Boxoffice-December.20.1952

A SECOND GENERATION EXHIBITOR STEPS AHEAD
David Schine Assumes Active Role
In Far-Flung Schine Organization
ALBANY — G. David Schine, 25-year-old
son of J. Meyer Schine, head of the Schine
theatre, radio, candy store and hotel empire,
occupied a seat at the right hand of hi.s
father at the 1952 convention here of the
Schine theatre circuit managers and executives.
Throughout the gathering in the Ten
Eyck hotel the strong attachment between
father and son was obvious.
These and many other developments of the
last three years leave no doubt that the mantle
of leadership of the 150-theatre circuit and
other enterprises is intended for the tall,
industrious heir.
A HARVARD GRADUATE
Born in Gloversville, N. Y., where the
Schine circuit was founded in 1918-19 by J.
Meyer and his brother Louis W. Schine, David
was educated at Phillips academy, Andover,
Mass., and Harvard university. He served
during the last war in the army transport
service with the rank of lieutenant.
After finishing college and war service some
three or four years ago, he joined the Schine
companies, and from the first showed an
interest and willingness to work and learn
that must have pleased his able father exceedingly.
He now holds the titles of executive
vice-president and general manager of
Schine Enterprises: president and general
manager of Schine Hotel, Inc., which owns
the Ten Kyck here and the Roney Plaza in
Miami. Fla., among others, and vice-president
of radio station WPTR here.
In his address at this year's convention of
Schine Chain Theatres, Inc., David displayed
a keen grasp of the fundamentals of the
motion picture business and a sound outlook
on the future. He talked fluently from notes,
and in an interview later on, repeated without
hesitation the principal points and details.
He expanded on the formal remarks
by observing that it would be beneficial to
the industry if more sons of pioneer exhibitors
became active participants in the
business.
ENTHUSIASM OVER NATURAL VISION
One of the phases on which David then
spoke enthusiastically was Natural Vision, the
three-dimension process, and the first picture
produced with it. Arch Oboler's "Bwana
Devil," now being relea.sed over the nation.
He had discussed Natural Vision with President
Milton L. Gunzburg during a visit to
the Los Angeles, and had seen "Bwana Devil."
On the ba-sis of this conference with Gunzburg
and the preview of the flim, young
Schine predicted Natural Vision would be "a
shot in the arm" for the motion picture
business. Because the process requires no
major changes in existing theatres, David
.said It could be easily installed and he predicted
the Schine circuit might be one of
the first to utilize the Innovation,
Another interesting comment of his was
that an upward adjustment of motion picture
admission .scales might be necessary because
of increased costs of operation.
A member of various buslneas and trade
G. DAVID SCHINE
associations, young Schine scion is a founding
and youngest member of the Young Presidents
Organization, a group which has received
a great deal of publicity in national
media recently. He belongs to the Harvard
Club of New York City, where executive offices
of Schine Hotels are located and where
David lives.
Single, his main interest other than business
is international government. David
traveled in Europe last summer, visiting
France, Spain and other countries to observe
economic conditions. He visited what is now
NATO headquarters, American embassies,
hotels and industrial plants, and talked with
Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff, head of RCA, and
with military men. He returned to the United
States alive to the necessity for freemen
everywhere uniting in opposition to communism.
A dynamic faith in freedom and a
willingness to accept the full responsibilities
which it entails are a "must" for all Americans,
David believes.
David, like his mother Hildegarde, is a
musician and composer. Several of his numbers
have been published. His hobbies are
music, photography, painting and art collecting
(he owns a library of first editions and
rare books.)
Handsome in appearance, he is direct and
persuasive in conversation and friendly in
attitude.
David is one of fom- children. His oldest
sister Doris is married to Dr. Morton Maxwell,
a physician. Renee, the younger sister, is the
wife of Lester Crown of Chicago. A brother
Richard, 18, Is a student at Harvard. Hildegarde
Schine, their mother is well known for
her gracious and friendly personality. She
plays the piano and organ; composes numbers
which have been played on radio network
programs; paints and has other interests. She
Is on the board of directors for the summer
music .series at Lewi.sohn Stadium in New-
York City.
Pilots Drop in For
Illinois Premiere
SALEM, ILL.—Airplane pilots from St.
Louis and other cities within a radius of 160
miles of here will drop down from the sky
to the Salem airport here Thursday (1) to
attend the premiere showing at Loren Cluster's
Salem Theatre of the film, "Above and
Beyond."
Cluster, with the cooperation of Andy
Anderson and Charles Wells, co-managers of
the Salem airport, have sent invitations to
approximately 100 pilots of private airplanes
in the area surroimding Salem in southern
Illinois, western Missouri, Kentucky and
Indiana. Most of them already have signified
their intention of flying here for the
big film event—the first showing of the picture.
Anderson and Wells have made arrangements
not only for proper parking of the airplanes
at the airport but also for transportation
between the airport and the Salem
Theatre at 119 South Broadway, in the heart
of downtown district of the city.
"Above and Beyond" is to be shown at the
Salem Theatre from January 1 through January
3rd and another outstanding event in
connection with the premiere rumiing of the
film is to be the personal appearance here
on January 3 of Commandant Paul Tibbetts
of Eglin Field, Fla., who was the pilot in
charge of the airplane that dropped the "A"
bomb on Hiroshima. That historic event is
the basis for the motion picture "Above and
Beyond."
Tibbetts, a native of Quincy, III., is a
member of the Salem Post of the American
Legion, which w-as responsible for the GI
bill of rights. He is flying up from Eglin
Field, near Pensacola and is to arrive here
the evening of Friday, January 2. He is to
appear on the stage of the Salem Theatre at
the conclusion of each running of the feature
film on January 3, which opens that day at
12:30 a.m. and to run three times on the
day's program. Pilot Tibbetts made the decision
to bomb Hiroshima.
New Contract Departments
Set Up at United Artists
NEW YORK—New contract departments
have been set up in the eastern-southern and
western and Canadian divisions of United
Artists sales department by B. G. Kranze,
general sales manager. The new plan does
away with a single contract department and
creates two.
One will be under the direction of John
Hughes, in the eastern-southern division
headed by Milton E. Cohen, and the other
will be handled by Arthur Reinian in the
western division under the direction of Division
Manager James Velde, and in the Canadian
division, headed by Division Manager
Charles Chaplin.
Hughes has been serving as assistant to
Cohen and Reiman has been assistant to
Joseph Sugar, who has been head of the
over-all contract department and has just
been named as branch manager in New York.
Cohen, Velde and Chaplin have been named
as co-captains of the Bernie Kranze drive
which will start Monday (22) and continue
26 weeks.
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BOXOFFICE December 27, 1952