Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Albany Christmas parties all around. Jimmy Moore, of RKO, arranged one for the Albany Loge, Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen. Helen Wisper did the same for Metro’s Pep Club; Wayne Carignan, for 20th-Fox’s Family Club; Mrs. Kathryn Reibou and Mrs. Catherine Burke, for Universal’s Pep Club. George H. Schenck is host for one for Tri-State Automatic Candy Corp. . . . Paul Laube made a switch from independent to circuit ranks, taking over management of the Stanley Warner Ritz, after handling the Colonial (now dark). He succeeded Earle Rooney, who resigned. Laube managed Skouras houses in New York, prior to his affiliation with the Colonial, operated by Dr. Henry Brown. . . . A1 Levy, 20th-Fox district manager, visited Schine Circuit offices in Gloversville and Kallet Theatres’ base in Oneida, with Clayton G. Pantages, branch manager. . . . Norman Weitman, Universal manager, and Gene Lowe, salesman, attended a meeting in Washington, D. C., chaired by district manager Joe Gins. Atlanta The Angle Road drive-in theatre, with a capacity of 175 cars, in Fort Pierce, Fla., will open December 27. . . . Running as an independent, George V. Warren has announced his candidacy for a two-year term on the City Commission at Delray Beach, Fla. He is manager of the Delray drive-in. . . . D. L. Hull, manager of the Starlite drive-in, Plant City, Fla., has been appointed secretarial assistant of the East Hillsbough Chamber of Commerce on a half-day basis. . . . Tommy Lam, Lam Amusement Co., Rome, Ga., is confined to his home after breaking his leg on a fishing trip in Florida. . . . John Cole, owner of the Dan-Dee drive-in, Columbia, Tenn., has closed the theatre for the winter. . . . Johnny Harrell, Martin Theatres’ buyer, is back at his office after visiting New Orleans. . . . Gene Skinner, Dixie DriveIn Theatres, has returned to his Atlanta office after a trip to Charlotte. Boston Boston City Council has passed an ordinance reducing Sunday license fees for theatres, effective January 1. The new rate is $100 annually, rather than 10 dollars per week. No change in the weekday license which remains at $100 yearly. . . . Julian Rifkin is vacationing in Cuba with his family. . . . Irvin Saver, district manager of Alexander Film Co., off to Colorado Springs for the annual district managers meeting. . . . 128 W. T. Grant Department Stores will tie-in with the rerelease of “Cinderella” in the New England area. Tie-ins will include window displays, coloring contests, and merchandising ideas. In Boston for the Cinderella luncheon was Leo F. Samuels, president of Buena Vista; James V. O’Gara, eastern division manager; and Robert Dorfman, exploitation manager. . . . William Dougherty is the new district manager in Connecticut for Lockwood and Gordon Theatres. . . . Interstate' Theatres is trying a mid-week art policy in 10 theatres in the New England area. Policy is on alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Managers are relying heavily on direct mail in lieu of newspapers. . . . General meeting of district managers and all drive-in managers was held at the home office of Lockwood and Gordon, Boston, December 5 and 6. A concession contest was discussed with the lucky manager winning a trip to Bermuda for two. . . . Medford Twin drive-in closed Sunday, Dec. 9 with the first snowfall leaving only three in operation, all operated by Northeast Drive-in Theatres. Buffalo Ed Suess, for almost 30 years a member of the MGM branch sales staff in Buffalo has been appointed manager of the Buffalo exchange of the same company, where the manager is retiring. . . . Ralph Iannuzzi, eastern district sales head for Warner Bros. Pictures, was in Buffalo the other day for conferences with Nat Marcus, local branch manager and visit with Arthur Krolick, district manager, Paramount Theatres and other exhibitors. . . . Gertrude O’Hara, sister of George H. Mackenna, general manager of Basil’s Lafayette, died Dec. 12 in Sisters Hospital. . . . Mrs. Thomas Fox, wife of one of the engineers at Shea’s Buffalo, died Dec. 