Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

(Continued from opposite page ) in charge of membership. Luella Chaney of 20th-Fox is recording secretary; Betty Caruso of Dixie Enterprises, corresponding secretary and Grace Roberts, 20thFox, treasurer. . . . “War and Peace” was promoted through the distribution of book marks at the public library, radio and press releases and by beauty salons’ promotions of hairstyles featured in the film. . . . Lawrence H. Joray, projectionist and sound engineer in Kansas City, died. Los Angeles The Los Angeles Motion Picture Salesmen held a dinner meeting at the Rodger Young for the purpose of drafting final plans for their dinner dance at the Ambassador Oct. 27. Meeting was presided over by Jules Neddleman, who is acting president for the unexpired term of Bill Wasserman. . . . The latest drive-in to become a part of the Harry L. Nace circuit is the new Sage drive-in, in Kingman, Ariz., with a 400-car capacity. . . . Earl Strebe, who operates theatres in Palm Springs and other resort towns, has announced his plans to build a drive-in in Big Bear, where he is now operating a conventional theatre. ... A number of out-of-town exhibitors were huddling with salesmen of the various exchanges this week. Among them were Lloyd Katz, Nevada Theatres, Las Vegas; Charles Maestri, Lippert Theatres, San Francisco; Roy Lemmucchi, Bakersfield; and Ernest Martini, Arvin. . . . Jack Sherriff, KranzLevin salesman, was celebrating his birthday with a family dinner party. . . . Judy Poynter, who heads Film Booking Service, was back from Manhattan, where he attended the TOA convention. ... At a meeting of officers and stewards of the Film Row Club held at the Variety Club rooms, Milt Frankel, vice-president, discussed the plans being made for the club’s annual dance to be held at the Sunset Room of the Ambassador Hotel on December 22. Memphis Jaxon drive-in, Jackson, Tenn., was sold by Douglass Pierce to Clark Shivley, who operates the Skylark drive-in at Clarksdale, Miss. Pierce and Shivley were in Memphis together on business when they announced the change in ownership. . . . Herold Jimerson, who formerly owned and operated theatres in Little Rock, has been named manager of the new 1000-seat Northgate theatre by Augustine Cianciolo, who operates the new theatre under a 20year lease. . . . Variety Club’s 100-year-old barber chair, operated at the Mid-South Fair by the barbers union as part of Centennial Village and gave haircuts for 25 cents, netted $104.58 for the club’s hospital for convalescent children, King (Red) Houston, Barbers Union president, reported. . . . Lois Evans, Memphis was elected a regional director of the WOMPI at its recent convention in Atlanta and Memphis was selected as the 1957 convention site. . . . Estate of Lloyd T. Binford, chairman of the Memphis Board of Censors for 27 years, estimated at “less than $10,000,” was probated at Memphis. Bulk of the estate went to his widow. Binford died at 89 Aug. 27. . . . Leon Roundtree, owner of Holly at Holly Springs and Valley at Water Valley, Miss.; Lyle Richmond, Richmond, Senath, Mo.; Whyte Bedford, Bedford at Marion, Ala.; and Moses Sliman, Murr, Osceola, Ark., were in Memphis on business. Miami The New York office of Universal-International was minus Roy Dermack for a period while he and his recent bride honeymooned in our area. . . . Lillian C. Claughton of Claughton Theatres was recently appointed state affairs director of the women’s division of the local Chamber of Commerce. . . . Robert Green, personnel director of TV station WTVJ, reported 75 per cent of the station’s employees and families turned out for a specially arranged Salk polio vaccination session. . . . Wayne Rogers, manager of the Trail, has a new assistant, Eddie Conklin, who comes via the usher route from the Circle. . . . Sam Rowlands, manager of the Sheridan where “Oklahoma!” is in its 8th month, reports the guest book now has registrations from 45 states, D. of C. and 37 foreign countries. Jules Brenner is the new assistant there. . . . The Normandy’s manager Nathan G. Horton announces A1 Roshki as his recently acquired aide. . . . Martin F. Davis of the Parkway reported $75 was burgled from the office safe. . . . Quite a change from the Florida clime was the Wisconsin holiday site of the A1 (FST’s southeast divisional supervisor) Weiss’ family. . . . Harry Gabriel, relief manager of the Wometco theatres, chose California for his vacation vistas. Milwaukee Mrs. John G. Buehner. president of the Better Films Council of Milwaukee