Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

. . . The
. . The
New Columbia Office
To Be Built in Boston
BOSTON—Columbia will have a new Boston
home about September 1. Five parcels of
property on Church and Winchester streets,
purchased recently in the largest real estate
transaction ever to occur on Filmrow, will
enhance and beautify the district when the
new building is completed.
Fred Barnard has sold to Samuel W. and
Sumner L. Poorvu, construction engineers,
the properties, consisting of four apartment
houses on Winchester street and a block of
one-story stores on Church stree*. the latter
now housing Nesti's Lunchroom and the display
shop of Independent Theatre Supply Co.
Demolition of these properties is to start
March 15, with a new two-story reinforced
concrete structure to take their place. The
new building will be made of fireproof brick
and will be air conditioned. Columbia has
taken a long-term lease on the property, moving
from its present quarters at 61 Chuch St
The first floor of the new building will be
used for the shipping and receiving rooms,
while the second floor will be devoted to
office space for district and branch managers,
salesmen, secretaries and bookers.
Plans do not include a screening room. It
will have a corner entrance. The architect is
Abraham Woolf, while the construction will
be handled by the Poorvu brothers, all from
the plans and specifications of Columbia. The
frontage is 80 feet on Church street and about
100 feet on Winchester street.
New Haven Industry Maps
Brotherhood Week Plans
NEW HAVEN—Plans for observance of
Brotherhood Week in the motion picture industry
were made at a meeting in the downtown
Crown Theatre Wednesday (8). More
than 175 persons, including exchange employes,
exhibitors and others, attended.
Dr. Louis A. Radelet, director of the commission
on community organizations of the
National Conference of Christians and Jews,
was the principal speaker.
Charles Benham, regional director of the
NCCJ, also spoke. Harry Feinstein, zone
manager for Stanley Warner Theatres, was
master of ceremonies. Feinstein and Henry
Germaine, Paramount manager, are co-chairmen
of the amusement division committee
for Brotherhood Week.
Believe Theatre Thieves
Stayed Behind to Rob
LEOMINSTER, MASS.—Police were investigating
a burglary at the Metropolitan Theatre
in which a total of $320.90 was taken. A
patrolman, while checking doors in the early
hours of the morning, found the exit door
of the theatre partly open. He notified headquarters
and other officers were sent to the
building.
Officers found the door to the manager's
office open. Inside, they found two cabinets
had been tampered with. The money had
been in four bags in one of the cabinets. A
check by the officers revealed that no forced
entry was made, and they believe the thieves
hid in the theatre after the final showing
Saturday night. Police said a key was used
or the lock was picked to open the office door.
H ART FORD
Timmie Dodd, emcee of the daily Walt Dis-
* ney Mickey Mouse Club TV show, and Ed
Hale of Buena Vista's exploitation department
were here several days for press, radio
and TV interviews and school appearances
as part of a Disney goodwill tour. Dodd has
appeared in over 100 motion pictures, he
told a press group at the Statler Hotel
"Helen of Troy" has been chalking up extended
playing time in both large and small
situations. In an unusual twist, the company
booked the spectacle into the Meriden
and Capitol, Meriden, day-and-date. Only
on rare occasions has a major attraction
played more than one theatre at a time in
that city, which is about 60,000 population.
The Children's Museum of Hartford sponsored
a one-evening performance of "Three
Coins in the Fountain," at 50 cents top at the
Bushnell Memorial Auditorium . Parsons
booked Columbia's "The Prisoner," to
follow the current extended engagement of
"Guys and Dolls" . . . The Sampson-Spodick-
Bialek Empress. Norwalk, tied up with radio
station WNLK for stage presentation of "Miss
Italian Program of 1956" selections.
Leon Webbe of the Schwartz Theatres
checked in from an Idaho vacation, and Bob
Schwartz, circuit chief, got home from Floria
Joe Dolgin, Pine Drive-In, returned
. . . from the southlands . . . The end is near for
the Glastonbury, Glastonbury, operated under
independent banners in recent years. A
classified ad was placed in the local dailies,
offering the structure for manufacturing and
like purposes. Mrs. Frances Lampert, sister
of Morris Keppner of the Burnside Theatres
Corp., East Hartford, had been operating the
small house until recent shuttering.