13. . . . Edward F. Meade, manager, Shea’s Buffalo, and Steve Pirrozzi, MGM field representative, had four petite Japanese girls in town the other day working on advance promotion for “Teahouse of the August Moon,” which opens Christmas Day in the Buffalo. . . . Art Rose, manager of the Buffalo office of Buena Vista, is up and around again after a sojourn in the hospital and soon will assume his duties again. While he is recuperating, Harvey Reinstein of the New York office is handling the affairs of the local branch. . . . Gene Mielnicki, assistant to Sam Gilman, manager of Loew’s in Syracuse for the past five years, has been called to the . service of Uncle Sam and Howard Phillips, student assistant at the same theatre, is joining the Navy. Charlotte Members of the Charlotte WOMPI club sold programs at the Charlotte NewsCharlotte Variety Club Christmas Carol sing at the Charlotte Coliseum Dec. 14. . . . H. F. (Mike) Kincey, president of WilbyKincey Theatres, attended a dinner in Atlanta honoring R. W. Wilby, who recently retired as head of the theatre chain. . . . Scott Lett, Howco sales chief, visited exchanges in Atlanta and Jacksonville. . . . Hal (Gus) Jordan, operator of Dunn driveins, was a visitor here last week. . . . Everett Olsen, Windy Hill Beach drive-in owner, was also here. . . . Cy Dillon, Republic Pictures sales head here, is talking about sponsoring a sports event in the Charlotte Coliseum. . . . Jack London, Republic salesman in the Carolinas for many years, has retired. Chicago Exhibitors said they anticipated a preChristmas drop in business and therefore accepted it philosophically. Some men sought to offset the holiday lull by lining up the usual type of tie-ins. At the Howard, for instance, the neighborhood merchants scheduled a movie party, with free admission to children. . . . The Beverly theatre was another house which accrued revenue with pre-Christmas shows sponsored by the merchants and the Moose Lodge. . . .“The Ten Commandments” did an outstanding business, grossing $100,000 in a two-week period. Advance sales of tickets as Christmas gifts amounted to $25,000. . . . The McVickers theatre will have additional showings of “The Ten Commandments” during the holiday week beginning Christmas day. . . . Members of the James Coston Enterprises organization were entertained by management at the new Martinique Restaurant. All employes of the Beverly, Hamilton and Jeffrey theatres participated in the holiday festivities. . . . Teitel Film Company conducted its biggest campaign in ten years for the Christmas day opening of “La Strada” at the World Playhouse. Cleveland Downtown business generally was good but neighborhood theatres are suffering due to the open evening hours of most of the department and specialty stores. To compensate of the November newspaper blackout, more stores than ever before have been open evenings since Thanksgiving. Result, according to many subrun theatre owners, is worse than usual preChristmas business. . . . Majority of Greater Cleveland theatres will close Christmas Eve. . . . And so far as can be learned, no theatres in the Greater Cleveland area, including the downtown houses are putting on New Year Eve stage shows at midnight. . . . Paul Vogel of Wellsville, O. reports that he is re-opening the Liberty theatre on Christmas Day after a 10-month blackout, on request of local merchants who claim the dark house has encouraged people of the town to buy their entertainment and their merchandise in surrounding towns. . . . Ray Essick of Modern Theatres Circuit and Mrs. Essick have been in Acapulco where Mrs. Essick claims the honor of hauling in a 120-pound sail fish. . . . Edward Cutler, Allied Artists salesman, and his wife announce the arrival of their first child, a daughter named Lori Jo, born this week in Mt. Sinai Hospital. . . . Gary Davis resigned from the 20th-Fox sales force to go into another business. . . .“Oklahoma” in CinemaScope ended a successful five-week engagement at Loew’s Stillman to make way for “Teahouse of the August Moon.” (Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 22, 1956 25