros.
as salesman. During World War II, he served
in the army.
Seibert Worley of Shamrock, Tex., was
here Monday and Tuesday (26, 27) on film
business and said his new Pioneer Drive-In
opened recently and is doing a good business.
He was at the weekly bingo and party night
. . Johnny Jones
jhawnee and John Gray of Sand Springs
were visitors . . . C. H. "Buck" Weaver went
to the doctor Tuesday (27i and was pronounced
fit as a fiddle. Weaver w-as injured
in a car wreck in March.
thea(;re in^ xent 22 Monday .
A trade and press screening of Paramount's
"The Furies" Monday (26) was attended by
325 persons. The showing was at the Ritz and
was by invitation. The picture was well received.
Ed Thome to Manage
Oklahoma City House
OKLAHOMA CITY—Ed Thorne,
who has
been with the Cooper Foundation theatre
circuit for 16 years, has assumed the management
of the Criterion Theatre here.
Thorne has been manager of the Capitol
Theatre in the Capitol Hill business section
of Oklahoma City for the last four years.
He came to the city from Pueblo. Colo. He
started with the CF chain in Colorado
Springs
During his term as manager of the Capitol
the lobby was rearranged and redecorated,
new seats were installed as well as a new
refrigeration plant. The billings at the Capitol
have improved with the theatre becoming
a first run situation. Thorne is a member
of the chamber of commerce and Lions
club, both in Capitol Hill. He plans to retain
his Hill affiliations.
Replacing Thorne at the Capitol is Larry
Jensen of Lincoln, Neb. Jensen is married
and has one child. Thorne has two sons.
76
BOXOFFICE :: July 1, 1950