Ed Lord of Lord Theatres booked "The
Benny Goodman Story" into the Midtown,
Norwich, and the Lord, Plainfield, day-anddate
for TJ-I film's eastern Connecticut bow
Strand, Shelton, turned over an evening
performance's receipts to the Seymour
Congregational Church fund. Shown were
"The Desperate Hours" and "The Glass
Slipper" . . . Stanley Warner houses in the
territory offered special discount coupons for
students and teachers during the run of
"Helen of Troy."
Three Disk Jockey Shows
Play Goodman Records
BRIDGEPORT—Harry Luke,
program director
of radio station WNAB, in cooperation
with Manager Matt Saunders of Loew's Poli
Theatre, turned over the station's three disk
jockey shows to the exclusive playing of
Benny Goodman records on the day "The
Benny Goodman Story" opened at the theatre.
Approximately 14 hours of station time
was devoted to the Goodman recordings. A
visitor at the station during the day was
Dolly Houston, local girl who formerly was
a vocalist with the Goodman band. The
stunt earned story and picture breaks in the
local newspapers.
Ads in Hartford Papers
HARTFORD—Two Alperin houses, the
Colonial in Southington and Rialto in
Windsor Locks, have started advertising in
the Hartford newspapers.
Youths Raid Theatre
And Manager's Home
BRIDGEPORT—Seven youths, once barred
from the Hippodrome Theatre because of
their "tough gang antics," have been charged
with revengeful window-smashing raids on
both the theatre and the home of the manager.
The youths, ranging in age from 15 to 20
years, struck first at the theatre, then sped
to the manager's home in another section of
the city where they shattered five windows
in a terrorizing midnight damage spree.
In city court, Judge Samuel J. Tedesco
angrily branded the group "hoodlums of the
gangster type," seized the driver's license of
the youth who drove the "raid" auto, confiscated
the auto's registration plates and
warned the boys' parents that they would
have to pay all damages under a new state
liability law. All were held in bonds of $500
each, and their parents were ordered to
appear in court for the hearing.
Manager Nathan Greenberg of the theatre
said he had ordered the gang out of the theatre
sometime ago because of their trouble
making. At the theatre, they smashed three
large advertising display boxes and at the
Greenberg home, they hurled rocks, some
weighing 25 pounds, through five 28x28-inch
windows.
The owner of the auto was not involved in
the raid. He had loaned the car to one of the
youths and the registration was picked up
under the law regarding autos used in commission
of an illegal act regardless of ownership.
Flood-Damaged Theatre
Fully Reconditioned
HARTFORD — The
flood-devastated
northern Connecticut region is gradually resuming
its pre-1955 appearances. Latest theatre
to reopen, following extensive remodeling,
is the Jason Theatrical Enterprises' first
run Palace in downtown Torrington. A reported
$100,000 went into the remodeling
project by David and Irving Jacobson. who
also operate the Bristol at Bristol and the
Gem at Willimantic.
The house features a new front, designed
of glass and metal. All of the flood-damaged
fixtures and equipment have been replaced.
Renovation also included installation of new
seats and carpets, air conditioning system and
new heating unit. The walls have been
covered to a point approximately five feet from
the floor with a rose and silver pattern
material, and the lower portions give the
effect of blond wood wainscoting.
The resident manager for Jason is John J.
Scanlan III. On the reopening bill were
"All That Heaven Allows" and "Stormy the
Thoroughbred."
'Chef Philbrook Is New
Pilot at Hartford Airer
HARTFORD—William T. Powell ST., division
manager for Smith Management Co.,
has appointed Joseph "diet" Philbrook. formerly
at the Route 46 Drive-In. Saddle River.
N. J., as manager of the Meadows Drive-In
here, succeeding Harold Cummings. who resigned
to join Stanley Warner Theatres.
The Meadows is Connecticut's only allyear-round
operation, with electric in-car
heating units provided.
BOXOFFICE :
: February 18, 1956 NE 91