Boxoffice-July.01/1950

—
U-I Crew Praises Florida
As Excellent Film Locale
fr-irn Sou";.' ..T;-~' ;, *;!::il
MIAMI — A complete "made-in-Miami
Beach" motion picture is a possibility if informal
talks between U-I technicians, here
for the final shooting of "Under the Gun."
and Beach hotel officials bear fruit.
According to a news story in tne Herald,
the filmmaker-, headed by Director Ted Tetzlaff.
production manager Lew Leary. and
stars Audrey Totter and Richard Conte,
checked out of their hotel here after almost
a month of filming in various sections of
Florida, and headed for Hollywood with loud
prai.'^es of the picture-making potentialities
of south Florida.
Leary. in talks with hotel manager Fred
Collier, expressed a hope that his company
could be persuaded to schedule a film story
designed to bring out the beauty of Miami
Beach.
In the meantime, however, it is expected
that the greater Miami area will see more of
Universal's filmmakers when a unit heads
this way to work on a story of submarine
warfare. Facilities of Key West submarine
base will be utilized in the picture, it is understood.
Florida filming is no novelty to Leary. He
was production manager on "Mr. Peabody
and the Mermaid," some of which was filmed
at Weekiwachie Springs.
Miamians will expect to see the Miami
-skyline in the forthcoming "Under the Gun,"
since hundreds of motorists crossing the
McArthur causeway were routed single-file
while the crew was shooting scenes. The
vicinity of Fort Lauderdale was another spot
where scenes were made.
Tetzlaff, who is directing the film, is a
former cameraman who graduated to the
director ranks a few years ago and has made
such films as "The White Tower" and "The
Window." Assisting him is John F. Sherwood,
who was associated with the production
of "Francis" and "Ride the Pink Horse."
Cameraman Henry Freulich. who photographed
12 feature films during the last 12
months, and Verne Parten. publicity aide, also
were in the troupe.
Ushers Purchase Jackets
To Aid 'Better' Drive
From Mideast Edition
MASSILON, OHIO—The assistant manager
and ushers at the Lincoln Theatre here are
so sold on the Movies Are Better Than Ever
campaign that they have purchased, at their
own expense, leather sports jackets on the
back of which they had printed Lincoln
Tlieatre, Mass., O. They paid ten dollars
apiece out of their own pay checks for the
jackets, which they proudly display in public
when off duty.
Manager Ben Schwartz is credited with
having spread the drive enthusiasm to all
members of his staff. Ushers who joined
Assistant Manager Frank Nemeti in purchasing
jackets were Richard lams. Robert Kuklo,
Otto Daniels and Robert Blocher.
Crystal Nearly Ready
LIGONIER, IND. — Remodeling of the
Crystal Theatre here Is nearing completion.
In addition to a new front, improvements
include a larger boxoffice, new doors leading
to the foyer, and new lounges for men
and women in the basement.
Arnold Brumm Tries Way
To Retrieve Lost Patrons
MILWAUKEE— Arnold Brumm. operator of
the Ritz near the- northwestern city limits
and secretary of the Allied ITO of Wisconsin,
has started measures to retrieve the
lost audience at his theatre. Brumm believed
his lost audience consisted of persons
who wanted to see a show without noise from
the popcorn eaters.
He developed a .set of regulations for
Monday nights only at
present.
Patrons who want to eat popcorn and
candy will be asked to sit in a special section
of the theatre. An usher on each side
will remind all patrons to talk in soft whispers
only. There will be no intermissions
and no old films. Programs will consist of
current Hollywood features.
For those who like single features, starting
times will be listed in the Milwaukee Journal
so patrons can see the feature of their choice,
then leave.
Brumm said he had heard many complaints
from patrons recently about noisy popcorn
eaters in the theatre. Some patrons said that
even the rattle of western six guns was
muffled by the sound of popcorn and candy
eating.
