Boxoffice-October.27.1951

. . Edward
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ALBANY
TXTarner Theatres will establish an Albany
precedent by the simultaneous showing of
"A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Strand and
Ritz, starting October 31 at $1.20 top. Trailers
in the four local WB houses explain that
the local dates are the northern New York
premiere for roadshow presentation. It is said
to be the first time a picture has been shown
at the same time in two downtown houses.
The Ritz has taken certain top Warner releases
on a moveover from the Strand.
Moving of the Warner Theatres zone offices
from 79 North Pearl St. to the Strand
Theatre building at 110 North Pearl was completed
Monday. The new offices are on the
second and third floors, formerly used by
station WABY. Zone Manager Charles A.
Smakwitz and his aides worked in old clothes
over the weekend to effect the transfer of
records in large packing boxes. The Warner-
Fabian screening room is on the third floor
of the Strand. Warners had occupied space
on the second and third floors of the old
Albany Business college building for 15 years.
A staff of eight is on duty in the new
quarters
. McCue, former newspaperman,
is now assistant manager of the
Ritz. He succeeded Walter G. Freese, who
resigned to accept another position.
There were 127,800 television sets in the
WRGB primary area on October 1, the General
Electric Co. revealed in Schenectady.
The figure for Oct. 1, 1950, was 107,000 .
Al Swett, manager of Warners' Madison, and
Mrs. Swett welcomed a baby daughter .
John Dilson, former auditor for Warner Theatres,
has switched to a similar position with
Warner Pictures. He recently has been undergoing
break-in training at the Albany exchange.
Alex Papayanakos' Moonlight Drive-In, the
Rustic at West Sand lake and Mitchell &
Warnken's Del Sego at Oneonta are among
those which are closing the final days of
October ... A September spurt in the subsequent
runs was followed by an October
dip, an observer reported. Asked the reason,
he replied: "Many exhibitors think it is
television. The stronger video shows are returning
after a summer layoff" . . . Movietime
U.S.A. streamers on the windows of
Filmrow exchanges can be seen by passing
motorists and bus riders. Some Albany theatres
have not yet posted any Movietime promotion.
assistant chief barker, was appointed director
of the Big Brother promotion. Assisting
him will be committees captained by Chief
Barker Rosen, Harry Lamont, Charles A.
Smakwitz, Saul J. Ullman, Neil Hellman, Dr.
Benjamin Volk and Nate Winig. A kickoff
dinner will be held around November 1. The
Thanksgiving week Denial campaign will be
dropped. Instead, about April 1 Tent 9 will
distribute cans in public places. The Heart
fund goal is $25,000. Six hundred boys enjoyed
vacations at the camp on Thompson
lake last summer.
"The Four Poster," a Columbia picture,
scenarist Allan Scott to associate producer on
The Stanley Kramer unit has boosted
Society, Screen Stars
At 'Veil' Benefit
NEW YORK—Society leaders, as well as
several screen stars, attended the benefit performance
of the Wald-Krasna production,
"The Blue Veil," at the Criterion Theatre
Friday (26). All proceeds of the opening were
donated to the United Hospital fund, currently
holding its 73rd annual drive to aid
New York hospitals.
Among those present: Marlene Dietrich,
Anne Jeffreys, Robert Sterling, Luise Rainer,
Max Gordon, Faye Emerson, Skitch Henderson,
Roddy McDowall, Eva Gabor, Roy E.
Lar.son, president of Time, Inc.; Henry L.
and Mrs. Moses, Mrs. John H. Reynolds, Edward
C. and Mrs. Vogel, Mrs. Kenneth Lyons
and Douglas and Mrs. Elliman.
The producers, who also attended the opening,
received a letter of commendation from
Prof. Robert Gessner, on behalf of their alma
mater. New York university, at a press luncheon
at 21 Club the day of the opening.
The first thousand women who attended
the picture on opening day Saturday (27)
received blue veils, handed them by Midge
Ware, RKO starlet. The latter sold tickets in
different New York department stores, as
well as in a stand in front of the Criterion,
for five days before the benefit opening.
