Boxoffice-October.04.1952

. . Theatremen
D E S
MOINES
TTariety Club was to give a dance and party
at the Savery Saturday (4). The event
was a Hard Time party, and members were
invited to wear "real old clothes" . . . Helen
Windsor, Warner assistant cashier, returned
from a one-week vacation . . . Lou Levy,
Universal manager, was in California on a
combined business trip and vacation. During
his absence, Ralph Olson, salesman, was assisting
in the office.
.
Filmrowers were happy to learn that the
auto accident involving Paul Bramblett of
the Capitol at Dubuque and the Star-Vue
Drive-In at Charles City resulted in no
serious injury to the exhibitor . . Bonzo,
.
chimpanzee star of Universal's "Bonzo Goes
to College" made personal appearances at
the Paramount Theatre this week (1, 2) with
starlet Helen Carr playing
"Ivanhoe" are receiving help from school
teachers who ai'e urging students to see the
Technicolor version of Sir Walter Scott's
classic.
Gretchen Kelleher, RKO cashier, returned
to work for half days . . . RKO bookers were
kept busy on the phone booking the Walcott-
Marciano fight film last week ... A little
Denison girl got a big thrill last week. She
received a large autographed picture of two
of her adored friends, Roy Rogers and his
horse Trigger. The little girl, Michelle Grill,
6, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ai'lo Grill, was
a victim of polio last fall. She has made a
slow recovery and is now pretty much improved.
She likes to wear cowgirl outfits and
had often urged her mother to write to the
cowboy star. Mi's. Grill finally got around to
ii and then the reply came—the big photo
with a personal message which read, "Hi,
Michelle. Get well real soon for your pals,
Roy and Trigger."
A number of Iowa theatres are taking part
in the popcorn presidential poll. Some results
are being printed each week. At her
theatre in Osceola, Mrs. V. J. Shipwright
says last week's results were: 411 Ike boxes
and 306 Stevenson boxes. At Correctionville.
Eddie Osipowicz had these results: Eisenhower
523, Stevenson 420.
The editor of the Manson, Iowa, paper,
who attended the recent Allied luncheon
honoring newspapermen, paid tribute to Vern
Partlow, exhibitor from Manson, and the
film industry in general in an editorial in
his paper recently. Stressing the points
brought out by Myron Blank and George
Murphy, speakers at the luncheon, he added
that "most of us take the theatre in our town
for granted. We know it's there and pay little
attention to it. Let something happen, such
as a fire, to remove the theatre from a
town and its absence is felt immediately."
Glenn Slipper and Wife
Hospitalized in Omaha
OMAHA—Glenn Slipper, manager of National
Theatre Supply branches at Omaha
and Des Moines, and his wife both were hospitalized
last week. Slipper was suffering
from a kidney infection and his wife was
in the hospital for a rest and treatment.
Slipper was taken ill after he returned
from a ten-day convention trip to the west
coast. He is the assistant barker of Variety
Tent 16.
Jack Jorgens, MGM salesman, spearheaded
a spontaneous move in all branches of the
industry for a portable television set for
Slipper, who may be ill
for some time.
Improve Afton, lo'wa. Theatre
AFTON, IOWA—A new sound system has
has been installed at the Paris Theatre. The
owners, Mr. and Mrs. Kessler, plan additional
improvements.
ORDER YOUR POPCORN SUPPLIES FROM US
White Japanese Hulless Popcorn Per TOO lbs. $13.95
South American Yellow Hybrid Per 100 lbs. $12.00
(Packed in 50 lb. bags)
Liquid "Popsit Plus" Seasoning Per Case 14.50
(Packed 6 gallons per case)
"Seazo" Coconut Oil Seasoning Per 50 lbs. 13.50
Morton's Popcorn Salt Per Case 2.95
10c Popcorn Boxes, 2 ounce Per 1000 11.25
10c Popcorn Boxes, VA ounce Per 1000 10.00
1 lb. Popcorn Bags, flat bottom, brown Per 1000 1.80
1 lb. Popcorn Bags, flat bottom, white Per 1000 2.20
Vi lb. Popcorn Bags, flat bottom, brown Per 1000 1.20
IV2 lb. Popcorn Bags, pinch bottom, white Per 1000 1.95
Special Softex V4 lb. Bags, white Per 1000 2.00
Printed Sacks, 1 lb. flat bottom, white Per 1000 3.10
Printed noiseless, 1 lb. pinch bottom Per 1000 4.60
Prices Subject to Change Without Notice
DES MOINES THEATRE SUPPLY GO.
1121-23 High St. Des Moines, Iowa
NCA Cites Film Figures
In Lower Rental Plea
MINNEAPOLIS—North Central Allied in
its current bulletin calls on exhibitors to
"push relentlessly for film rentals which can
yield you a full profit." Members are asked,
when dealing with film companies, to remember
industry figures which are cited as
grounds for the reductions.
An appeal also is directed to film company
home office executives who, the bulletin asserts,
"should keep the figures prominently
on their desks and price their product directly
in line with current grosses."
Figures cited by the bulletin are the $135,-
000,000 which distributors will garner from
foreign rentals and the just-issued U.S.
Commerce Depai'tment 1948 statistics showing
that 12 per cent of American theatres
grossed less than $10,000. 19 per cent between
$10,000 and $25,000, and 24 per cent
between $25,000 and $50,000.
"Therefore," says the bulletin, "55 per cent
of all theatres commercially operated grossed
less than $1,000 a week. Obviously, exhibitors
owning these theatres could not possibly
build up sufficient cash reserves to take care
of their vastly increased costs and to replace
worn-out equipment. Nor do they now have
enough reserves to continue to pay film
rentals based on precedent, while at the same
time their boxoffice receipts are being steadily
reduced."
Hooper, Neb., Club Seeks
Reopening of Theatre
HOOPER, NEB.—The Commercial club of
Hooper sponsored a program to reopen the
Hooper Theatre, which has been closed several
months. Rudolph Stastny, former druggist
at Decatur, sold his pharmacy and purchased
the theatre here. He closed it last
spring and moved to Omaha to re-enter the
drug business and he still owns the theatre.
Roy Bott, implement dealer who formerly
owned the theatre, has been named manager.
Child Star Appears
VILLISCA, IOWA — Mickey Michae^,
3'i
years old, who plays the part of Bobby in
"Scarlet Angel," appeared in person at two
performances of the picture here last week.
Mickey, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Pfleger of North Hollywood. Calif., was visiting
here with his uncle, W. B. Johnston, and
his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George
Johnston. He has two brothers who have
played in about 100 pictures. When he appeared
on the stage. Mickey wore a studiodesigned
suit, similar to the one he wore in
the picture during a birthday scene.
Break Big Theatre Window
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — Police
are
seeking a vandal who broke a window at
the Broadway Theatre. Warren Schrimpf,
manager, said that a piece of metal was
hurled from a passing car at a plate glass
window in the theatre entrance.
Leaves Adel, Iowa, Riolto
ADEL, IOWA— Bill Kennedy has resigned
his position with the Rialto Theatre here to
accept a post in Des Moines with Solar Aircraft.
Jack Kennedy, theatre owner, had not
announced a replacement.
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BOXOFFICE :: October 4, 1952