Boxoffice-January.10.1953

. . Deals
. . Dan
ALBANY
profitable, though not sensational. New
Year's eve business was reported by several
first run theatres, while New Year's day
trade was generally good. The Palace collected
a sizable gross with the one-day i31i
showing of "The Stooge." Warners' Strand
drew fairly well with "April in Paris," which
opened Wednesday for a week's run. Customers
passed through the turnstiles in substantial
numbers Thursday. Managers expected
this would continue through Sunday.
Crowd behavior New Year's eve was orderly,
Al LaFlamme, Strand manager, stated.
The four local first runs, the Palace, Strand.
Grand and Ritz. charged $1 from 5 p. m.
through midnight Wednesday i31), while the
second run Leland collected 74 cents. Last
year, two dow^ntown houses exacted $1.25
Dr. Benjamin Volk. Variety
and two $1 . . .
Club member, ha.s been appointed to the
Albany Boys club advisory board by Warner
G. Morton, president . for the exhibition
of "Bwana Devil" at the Strand here, the
Troy in Troy and Stanley in Utica are reported
in the making. Cy O'Toole, chief sound
engineer for Warner Theatres from New
Haven, and Lou Green, who recently surveyed
the houses for the third-dimensional
process, hopped to Philadelphia to observe
its fir.st presentation in a Warner hou.se . . .
"Here's How" drew approximately 1.100 admissions
in the 1,900-seat Strand on the Mask
and Wig club's annual visit to Albany. Scale
was $1 to $4.20, no tax. The district University
of Pennsylvania alumni group reportedly
made a small profit on the one-nighter.
. . John Wilhelm jr.,
Exchange callers Monday included Phil
Baroudi, operating in North Creek. Warrensburg
and Indian Lake; Clarence Dopp. Frankfort
and Northville; Sam Slotnick, Syracuse
exhibitor who conducts the Lyric, Waterford;
Morris Slotnick, Oriskany Falls and Waterville
Mrs. Antoinette McNamara, who
. . . buys for the Valatie Theatre, was reported
on a vacation in Cuba .
. . . Johnny
.son of the 20th-Fox head booker, celebrated
his second birthday Tuesday
Capano closed the State in Ti-oy on Christmas
eve after presenting a free matinee performance
for 600 youngsters, including
orphans from Hillside school. Candy was distributed.
Capano. assistant booker at U-I,
reported he met Kirk Allyn, who starred in
the Superman and Black Haw^k serials, at
the Crystal Lounge, Troy, Allyn's wife, Virginia
O'Brien (of MGM musicals), was playing
an engagement there.
Three engagements were announced at 20th-
Fox. Barbara Nelson, a junior in Furman
college. Greenville, S. C. and a resident of
Milford. Conn., will marry salesman Clayton
Pantages; Fi-ieda Hannemann of the secretarial
staff is engaged to Kenneth Smith, and
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Charlotte Schwartz, also a secretary, is engaged
to Albert Ginsburg .
Houlihan.
Paramount manager, took a Christmas vacation.
Howard Smith, Paramount salesman,
spent a week's vacation in New York, where
he w-orked for the company 11 years before
coming to Albany.
Si Feld, former 20th-Fox and Columbia
salesman here, is now a salesman with two
clothing lines and a Philippine embroidery
product. The veteran portfolio carrier—he
served the industry for 30-odd years—attended
the recent Juvenile Mart at the Ten Eyck
hotel and planned to be present at similar
"spring exhibition" .showings in Buffalo,
Rochester and Syracuse. Feld, who still lives
in Albany, covers the entire state,
except the
metropolitan area and Westchester county.
Feld is the second local film man to hit the
road recently with a clothing line. Gene
Vogel, former U-I manager and previously an
MGM salesman, now represents Woolmaster
(sportswear! in upper New York state.
Late Bill Smalley Was
Exhibitor for 35 Years
ALBANY—Filmrow mourned the death in
Cooper^town last week (28) of William C.
Smalley, 63, an exhibitor for 35 years and
president of Smalley Theatres. Bill Smalley,
as he was widely known, had made a game
fight for three years to overcome a serious
illness. He was forced to remain away from
his desk at the Cooperstown offices for most
of that time, although able, at different
periods, to take automobile rides now and
then and last winter to vacation in Florida.
