Boxoffice-December.02.1950

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Indiana Ass'n Elects
36 Board Members
INDIANAPOLIS—Election of 36 directors
of the Associated Indiana Theatre Owners
was announced by Trueman Rembusch president.
Members elected four for each of the
nine districts. They are:
District 1: H. Lisle Krieghbaum, J. G. Vogel,
Alex Manta and Justin Shauer: district 2:
A. H. Borkenstein, Peter Mailers. Roy Kalver,
and John Micu; district 3: W. T. Studebaker,
Jack Alexander. Sam Neall and S. J. Gregory;
district 4; Marc J. Wolf, M. H. Scheidler,
Trueman Rembusch and Morton Weinberg.
District 5: Guy Hancock, Mannie Marcus,
• Stanley A. B. Cooper and Claude Flater;
district 6: Walter Easley, J. P. Finneran, Roy
E. Harrold, T. L. Mendelssohn; district 7:
Bruce Kixmiller, Oscar Pine, Harry Kornblum,
and E. L. Ornstein: district 8: H. P.
Vonderschmitt, T. C. Baker, Sam Switow
and A. B. Thompson: district 9: Ernest Miller,
Fred J. Dolle, Dudley Williston and Ear)
Cunningham.
B&K Will Close Three
Chicago Subsequents
CHICAGO — The Balaban & Katz chain
will close three of its neighborhood houses
within the next month because of decrease
in boxoffice grosses. A similar action recently
was taken by the Essaness circuit,
which gave a two-week notice to operators in
nine houses two weeks ago. Closing has been
postponed for another week and they will
try to reach an agreement with the operators
to discontinue weekday matinees.
Early this year B&K shuttered the Adand
Albia. neighborhood houses. Warrecently
announced the closing of the
and the Stratford for a bit of remodel-
Warners also annnounced some manchanges
as the circuit has suffered a
big decrease in profits in its southside houses.
Warners has assigned theatres to city Di-
Managers Herbert Wheeler and Harry
t Tyrell, who never before operated theatres.
Wheeler will manage the Avalon and Tyrell
be co-manager of the Capitol. Many independent
neighborhood houses have discontinued
weekday matinees until Christmas.
Indianapolis Manager
Held in Theatre Theft
TERRE HAUTE, IND.—John Arthur, manager
of the Grand Theatre here which was
robbed of $3,673 November 2, was being held
in jail along with an accomplice following
FrJsina Circuit's New Roxy
Is Opened in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD—The newly recoi:istructed
and remodeled Roxy Theatre was reopened
to the public Thanksgiving eve after being
closed for 14 months while reconstruction
work was done. Approximately 2,800 persons
participated in the reopening.
At 6 p. m., R. B. Evans and Earl Worthington
presented a "key" to the theatre to Dominic
Frisina, president of the Frisina Amusement
Co., which operates the Roxy. At 6:30
p. m., the ribbon closing the entrance to the
ornate new lobby was cut and the first of
the crowd filed into the flower banked foyer.
Earlier, a crowd of approximately 1.000
gathered on the sidewalks outside the theatre
aw'aiting admission, in spite of cold,
damp winds. Inside, however, decorations
keyed to the South Seas, done in coral, blue
and beige, nullified the November chill. Most
of those attending first wandered through
the theatre upstairs to the lounge, with deep
leather couches and South Sea mural facing
a huge mirror, and through the balcony,
before finding seats to listen to the recorded
music which preceded "The West Point Story."
In decor, the new theatre is a combination
of newness and tradition, with the modern
and the most contemporary combined
into a soft, restful atmosphere. Predominant
colors are blue, coral and beige, used in the
deep "push back" seats, in the murals and
the new, deep carpeting.
The colors are also present in natural materials,
in the balcony railing of polished
natural wood, and in the low, curving wall of
pink and brick which follows the wall of
the theatre from the side exit to the stage,
in the auditorium. The brick walls, which
are below large, modern murals featuring
Ex-Convict Arrested
In Theatre Robbery
MURPHYSBORO, ILL.—Robert Brewer,
local youth, who is alleged to have taken $44
from the ticket window of the Marlow Theatre
here, has been charged with grand larceny.
