Boxoffice-September.23.1950

Independent Posler,
Cleveland, Sues NSS
CLEVELAND— Independent Poster Rental
Co. Thursday (14) filed suit in the United
States district court for $45,000 in triple
damages and for injunctive relief against National
Screen Service Corp.. its Cleveland
branch manager. Nat Barach. and 16 producer-distributor
corporations, alleging violations
of the federal antitrust laws.
Independent Poster claims that it was organized
in 1949 to supply exhibitors with advertising
materials, and charges that the
defendajits created and maintained a monopoly
in that field through the instrumentality
of National Screen Service: that, except as to
features pro.-luced by Loew's and Warners,
National Screen, by reason of sole and exclusive
contracts of manufacture and distribution
with the producer-distributor corporations,
"enjoys virtually an absolute monopoly
in the manufacture and distribution of trailers,
a virtually absolute monopoly in standards
and little competition with respect to
specialties."
The plaintiff asserts damages in the sum
of $15,000 for the period from January 1950
when it began business, which it asks be
trebled and it asks also for an injunction restraining
defendants from the alleged illegal
and unlawful practices.
Jack L. Gertz heads Independent Poster
Rental Co. Defendants named are, in addition
to NSS and its Cleveland manager: LoeWs,
Inc., 20th Century-Pox Film Corp., rko
Radio Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corp
United Artists Corp., Eagle Lion Films, Film
Classics, Warner Bros. Pictures. Warner Bros
Pictures Distributing Corp., Paramount Pictures,
Paramount Film Distributing Corp
Universal Film Exchanges, Monogram Pictures,
Monogram Distributors, Republic Pictures
Corp. and Republic Productions.
Jose Ferrer Discusses
'Cyrano' at Cleveland
CLEVELAND— Jose Ferrer, before a group
of .several hundred persons in the Halle Bros,
auditorium, discussed the well-known character
Cyrano de Bergerac, as portrayed on
the stage by Ferrer and his predecessors
Richard Mansfield. Walter Hampton and
Mons. Coquelin and as portrayed by Ferrer
on the .screen in the forthcoming Stanley
Kramer production released through United
Artists.
In an hour and one-half the actor-lecturer
set forth the tremendous labor entailed in
the presentation of Cyrano, including long
hours of study in libraries and art mu.seums.
as well as a strenuous athletic program.
Fellig Will Plug 'City'
NEW YORK-Arthur Fellig. news photographer
known as "Weegee." arrived from the
cast to help promote "The Sleeping City,"
which U-I will open September 20 at the
Paramount, Fellig will take a series of photographs
of the city for the Post-Home News.
He will go to Boston September 13 and to
Chicago September 18. where he will do a
imilar photo series for the Herald -American
Legitimate Shows Draw
Crowds at New Nixon
PITTSBURGH-The new Nixon, which
opened Labor day with "Oklahoma!" for
two weeks and which offered "Come Back,
Little Sheba" the week of September 18. has
seven unbooked weeks before the first of the
year, with seven legitimate offerings tentatively
booked for the remaining seven weeks.
Ralph T. Kettering, manager, reports that
the following shows are set for the Nixon
each for one week: October 9, pre-Broadway
offering of the Theatre Guild, "Curious
Savage" with Patricia Collinge: October 23.
William Eythe of Mars. Pa., in "Lend an
Ear." originally produced here a decade ago
at the Pittsburgh Playhouse: October 30.
pre-Broadway test engagement of the Theatre
Giuld's "Relapse": November 13. return
of "Death of a Salesman": November 20. Alfred
Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in "I Know
My Love": December 11, "Lost in the Stars"
with Todd Duncan: December 25. D'Oyly
Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan
repertory. In February, the Nixon expects
to present Jean Arthur in "Peter Pan"
and later "Ballet de Paris" is to be dated,
as is Maurice Evans in a revival of "Devil's
Di-sciple."
Gabe Rubin, general manager of the new
Nixon, has been very pleased with the reception
the public has given to the new
legitimate project. Over a quarter-of-amillion
dollars was expended in modernizing
the old Senator into the new Nixon.
