Boxoffice-May.31.1971

. .
Sim Heller, Wallace Aiken Marking
40th Year in
GRAND RAPIDS. MINN.—Some 10.-
000 movies later. Sim Heller and Wallace
H. Aiken still are going strong—two men
who have just observed their 40th year as
partners in theatre operation here. It was
the depression-ridden year of 1931 that S.E.
Heller & Co. built trie Rialto Theatre and
at that time it was considered to be one of
the best theatres in Minnesota. Over the
years, Heller and Aiken have modernized
the building and equipment, so that today
the Rialto still ranks as an outstanding modern
showplace.
The passing of their 40th year in business
was observed by the two exhibitors with an
informal dinner, with early theatre associates
as guests. Among those attending were
Mrs. Dahle, their first cashier; Mr. and
Mrs. William Farrell, associated with Heller
in the Grand Rapids venture through restaurant
holdings, and Norman Olson of
Anoka, Minn., who served as manager at
Grand Rapids, then took charge of a newspaper
Heller purchased in Grand Rapids,
newspapered in Bemidji, Minn., on his own
—and who then ended up as a theatre owner
Minnesota Exhibition
wartime and postwar '40s and then the early
1950s. And then, TV was on the entertainment
scene. Many theatres were shuttered
but the houses in Grand Rapids adapted to
the situation and continued to bring their
patrons the best available pictures. The
Heller-Aiken showhouses, like their counterparts,
still feel the effect of the TV competition—but
when an outstanding production
is offered, they're often filled.
One of the reasons the theatres have
weathered the storm is the community
identification enjoyed by both. Aiken has
resided in Grand Rapids throughout his
lifetime. As a youngster, he saw the first
hair-raising movies of the early days. Aiken
recalls that in those days. Grand Rapids
was a community where everyone knew
everybody else by first name. He had no
experience in the world of entertainment
but he had a background of business knowhow
and investment capital and credit, valuable
assets to a new enterprise.
In 1950, Heller moved to Minneapolis.
There, he continues to handle the bookings
MINNEAPOLIS
beginning to be shown and then only as a
novelty. Sound also was excitingly new—and
far below the quality standard of today.
Techniques of lighting, staging and cinematography
ORDER ALL YOUR SPECIAL
— TRAILERS FROM
Northwest Theatres' annual golf tournament
most often were crude by mod-
ern standards. There were some excellent Tack Ignatowicz, Columbia branch booker,
performers but technical limitations prevented
is returning to the local branch from
the often-spectacular performances Chicago. Ignatowicz had been transferred
seen currently. But the public had made from here to the Windy City to book Indianapolis.
He'll be succeeding Marvin
"going to the talkies" a way of life— and
business flourished from the 1930s into the
at
Roger Columbia
Maetzold the local branch when Maetzold
retires July 1 . . . Dietz,
branch head, reports that "The Ander-
son Tapes" was sneaked Friday (14) at the
SPECIAL TRAILERS
Cinema II Theatre. Audience reaction was
^ DRIVE-INS rated by all concerned as "very, very good."
The attraction bows in the Twin Cities in
* Concessions • Merchant Ads
mid-July and it will play the Mann Theatre
• Announcements
here.
was slated for the Coon Rapids golf
course Thursday (20), Richard Tolette and
Paul Lundquist hosting the event. Nine foursomes
were expected in the competition, the
one outing that usually attracts nearly twothirds
of Filmrow's golfing enthusiasts.
Clyde Cutter, Ritz Theatre, was one of those
hoping to walk off with the trophy, this
due to his recent hole-in-one . . . And holein-ones
have become almost ho-hum stuff
along Filmrow this season: Jack Kelvie,
Dean Lutz and Dean's nephew Tom Lutz all
have chalked up the accomplishment within
the past few weeks.
Still on the subject of golf, Paramount
branch boss Forrie Myers landed in the
championship flight in the qualifying round
for the Minnesota Valley Shortstop Tournament
Saturday (15), firing a 77. Par is 73
and Myers' handicap is an 11 ... Woody
Sherrill, MGM division manager, was in
town Wednesday (19) from Chicago .
Lee Campbell, Paramount branch booker,
is on vacation in Florida . . . Shanda Knutson.
Paramount branch contract clerk, became
engaged to Jay Thomas.
Filmrow visitors: Mickey Justad, 218
Drive-In Theatre, Austin; Gene Grengs, Hollywood,
Eau Claire, Wis.; Jim Fraser, Auditorium,
Red Wing; John Glazer, Hollywood.
Tracy: Herb Stolzman. Falls, River
Falls, Wis., and Dennis Slusher, manager
of the Fort, Rock Island, 111., part of the
St Croix Amusement Co. circuit . . . George
for the Grand Rapids theatres. Over the
Carrish. owner-operator, has completed extensive
years, he has been involved in numerous
in Anoka and St. Paul.
remodeling and refurbishing of the
Heller came to Grand Rapids in 1923 as other business activities and he also has been
extremely active in the Variety Club of the New Broadway Theatre, Albert Lea. As
a social science teacher. He was principal
of the school in 1931 when he left education
Northwest, notably in helping with its sponsorship
part of the project, the lobby was totally
of the Variety Club Heart Hospital redone, new doors were installed, new dis-
to launch his theatre venture. Heller
was succeeded by E. O. Olson, who moved the University of Minnesota.
play cases were added and new concession
at
on to county superintendent of schools before
Heller and Aiken calculate that more than stands installed. Ken Keesling is manager.
he. too, became associated with theatre 10.000 features and 15.000 short subjects
business in Northfield. Minn., as Heller's have been shown at their theatres—and have Jack "Ace" Kelvie, junior vice-president
partner there.
In 1937, S.E.
been viewed by some 4,000.000 patrons. In
a recent visit by Heller to this community,
of Theatre associates, may turn golf pro. according
to tongue-in-cheek Filmrow reports.
Heller & Co. purchased a
building here and installed the Rapids Theatre
the two theatre veterans reminisced about Caddying for his boss Tom Burke. Kelvie
cut strokes off Tom's game! Kelvie just
1 1
in a portion of the structure. The com-
their long-time association together and with
pany maintains its offices in another part Grand Rapids . . . and Heller summed it up might be a dark horse to win the Variety
of the building. In 1953, the Pinetree Drivein
thusly: "The people of the Grand Rapids Club golf tournament, to be held early in
area have been good to us. We appreciate
Theatre on Highway 169 east of Grand
September . . Ground-breaking ceremonies
Rapids was built.
this and we shall continue to do the best we
.
were held Saturday (15) for the new ABC
When the Rialto Theatre opened Memorial
can to provide good motion pictures for Skyway Entertainment Center, to be located
the community."
at 711 Hennepin Ave., site of the old Lyric
Day 1931, movies in color were j
List
Theatre. Construction is expected to take
nine months—but a completion target date
has not been set. The center will contain
two theatres (Skyway I and II. shops, parking
areas, restaurants and cocktail lounges.
Bill Cohan Is Exec Producer
For 'Shattered Silence'
From Eastern
Edition
NEW YORK—Bill Cohan, former film
executive-turned-manufacturer, returns to
film industry ranks as executive producer
of "The Shattered Silence," which William
L. Snyder will produce and Daniel
Mann will direct from the screenplay by
Albert Maltz based on the book about
Israeli masterspy Eli Cohen by Zwy Aldouby
which Coward McCann and Geoghegan
will publish in late May.
Cohan recently went to Israel and obtained
cooperation from Cohen's widow
and the government. Filming is expected to
get under way there later this year".
BOXOFFICE :: May 31, 1971