Boxoffice-11.11.1950

Hartford Theatre
Marks Fifth Year
HARTFORD — The Hartford Theatr.= cirult,
headed by Al Schunian and Giis
jchaefer and is comprised of the Colonial.
Gus Schaefer
Al Schuman
antral, Lenox. Lyric and Rialto theatres, is
bserving its fifth anniversary.
Schuman, who is general manager, has
leen in the theatre business for some 30
ears, and was a pioneer in neighborhood
heatres construction. He was the original
ilanner of the Lyric Tlieatre at Park and
iroad streets, which was the first important
leighborhood house in the city.
Gus J. Schaefer, treasurer, started in disributicn
back in 1914 in Boston and later
ent to Europe to pioneer in film distribution
or Paramount Pictures, and later became
ontinental manager. He later became exlort
manager for Universal, after which he
epresented RKO Pictures in the Caribbean
rea and in North and South America. He
'as transferred to RKO's domestic division.
Having visited Hartford many times in the
ole of northeastern division sales manager
Dr RKO, Schaefer last November became as-
DCiated with Schuman in the operation of
he circuit.
Ernest A. Grecula, advertising-publicity
lirector, and supervisor of the 1,200-seat
:olonial, formerly was associated with Loew's,
nd Warners and also independent circuits
1 the Connecticut area. He has been in exibition
for 20 years, having worked his way
'p from a theatre usher's position in Bridge
ort.
Hugh J. Campbell, Central manager, was
ith the Warner Bros. Theatre Management
'orp. for many years. At one time, he manged
the State and Majestic here.
Mrs. Kate S. Treske, the wife of the late
athaniel Treske, who had been managing
ne Lenox for several years, is the city's only
Oman theatre manager. She manages the
rcuit's Lenox.
Joe Ruggerio has been at the Lyric for 27
:3ars. Like Grecula, Ruggerio started at the
ottom. working his way up to the managerlip
of that theatre. He is known personally
V practically all Lyric patrons.
Michael Piccirillo. manager of the Rialto,
arted with Loew's theatres in Bridgeport
nd New Haven, and later became manager
)r Loew in New York.
George A. Smith, circuit maintenance manner
and purchasing agent, has been in the
leatre business locally for 30 years. He is
native of Scotland.
o Film Casey Jones Story
Paramount has announced plans to film
le Casey Jones story as a super-musical.
Ban Brings Beneficial Breather
In
Drive-In Building, Says Smith
Salem Plaza Reopened
After Redecoration
SALEM~The Plaza Theatre here has been
reopened by the North Shore Amusement
Co. after a complete remodeling. Phillip
Bloomberg, president, in company with architects,
planned the redecoration of the house.
The front was modernized with new outsize
lobby ceiling lights and a new vitrolite
marquee. The foyer walls are painted a
French green and the carpeting is in deep
red. The new candy bar featutres all merchandise
under glass covers. New seats in
the auditorium are covered in a Chinese red
plastic. The walls are a pastel rose gray.
Stage hangings are in a blue-gray dama.sk.
providing a suitable background for the Cycloramic
screen. New Century projectors
and Westinghouse sound equipment were
installed by the Massachusetts Theatre
Equipment Co.
The North Shore also operates the Orpheum
at Danvers. Bloomberg is president
of the Salem Rotary club and a veteran
of World War II. Managing director of the
Plaza is John W. Foster and his assistant
is George Mulcahy. a former assistant at
the Empire Theatre here.
Union Troubles May Cause
Picketing of Yamins Chain
FALL RIVER, MASS.—Unless union personnel
is employed in the construction of
an outdoor theatre at Westport for Nathan
Yamins, his theatres here may be picketed.
A union spokesman said the Texas contractor
who is building the airer. about 80
per cent completed, offered only token recognition
to requests from building trades union
leaders for employment of union labor on
the project. A spokesman for Yamins said
the union refused to compromise on an offer
by Yamins to employ 50 per cent union
laborers on the job and to meet the pay
difference. He also stated that the union
insists on a blanket union employment
Bristol Theatre Shifts
To Single Bill Policy
BRISTOL, CONN. — The Bristol Theatre,
Warner circuit house, has launched a new
policy of showing a single feature with a
program of short subjects instead of two features
on one program. Vic Morrelli is theatre
manager.
Free Coffee at Art House
HARTFORD—A coffee lounge has been installed
on the mezzanine floor at the New
Center Tlieatre. serving coffee free to patrons.
The 1.200-seat art house is owned
and operated by Maurice Greenberg with
M. J. Daly as house manager and Seymour
Kroopnick as promotion manager.
Virginia Hewitt will play the feminine lead
in Monogram's "Bowery Battalion."
BOSTON—Philip Smith, head of the Smith
Management Co., operator of 21 drive-ins
throughout the country and 13 conventional
theatres, was not disturbed by the government
ban on theatre building.
"I have long been of the opinion that too
many drive-ins have been erected in highly
competitive areas," he said. "Certainly, it's
difficult for one to make a profit when theatres
are so carslessly placed. Perhaps this
ban will give prospective drive-in builders
time to consider each location more carefully.
Personally, I am not affected by the
ban, as my 1949-50 program is completed.
We have been considering several desirable
locations in various sections of the country,
but now that the ban is definite, we can
take a breather, too."
Smith's only uncompleted theatre is in
Framingham, now under construction as a
part of a huge .shopping center going up in
an area 20 miles from Boston. It is expected
to be finished by early spring 1951.
Smith signed a long-term lease on the theatre
three years ago.
The Smith company operates six summer
situations, all closed now, on Cape Cod jointly
with Interstate Theatres: three regular
theatres in St. Louis, which he took over in
1949; another in Ipswich. Mass.. and two in
South Boston. All his other operations are
drive-ins. two in New England and the others
spread through New Jersey and the midwest.
"If there were no building ban." Smith
continued, "I would not consider building
another closed theatre. I am a pioneer in
the outdoor theatre and am a firm believer
in catering to the automobile trade."
Paul S. Purdy Will Book
New East Windsor Airer
HARTFORD—Paul S.
Purdy, general manager
of the Kounaris-Tolis-Ulyssis interests
in Meriden and Newington, has become advertising
manager and film buyer and booker
for the newly opened East Windsor Drive-In,
owned by the Kupchunos Bros, and Peter
Kostek. He will retain his KTU circuit responsibilities.
The East Windsor Drive-In. a 600-car capacity
project costing an estimated $125,000,
is the third outdoor motion picture theatre
to be opened in recent years in the metropolitan
Hartford area.
'Whistle' Company Shoots
Scenes at Boston Plant
BOSTON—Louis DeRochemont's company
moved here to shoot interiors at the Northern
Industrial Chemical plant for "Whistle
at Eaton Falls." Tlie company had been on
location in Portsmouth. N. H.. several weeks.
Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Gish are costarred.
The film deals with attempts of a
young idealist to save his community from
becoming an industrial ghost town. Columbia
will release the film. Robert Siodmak is
director.
3X0FFICE November 11, 1950
NE
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