Rubin is busy with Nixon duties and with
his interests in the Art Cinema on Liberty
avenue near the legitimate house, and the
Silver Lake Drive-In on Washington boulevard,
the only outdoor theatre within the
city limits. Ogle alley, which cuts into Liberty
avenue at the Nixon, now is referred to
as Rubin's alley.
From the BOXOFFICE Files
• • •
(Twenty Years Ago)
TSADORE WEBBER has leased the State
Theatre in Dover, Ohio, to Spidell &
Hubrich. The house, formerly operated by
. . .
. . . Edward
Marty Mantho, has been closed during the
summer Jack O'Connell of the Vita-
Temple and Ray Sherman have purchased
the Ohio Theatre in Toledo from Rosa
Bialorucki. O'Connell will continue to operate
Mrs. Leslie E. Kraft
the Vita-Temple . . . and W. McKinley have taken over the Ohio
Theatre In Findlay. formerly called the
Royal, from Frank Hellman
Keller is president and J. B. Keller secretary
of the Keystone Investment Co.. which
recently acquired the Keystone in Cleveland.
The same company also took over the Manhattan
but will not open this house till
some time in October.
* * •
M. Levin, at one time cashier at the RKO
exchange in Cleveland, recently took over the
People's Theatre in Akron from Max Federhar.
Federhar has reopened the Recent in
Akron.
• • •
Indications are that "All Quiet on the
Western Front" is to be the biggest moneymaker
of the year. It was roadshow only
after a run in the larger theatres.
Plaza Will Open Soon
In West Erie Center
ERIE. PA.—The new West Erie Plaza, the
city's largest shopping center with a bank and
15 large and beautiful stores, has opened, and
Dipson's Plaza Theatre, a part of the development,
will be opened at an early date, according
to Emil Muller and David W. Bermant.
builders and owners of the project.
The Plaza will feature air conditioning, tonal
sonic lighting, solar chrome glass doors, air
.seal luxury carpets, a television lounge, transline
marquee, Bodiform retractor seats and
modern equipments and fixtures.
Jerry Colonna .served as master of ceremonies
at dedication exercises for the new
shopping center. Bermant, manager of the development,
.said that there is parking space
for 1,200 automobiles and that further expansion
will double that number shortly.
Two New Theatres
Opened in Kentucky
LOUISVILLE—Charles Behlen's new Nicholas
Theatre in Nicholasville. originally
scheduled to open September 13, was opened
Monday (19) instead.
L. D. Bale and Phil Thompson opened
their Twin City Drive-In at Horse Cave last
Friday (15). The 500-car theatre under construction
the last six months, has a concrete
screen tow-er. Thompson recently acquired
full ownership of the Strand in Edmonton,
purchasing the half interest of M. H. Sparks.
New Attraction Display
Developed by Advanads
CLEVELAND—Advanads Co. of Cleveland
has developed an attraction display which
the firm reports has been used successfully
in leading theatres throughout the country
including the E. M. Loew circuit, Boston;
Griffith circuit. Oklahoma: Interstate circuit, .
Texas: Crescent circuit, Nashville, Tenn.;
Marc Wolf's circuit, Indianapolis: Alliance
Theatres Corp., Chicago: Fox West Coast
theatres, California: Kerasotas circuit, Illinois:
Smith & Beidler circuit, Toledo: Switow
Theatres, Louisville, and Associated
Theatres, Cleveland.
The Advanads display, owned and manufactured
by Alfred A. Sunshine, is custommade
and designed to reflect the type of each
picture included in the 40x60 standard easel
frame. This frame holds six strips. Top frame,
announcing coming attractions, is seven
inches by 28 inches in size. The five subsequent
strips announce title and stars and
contain photos or descriptive cuts. The display
frame comes only in one standard size
and contains five standard cards in addition
to the heading card.
Although all are of one size. Sunshine has
developed two types of frames, standard and
de luxe. The standard frame contains cards
using fluorescent paint for brilliance, but depending
upon lobby display lights for its
flash. The de luxe type u.ses a black light
shadow box which is highly effective in both
indoor lobbies and as an outdoor display.
De luxe frames can be custom-made to match
theatre decorations in both design and materials.
2!
BOXOFFICE September 23, 1950