County, called the first meeting of the season to order when they met this week. A full, rounded and interesting program was announced to the membership for the coming year. It also was announced that the Sherman, Downer, Ritz and Tosa theatres would again have sponsored PTA matinees on Saturday afternoons. . . . Guest speaker at the meeting was Mrs. Max M. Williams, president of the Federation of Motion Picture Councils, Inc. . . . Mrs. Raymond Sass, past president of the Sheboygan Film Council, and now on the nominating committee of the Federation, was in town to attend the first meeting. . . . Announcements went out for the opening of Milwaukee’s newest prestige theatre, the Times on 60th and Vliet, operated by Marcus Theatres Management Co. The theatre opened October 4 with “Bullfight.” Two performances are presented nightly. . . . L. F. Green, Gran Enterprises Co., Milwaukee, has sold his home in Whitefish Bay to Mrs. Adele Miller, widow of brewer and civic leader, Frederick C. Miller. Mr. Gran is moving to Florida temporarily but will build a home in the Milwaukee area. Minneapolis The city of West St. Paul has passed the first motion picture censorship ordinance in Minnesota history. Only one theatre, the West Twins, is affected by the ordinance. According to the measure, a police commission will receive titles of films to be shown seven days in advance plus information about the film. One member of the commission will view the film before it is shown at the theatre. The commission then will rule on whether or not the picture should be shown. . . . Alex Perkins is reopening his Lyric theatre at LeCenter, Minn., October 11. . . . Roland Yatckoske is the new booking clerk at Paramount, replacing Dorothy Higgins, resigned. . . . Corrine Goodman, former secretary at Universal, passed away here. . . . Don Dalrymple, booker at MGM, vacationed in the Ozark mountains and in Tennessee and Virginia. . . . John H. Dibos, stepfather of LeRoy Miller, Universal branch manager, passed away in Minneapolis. . . . Harvey Lindell, head shipper at MGM, vacationed in Florida. New Orleans The Hiway 90 drive-in, Pensacola, Fla. has passed into oblivion to make way for the new Paramount Plaza shopping center. The -theatre, the first of its kind in the area, was constructed in 1940 by Paramount Richards Theatres, predecessors of the Paramount Gulf Theatres. During the last year it was owned and operated by N. Solomon Theatres, McComb, Miss. . . . The Arcade, Lake Charles, La. a unit of Southern Amusement Company, has been closed. . . . Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers who two months ago purchased the Rebel, Greenwood, Miss., from her former employers, Wm. Prewitt, Jr. and G. T. Davis, resumed operation recently after extensive remodeling and renovations. Mrs. Rogers, who managed the Rebel and other PrewittDavis theatres for 16 years, resigned to give all her attention to the operation of her personally owned theatre interest. . . . C. A. Achee, Jr., NTS field representative, attended the company’s sales meeting in Memphis, Tenn., conducted by R. L. Bostick, vice-president and southern district manager. . . . Frank Olah, owner of the Star, Albany, La., and associate owner of the Skyvue drive-in, Chef Menteur Highway, is hospitalized at Touro Infirmary suffering with stomach disturbance. . . . Oklahoma City United Theatre Owners of Oklahoma held its regular monthly board meeting October 1, with 16 members attending. General discussions were held. The next meeting will be November 5. . . . The Cornado' theatre, recently purchased by the Barton Theatres, was formally opened October 4. Mrs. Ethel Coxie is manager of the Cornado. . . . Oklahoma City police still insist that the song “Oklahoma” is a noise when it blasts out of a marquee loudspeaker as an advertising gimmick. That was what they thought several weeks ago when they booked the State theatre’s manager Phil Keough for violating the city’s anti-noise ordinance. They apparently thought so again last Monday when they booked Keough’s doorman Don Ray Zellner, when he wouldn’t turn off the loudspeaker outside the theatre. . . .“Reprisal” now showing at the Center theatre, will be shown at 136 theatres in Oklahoma and Texas during the month of October. . . . The Roxy theatre at Billings, Okla., was re-opened Sept. 29 after being closed during the summer months. The theatre will operate on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights according to B. C. James, owner. (Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 13, 1956 27