m

MILWAUKEE
fJarry Boesel, Fox Palace Theatre manager,
was in the throes of promoting "The
True Story of Jesse James." Already accomplished
was the promotion of a three-column
feature article on Bob Wagner, star of the
film, in the Milwaukee Journal green sheet.
However, the highlight of the exploitation
in addition to arranging a press luncheon
the Schlitz Brown Bottle was
for the star at
his pulling out all the stops in gathering an
immense crowd of teenagers at the theatre
to welcome Wagner.
Joe Reynolds, manager of the Towne Theatre,
also was busy. His guest was Yul Brynner
at a meeting for the press at the Warner
screening room. Brynner had a rather active
day, since in addition to radio and TV
appearances, he spoke at Marquette University's
Memorial Hall in connection with
the crime commission prevention week, sponsored
by the commission, police officials,
school, church and civic groups.
The possibility of showing religious films
in neighborhood theatres is being studied by
a committee of the Lutheran Church-Missouri
synod. The Rev. Herman W. Gockel,
one of the committee members, commentea
thusly on the matter: "For more than a
generation, the church has been bewailing
the influence which the neighborhood motion
picture has had on the mmds and hearts
of those who attend it. Might it be that the
church could make a positive contribution
to the American community by availing itself
of this admittedly influential medium and
exerting its influence for good?" There are
a8 Missouri synod churches in the Milwaukee
area.
Another contribution pertaining to motion
pictures comes from the Rev. John W. Cyrus,
minister of the First Unitarian Church. In
his most recent sermon from the pulpit, he
said: "Censor.ship mistakes the nature of
the moral problem of this or any other age.
Censorship Is an effort to control the intake
of eyes, ears and minds! It is an effort of
a few to determine what the many shall or
shall not see, hear, think or feel." His reaction
was in connection with an effort being
made to create a board of censors or
its equivalent to safeguard the local film
going public.
Milwaukee has had its bomb scare, too.
A call was made to both police headquarters
and the Riverside Theatre boxoffice at 8:25
p.m. Satui'day i2) that a bomb would go off
at 8:30 p.m. The film, "The Teahouse of the
August Moon," was being shown and it was
impossible to search the theatre in five minutes,
so Manager E. J. Clumb ordered the
picture stopped, and announced to the viewers,
some 2,000 in attendance, that a package
of great value had been lost and that the
police would search for it. The theatre was
not cleared, and after the search, the picture
was resumed. It was a moment for Clumb
which called for some fast thinking.
600 Kids Flee Fire
HURON. S. D. — Six hundred children
marched out of the Huron Theatre here on
a recent Saturday afternoon without disorder
or injury when fire swept the interior
of the building. The theatre owner, projectionist
and a high school boy usher took
charge of the situation immediately after
discovery of the fire. The interior of the
building was destroyed.
Three Raise Admissions
MEDFORD, WIS.—Theatres in this area,
the Avon here, the Colby at Colby and the
Abby at Abbotsford, have increased admission
prices. All three houses set adult prices,
for patrons over 18, 60 cents, and children's
tickets for youngsters under 12, at 20 cents.
The Avon's price for students—the 12-17 age
group— is 40 cents, while the Colby and Abby
have 45-cent student admission prices.
'^rf?.yj''^}^. SIOUX CITY, IOWA—The ^J"^,!^,"^Y Hollywood
..
Theatre
and the 75 Drive-In of Sioux City have
been taken over by Irwin Dubinsky of Lincoln,
Neb. Dubinsky also has the West O
Street and Skyview drive-ins in Lincoln. The
Hollywood and 75 Drive-In formerly were operated
by the Affiliated Theatres of Sioux
City.
Michael Redgrave has joined the cast of
UA's "The Quiet American" on location in
Saigon. Vietnam.
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John Waller, 79, Stricken;
Osceola, Iowa Showman
OSCEOLA, IOWA—John Waller, owner of
the Lyric and leading Osceola businessman
for 40 years, died recently at the Clarke
County Hospital. He was 79 years old. Waller
was a pioneer in the motion picture business
in this community, having first owned the
Lyric before World War I. He sold the business
and was gone for a few years, returning
in the early '20s. A few years later he built
the modern theatre building on the west
side of the square.
In addition to his motion picture interests,
he was very active in civic affairs. He was
president of the Clarke County State Bank
for many years, president of the Osceola
school board for a number of years, chairman
of the Osceola water works board of trustees
from its organization, charter member of the
Osceola Rotary Club, active member of the
Chamber of Commerce and before its organization,
active in other business clubs,
member of the Odd Fellows Lodge and of
the Christian Church.
Survivors include his wife and two daughters,
Mrs. Marjorie Hutte and Mrs. Carmen
Byers, both of Osceola.
The Clarke County State Bank has started
a fund to buy an oxygen tent for the Clarke
County Hospital as a memorial to Waller.
Builds Kid Matinees
MANNING, IOWA—Marion Young, new
owner of the Crystal, is promoting the cooperation
of the Manning Chamber of Commerce
and business firms in behalf of Saturday
matinees for the youngsters. Young, his
wife and daughter Nancy moved here from
Anamosa following purchase of the theatre
from J. Fred Dethlefs, who had closed the
house because of illness.
AA Files in Wisconsin
MADISON, WIS.—Allied Ai'tists Pictures of
Illinois, a Delaware corporation, has registered
with the secretary of state here to do
business in Wisconsin, "to manufacture and
deal in all kinds of still and motion pictures,
picture records and files, etc." The application
shows a capital stock of 100 shares of
common of no par value all paid In.
Close Eau Claire Badger
EAU CLAIRE. WIS.—After 31 years in operation,
the Badger Theatre here has closed.
The house was owned by the Louise Homes
estate and it will be remodeled into a twostory
office building. It was operated by the
Minnesota Amusement Co.. which gave up
the lease voluntarily. The theatre was opened
in 1925 as the Wisconsin Theatre.
Ticket-Taker, 83, 111.
MINNEAPOLIS—Andrew Murdock is absent
from his post at the State. The 83-yearold
ticket-taker was taken suddenly ill and
is in Swedish Hospital. During his four years
with the theatre. Murdock never missed a
single day. except last summer when he took
a vacation trip to his native Scotland.
'Shadow,' Story of Blind Girl
A blind girl and a circus magician to whom
she is married are the central characters in
UA's "The Shadow." a circus story.
NC-6 BOXOFFICE February 16, 1957