Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

'Adrian Messenger' Contest Winners Are Announced NEW YORK — Winners in the contest among theatre managers for the best promotion campaigns on Universal’s “The List John Stembler (center), president of TOA, holds one of the winning campaigns as Herman Kass (left) and Philip Gerard of Universal’s advertising-publicity department look on. of Adrian Messenger” have been announced and awarded by Universal and Theatre Owners of America, sponsors of the contest. The winner of the first prize, $300, in the category of cities of more than 100,000 population, was W. Hastings, RKO Orpheum, Denver. Second prize of $200 went to Tom J. Mitchell, Paramount Theatre, Baton Rouge, La. The $100 third prize was won by Irving Gold of the RKO 86th St., New York City. The fourth, fifth and sixth prizes of $50 each went to Lawrence Knee, Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh; Buford Cranch, Loew’s Vendome, Nashville, and Ansel Winston, RKO Keith’s, Dayton. In towns of under 100,000, the first prize winner of $300 was Wayne Berkley, Viking Theatre, Appleton, Wis. ; $200 second prize, William Wyatt, Virginian, Charleston, W. Va.; $100 third prize, Melvin Katz, Embassy, Johnstown, Pa.; fourth, fifth and sixth prize of $50 each, H. Denial, Wyandotte, Wyandotte, Mich.; Ted Conley, World, Billings, Mont., and Hayden “Bud” Owen, Vic, Green Bay, Wis. TOA to Give Herman Levy Testimonial Luncheon NEW YORK — Herman M. Levy, who will bow out as general counsel of Theatre Owners of America on November 1, will be honored at a testimonial luncheon on October 28, on the eve of the start of TOA’s annual convention. The affair will be held at the Americana Hotel, with Stuart Aarons, house counsel for Stanley Warner Corp., as toastmaster. Cochairmen of the luncheon will be Myron Blank, George G. Kerasotes, Arthur H. Lockwood, E. D. Martin, Albert M. Pickus, Samuel Pinanski, Walter Reade jr„ Ernest Stellings and Mitchell Wolfson, all TOA past presidents. Herman M. Levy TOA -N AC Convention Program (Continued from page 5) ated by Lee Koken of RKO Theatres. Charles Baker, vice-president of PepsiCola, will talk on the value of tie-in merchandise, while Louis Collins, executive vice-president of Crush International, will talk on quality and quantity control. Diet drinks for entertainment and fun spots will be the topic for discussion by W. E. Uzzell, vice-president of Royal Crown Cola, and Wesby Parker, chairman of the board of the Dr Pepper Co., will talk on the impact and value of brand names. Concessions and vending in art and conventional theatres will be the subject of a talk by John Johnson, director of concessions and vending of Walter Reade-Sterling, Inc., Oakhurst, N.J. Phil Lowe, head of Lowe Merchandising Service, Newton Center, Mass., will talk on drive-in concessions and vending. “How to Plus Refreshment and Pood Sales” will be the subject of a talk by William Fishman, executive vice-president of Automatic Retailers of America. Jack Fitzgibbons jr„ Theatre Confections, Ltd., Toronto, will talk on the subject of “Putting Our House in Order.” There then will be questions from the floor, followed by addresses by Pat O’Malley, president of Automatic Canteen Co. of Chicago; Thomas J. Deegan, public relations counselor and chairman of the executive committee for the New York World’s Fair; L. V. Burrows, director of planning for Eastman Kodak at the World’s Fair, and Addison Verrill, president of Dale Systems, Inc., who will discuss security and means of halting employe thefts. CURTISS CANDY HEAD TO TALK Charles V. Lipps, president of the Curtiss Candy Co., Chicago, will speak at a business session of NAC on Thursday, October 31, on “What the Candy Industry Is Doing to Merchandise Candy for Concessions.” Lipps, who joined Curtiss in 1959 as executive vice-president and in 1960 was elected its president, has 30 years of experience in direct selling, marketing and sales management. A legal advisory roundtable meeting will be held concurrently by Herman M. Levy, general counsel. The Wednesday luncheon will be sponsored by Motion Picture Advertising Service of New Orleans, with J. J. Rosenfield of Spokane, Wash., serving as chairman. Guest speakers will be Rev. Msgr. Little of New York and producer Carl Foreman of London. Pepsi-Cola will be the host at the dinner that night in the Imperial Ballroom of the Americana. The leadoff session on Thursday will be a seminar on small-town theatre operations, to be chaired by Arnold Haynes, exhibitor of Naples, Fla., who will be assisted by Paul Ricketts, president of the United Theatre Owners of Heart of America; J. T. Hitt, president of Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas; Virgil Odell, president of Mountain States Theatre Owners; Ross Campbell, Sheridan, Wyo., and Mel Gold, National Screen Service. A1 Donahue of Great Falls, Mont., will lead a panel discussion on drive-in operations and concessions, aided by Tom Smiley, Denver; Claude Schlanger, Doyles town, Pa., and David Kamsky, Richmond, Va. “How to Oil the Ticket Machine, or the Science and Showmanship of Selling” will be the theme of a big panel discussion to be led by Robert W. Selig, of National General Corp., in the last half of the Thursday business session. He will be aided by Ernest Emerling, Loew’s Theatres; James Corbett, Scranton, Pa.; M. B. Smith, Kansas City, and Ronnie Otwell, Martin Theatres of Georgia. American International Pictures will be the host of the final luncheon session. Guest speakers will be James Nicholson, AIP president; Samuel Arkoff, vice-president, and C. D. Jackson, publisher of Life SPEAKERS AT NAC SESSION Wesby R. Parker Thomas J. Deegan Magazine, New York. A reception by National Carbon Co. will precede the annual President’s Banquet of which Coca-Cola will be the host. Sumner Redstone will be the toastmaster. Awards will be made to Cary Grant and Angie Dickinson at the affair. The tradeshow will run through the convention daily from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The ladies’ program will start on Tuesday, October 29, with a champagne brunch in the Georgian Room of the Americana, followed by a tour of the city. Another tour has been arranged for Wednesday and a guided tour of the United Nations, where luncheon will be served in the Delegates Room. The Thursday feature will be a luncheon and fashion show at El Morocco. Two Feature Films Retitled HOLLYWOOD — The title of Warner Bros.’ “The Long Flight,” has been changed to “Cheyenne Autumn,” title of Mari Sandoz’ historical narrative. “Bedtime Story” was set as the new title for the Universal-Pennebaker-Lankershim production previously titled “King of the Mountain.” Lincoln V. Burrows BOXOFFICE October 7, 1963 15