Brewer had $39 in his possession when
arrested. He recently was released from the
Southern Illinois penitentiary at Menard, 111.,
after serving time for a similar crime at a
theatre in East St. Louis, 111. In addition to
the charge against him in connection with
the theft of the $44 at the Marlow Theatre,
Brewer must answer to violation of his pa-
their confessions to the burglary plot.
A third man was being sought. Arthur and
Fred role.
B. Slater, of Indianapolis, implicated
another Indianapolis man.
Authorities said they did not suspect Arthur
of complicity in the burglary but that he confessed
November 15, when he was brought to PERCY, ILL.—The Princess Theatre, 400
Vandalism Forces Close
Indianapolis to confront Slater, an extra projectionist
at the theatre. Slater tipped off definite period because of extensive damage
seats, was closed on November 22 for an in-
police to Arthur's part in the plot, police said. done the property by vandals. H. E. Webster,
who also owns the Webster Theatre,
Arthur confessed planning the robbery because
he was short of funds. Police recovered Steeleville, 111., said that although he had
$2,237 from Arthur and Slater and were the full cooperation of the city officials in
searching for the third man. He was paid Percy, vandalism had continued and resulted
$500 for his part in the robbery, Arthur said, in costly damage to the building and contents.
The last show was the night of No-
but was believed to have $1,000 of the money
according to police.
vember 21.
a sailing ship and old mariner's symbols,
are topped with growing palms which fringe
the bottom of the murals with appropriate
"South Sea" green.
All lighting in the auditorium is concealed
in troughs; that in the lobby is a combination
of trough lighting and direct light from
a huge, branching chandelier, modeled on a
renaissance brass light fixture.
Murals are also present in the lobby and
in the lounge, located upstairs at one level
below the balcony. In both. South Sea
themes are presented and both are placed
opposite large mirrors—that in the lobby
fills an entire wall—which gives the illusion
of double murals while providing the light
reflecting advantages of the mirrors.
During the remodeling, the capacity of
the theatre was increased to almost 1,400
seats. Nearly all of them were filled at both
showings of the film. Many of those present
were guests of the Frisina Amusement Co.,
which had invited all members of the construction
crews to attend the opening of the
"finished product" on which they had worked.
Following the opening, more than 400 persons
attended a reception at the Hotel Abraham
Lincoln. Guests at this also included
the construction workers. A buffet lunch
was served, and music for dancing was provided.
Manager Dominec Giachetto estimated that
the cost of the remodeling was at least a quarter
million dollars. All fixtures in the theatre
are new. from the rugs to the chandeliers, and
even the building itself has been completely
rebuilt of steel and concrete, making it virtually
fireproof. Of the old construction,
only one steel beam still remains.
William Mills, Designer
Of Drive-Ins, Dead at 62
ST. LOUIS—William H. Mills, who designed
and constructed several of the drive-in theatres
in the St. Louis area and an architect
and builder here for some 40 years, was buried
in Oak Hill cemetery, St. Louis county, November
23. Mills, 62, died November 19 of
heart disease in his home. He had been in
ill health for .some time. The drive-ins he
designed and constructed included Ronnie's
and the North in St. Louis county and the
Mounds near Collinville. 111. He also was consulted
in connection with the construction
of a number of others in the St. Louis area.
Chicago Drive-In Robbed
CHICAGO—'While 900 patrons parked in
400 cars, watched a western picture recently
at the Family Drive-In at routes 120 and 21
in Grayslake, two bandits in blue jeans held
up the theatre office and escaped with
$1,500. The manager. Richard Tygard, told
Sheriff Christian that when he answered a
knock on his office door, a revolver was
pushed under his nose and the holdup men
forced him to open the safe. They yanked
the phone wires from the wall and escaped.
BOXOFFICE December 2, 1950 83