Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

QUIGLEY AWARDS CONTENDERS L. H. ALLEN Rivoli, London, Eng. KENNETH ANDREWS Odeon Bedmins+er, Eng. JOHN BALMER V'/a ter Reade Theatres Plainfield, N. J. JOSEPH S. BOYLE Poli, Norwich, Conn. J. T. BRIDGES Victory, Timmins, Can. C. F. BRODIE Regal, Barrow, Eng. BILL BURKE Capitol, Brantford, Can. BOB CARNEY Poli, Waterburg, Conn. H. CLAYTON-NUTT Broadway, Eccles, Eng. LOU COHEN Poli, Hartford, Conn. D. S. COPELAND Globe, Stockton, Eng. MAX COOPER Cove, Glen Cove, N. Y. BOB COX Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. NORMAN COX Hippodrome Middlesbrough, Eng. L. H. CRATE Union, Dunstable, Eng. ELMER N. DE WITT Mailers Theatres Defiance, Ohio CHARLIE DOCTOR Capitol Vancouver, Can. JOHN W. ELLIS Odeon, Chester, Eng. DOUGLAS EWIN Savoy Stourbridge, Eng. GEORGE J. FORHAN Belle, Belleville, Can. CHARLES L. FOWLER Hippodrome Huddersfield, Eng. ARNOLD GATES Stillman, Cleveland, O. H. GENT Hippodrome Liverpool, Eng. JOHN W. GERARD Tasma Coffs Harbour, Australia B. GILCHRIST Gaumont South Shields, Eng. ADAM G. GOELZ Lido Michigan City, Ind. T. F. GRAZIER Arcade, Darlington, Eng. ARTHUR HALLOCK Para., Baltimore, Md. BOB HARVEY Capitol, North Bay, Can. R. C. HOSKINS Palace Kensal Rise, Eng. VERN HUDSON Capitol St. Catharines, Can. D. HUGHES Regal, Cheltenham, Eng. W. R. JENKINS Gainsborough Bootle, Eng. WENDELL JONES Lee, Bristol, Va. b CLARK R. JORDAN Linda, San Diego, Cal. NYMAN KESSLER DeWitt, Bayonne, N. J. WALTER KESSLER Loew's, Columbus, O. SIDNEY KLEPER College, New Haven Conn. LEE KRAMER Ohio, Marion, Ohio JOHN LABOSKY Lynn, Lufkin, Texas H. LAYBOURNE Odeon, Southsea, Eng. R. E. LEACH Granby, Reading, Eng. JOHN LONGBOTTOM Odeon Middlesbrough, Eng. J. NORMAN LONGLEY Imperial, Walsall, Eng. ABE LUDACER Valentine, Toledo, Ohio GERALD D. LUEDTICE Adler, Marshfield, Wis. T. MURRAY LYNCH Paramount Moncton, Can. E. A. MAC KENNA Joy, New Orleans, La. C. G. MANHIRE Savoy, Edinburgh, Scot. L. MITCHELL Princess Barnsley, Eng. R. MORRISON CHAPMAN Odeon Middlesbrough, Eng. A. H. MOSS Ritz, Wigan, Eng. TOM MUCHMORE Canoga Park Canoga Park, Cal. S. V. MURDOCH Gaumont, Aufield, Eng. F. B. PAGE Rex, Islington, Eng. JACK PARDUE Starlite N. Wilkesboro, N. C. PEARCE PARKHURST Drive-In, Lansing, Mich MATT PLUNKETT Uptown, Detroit, Mich. LESTER POLLOCK Loew's, Rochester, N. Y. SIDNEY SALE Granada, Dover, Eng. W. S. SAMUELS Rita, Longview, Texas MATT SAUNDERS Poli, Bridgeport, Conn. F. B. SCHLAX Kenosha, Kenosha, Wis. IRVING SCHMETZ Forest Hills Forest Hills, N. Y. RUSSELL SCHMIDT Tacoma Theatres Tacoma, Wash. HAROLD SHAMPAN Odeon, London, Eng. AL SHERMAN Georgetown Washington, D. C. S. L. SORKIN Keith, Syracuse, N. Y. BOYD SPARROW Warfield San Francisco, Cal. MURRAY SPECTOR Plaza, Englewood, N. J. P. C. STEVENSON Regal, Leigh, Eng. BILL TRAMBUKIS Regent Harrisburg, Pa. J. W. TURNER Savoy, Sale, Eng. DALE F. TYSINGER Shea, Ashtabula, O. LARRY WHITEMAN Roosevelt San Francisco, Cal. G. C. WILLIAMS Regent, Chatham, Eng. H. F. WILSON Capitol, Chatham, Can, Round Table ■TV Dan Krendel starting another “Ballyhoo Bonanza’’ contest in his Ontario “B” district for Famous-Players Canadian, which always have superfine results in showmanship and satisfaction, but we note one added prize on his list that we can’t applaud. He offers a $25.00 prize for the best and most colorful cover on a campaign book submitted during the contest. We’ve learned through twenty years of the Quigley Awards that there’s no profit in putting elaborate covers on entries — judges are not impressed, at least not favorably towards the contender — and the inference is that much effort has been added without any true impression of superior skills in the managerial department. We have an example at hand, from Canada that does not conform to basic Quigley Award rules in this respect. To quote, “No fancy entries are necessary. Costly and time-wasting ‘gingerbread’ decorations are not encouraged.” . . . The fourth quarter of 1953 has ended, and the judging for this quarter in the Quigley Awards competition will be held shortly. We must confess that we are “overboard” with entries from Canada and overseas — that it appears as though some of our