Stage Acts at Drive-In
TAMAROA, ILL.—The Melody Drive-In,
operated by Frank Glenn of Tamaroa. now is
using flesh-and-blood acts to supplement its
motion picture offerings. On June 17 and
again on June 22. Eddie Merrnett, nationally
known circus clown, appeared on the drivein
stage. The first of a series of amateur
nights was staged June 21 with local talent
from Du Quoin. Pickneyville and other southern
Illinois points. Acrobatic acts and others
will be shown at the Melody later in the
season.
Deer Enters Candy Shop
'
From Midwest Edition
SIOUX CITY. IOWA—An unexpected visitor
called at the Uptown here during a showing
of a western picture. A deer came dashing
into the candy shop adjoining the theatre
at 8 p. m.—just in time for the show.
The doe raced around inside the store trying
to get through the show windows. Finally
she went out the same way she came in
through the open front door. When last seen,
the deer was heading down Stone Park
boulevard.
^JQm Buying TV Sets
Weekly in Twin Cities
From Midwest Edition
Minneapolis—Television set owners in
the Twin city
area are increasing at the
rate of 6,000 to 7,000 a week and now total
approximately 95,700, according to estimates
of KSTP and WTCN, the two
Minneapolis- St. Paul television stations.
The stations have announced a boost in
their basic advertising from the present
figure, S325 an hour, to $500, effective
July 1.
Stanley Hubbard, KSTP head, says the
opening of the coaxial cable within the
next four months is expected to accelerate
set buying considerably. Both he and
F. Van Konynenburg, WTCN president,
say that television operations are now on
a profitable basis.
Omaha Exhibitor Asks
Cut in Racing Season
From Midwest Edition
OMAHA—R. D. Goldberg, owner of the
theatre circuit bearing his name, created
considerable excitement with an article to
the Public Pulse of the local press blasting
Ak-Sar-Ben horse racing.
"You recently had an editorial, "Can We
Afford Truman?' " he began. "An even more
important editorial ought to be run in your
paper, 'Can we Afford 33 Days of Racing In
Omaha?'
"I am not a bigoted prude with anything
against racing as such, nor am I against
gambling for those who can afford it. I go
to the races occasionally, but I have never
lost more in one day than 10 per cent of
what I have earned in that day. But I know
there are thou.sands of others in Omaha who
are feverishly losing money at the races that
is needed for groceries, rent and other household
necessities. There are many who do not
pay their doctor bill and are reduced to an
all-month indebtedness because of racing in
Omaha. It is only common observation that
it is bleeding the city white.
"Kansas City, which embraces a metropolitan
center three times as large as Omaha,
discovered more than 20 years ago that racing
was such a detriment economically to the
city that it should be abolished; and in spite
of all the stories about the corruption in
Kansas City still there has been no racing
there since, and the track has been abandoned.
By comparison of the population,
Omaha has more racing than Chicago or
New York."
Goldberg said he did not believe in bingo
games (which were shut down after theatres
complained), but "to abolish them and
leave the track running, seems to me like
stopping a creek and letting the ocean in."
He added. "It seems to me that if Omaha
must have racing the only wise and economical
thing to do would be to reduce it to not
more than ten days. In that period people
are less apt to bet over and over again iintil
their pocketbooks are depleted for the entire
year. However, in the best interests of the city
of Omaha, racing should be abolished forever."
J. J. Isaacson, Ak-Sar-Ben general manager,
rephed in the Pulse: "I can well understand
Mr. Goldberg wanting to eliminate racing
and everything else that attracts an audience
in the city, so people w-ill have nowhere
to go but to his theatres."
Isaacson contended that store sales actually
benefit during the period, that the average
person goes only once or twice, that all
net profits go for Ak-Sar-Ben enterprises of
civic, educational and agricultural activities.
Fathers Admitted Free
COBDEN, ILL.—Charles Veal, manager of
the Ritz. a 300-seater owned by W. E. Waring
jr.. in keeping with the spirit of Father's
day admitted all fathers to the theatre without
charge provided that they came to the
house between 2 and 3 p. m.
Rialto Theatre Closed
WAUKEGAN, ILL.—The Rialto Theatre
here has been closed for the summer. It
will be reopened about September 1. according
to John Mitchell, manager.
90 BOXOFFICE :: July 1, 1950