Boxoffice-11.11.1950

Texas Variety Club
Re-EIec!s Officers
DALLAS—The Variety Club of Texas unanmously
re-elected its entire 1950 crew at a
\
JOHN H. ROWLEY
meeting held in the Adolphus hotel clubrooms
Monday (6i. John H. Rowley was
re-elected chief barker, and others to keep
their same posts are C. A. "Pappy" Dolson.
first assistant chief barker; L. M. "Mike"
Rice, second assistant chief barker: Meyer
Rachofsky, doughguy: and Don C. Douglas,
property man.
Four new directors were named: Charles
J, Freeman, Harold Schwarz, Kendall Way
and Harry Kaplan. Other directors are
Charles E. Darden, Al Reynolds, and five
^former chief barkers, Julius Schepps. Paul
'short, WiUiam O'Donnell, James O. Cherry,
and Claude Ezell.
Variety of Houston Ready
To Construct Boys Club
HOUSTON—Trustees of the Boys club here
have approved architects plans for construction
of the $160,000 concrete and brick Variety
Boys' Chib on Clio street here facing Montie
Beach park. The approval of tlie building
is a milestone in almost five years of planning
by the local Variety Club. The trustees
also adopted a program of financing the club
building and operations over the next fiveyear
period through a series of variety shows.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the clubhouse,
planned for a membership of more
than 2,000 boys, will be held Christmas day.
Construction will get under way about January
1. according to Fred Nahas. chief barker.
Karl Kamrath of the architectural firm of
Mackie & Kamrath, .said the building was
designed to serve as many as 250 boys per
liour in numerous activities. He said the
building would require a minimum of upkeep
and would be constructed so that it could be
expanded easily in the future.
The two-story structure will be fireproof
and will include a 48x80-foot gymnasium,
complete with an upstairs parents observation
gallery facing a long stage. Locker rooms,
the check room and general office are near
the gymnasium. A game room, measuring
33x48 feet, and offices also will be on the
first floor.
Upstairs will be a library, crafts shop, wood
shop, wood fini.shing room, machine space,
two clubrooms, a small kitchen and miscellaneous
rooms. The building will be centrally
heated. The ball park facilities at Montie
Beach park will be accessible to members and
it is expected that the city soon will build a
swimming pool there.
The $7,500 site for the club was acquired
about two months ago. In addition to the
cost of the building, the unit will include
$20,000 worth of equipment. The estimated
annual operating cost will be about $25,000.
Suburban Dip Blamed
On TV in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY—A slump in
boxoffice
receipts here is credited partly to television
by Eddie Thorne, manager of the Criterion.
Neighborhood houses seem to be the hardest
hit and are going into a depression, he said.
There may be other reasons for the general
slump in show business but the Oklahoma
City exhibitor said television was one
of the contributing factors. His business, he
added, was consistently satisfactory. His
sneak preview policy on Monday nights
would have to be cut, he said. Monday evenings
are the regular show nights for many
patrons and the sneak is no real draw then.
Circuit Owner Building
$200,000 Sports Center
OKLAHOMA CITY—First units of Barton's
Sports Center, a $200,000 project was opened
in the Capitol Hill business section recently
by R. Lewis Barton, circuit owner, and Ray
Barton. The project will occupy all but one lot
of a city block. Only bowling alleys are reaHy
for operation but a skating rink is planned.
Parking space for ino cars is available.
Broadway composer Alex North will write
the score for "The Scarlet Penn," a 20th-Fox
film.
Dallas Exhibitor Says
Cugat Broke Contract
OKLAHOMA CITY—Jack Swiger, Dallas
theatreman and former manager of a local
theatre, filed suit here in district court
against Xavier Cugat, charging the rumba
.king with breaking a contract made with
him in November of 1946. The damage suit
jasked for $22,750. Cugat arrived here for his
first concert in the city in three years to find
himself facing the suit.
Swiger charged the breach of contract cost
him $7,750. He also asked another $15,000
.damages. He contends Cugat agreed to re-
|cord a series of dancing instructions which
could be used in setting up dance studios in
the United States, South America and Mexico.
Swiger says he was to set up the studios
and use Cugat's voice in teaching dancing.
They were to split 50-50.
Swiger alleged that after the contract was
signed in Chicago, he spent "or obligated
himself" for $5,000 in the promotion of the
enterprise and made a trip to Beverly Hills,
to confer with Cugat. He said it wasn't until
March 1947, that Cugat's attorney informed
him the agreement was off.
INSPECTING BLEVINS DISPLAY—Looking over a display of the Blevins Popcorn
Co. of Nashville, set up in the Variety room in the Shamrocli hotel during the
TOA meet, is Monte Hale, who starred in Republic oaters. Stormy Meadows, Dallas
district manager for Blevins, is the genial hostess.
BOXOFFICE November 11, 1950 sw 75