Boxoffice-December.20.1952

inancing of Drive-ins
Basy in Minnesota
from ricffli Central Edition
MINNEAPOLIS—The future of film exhlbllon
may be enshrouded In uncertainty for
Dme Indlvldual.s and groups Inside and out-
;. Ide the Industry, but that fact Isn't mukliiK
difficult to raise Investment funds for
rivc-ln theatre construction In tills terrlory.
Owners of conventional theatres themselves
nd "outsiders" hereabouts. seeminKly unfrald
as to what the big bad wolf television
Ul do to the ozoners. are showing a surprLs-
)g willingness to put money into outdoor
leatrc projects. As a result, a considerable
. lunber of such projects are now under con-
.; ruction or in the planning stage throughout
le
territory.
This situation seems all the more noteorthy
to industry leaders In view of the fact
lat, aside from any effects that the future
svelopment of TV may have on exhibition of
ery .sort, the ozoner projects in this terriiry
Involve even more .speculative risk than
other areas because of the shortness of the
ason and more than normal weather unftainties.
Most of this area's drive-ins operate a
Bximum of five months a year, and during
ose five months the nights frequently are
Id and conducive to staying indoors. With
bulk of business coming on week-ends.
iny Fridays. Saturdays or Sundays may
tell near disaster for the boxoffice, it is
tinted out. A total of two months of favor-
»le weather during the operating season is
insidered better than average.
kouros Speaks in London
)n Far East Market
^m» im Eastern Edition
LONDON—Opportunities for a "fabulous"
wket for American and British pictures in
^pan and a rapidly expanding market in
donesia and India were outlined by Spyros
Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox,
executives of the J. Arthur Rank Organitlon
at a luncheon given by the Circuits
Uiagement Ass'n December 18.
"Theatre television is the greatest hope In
domestic market and will increase the-
•e receipts to three times what theatres
ve done since the end of World War II,"
Auras predicted.
ommunity Sing at Loew's
m Mideast Edition
AKRON—Loew's Akron is reviving the
mmunity sing, and Chic Herr has been
gaged to play the theatre's $40,000 Wurzer
organ, which was a feature of the
use for many years up to 1949. There will
a ten-minute organ program before each
owing of the feature on Thursdays, Friys,
Saturdays and Sundays, with slides
Shed on the screen to give the patrons the
|ht words—if they care to sing.
yctn Foy on 'Morgan's Raiders'
Production reins on Warner.s' "Morgan's
liders" have been handed to Bryan Foy.
".6 Civil War drama is being penned by
ane Wilbur.
BOWLING
KANSAS CITY Kllin Ut-llvtry tontliiui-d
to pace the Fllmrow Men's BowlInK league
with 42 trlumph.s and 22 la-Jics. flllz Theatre
slipped Into .srcond place with 40 ai>d 24,
while MOM. after un early sca.son .'iurgc to
the top. wa.s tagged with the seventh spot
In the standings. Sessions will reconvene on
January 7.
Teom Won Lott Team Won Lott
Film D«ltv«rv 42 22 Commonwealth 30 34
Rtli Theatre 40 24 Michael'i 21 )6
Fo< Trolter% J9 25 MOM 27 17
Fo> All Stan Jl JJ Screenlond .1* 4S
Brownsville, Pa., Rescinds
10 Per Cent Ticket Tax
From Ea%tcrn Edition
BROWNSVILLE. PA. — Council members
rescinded this city's amu.sement tax last week
after theatre owners threatened to clo.se their
houses in February. Appearing before the
Brownsville council were owners, projectionists
and other business representatives. Officials
of the Fayette Amu.sement Co., operator of the
Brownsville theatres, said the theatre would
have to be closed and employes laid off unle.ss
they were relieved of the 10 per cent amusement
levy. They had staged an active campaign
all year to have the tax removed.
About two months ago Brownsville entered
a suit to collect amusement taxes from the
Payett* Amu.sement Co's Plaza, estimating
that from April to the end of September the
theatre owed the political subdivision $2,912.11.
The exhibitors said that the two other local
theatres had been closed for a number of
months, mostly as a result of the local 10
per cent amusement tax and the federal tax
of 20 per cent.
Frisina Co. May Reopen
Lyric at Gillespie, 111.
GILLESPIE, ILL.—The Frisina Amusement
Co. contemplated reopening its 750-seat Lyric
here on Christmas day. The theatre has been
dark since June 28. Don Griffin of Charleston,
111., a representative of the Frisina company,
has been here making a community survey
in anticipation of the reopening.
RKO Dividends to $5.25
CHICAGO—The Balaban & Katz Corp. declared
a $2 quarterly dividend, ending the
year with a total of $5.25 in dividends as
against $6 for 1951. General Manager David
Wallerst«in said the company was giving
$50,000 in bonuses to employes for Christmas.
Diamond Film Planned
rrom Western Edition
HOLLYWOOD—"The King of Diamonds,"
to be filmed in Technicolor on location at the
Kimberly diamond mines in South Africa, has
been scheduled for 1953 production by the
Dudley Pictures Corp. It is being scripted
and will be produced by Carl Dudley.
New Equipment for Granada
INDEPENDENCE, MO.—Officials of Associated
Theatres, Inc., announce the installation
of new hi-intensity lamps and a new
generator at the Granada Theatre here. The
generator weighs 900 pounds.
RESEARCH BUREAU
for
MODERN THEATRE PLANNERS
ENROLLMENT FORM FOR FREE INFORMATION
The MODERN THEATHE
PLANNING INSTITUTE
825 Van Brum Blvd
Kansas City 24, Mo.
Gentlemen:
12-27-52
Please enroll us in your RESEARCH BUREAU
to receive inlormation regularly, as released, on
the following subjects for Theatre Planning:
n Acoustics
n Air Conditioning
Architectural
Serrice
n "Black" Lighting
G Building Matericd
D Lighting Fixture!
Plumbing Fixture*
D Projecton
Q Projection Lamps
Seating
Carpets
D Coin Machines
'-^
^
a Complete Remodeling
Sound Equipment
n Decorating ^ Television
D Drink Dispensers Zj Theatre Fronts
„„.,,,. n Signs and Marquees
Drive-In Equipment Q Vending Equipment
D Other Subjects
Theatre
Seating Capacity
Address
City t.
State :
Signed ~..
Postage-paid reply cards for your further convenience
in obtaining information are provided in The MODERN
THEATRE Section, published with the first issue of
each month.
XOFFICE December 27, 1952 64-C