The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

THE EXH I B I T 0 R NT-1 iXKWS OF mil BRANCHES Atlanta Ralph McCoy, branch manager, Film Classics, returned to his office after the sales meeting in New York City. . . Back on the job after a vacation in Florida is Spence Pierce, 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox publicity. After his return, Emery Austin, MGM, went toFlorida for a vacation, and got the same beach apartment that Pierce had. Harvey Smith, coowner-manager. Tower, was off on a trip to New York City. ...Mel Brown, manager, Peachtree Art, was back after a booking trip to New York. Ben Jordan and Jimmy Campbell, Mono¬ gram salesmen, were in for a sales meeting., ,,Guy Brown, Film Row execu¬ tive, recalled a sage piece of advice given him once upon a time to the effect that “You can never be more than 100 per cent wrong.” Recent visitors included D.R. Kess¬ ler, Anchor Litho Company, Lakeland, Fla.; Frank Merritt and Harry Curry, Acme, Birmingham, and C. P. Cohen, Lin¬ coln, Key West, Fla., and Royal, Panama City, Fla. Jack Jackson, special representa¬ tive, Sack Amusement Enterprises, was in. Visiting were E.F. Ray, Rex, Alex¬ ander City, Ala., and R.D. Baker and Gene Hicks, Lake, Loudon, Tenri....Jim Squires, Knoxville Scenic Studios, Knoxville, Tenn. , was visiting Wilson Enterprises. ... Visiting Charlie Durmeyer. Southern Automatic Candy Com¬ pany, was W.F. Wells, owner. Wells and Opera House, Newberry, S.C., a real old-timer. Jimmy Wilson, Wilson Enterprises booking agency, was off to Florida... A step toward compliance with city and state building and fire safety laws has been taken by the owners of eight neighborhood theatres here, who re¬ ceived bids for installation of sprink¬ ler systems in the theatres. The following properties of the Community Theatres Company were listed as in¬ volved in the sprinkler installation project, the Cascade, Euclid, Gordon, Little, Five Points, Plaza, Sylvan, Techwood, and West End. Babe Cohen, former manager. Mono¬ gram Southern exchange, left with his wife to take over his duties as co¬ owner, New Orleans branch. Screen Guild. He takes with him the well wishes of everyone on Film Row. Nell Argue, Pilot Club, is a super sales-woman of U. S. Security Bonds. She recently won a $100 prize in a contest for individual bond sales, selling $205,231 worth. The prize was donated by William K. Jenkins, presi¬ dent, Georgia Theatres, Inc. John M. Outler, Jr. , general mana¬ ger, WSB and WSB-TV, predicted re¬ cently before the Kiwanis Club that television, like radio, will hit its stride when low-priced receiving sets are on the market. Harry Whitestone, the Georgia tent showman and magician for Phillip Morris, was on Film Row. ... Another tent showman visiting was Ralph John¬ son.... Hap Barnes, the Alabama and Tennessee drive-in theatre operator, was on Film Row booking. Crescent Amusement Company reac¬ quired the Rialto and Gem, Kingsport, Tenn. , from Wilby Theatres. Wilby continues to operate its own house, the State, Kingsport, Altec signed sound service deals with the Parrish, Parrish, Ala,; Ritz, Scottsboro, Ala. ; Ritz, Bridgeport, Ala. ; Ritz, Arab, Ala. , and the Drive, Hallandale, Fla. Monogram Southern Exchanges has a new branch manager in the person of Jimmy Hobbs, who succeeds “Babe” Cohen. Hobbs was former Republic manager. Cohen is now managing Screen Guild in New Orleans. Florence Chamlee, head, accounting department. Monogram Southern Ex¬ changes, returned to her desk after a visit to Greensboro, Ga. , with Dorothy Edmonds, formerly with the company. . . . Ralph McCoy, Film Classics, was off to Florida on a business trip.... Mrs, Blanche Hicks, MGM, was off to South Georgia, and Myrtle Dillard went to Florida on vacation. Back from a Florida vacation at Monogram with a beautiful sun tan was Mrs. Leona Delong. ... Frank Jene, for¬ merly with U-I, was visiting from Florida. .. Gene Kinard, Fox projection¬ ist, was taking a vacation at Jackson¬ ville Beach, Fla. Sonny Shepherd, the Miami showman, was renewing friendships at the Variety Club,... Lois Johns is' new at the Tower. ... Everyone is pulling for William M. “Bill” Kemp, bug iness agent. Noted impressionist Dean Murphy and his wife, Dorothy Day, famed Florida columnist, are seen in the lobby of the Astor, New York, on their ar¬ rival for the recent world premiere of the Allied Artists production special, "The Babe Ruth Story". operators’ union who works at the Tower, who is running for House of Representatives. On a visit to Harvey Smith, coowner and manager. Tower, was James Cartledge, manager, Wilby-Kincey’ s Pal¬ metto, Spartanburg, S. C. Smith put Cartledge to work so he didn’ t have much of a vacation. Congratulations go to Harvey Smith, Tower, who celebrated another birth¬ day recently by taking the whole family down to Anderson, S.C,.,.The Tower had its first “owl” show re¬ cently, and played to SRO, so it looks like it will be a regular Saturday night affair from here on in.... Back after a trip to Birmingham, Ala, , were R.J. Ingram, southern district manager, and George Roscoe, branch manager, Columbia .... Jack Pries, business agent. Local 225, and Fox projectionist, was reelected presi¬ dent at the recent meeting. The or¬ ganization will meet in Birmingham next year. A.C. Bromberg, president, and Jimmy Hobbs, branch manager. Monogram Southern Exchanges, are back after attending a Chicago sales meeting. , . . Jimmy Wilson, Wilson and Moore Enter¬ prises, returned from a trip to Ten¬ nessee. ... Film Row was glad to wel¬ come back George Bell, who returned to Monogram after illness. Jimmy Freu, branch manager for U-I in Charlotte, has been transferred to the Atlanta branch replacing JimPartlow, who resigned recently to go to Florida in the drive-in theatre busi¬ ness. Mrs. Bettie Ginn, Republic, returned to her post after a vacation, ... Mrs. Kate Waits, Benton Brothers, returned from her vacation. ... Eddie Addison, Eagle Lion publicist, was recently in Birmingham working on “Canon City”. The Mrs, went with him. Charlotte The Morris announced that it would be closed for three days each week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays, for the duration of the polio restriction, Altec signed sound service deals with the Pastime, Monroe, N.C., and the Pendleton, Pendleton, S.C. L.R. “Jimmy” Gilland, Jr., is the new booking manager, Everett Enter¬ prises. He assumed his new duties on Aug. 9, He is iii charge of all booking for the circuit’ s 50-odd theatres, and also is an assistant to E, G. Stellings, buyer. Baseball is one of the prime "busi¬ ness hurters” in this territory. One exhibitor writes of the “evil” in this way: “Everybody is staying away from the theatre and going to the ball games, including myself.” J.V. Frew, U-I branch manager, has been transferred to Atlanta, and J. W. Greenleaf, salesman, has been promoted to branch manager, while Bill McClure, head bookkeeper, has been made sales¬ man. August 11, . 1948 Southern