Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

Bob Davis Swings Back At 'Political Speech' DALLAS — Robert Davis of Sherman, president of the Texas Drive-In Owners Ass’n, swung hard at Mayor Earle Cabell for using the recent drive-in convention for “political expediency.” Davis released a letter sent to Cabell accusing the mayor of making a blanket accusation against theatremen involving obscene pictures. He wrote : “As mayor . . . you were invited to welcome the registrants, but the association received a strange Valentine. We were castigated, berated and called on the carpet for the showing of obscene movies. Proof as to whether such movies were shown in any of our members’ theatres was not disclosed. A blanket accusation was made, pointing the finger of guilt at every theatre owner in the room, and we were threatened with government regulations, unless we put our house in order. “We cannot accept such a slap in the face by turning the other cheek. If the honorable mayor of Dallas wished to make a political speech about a controversial subject, he should have asked for such permission from his hosts. Protocol does not permit the embarrassment of another’s guests. “If his honor was so concerned, he could have learned that in the keynote address by the president of the association that very morning, complete coverage was given to the censorship question.” Item of Overloaded Roof In Few Theatre Policies DETROIT — The severity of Michigan’s winter climate has tragically brought to light a failure of insurance coverage which appears to be general among Michigan theatres. The Sun Theatre, only theatre at Marion, is today out of business and will remain closed indefinitely. The accumulation of snow on the Sun’s roof became so heavy that the roof simply caved in. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, found that they had no insurance to cover this catastrophe and they are unable to finance the cost of rebuilding at this time. The situation here points a warning to other exhibitors in any area where heavy snow conditions may occasionally occur. A thorough job of research involving a number of different companies and policies was made by Clive R. Waxman, head of Independent Exhibitors Theatre Service, who was film buyer for the Sun, and the lack of coverage appears to be general, with no exceptions found. “While this may be a very rare situation, where the volume and weight of snow could cause a building to collapse, NOT ONE policy provides protection for the insured, UNLESS special provisions at additional premium are written in,” Waxman said. Theatre Editor Retires SPRINGFIELD— W. Harley Rudkin, veteran theatre editor and columnist for the Springfield Daily News, has retired from fulltime newspaper work because of ill health. Rudkin, who joined the Springfield Newspapers in March 1933, will continue to write his “Family Fare” column and book reviews. LINCOLN pellow theatre executives were guests of Irv Dubinsky at Lincoln’s annual Brotherhood Week dinner at South Street Temple. Dubinsky, a leader in Temple activities, entertained George Gaughan and Herman Hallberg from the Cooper Foundation Theatres general office in Lincoln, and Walt Jancke, city manager for the Varsity and State theatres. Lincoln was covered with snow when Dean Ziettlow left for a two-week vacation in Arizona and Colorado. Welcoming him back home February 26 was a city still covered with snow. This was a fresh blanket accumulated over the preceding weekend . . . New faces at the State Theatre are Jean Smith, cashier; Barbara Abbott, concessions attendant, and Michael Tooney, usher. This is a night job for the latter, who is an airman daytimes at the Lincoln Air Force base. Barbara’s and Jean’s faces may seem vaguely familiar to steady State patrons. This is their second time at jobs at the State. “adult” or “mature” in advertisement copy, though Mrs. Stewart notes the “classification is in pretty small type.” The forum president believes this public information is a responsibility of theatre management. Mrs. Avis Rutherford has been in Omaha almost as much as in Lincoln the last ten days. The secretary to Nebraska Theatre Owners Ass’n president Robert Livingston has been making the Omaha trips to be with a cousin from Sheridan, Wyo., during her hospitalization . . . Not Bob Dudley, Hastings theatre manager, but his male mynah bird Ray hit Lincoln’s Sunday news pages March 4. Ray, it seems, has a well-established habit of whistling at all feminine guests at the Carter Hotel where his owner resides. Hotel owner Mildred Schaaf and volunteer bird-sitter for Ray confesses her mynah friend’s 100-word vocabulary, plus pranks and wolf whistles at the girls, makes the daily hotel business at the Carter interesting — sometimes even a little hectic. “King of Kings,” at the Cooper Nebraska for a three-week, three-daily-show schedule, is receiving good support from theatregoing Lincolnites . . . Some more Disney fare upcoming at the State is a rerun of the popular “Pinocchio,” starting March 14, and “Moon Pilot” set for an April opening . . . Most of the Stuart Theatre crew had the night of February 27 off as the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra Ass’n took over the film house for another concert, featuring Nathan Milstein, violinist. Mrs. Bert Cheever, wife of the State Theatre manager, is home after a bout with pneumonia in St. Elizabeth Hospital . . . Gene Buhrdorf, house manager at the Varsity, worked with local artist Jack McDonald to come up with some news-making ads for “One, Two, Three” which opened at the Varsity. The first of the ad series for the film “spoofing at Communism” included a picture of Soviet Russia’s Nikita, with this explanation: “Nikita’s Red Face Is Really Red Now . . . He’s Just Seen Billy Wilder’s Production of ‘One, Two, Three.’ ” Bob Hirz, Warner Bros, manager, and Sol Francis from Allied Artists, were recent Omaha visitors in Lincoln ... It might be hard to get Walt Jancke on roller skates but he’s going all out as Lincoln Chamber of Commerce publicity and promotions committee chairman to see that Lincoln’s hosting of the 1962 national roller skating championships next July gets top rating. He and Chamber staff member Roger Thomas will be in Chicago late in April to outline the latest plans for the championships to the annual roller skating rink operators convention. About 7,000 are expected for the July competition week. Clarence Frazer, with “Pocketful of Miracles” at his neighborhood Joyo Theatre, apparently experienced the same puzzlement Varsity Manager Walter Jancke had during his holiday schedule of the same Bette Davis movie; audiences below expected figures. Both men also faced disadvantage of bad winter weather . . . Bouquets of thanks, with cards bearing the name of Mrs. Charles Stewart, Lincoln Films Forum president, are going out to most Lincoln theatre managements. They are for the designation of films as being Lincoln theatre executives in Kansas City for the March 6-8 annual Show-A-Rama,. included Irwin Dubinsky of the Dubinsky Bros. Theatres, and George Gaughan and Herman Hallberg from Cooper Foundation . . . March’s winter-like temperatures apparently were neutralized by the Hudson Day-Randall combination in “Lover Come Back” as far as Lincoln audiences were concerned. Saturday-night patrons during the run at the Stuart Theatre stood in line for more than an hour to see the film. TECHNIKOTE DRIVE-IN SCREEN PAINT NOW! WETH MAGIC SILICONE For better flow-out and increased weather resistance 'SUPER WHITE" ... an old standby] Gives excellent coverage and produces high light gain; can be applied by brush, roller or spray gun and covers any surface. Most economical. IB3K23 . a vinyl plastic water-mix white that gives high light gain and excellent coverage. Stays white longer! Brushes come clean in warm, soapy water. . . "ORANGE PEEL' . lor stipple or surface . . . A concentrated very thick form of Super White. One coat will suffice on old surfaces. Applied with roller only. FLAT BLACK "BLACK MASKING” . . flat black economically priced, See Your Theatre Supply Dealer Export: WESTREX CORP. ■; mmmm TECHNIKOTE CORPORATION 63 SEABRING ST • BROOKLYN 31, N. Y BOXOFFICE :: March 12, 1962 NC-3