Boxoffice-September.23.1950

. . "Rio
. . Jane
DALLAS
Oene C. Sniith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry
F. Smith of the Star, Graford, will be
married to Roberta Short of Norman, Okla.
. . . Patricia Dean Smith. MGM model and
. .
swimmer, visited here on behalf of "A Life
of Her Own." She appeared on radio and
television shows and made similar appearances
in Fort Worth . The Melba Theatre
sponsored a rocket-building contest in connection
with the forthcoming "Destination
Moon." Cash prizes of $25, $15 and $10 were
to be given.
Exhibitors visiting the Row were J. W.
McCullock, Tech, Lubbock: Mr. and Mrs.
C. W. Matson, Dixie. Rockdale; W. O. Bearden.
Ai-cadia. Lubbock; J. B. Beerson, Siesta
Drive-In, El Paso; T. J. "Stout" Jackson,
Tent, Robstown; E. B. Wharton, Rule, Rule;
Ed Newman, Central Texas Theatres, Waco;
Homer Walters, Falls, Marlin; P. V. Williams,
Roxy, Munday; Mrs. M. Schulman and son.
Palace, Bryan; W. E. Cox, Tower, Seminole;
Audrey Cox, Palace, Lamesa, and R. M. Shaw.
Star, Turnertown.
. . Virgil Miers, Times-Herald
Screen actor William Holden, vice-president
of the Screen Actors Guild, spent a
day here en route to the American Federation
of Labor convention in Houston. He was entertained
by Duke Clark, division manager
of Paramount .
columnist, returned from a visit to Holly-
wood, where he wrote a series of columns.
While away, his column was written by guest
columnists including actresses Gloria Swanson,
Dorothy Malone and Mary Martin, also
R. J. O'Donnell, Interstate Theatres executive
who was visiting Hollywood. O'Donnell
has returned to Dallas.
Eddie Cantor gave a two-hour program on
the stage of the Palace to a fair house. Before
arriving in Dallas, he had sent a telegram
to the Interstate circuit answering a
charge by a group of Dallas citizens that
he had Communist leanings, based on a telegram
reproduced in the Defender publication.
Cantor said, in part: "I would consider
too ridiculous for denial the absurd
charges by an evidently earnest but obviously
misinformed group in Dallas, were it not
for the high regard I have for the people of
Texas ... I categorically deny any such accusations
and I would welcome the opportunity
of meeting these accusers face to face
to match my Americanism with theirs, act
for act and deed for deed." Before leaving
Dallas, Cantor received a telegram from Texas
Governor Allan Shivers which said, "Texas
is deUghted to have you as a visitor and it
gives me great pleasure to name you an honorary
citizen of the Lone Star state."
Walter J. Titus jr., vice-president of Republic,
visited here several days. He was
given a citation naming him an honorary
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Bomb Probe Uncovers
New Clues at Houston
HOUSTON—County officials here this week
uncovered new clues in their probe of the
recent series of tear gas bombings which have
plagued theatres of the East Texas Theatres,
Inc., since labor troubles struck at the circuit's
houses on September 2.
Latest development in the search for men
who set off bombs in three circuit houses in
Baytown, and houses in Beaumont, Cloverleaf.
Channelview and Wooster also involved
a deputy in the sheriff's office, John L.
Fitch, former projectionist at a Beaumont
theatre and a member of the MPMO projectionists
union.
The sheriff's office said that Fitch had
admitted helping a man, involved in the tear
gas bombings, to get secret medical attention
after the man was burned seriously by one
of the bombs. Fitch said that when he helped
the man, identified by Sheriff Kern as
Charles Nelson, he did not know how the
man had been burned.
Both Nelson, also a union member, and Fitch
were questioned in an all-night session in the
sheriff's office Monday (19).
Sheriff Kern said Nelson was burned badly
on his hip when the bomb went off in his
pocket somewhere on the Market street road
the night of September 5, the same evening
as the Cloverleaf bombing.
"He says he was taking one of the bombs
to a man he refuses to name, and was being
driven by another man he refuses to name.
He won't say what theatre, if any, the bomb
was to be used in," Kern said.
"Nelson pulled off his blazing trousers and
was driven back to the union hall in Houston
by the other man.
"That same night Fitch and his partner
E. L. King had been in Baytown to confer
on a case with Justice Zierlein. Deputy Fitch
got in an argument with one of the guards at
a picketed Baytown theatre about the pickets
rights.
"Then he and Deputy King started back
to Houston. On the way they stopped in
sheriff of Dallas county and other honors by
John J. Houlihan, Dallas branch manager.
Titus addressed the personnel of Republic
in a special program . Grande Command"
will have its world premiere in San
Antonio in November, with other showings in
Dallas, Houston and Fort Worth. John Wayne
and other stars will attend.
The Palace Theatre, which has opened its
films on Thursday for several years, has
changed its opening days to Friday. James
O. Cherry, Interstate city manager, announced
the change . Black, wife of
Dallas oilman John R. Black jr., will leave
for Hollywood for a screen test at MGM.
When visiting in California recently, she met
Lana Turner, who was on "Mr. Imperium"
location. Miss Turner arranged for a silent
test. Director Don Hartman of Dallas made
the test and took the film to MGM. which
now is calling Mrs. Black.
Jack Lutey. manager of Houston Variety
Tent 34. was here to attend the Turtle derby
... P. A. "Bob" Warner of Manley was
Cloverleaf, where one of the bombs had just
gone off in a theatre. There was a crowd
outside and they learned of the incident.
"Another member of the operators union
and an attorney were riding with them, and
the deputies went to the union hall to let
them out.
"Nelson was lying on the couch in pain
and Fitch, taking his partner along, went to
Jefferson Davis hospital and, from an orderly
he knew, got dressings for the man's burns.
"About a week later Fitch took Nelson from
his home to the Veterans Administration hospital
at 2:30 a. m.
"The hospital was told Nelson was burned
when a lantern overturned on a fishing trip.
Fitch said he thought something was wrong,
but he didn't know the burns came from a
bomb. He said he hadn't seen Nelson since
he took him back home after treatment
Sunday.
"I don't think King had any part in the
affair. He was just along, a victim of circumstances."
Tlie gas used is a powerful form of tear
gas, which burns the eyes and causes nausea,
and at close range can cause body burns.
Meantime, the courts also were taking action
on the bombings. In Nacodoches. hearing
on a temporary restraining order issued
against pickets at theatres there w-as postponed
until Friday (22), because all parties
concerned were involved in a similar court
action at Lufkin.
The temporary restraining order had been
issued by District Judge H. T. Brown of
Rusk. The petition, filed by East Texas
Theatres. Inc.. against the lATSE and the
boothmen. asked that the temporary order be
made permanent and sought damages of
$75,000.
Signs carrying the words, "this theatre
does not use union movie operators," were
exhibited by pickets in front of the Texas and
Stone Fort theatres here until the restraining
order was issued.
back at his desk after a business trip through
the south and southwest territory . . . M.
Gluckman. who converted the Bagdad night
club into a studio for his American TV Productions,
has moved his home from Chicago
to Dallas.
Westerns-Features-Serials
Tower Pictures Co.
HAROLD SCHV.'ARZ
302 S. Harwood St. Dallas 1, Texas
Phones C-7357 and R-3998
DRIVE. IN THEATRE
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BOXOFFICE September 23. 1950 69
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