The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

Nr-2 THE EXHIBITOR SUNDAY rwoHig In Gray, Ga. , I ran into J. C. Balkcom, owner, Gray, who was formerly a schoolteacher. While in Macon, Ga. , I stepped into the office of Lamar Swift, right, Georgia Theatres Company district manager, who was confer¬ ring with citymanager Herman Hatton. Swift' s office is in the Capitol I snapped this happy quartet in Paramount's Memphis exchange. They are Bob Kilgore, booking manager; Fred Curd, booker; Ray Carter booker, and Travis Carr, office manager, all looking over bookings. Working hard here is Marion D, Adams, city manager, E. D Martin Circuit, Americus, Ga, golfing plans, and awarded the prizes for the top scores. R. Graber, Monogram home office re¬ presentative, was off for New Orleans after paying a visit. Altec Service announced that the following theatres signed sound ser¬ vicing contracts: Neil, Lithonia; 10th Street, West Point; Grand, Waynes¬ boro, and Woodbury, Woodbury, Georgia; Alabama-Star, Bessemer; Strand, Montevallo, and Florida-Drive-In, West Palm Beach, and Kingston, Daytona Beach, It’ s happy birthday to Jimmy Hobbs, one of the Film Row' s most popular branch managers, and P, M. Savin, vicepresident, Monogram Southern Exchange ....Butler Gora, former Florida the¬ atre owner, is now traveling with state right pictures, and rented the Hanger, which opened with "This Nude World”, "Rama”, and “Strange People”. CHARLOTTE Charlie Leonard, former head booker, Warners’ Charlotte branch, accepted a position with Astor in the sales de¬ partment. He is succeeded at Warners by Harry Gussett. Competing with 26 exchanges. Film Classics’ Charlotte branch won fifth prize, $500. B.A. Slaughter, Jr., who manages the exchange, says that al¬ ready another sales campaign is under way, and will end on Dec. 3. Dick Pitts, The Observer’ s dramatic critic, who knows a few things about Hollywood, is answering the many critics of filmdom’ s capital in a series of column articles entitled "What’s Right With Hollywood”. Pitts, who just left Charlotte on his annual vacation, says that he got fed up on reading so much about "What is Wrong with Hollywood”, and decided to answer in a series of 20 articles, to be published daily in October, telling some of the many good things he learned about the film capital of the world. Miss Martha Ann Patrick, employed at the 20th Century-Fox office was married on Sept. 6 to James Hudson Crowell, Raleigh, N.C. They will make their home in Raleigh. The Little, after being enlarged, both in the auditorium and box office, and with the addition of a business office for director Tom Humble, opened its 1948-49 season. Altec Service announced that the following theatres signed sound ser¬ vicing contracts; Salisbury, Summer¬ ville, S. C. , and Aberdeen, Aberdeen, N.C. B. and L. Enterprises announced plans for the construction of drivein theatres at Florence, S. C. , and at Raleigh, N.C. The Florence theatre will be built on a 15 -acre tract on the Darlington Highway, and will ac¬ commodate 500 automobiles. Completion date is set for Nov. 1. The Raleigh theatre is being built on Highway 1 near the city, and also will accom¬ modate 500 cars. The firm recently opened drive-ins in Danville, Va. , and High Point, N.C. It operates the¬ atres in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia. MEMPH I S Altec Service announced that the following Tennessee theatres signed sound servicing contracts: Youngs Drive-In, Cookeville; Drive-In, Sky¬ way Drive-In, Fountain City. Patrons even came on horseback to the grand opening of the Summer DriveIn, operated by John Reid and Kemmons Wilson. The equestrians hooked the speakers to their saddles, and, along with their horses saw U-I’ s "River Lady”. The 670-car drive-in had more than 1800 paid admissions on its opening night. NEW ORLEANS Altec Service announced that the following Louisiana theatres signed sound servicing contracts: Lee, Harmentown; East End, Baton Rouge; Joy, Welsh, and Joy, Kaplan. The Rex, Greenville, Miss., also announced the signing of such a contract. Mrs. Henry Lazarus, Center, Coliseum, Cinema, Circle, and Crown, flew to Bryan, Tex. , for the reopening of the remodeled Palace. She was joined several days later by her son, Isador Lazarus. Mrs. Lazarus and her sisterin-law, Mrs. Edna Schulman, are part¬ ners in the operation of the Palace, a 785-seat house. Several houses of the locally-owned Lazarus Circuit have been undergoing remodeling. New seats, air-conditioning, marquee, and September 22, 1948