Boxoffice-11.11.1950

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ALBANY—The federal ban on theatre con-
struction seems to be generally welcomed by
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. . Hellman's
. . Filmrow
. . Dave
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Building Curb Liked
In Albany Area
in this area. Three reasons were
advanced: The ban will eliminate for the
duration threats of new competition; current
poor grosses make unpalatable the idea
of spending large amounts on construction
or rehabilitation, and high costs of materials
and labor have deflated in many spots the
urge to build or modernize on a large scale.
Drive-in owners openly expressed pleasure
over the ban because they face a stronger
threat of new competition than regular theatres
since the cost of constructing a drive-in
is considerably less than that for a conventional
theatre, and land being plentiful and
comparatively cheap in suburban areas.
The W. W. Farley-Klein brothers Catskill
Drive-In. on which work started last season,
only to be halted in August, will be completed
for 1951 operation since the materials
had been purchased long before the ban.
Another Farley project, an indoor theatre
near the Lathams traffic circle, will have
to be deferred.
Charles A. Smakwitz. Warner zone manager,
said several substantial improvement
jobs in the circuit's upstate theatres would
be put on ice.
Stanley Kramer Receives
Special One World Award
NEW YORK—Stanley Kramer was presented
a special One World Award Thursday
(9) at ceremonies in the United Artists
projection room. The presentation was made
by Benjamin Cohen, assistant secretary of
the United Nations, after a screening of
"Cyrano de Bergerac" for members of the
One World Award committee.
Kramer was chosen for the award after
delegates to the One World meeting held
in San Remo last August had seen his
pictures. "Home of the Brave" and "The
Men." The decision of the delegates was
later approved by the executive committee.
The citation says the choice was made
"for his courageous and realistic approacii
in pictures, which have broken new ground
in presenting controversial issues."
Film Executives Arrange
Conrad Hilton Dinner
NEW YORK—Barney Balaban, Y. Prank
Freeman, Spyros P. Skouras and Gen. Will
H. Hays are members of a committee of
150 arranging a dinner in honor of Conrad
Hilton, president of the Hilton Hotels Corp..
sponsored by the National Conference of
Christians and Jews, to be held November
21 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.
Andrews Is Signed Again
NEW YORK—Herbert Andrews has been
made art director of the Louis DeRochemont
film, "The Whistle at Eaton Falls," now
being shot on location at Portsmouth, N. H.
He was also art director of the previous De
Rochemont film, "Lost Boundaries," and has
. been connected with the Roxy Theatre here
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in a similar capacity for a number of years.
SHORTS CHIEF VISITS STUDIO —
During: a nationwide survey tour of
branch cities Oscar A. Morgan (right),
Paramount short subjects and newsreel
sales chief, visited the studio in Hollywood.
He expressed optimism as concerns
increased demands for newsreels and
shorts. Morgan is shown here with Richard
Czinner, co-producer of "The New
Pioneers," two-reel documentary on
Israel which Paramount is releasing.
Children's Film Shows
Offer TV Competition
NEW YORK—Successful competition with
daytime television shows aimed at juveniles
is being offered by special children film shows
built around selected short subjects, according
to Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount general
sales manager for .short .subjects and for
Paramount News.
Morgan said the short subjects and newsreel
situation looks much better than it did
a year ago. He said the Telenews Theatre,
Chicago, has followed the example of several
local newsreel houses in restoring an allnewsreel
policy, and that many regular theatres
have reinstated newsreels as a part of
their daily program. He attributed this to
interest in hostilities in Asia and unsettled
conditions In western Europe. Morgan is touring
company branches in the U.S. and
Canada.
New K-B Ontario Theatre
Started in Washington
WASHINGTON—Contracts
and equipment
deals were completed just before the government
ban on amusement type construction
became effective, and preliminary work started
by Kogod-Burka Theatres on the 1,300-
seat Ontario Theatre at 17th and Columbia
road in northwest Washington.
Fred Boucher, general manager, said Bodiform
seats will be installed, the contract having
been signed by Fred S. Kogod, president,
and Fred Van Slooten, representing the American
Seating Co.
The house, planned as one of the most
luxurious in the east, will be completed early
next spring.
ALB ANy
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Oandy Miller, manager of the Menands
Drive-In who is to be married Sunday
to Eleanor Yaguda, was given a bachelor's
dinner at the DeWitt Clinton hotel. Miller's
father and drive-in partner is Joe
Miller, one-time Columbia manager here
Irene Smith, secretary, represented Warner
Theatres Zone manager Charles A. Smakwitz
at a meeting of more than 60 physicians and
laymen from 16 counties of eastern New
York held in the DeWitt Clinton hotel to
discuss plans for the 1951 American Heart
Ass'n drive. Smakwitz is co-chairman for
Albany county Paramount
handed free ice cream to the first 300 children
entering Saturday's matinee of "Treasure
of Monte Cristo" and "Bomba on Panther
Island."
The current "On Your Mark. We're Set,
You Go" campaign was discussed at a meeting
in Gloversville of Schine zone managers
and bookers. Speakers included Louis W.
Schine. Gus Lampe, Bernard Diamond. Bill
Kraemer and Seymour L. Morris. Among
those attending were Lou Hart, Watertown;
Harry Unterfort, Syracuse; Clayt Young,
Geneva; Gus DePauw, Rochester; Harold
Raives, Cleveland and Cincinnati; Harold
Sliter, Lexington, Ky.; Harold DeGraw,
Maryland; Myi'on Gross, Buffalo; Chris Pope,
Albany, and Gus Lynch, Washington. The
general message was, "Roll up your sleeves
and work harder."
Four Schine theatres, the Avon in Watertown,
the Rialto in Glens Falls, the Glove
in Gloversville, the Rialto in Amsterdam and
the Capitol in Ilion, are playing vaudeville
as a supplement to pictures, varying from
one to three days a week . callers
included Bob Flockhart of Corinth, Sam
Davis of Phoenicia, Jules Perlmutter of
Watervliet and Lake George, and Isidore
Berinstein of Schenectady . Willig
closed the Auto-Vision at East Greenbush
October 27, six days later than last year .
Fabian's Mohawk Drive-In on the Albany-
Schenectady road closed November 6. Virtually
all ozoners in the immediate Albany
area now are dark.
Leland patrons won two jackpots the first
night Manager Pat Patterson officiated at
Banko following his return to work. Patterson
had been ill for three months . . . Mrs.
Chris Pope and her daughter Stephanie, born
October 7, were due to arrive in Albany by
plane from Washington Sunday (5). Mrs.
Pope had been in Washington for the last
two months. Her husband, a Schine booker,
was to drive from Gloversville to meet them
here.
Screen rights to Don Gordon's screenplay.
"War Bonnet," based on the novel by L. L.
Foreman, have been purchased for Paramount
production.
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BOXOFTICE November 11, 1950 47