Boxoffice-December.02.1950

. . Wally
. . Ralph
. . . For
. . Hera-y
.
ALBANY
The Variety Club's first television program,
over WRGB. Schenectady, at midnight on
Thanksgiving, netted $900 in telephoned donations.
Mailed contributions were expectsd
to push the total past $1,000, co-chairman
Harry Lament said. Tent 9 officials and executives
of WRGB expressed satisfaction
with the amount raised, although they hoped
it would be larger next year, when an earlier
hour will be sought for the telecast. Lamont
praised the General Electric Co., station
Manager Bob Hanna and others for their
cooperation. The show, staged as part of the
annual Denial week drive on behalf of Camp
Thacher, featured acts from the Colonial
Theatre, the Hawaii Klub. Towpath Inn
and Ten Eyck hotel. Assisting in Schenectady
were Lamont, Gene Lowe, Gene Teper,
Tommy Sternfeld and Al Zink. Chief Barker
Charles A. Smakwitz headed the group working
in Albany. Fabian and Warner switchboards
were used for Albany calls; Fabian
tor Troy, and WRGB for Schenectady.
Charley Wilson of Glass Lake was announced
on the Variety Club telecast as
donor of $50 to Denial week. He is owner
The Ritz
of the Bijou, North Troy . . .
opened a week's engagement Wednesday of
"I'll Get By," which drew well at the Strand
recently, and "The Noose" . Mauro,
manager at National Theatre Supply, reported
installation of new Simplex projection
at the New York State Woodbourne Institution
for Delinquents. It is understood shows
for inmates are screened twice a week. NTS
also recently installed Simplex equipment at
.
Johnny Capano of the State, Troy, staged
a Thanksgiving eve owl show, consisting of
two "sizzling first run" features for an advertised
admission of 14 cents. He also ran
a children's Thanksgiving morning bill at
20 cents Overman, Disney cartoonist,
gave autographed cartoons to the
first 100 children attending a Thank.sgiving
performance at the Colonial. He appeared
on a vaudeville bill at the house three days
the second consecutive year, Warners'
Strand, Madison and Delaware were
reported to have drawn large audiences at
Thanksgiving morning shows consisting of a
Roy Rogers feature and cartoons . . . Blanche
Van Buren, Eagle cashier, was a casualty of
the terrific windstorm which did great damage
here Saturday night. Attempting to cross
Hudson avenue on her way back to the theatre
after supper, she was blown against the
side of a car and suffered knee and leg
bruLses.
The Radio and Television Manufacturers
Ass'n of Washington reported that residents
of Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties
purchased 37,000 television sets in the
past year . "Dutch" Harris, president
of the stage employes union, is recovering
at home after- suffering two broken ribs
in a ladder fall backstage at the Strand. John
Lanahan and George Powers of the Grand
are relieving for Harris.
.
Filmrow visitors included Vivian Sweet,
operating in Salem, Greenwich and Schuylerville;
William H. Aust of Aust's Drive-In,
South Glens Falls. Phil Baroudi, North
Creek, Warrensburg and Indian Lake
Abe Sunberg, former assistant to Neil Hellman
and now a drive-in executive in the
Buffalo area, was a Variety Club visitor . .
.
Joe Miller, former Columbia manager who
now operates a drive-in, was in New York
on business
the Hudson River Training School for Girls,
in Hudson; Green Haven pri.son, Hopewell
Junction; Harlem Valley State hospital,
Wingdale, and New York State Veterans
camp at Mount McGregor, Saratoga.
of those attending the Washington premiere
of U-I's "Harvey" Wednesday at Warners'
Uptown Theatre. The showing was sponsored
by the National Press club.
'Harvey' Capital Preview
WASHINGTON — Cabinet members and
other government dignitaries headed the list
To Write Screen Biography
Irving Brecher has been signed to write a
screen biography of Blossom Seeley, song star
of vaudeville and the musical stage, for
Paramount release.
Albany Area Drive-ins
Suffer Storm Loss
ALBANY—Drive-ins felt the brunt of the
violent windstorm which caused widespread
damage in this area last Saturday. Interruptions
of projection through loss of power
and suspension of heat were reported in
some regular situations, but the chief storm
victims were automobile theatres.
Screen tower blowdowns were reported at
the North Hoosick, West Sand Lake and
Middletown drive-ins. Fence and attraction
boards were uprooted in the Poughkeepsie,
Vails Mills and Lake George openairers, operated,
like the Middletown, by Harry Lamont.
Poughkeepsie had scheduled but canceled
Saturday night shows, the final of the
season. Part of the front of Dave Willig's
Auto-Vision at East Greenbush was damaged.
Bob Willard's Bennington, Vt., drivein
also had some fence damage as did the^
Malta, ten miles from Saratoga.
F. Chase Hathaway, whose North Hoosiclci
was hard hit, reported considerable damage;
at the Fort Warren Drive-In near Castleton,'
Vt. Neil Hellman said the fence at the Lin-'
coin Drive-In at North Philadelphia was)
blown down. Performances scheduled for
Saturday night were canceled, but Manager
Harry Flatter got the theatre back into running
Sunday. Hellman estimated his loss at
$5,000. Minor damage was reported at Fa-'
bian's Saratoga and at the Menands drivein.
Power failures were reported in Cohoes,
Watervliet, Phoenicia and Fleischmanns. Attendance
was so small that only a few refunds
were made.
Part of the roof of a mission church blew
on to the roof of the Royal, Albany, but no
damage to the theatre was done.
About 10,500 homes in Albany were without
power, and many were without heat Satiu--
day night and Sunday. The number in Troy
was 12,100, and in Schenectady, 1,200. Most
of the Albany radio stations went off the
air at some time during the gale.
To Rename Amphitheatre
In Memory of Barron
WASHINGTON — The national capital's
sesquicentennial commission Thursday endorsed
the proposal to rename the Sesquicentennial
Amphitheatre the "Carter T, Barron
Memorial Amphitheatre." The move had
the backing of Secretary of the Interior Oscar
Chapman.
Sesquicentennial General Manager Paul
Massman recommended that the amphitheatre
be dedicated at the opening show next
spring, with proceeds to go to the cancer
fund.
Barron, eastern division manager of Loew's,
and MGM studio representative, died recently
of cancer. He was executive vice-chairman
of the sesquicentennial commission.
NEW ALBANY ( ItliW—The 1951 crew of Variety Tent 9 at Albany face the
cameraman. In the first row, left to right Harold Gabrilove, second assistant chief
barker; Charles Dortic, first assistant; Leo Rosen, chief barker; Nate Winig, doughguy;
Nat Dickman, property master. In the .second row: Al Marchetti. Edward Maloney,
Gerald Alkin, Max Friedman and Eugene Vogel, Jack Olshansky. not appearing here,
is the llth member.
ABC Vending Merger Units
NEW YORK — Allied Beverage Corp..
chartered in Delaware, and Apex Beverage
Corp.. formed in New York, are to be merged
into ABC Vending Corp. as a result of approval
given by the vending company stock-
I
holders at a special meeting held Tuesday
(28).
50-B BOXOFFICE :: December 2, 1950
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