Newsreel to Show TV
On Its Large Screen
NEW YORK— A commercial television pro
gram will be shown in a theatre for th
first time when the Embassy Guild News
reel Theatre, Rockefeller Plaza, will shov
the opening chapter of "Crusade in thi
Pacific" on its theatre television screei
simultaneously with its initial telecast ove
WJZ-TV October 30.
The opening chapter, titled "The Pacific
in Eruption." is part of a 26-chapter Marcl'
of Time production paralleling the successfUH
"Crusade in Europe," which was telecast last
year. The program wUl be aired each Tues-i
day from 10 to 10:30 p. m. under the sponsorship
of Welch's Wine.
This showing will be strictly an experiment
and no money is being paid March of Time
for the program, according to Norman Elson
president of Guild Enterprises. In explaining
the precedent of picking up and presenting
a commercial TV program to its audience;
Elson said:
"The March of Time movie productions were
always a bulwark of strength to our newsreel
theatres. Now that we have moved into television
and are bringing their film history of
the Pacific war to New York TV audiences
for the first time, in recognition of the importance
of 'Crusade in the Pacific," we are
happy to present a special pickup of the premiere
telecast to our theatre audience at the
same time it goes out over the air via WJZ-
TV October 30." «
$250,000 Damage Action
Filed Over Open-Airer
BALTIMORE—Suit for $250,000 damages
was filed in federal court here in connection
with a dispute over who is to operate
an open-air theatre in the 6200 block of
Marlboro pike in Prince Georges county.
The action was filed by Penninsula Amusement
Corp., Petersburg, Va., against Charles
Hoile, owner of a 15-acre tract on the Marlboro
pike, and Sidney B. Lust of Hyattsville.
Stanley B. Frosh is counsel for the com-j
plainant.
The plaintiff alleged that while its option >
to lease the tract of ground was still m ef-lj
feet. Lust induced Hoile to enter into a 35-
year lease arrangement with him. The Virginia
concern contended that Lust knew of
its option, that it had spent money to have
j
the area rezoned and that it had entered i
Presentation of "Carmen" by the London
Grand Opera Co. at Proctor's in Schenectady
drew a good-sized audience. Phil Rapp substituted
for Fabian City Manager Guy A.
Graves of Schenectady on a broadcast of
Luncheon in the Ten Eyck over WPTR to
promote "Carmen."
The Variety Club voted to hold yearly dues
at the present $20, but to impose an extra
assessment of $20 for 1952 and 1953. This
action was taken in lieu of a proposal to
increa.se dues to $35. The assessment, payable
quarterly, starting December 1, should
make Tent 9 self-sufficient. Chief Leo Rosen
said. Separation of the annual Variety Club
Denial drive into two parts, a fall solicitation
for Big Brothers and a spring appeal
tying in with the Albany County Restaurant
and Liquor Dealers A.ss'n's can collections was
voted at the meeting. Harold Gabrilove,
44
AT 'BLUE VEIL' OPENING — Milton
Schwartz, manager of the Criterion Theatre
in New York, is shown here with
starlet Midge Ware, who assisted in the
theatre lobby by .selling tickets for the
benefit world premiere of the Jerry Wald-
Norman Krasna production, "The Blue
Veil," which took place October 26. Miss
Ware is wearing "The Blue Veil " costume
worn by Jane VVyman in the picture.
into contracts for building materials and
>
motion picture equipment.
Pathe's Triple-Damage Suit
Set for Trial This Winter
NEW YORK—Pathes triple-damage suit
is set for trial this winter. William C. Mac-
Millen jr., Pathe president, has received details
from his attorneys regarding pictures
played by RKO and Loew's to use in his
$15,000,000 antitrust action against two New
York circuit.s.
Two Rank Officials in U.S.
NEW YORK—Two J. Ai'thur Rank representatives
will be in New York in November.
John Davis is due November 19, and G. I.
Woodham-Smith, financial adviser, already
is here, despite Rank's statement that he
will not sell his .shares to Decca.
BOXOFFICE :
f-j
: October 27, 1951