domestic showmen ha\e been sitting back waiting for something to happen. It won’t — unless you create it. And business is good in Canada because they make it good. . . . Ivan Ackery literally painted the town — an old habit of his — when he encouraged 1000 carriers for the Vancouver Daily Province to enter a coloring contest which he conducted as promotion for the Orpheum theatre. Result was a co-op page and terrific support from loyal newspaper friends. . . . We’re glad to see a picture of Bob Eves — FP-C’s new supervisor on Canada’s west coast to replace the loss of Larry Bearg — because we never had a chance to meet him. V V V jf| Paul Brown, manager of Warner’s Fresno theatre, Fresno, Calif., aS sends two good photos of his Christmas show, one of the crowd waiting outside, and the other of the youngsters occupying every seat in the packed house. It was all free to the kids, with sponsorship by local merchants, and 5,300 of them were entertained at two shows between 9 :00 and 12 :30 on the morning of December 26th. Police and Fire Department were on hand, for emergencies! But everybody had a good time, and every child received a gift. . . . Earle M. Holden, shows us a proof of his Happy New Year advertising in Savannah papers for the Lucas and Avon tneatres. . . . Dale Baldwin, up-and-coming manager of the Parkway theatre, West Jefferson, N. C., uses every holiday to the advantage of his theatre. He had Santa Claus on hand for Christmas and he has booked Dan Cupid for Valentine’s Day. . . . Dan schuder, manager of the Circle theatre, Indianapolis, had such an effective tieup with local stores for “Walking My Baby Back Home” that they simulated scenes for Donald O’Connor window displays. . . . Francis Gill, manager of the Paonia theatre, Paonia, Colorado, sends his monthly calendar with greetings from the North Fork Valley and says business is good and he’s holding his own. His calendar travels to box holders via local postal permit No. 9. . . . Larry Whiteman, manager of the Roosevelt theatre, San Francisco, submits his last entry for the Quigley Awards for 1953, and reports that he had a super-sized, seven-foot candy cane as a special prize at his Christmas show, which was won by an eight-year-old. The occasion was sponsored by a candymaker with gifts for all the children. V V V I Lee Kramer, manager of the New Ohio theatre, Marion, Ohio, sends a clipping from the Columbus Citizen, published fifty miles away, with a by-line story of his sponsored children’s show, which credits him and the cooperative supermarket owner with being the unofficial champions — “They Baby-Sit for 500 Children” — it costs the sponsor $75 a week, and they are in their second nine-week schedule. . . . Harry Wilson, manager of the Capitol theatre, Chatham, Ont., sends a photo of the sponsored prizes which he gave away on New Year’s Eve, all promoted from local merchants without cost to the theatre. . . . Max Mink, city manager for RKO Theatres in Cleveland, doubled for Santa Claus when he answered a letter addressed by a six-year-old, and personally delivered the Christmas she asked for — "a new school dress and some warm clothes for mama who has been sick.” Also, a 10-pound ham and $42 cash from the theatre staff. . . . Lou Cohen and Norm Levinson are using a wire-recording via a live mike to address audiences at Loew’s Poli theatre, Hartford, with greetings and announcements of attractions for the New Year. . . . Hugh Borland, manager of the friendly Louis Theatre on Chicago’s South Side, “last run pictures in the heart of the Negro district” — whom we greatly admire for his showmanship and community relations, will find that we’ve been using his name in correspondence with some who should know more about how he handles promotions in his difficult but friendly assignment. His entries in the last quarter for the Quigley Awards are the best of their kind in these United States. . , . Toby Ross, manager of Schine’s theatre, Corning, N. Y., sold a local jeweler a cooperative ad deal, and fifty of Schine’s $1.10 gift ticket books at 90c each, walking out with a check for $45 plus the benefit of the newspaper ad space. MANAGERS’ ROUND TABLE SECTION, JANUARY 9, 1954 39