Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

Expansion of Drive-Ins Great in Salt Lake SALT LAKE CITY — Drive-in theatres with a total capacity of more than 6,500 cars will be opened in the Salt Lake City exchange area this spring. Largest of these will be the 650-car MotorVu which J. N. Bills will open in Bountiful. Just a short distance off the highway the drive-in’s massive screen, one of the largest in the area, rises from a small hill. It may be seen for blocks. Another large outdoor theatre will be the Temple Drive-In, to be constructed west of the Salt Lake airport by Golden Wright. This is expected to have a capacity of 600 cars. Associated Amusement Co., of which Sam Gillette, Tooele theatre operator, is head, plans six drive-ins. These include Motor-Vu’s at Las Vegas, 600 cars; Boise, 550 cars; Payette, 550 cars; Caldwell, 550 cars; Pocatello, 500 cars, and Logan, 500 cars. A 300-car affair will be opened at Jerome by Russ Tweedy; Orem will have one with a 550-car capacity; Jack Moran will open a Motor-Vu at Billings, with 550-car capacity; Hugo Jorgenson will open one at Idaho Palls, with the same capacity, and J. H. Harris of Burley is expected to open one to take care of 400 cars. There were more than 13 outdoor theatres, with a capacity of 7,000 cars, opened during last spring and summer. Of these, the largest were the Motor-Vu at Ogden, a 760-car affair, operated by the Associated Amusement Co., and the Motor-Vu in Salt Lake City, operated by Eric Peterson. The latter had a capacity of 725 cars last year, but was enlarged during the fall and winter and the screen also was made larger. Much landscaping also has been carried on at the drive-ins around the state. Ron Ormond Will Produce For New Western Firm CHARLOTTE — Announcement of a new organization which will produce motion pictures, Western Adventure Productions, was made last week by J. Francis White jr. of Charlotte, secretary and treasurer of the new firm. Ron Ormond of Hollywood will be in charge and films are to be made in Hollywood. The first will begin next month. A1 “Lash” LaRue and A1 “Fuzzy” St. John will be starred. The pictures will be distributed by Screen Guild of which White is the Carolina franchise owner. White also is an exhibitor, having interests in many theatres in the Carolinas. John Mangham, Atlanta, is president of the new firm, and Joy Houch and E. V. Landaiche, New Orleans, vice-president. Remodeling at Olympia OLYMPIA, WASH. — Remodeling of the Liberty Theatre here is in its final stages. W. B. McDonald, who acquired the theatre on lease March 1 after it had been operated for years by the Evergreen circuit, is putting in new seating, lighting, and ventilation system, erecting a new front, signs and marquee, and redecorating completely, inside and out. Evergreen circuit plans to build a new theatre here. McDonald has named Harry L. Minor of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to manage the Liberty. DENVER JJldon Menagh, owner of the Star in Fort Lupton, will build a $75,000, 550-car drivein theatre at Greeley for opening about Jime 1 . . . John Wilfberg expects to open his new drive-in in Lakewood, a Denver suburb, about May 15. Lynn Zorn has installed 460 new HeywoodWakefield seats in his Hippodrome, Julesburg, and Gibraltar Enterprises has put 750 of the same in the Rialto, Loveland, all bought from Graham Bros. Theatre Equipment. Graham Bros, also put 1,002 new seats in the government-built Las Alamos Theatre, Las Alamos, N. M. The theatre has been leased to the Griffith circuit. Tom Knight, owner of the Acme, Riverton, Wyo., bought a new plane, which he flies himself . . . Lee Mote, from whom Knight took over the theatre, broke his hip recently . . . Mike Stewart, Warner Bros, booker, underwent a tonsilectomy . . . The staffs of the Paramount and Rialto combined and had a party which ended up with a midnight supper of fried shrimp. J. H. Roberts has installed 550 Bodiform seats in the Cover, Fort Morgan, buying them from National Theatre Supply . . . Lon T. Fidler left for Milwaukee to attend a Monogram franchise owners meeting. Bill Prass, publicity man for Metro, is having sessions with his dentist . . . New employes at RKO are Isabelle McIntosh, receptionist, and Gloria Kriss, bookers’ secretary . . . Ted Zohbel, Universal auditor, checked accounts at the local branch . . . Robert Bram, Universal booker, has a new Hudson . . . Robert Damm is a new shipper at Metro. The Paramount exchange force gave E. V. Maloney some fine luggage when he returned to Boston. He was here several months subbing for Chester J. Bell, branch manager, who died after being on leave of absence. Walter P. Weims, Cincinnati branch manager, has moved into the Denver job. Frank Whalen has improved his Highway, Deertrail, Colo., with the installation of new booth and sound equipment, installed by Ted Knox . . . Tom Bailey, Film Classics representative, spent a few days in Salt Lake City . . . M. S. Anderson, efficiency expert, has been at the Denver Paramount exchange checking on office procedure. Frank Childs, president of Selected Pictures exchanges, expects to be able to be at the office soon. He has been at home and in hospitals for several weeks as the result of having injured a knee in a fall at home . . . Howard Metzger, resigned 20th-Fox salesman, has been added at United Artists as salesman for the northern territory . . . “The Outlaw” goes into the Broadway May 14 for a six-week run. Kenneth MacKaig broke two ribs skiing, but did not find it out for a week. His doctor has him properly harnessed up for the mending . . . Theatre folk seen on Filmrow included Roy Steele, Limon; J. R. Smith, Steamboat Springs; Leon Coulter, Loveland; Eldon Menagh, Fort Lupton; Lloyd Kerby, Worland, Wyo.; Frank Aydelotte, Fort Collins; John Roberts, Fort Morgan; Claude Graves, Albuquerque; R. D. Ervin, Kremmling; Kenneth PoweU, Wray. $115,000 in Awards Spur National Men LOS ANGELES — With awards totaling a potential $115,000 already posted. National Theatres’ sixth annual Charles Skouras showmanship campaign, a 15-week drive, is under way. It is to close July 10. Prizes to be handed out include: Group awards, $20,000; district placement, $5,000; division placement, $10,000; Charles Skouras showman awards, $10,000; bonuses, $60,000; ground crew prizes, $10,000. During each of the three five-week periods of the drive, 28 house managers, one from each of NT’s 28 districts, will be chosen. They will be known as “showmen of the month” and will be awarded $100 each in recognition of their efforts. At the conclusion of the campaign a “showman of the drive” will be chosen from each of the circuit’s six operating divisions. Each will be given $250 and a scroll from Skouras, NT president. Four special weeks feature the drive: Easter, starting March 28; drive week No. 8, beginning May 16; Lou Christ week, honoring the retired Fox West Coast district manager, date not set, and the final stanza of the drive, beginning July 3. Special feature of the campaign is a candy drive, to stimulate sale of soft drinks, candy and other lobby refreshment items. Participating are NT personnel in the San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia areas. Name Kerer District Head SALT LAKE CITY— Han-y N. Kerer has been named district manager for Embassy Pictures in the Salt Lake City and Denver territory. Embassy is the distributor for Realart Pictures in this area. Howart Metzger, formerly with 20th-Fox, has been named Denver manager. BOXOFFICE :: April 3, 1948 58A