Loew's Canal

This is a Rebecca Lepkoff image from "There Once Was A Neighborhood." Note the prices, $.28 adult and I think $.15 kids. Who knows, these kids could be KVers? Other than the all Chinese "Sun Sing" Theatre on 75-85 East Broadwayy, the Canal was our closest movie theater. My only fault with this wonderful book was that there were no dates or exact locations specified for each picture. I did my own detective work though. In the background you can see that the feature at the Canal on that date was Parachute Battalion, well here's info on that movie:
Leslie Goodwins was born in London and came to America in the ‘30s, beginning his career as director of 2-reel films at RKO Studio. He began blazing an individual trail from 1936 onwards and found success with the making of films starring Wally Brown and Alan Carney. However, Goodwins really came into his own with Universal Studios, for whom he made the memorable The Mummy’s Curse, and then with Paramount (Glamor Boy). He is also known for his 30-minute TV episodes of popular serials Topper and Tammy. C&C Films Inc.’s Parachute Battalion (sept, 1941) was a showcase for the 501st Parachute Battalion at Ford Bennings, the members of which performed the actual jumps in this film.

THE PLOT: Bill Burke is none too steady on his feet when he arrives at the 501st Parachute Battalion’s recruitment center, Georgia, to enlist. Don Morse (Robert Preston) , the egoistic All-American quarterback, has his own reasons for wanting to join up - he’s in legal trouble over two-timing the ladies one too many times. Bill Burke (Edmond O’Brien) and Jeff Hollis (Buddy Ebsen) are not enlisting on purely patriotic grounds, either - but this disorganized bunch is soon molded into infantry shape by the rigors of boot camp. Those who are apparently well-connected at the base are soon disabused of all notions of preferential treatment.

As training gets serious, the new recruits slowly become aware of the awesome responsibility they have toward the Battalion and their country. It soon becomes evident that parachute jumping is a rather refined skill in which half measures will not do and weak nerves have no place. When Jeff Hollis begins to lose his courage, he must fight some vicious demons while having to contend with his friend Donald Morse for the affections of indecisive, beautiful young Kit Richards (Nancy Kelly) - who just happens to be the daughter of tough Colonel William Richards (Harry Carey) !

As this unlikely assortment of paratroop recruits proceeds to merge into a single-minded fighting unit, personal prejudices and agendas are left behind and the cause of the country becomes their predominant driving force.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: With war fever at its greatest pitch in 1941, recruitment into the American Armed Forces was a major issue. Parachute Battalion was shot on location at Fort Bennings in Georgia, and includes dramatic scenes of parachute drops performed by star troopers from the 501st Parachute Battalion. The story revolves around a motley crew of fresh recruits, each signing up for his own reasons but finally emerging as a seasoned paratrooper. The film, directed with great insight by Leslie Goodwins, brilliantly highlights the fact that nobody starts off as a pro in the Armed Forces, and that this is no limitation on future glory. Donald Morse, Jeff Hollis and Bill Burke, though from vastly diverse backgrounds, overcome their personal demons and biases to blend perfectly into an effective paratrooper unit. This classic inspirational feature film contributed significantly to the overall image of the American Armed Forces and lent the concept of fighting for the country a deserved aura of glamour and romance."

Postscript: I wonder what Triple Screeno, a feature at the Canal that day in 1941, was all about? Robert Preston, who starred in Parachute Battalion, later starred in "Sgt Preston of the Yukon"