Boxoffice-December.02.1950

. . New
. . . The
. . . Bill
. . . Jack
. . Sam's
. . Bob
I
VANCOUVER
/^harles Chaplin, Toronto, Canadian general
manager for United Artists, conferred
here with Harry Woolfe. Vancouver manager.
Also here was Frank Fisher, Canadian general
manager of Eagle Lion Films, checking
with his B. C. manager, Jack Reid . . . Ivan
Ackery, Orpheum manager, was on the sick
list. Pinch-hitting was Kerrisdale Manager
Les Stratton . faces along theatre
row are Dorice Wall. Orpheum cashier, Bernice
Bobay, Vogue cashier, Irna Miotto at
the Strand, Betty Nedelak and Irene Hewson
at the Rex Theatre. Charlie Watt Odeon-
Hastings doorman, and Harry Lambert
Odeon-Plaza doorman.
Trans-Canada Films Ltd. has purchased
new quarters in the east end to hou.se studios
and offices. Wally Hamtilton, manager,
reported that TCF, Vancouver's only
film production company, is busy shooting
two industrial subjects with local firms and
stores for his showing of "The Jackpot" . . .
The Cinema interrupted its film programs
for the stage showing of the Pacific Opera
Co., which played four shows to fair business.
With the big business now being done on
stage and film combinations at the east side,
Odeon-Hastings reports that the rival Famous
Players may put in stage shows at one
of their downtown theatres . . . Al Jenkins,
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Vogue Theatre manager, was awarded third
prize for his campaign on EL's "Jackie Robinson
Story" in the Canadian Digest Showman.ship
contest. Jenkins won the prize at
the Plaza Theatre before his recent promotion
to the Odeon-Vogue, the chain's showcase.
Famous Players have opened the 1,000-seat
Paramount Theatre at Lethbridge, Alta., built
at a cost of $225,000. It's the third theatre
of the FPC chain in the southern Alberta
city which has a population of 21,000. The
three theatres are operated in partnership
with A. W. Shackelford, former mayor of
Lethbridge, who will also manage the Paramount
. Theatre, a 450-seater at
. . . Garvin's Studios of Vancouver
Maillardville. near New Westminster. B. C,
changed hands when Sam Custovich sold out
to Mrs. M. Eskestand, a newcomer to show
business, who has appointed John Schollar
as manager
have completed interior art at the
Odeon-Vogue.
Two men, surprised "cracking" the safe at
Odeon-Hastiogs, touched off a row-by-row
hunt through the empty playhouse. It was
the third time within a week that places of
entertainment have been chosen as targets
by thieves. A day before, a burglar rifled the
safe of the Palomar Supper club and walked
out past employes carrying between $700 and
$800. A daring raid, pulled in almost identical
fashion, cost the International Cinema
$300. Police believe one man was responsible
for both robberies but to date no suspects
had been booked. Roy McLeod, Hastings
manager, said the safe, although badly damaged,
was not opened but that the men had
been frightened off by police just in time
Paramount Auto-Vue Ltd., with
capital of $150,000, was incorporated recently.
The company headed by Walter Mead
and Pat Murphy, Vancouver theatremen, will
erect a drive-in on the Granview highway
at Burnaby a few miles from here. Dominion
Sound will install all equipment in the
new Paramount outdoor theatre.
Howard Boothe, Odeon district manager,
and Tom Moran, concession head of Odeon,
were on Vancouver island for four days
checking on the chain theatres on the island
Woodward of the Rex Tlieatre staff
celebrated his 68th birthday recently . . .
Stan Pooley, former manager of the Strand
Theatre here, is now manager of Warner's
California Theatre at Santa Barbara, and
Cecil Cameron, former manager of the FPC
Paramount Theatre at New Westminster, is
manager of the Sunset Theatre, Hollywood
Randall, who resigned as Strand
Theatre manager, has now settled in Santa
Maria wath his family and is in another line
of business. Randall reports that theatre
business is very bad and quite a number
of houses have closed in California in the
past few months . . . Don Boyle, manager of
the Empress Theatre, Macleod, Alta., was on
a Hollywood vacation and was a guest of
Star Rod Cameron, who was a visitor to Macleod
two years ago.
Many drive-in theatres built by newcomers
to the industry are not proving the bonanza
anticipated and a number of these outdoor
spots are now for sale. As much as
$150,000 and more was spent on some driveins,
with their owners anticipating a return
of their Investment In a few years. As a result,
they feel they are taking a beating on
their initial outlay and are trying to sell out.
The wife of Howard Boothe, Odeon district
manager, who has been hospitalized for
the last three months with a broken hip,
is recuperating nicely and will return home
soon
. . . Violet Yates. Empire-Universal
.
cashier, is ill with virus pneumonia. Her
husband also is hospitalized . . . Johnny
Cooshek of Odeon is pinch-hitting at the
Marople for Manager Bob Matherson, who is
on a delayed vacation Kelly, head
of Odeon circuit candy business, has moved
his headquarters to new offices in the film
building,
Tom Moran. Canadian head of Odeon con-
. . .
cessions, is here from Toronto on his first
Harry
visit since his appointment
Myers, father of three local showmen—Bill
Myers of the Plaza, Alex of the Kingsway
and Ernest of the Rex—died in New Westminster
at the age of 80 . . . Jack Senior,
UA shipper, is working at the Park and reports
that the two jobs are keeping him
busy . . . R. W. McDonald is a new member
of the British Columbia consor board, which
now consists of Jack Hughes, chief censor,
assisted by Joyce Reed and McDonald.
Johnny White, stagehand at the Vogue, has
moved to the Odeon-Hastings to help out
with the stage show policy. White is business
agent of the Stagehands local . . .
Wally Hamilton, manager of Trans-Canada
Films, and cameraman Ernie Kirkpatrick
are busy shooting a film for British Columbia
packers, telling the full story of salmon.
Saanich municipal council has decided to
rezone the Tillicum-Burnside area to permit
erection of a drive-in to cost $150,000.
Counsel appearing for the Chechik Bros.,
Vancouver theatre owners who propose to
build the outdoor theatre, said it would
enhance value of the property, would lead
to the building of homes and stores and
would be a source of revenue for the municipality.
Saanich is a few miles from Victoria
on Vancouver Island. The outdoor
theatre wUl be a four-screen affair, the first
in western Canada.
The annual Filmrow Christmas party will
be held December 8 at the Cocoanut Grove
cabaret on the Grandview highway near
Vancouver. Committee in charge includes
Rose Isman, WB; Jackie McDermott. MGM;
Bill Warke, Columbia, and Luke Ducette,
Canadian Picture
Empire-Universal . . .
Pioneers' stage smoker at the Olympia was
voted a big success by the 80 old-time theatremen.
It was open to members and their
associates. Both theatres and film exchanges
were well represented. Tliree new members
were introduced—Walter Mead and Ted
Foley of the Studio, Vancouver, and Pat
Murphy of the new Pai-amount Drive-In,
Burnaby. The local branch of CPP is the
largest in western Canada with 75 members.
Alberta has 69 members and Manitoba has
68 members. Total number of CPP in Canada
now is 600.
New amusement companies registered in
British Columbia recently include Royal
Capilano Drive-In Theatre, $200,000. and
North Vancouver Tlieatre Investments. $500,-
000, indicating that two outdoor theatre will
be built in North Vancouver across the
110 BOXOFFICE December 2, 1950