A doughty fighter for the rights of independent
exhibitors and a canny small-town
operator. Smalley was born in Danbury. Conn.
As a youth he moved to Mount Upton. N. Y..
where he worked in a milk plant. It was in
that rural community that Smalley first
screened pictures—industry veterans say in an
opera house. At any rate, an opera house in
Cooperstown was his second situation. In
1921, Smalley set up headquarters in that
village, famous as the birthplace and residence
of the novelist. James Fennimore Cooper.
He eventually built up a string of profitable
theatres in the Mohawk Valley and Catskill
Mountain region, totaling 12 at present.
Branch managers, .salesmen and bookers considered
Smalley a tough bargainer but a fair,
generous and likeable man. One of his customs
was to entertain them at the annual
major league all-star game at Doubleday
Field at Cooperstown, where baseball was first
played. Smalley wa-s deeply interested in the
field and the Baseball Hall of Fame at
Cooperstown.
A group from Filmrow attended the funeral
Wednesday afternoon.
His wife Hazel, for 20 years treasurer of
Smalley Theatres, is a survivor.
U to Pay $1.06 Dividend
NEW YORK—Directors of Universal Pictures
Co., Inc., have voted a quarterly dividend
of $1.06 per share on the 4'.. cumulative
preferred stock of the company. It is payable
March 2 to stockholders of record February 16.
Poho sufferers look fo you. Drop Morch of Dimes
slugs into your odvertising for the March of Dimes
drive—Januory 2-31.
Revised NY Theatre
Code Seems Likely
NEW YORK—After nearly three years of
discussion it now .seems certain that the
city council will get a chance to vote on 21
proposed amendments to the building code to
permit placing theatres in office buildings
either above or below street level. Objections
of the fire and building departments have
been ironed out in conferences with the
League of New York Theatres.
The changes are aimed to make it economically
possible to erect new theatres for legitimate
shows. The changes would also apply to
film theatres.
The proposed amendments were first introduced
in the city council by Councilman
Quinn of Queens in April 1950. Objections
were rai.sed by the buildmg and fire departments.
Since that time numerous conferences
have been held.
Under the proposals it would be po.ssible to
erect office buildings over the stages as well
as the auditoriums. By also permitting construction
above or below street level the owners
could rent valuable street level space for
stores.
No new legitimate theatre has been erected
in New York City since 1925. and the number
of legitimate theatres has fluctuated from 20
in 1898 to 68 in 1930. Many of them have
been unprofitable for years and some have
been leased to radio and television companies
for studios.
Seven shows have been unable to find space
in recent weeks.
Grant New Postponement
Plea for RKO Receiver
NEW YORK—Tlie suit of three RKO Pictures
stockholders asking for a temporary receiver
will be heard January 26 without
further postponement. Judge Henry Clay
Greenberg said in supreme coiu-t Monday
i5). He had just granted a fourth postponement
upon application by Louis Kipnis, attorney
for Eli B. Castleman. Marion B. Castleman
and Louis Feuerman, who hold a total
of 2.525 shares Previous postponements had
been requested by RKO attorneys.
Kipnis told the court he had lacked the opportunity
to study affidavits presented by
William Zimmerman. RKO attorney of record,
and C. J. Tevlin, production head. The Zimmerman
affidavit said that RKO now had a
full board of directors, while that of Tevlin
deplored the effect a receivership would have
on 640 studio employes on the payroll and on
certain producers. The latter also said RKO
was starting to shoot two pictures this month.
No objection to another postponement was
made by Albert Connolly, representing Zimmerman;
Judge Samuel Rosenman, representing
Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and
Isidor Kresel, representing David J. Greene,
another stockholder.
Local 306 Hosts Kids
NEW YORK—Harry Garfman. business
representative of the motion picture machine
projectionists Local 306. staged the customary
Christmas party for underprivileged children
at the Hospital of St. Giles the Cripple.
Brooklyn. Members of the Movie Social club
of Brooklyn, organization of operators devoted
to charitable purposes, aided in the distribution
of gifts.
46 BOXOmCE :: January 10, 1953