The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 NliWS OF THK Chicago Harry Mandel, SRO district manager for several years, preceded his family to Los Angeles. . . . Charles Beninati, owner, Capitol, Pinckneyville, Ill., and Ritz, Carlyle, Ill., bought the Elmo St. Elmo, Ill., from John Dickson. . . . Herb Elisburg, operator of the Studio for many years, acquired the Harvard. Joe Di Bello, Paradise assistant man¬ ager, resigned to manage a night club. . . . The Rialto, Waukegan, Ill., reopened after improvements under management of John Mitchel. Robert Strauss and Joe Sullivan opened their new 500-car Midway DriveIn, Benton, Ill. . . . Businessmen of Williamsport, Ind., are all set to build a new house. ... Jon Palsson, 47, Cap¬ itol stagehand, was found dead. An appreciable increase in movie at¬ tendance in August over July is indi¬ cated in city tax collections; August, $103,524, and July, $90,374. . . . Orchids go to Althea Levy, rounding out 25 years on the Publix Great States Thea¬ tres, Inc., staff. With the distinction of being the only outdoor within the city limits, the Double Drive-In, owned by Marx Bros., was opened at Western Avenue and 74th Street. A building permit for the thea¬ tre was obtained just before a city or¬ dinance went into effect practically banning additional drive-ins within the city, since they cannot now be built within 2,000 feet of residential districts. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Conrad sold their Star, Fremont, Ind., to Lyle Leas. When Jackson Garber, B and K pub¬ licity, arrived at a western ranch for his vacation he was greeted with 25 picture postcards from office pals stat¬ ing they were having a “fine time” on the “home ranch” and “wishing you were here”. . . . Jack Belasco, Woods manager, enjoyed rural life at South Haven, Mich. . . . C. M. McLaughlin bought the Anita, Anita, la., from Bruce Carmichael. Boxoffice girls participated in a fash¬ ion show at Civic Opera house before 4,000 teen-agers. . . . Trudy Blum, NSS staff, convale.sced from an illness at South Haven, Mich. . . . Arnold Spirrison, 30, Du Page owner, Lombard, Ill. passed on from a heart attack. . . . Settos Theatres is preparing to install a drive-in amusement park at Greensburg, Ind. Oreste A. Boscia, 53, Symphony, passed on leaving his widow. Rose, two daughters, and a son. . . . Sixty days after building was started, the 500-car Elwood was opened at Elwood, Ind. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Herman Tanner, Tanner Theatres, Vandalia, Ill., have a new son. Dallas As part of its promotion of “Tea For Two,” the Palace arranged for gifts of two bags of tea each to the first 500 ladies. . . . Texas exhibitors met Para¬ mount actor Charlton Heston at a lunch¬ eon hosted by Duke Clark, Paramount division manager, and Heywood Sim¬ mons, Paramount branch manager. Jose Ferrer made a sensational im¬ pression during his visit in behalf of “Cyrano De Bergerac.” A capacity audience heard him at Sanger Brothers auditorium, radio audiences liked him in Texas, and the newspapers devoted much space to his personality and com¬ ments. . . . Gloria Swanson was a prin¬ cipal guest of honor at a Neiman-Marcus fashion award dinner, and remained for a round on behalf of “Sunset Boule¬ vard.” A program of ancient fims were screened recently at the Ritz at a morn¬ ing open house held in conjunction with R and R Theatres, anniversary week. Circuit heads repeated that all persons living in the vicinity of any of their theatres since 1901 or before were in¬ vited as guests at their theatres at any time during anniversary week. They only needed to identify themselves at the box office. Robert Rogers, who built and operated the Village Drive-In, Ennis, Tex., dur¬ ing the past several months, sold it to T. L. Richey, Atlanta, Tex. L .0. May, Whitewright, Tex., moved to Ennis to manage the theatre. Richey also owns a drive-in at Mineral Wells, Tex. ... In Bryan, Tex., A. P. Boyett is now sole owner. Campus. Camuus Station, hav¬ ing purchased the half interest of Ben Ferguson. He will operate it with the aid of his three sons, Alton, Jr., W. C., and George. Boyett built the Campus in 1940. and it was leased by Ferguson and Bill Underwood. Boyett later bought the Underwood interest, and now has taken over that of Ferguson. The theatre had been closed for a general overhauling but reopened as the new school year at A. and M. College started. A $27,500 suit has been filed against Robb and Rowley United, Inc., by C. C. Wilson, who claims he fell and broke his leg while attending the Gulf. Robstown, Tex. . . . The Corpus Christi, Tex., City Council will hold public hearing on the proDosed drive-in on South Staples near Kostoryz Road on Sept. 18. Leon Newman and C. A. Richter have onnlied for council permission to build the drive-in on the site now zoned for residents. Denver Two holdups of drive-ins netted the four men about $235. Two men held uo the Kar-Vue, Lamar, Colo., and with one approaching the cashier with a knife, the other in the car brandishing a gun, they forced her to hand over about $150. Two men, both with guns, got $85 from the Starlight, Longmont, Colo. C. J. Duer, branch manager. Mono¬ gram, went to Hollywood for the com¬ pany sales meeting. Later, four from the exchange headed for Kansas City for a sales meeting. Going to Kansas City were salesmen Robert Ryan, Jack Felix, and Howard Deweese and office manager-booker Dick Ivy. . . . Vince Footman, managing director, Victory, was on the west coast vacationing. William J. Albright, Victory man¬ ager, received a card from Uncle Sam saying his marching orders may come along at any time. Albright had an act¬ ing chief’s rating in the previous war. . . . George Smith, Paramount western division manager, and A1 Taylor, cap¬ tain in the 1950 sales drive, were in for a sales meeting. William Hobson and Harold Copeland joined the RKO sales force. Hobson re¬ places Marvin Goldfarb, promoted to branch manager, and Copeland replaces Richard Stafford, resigned. Des Moines Dickinson Theatres, operating out of Mission, Kans., purchased the Water¬ loo, Waterloo, la., the first house in Iowa for the circuit. . . . Central States Theatre boosted various admission prices in both subsequent-run and firstrun houses, it was announced by Myron Blank, president. The price boost was made during recent months, and ranged from five to 10 cents. . . . Bob Cohun, salesman, 20th Century Fox, Omaha, has been transferred to Des Moines. . . . Harold Ironfield, also formerly with 20th-Fox at Omaha, has been named as a salesman for Warners here. . . . Fred Danice, Davenport, la., has been named manager, Iowan, now under construc¬ tion at Bettendorf. Danice has been in the theatre business for 15 years. . . . Larry Day, former manager, Iowa. Clar¬ ion, la., has been named an assistant booker for Central States Theatre Cor¬ poration. . . . Earl Lovering, Belview, Minn., purchased the Kee, Kiester, la. . . . O. N. Melvin, Erick, Okla., piu’chased the Roxy, Milton, la., from R. N. Brown. Gorden McKinnon, manager. Pioneer Theatre Corporation houses at Spencer, la., for the past nine years, has been named circuit supervisor by Harold Field, president. Eugene Chase succeeds McKinnon as Spencer manager, . . . F. E. Pace, owner. Empress, Malvern, la., has been confined to Mercy Hospi¬ tal, Council Bluffs, la. Rex Allen, new Republic cowboy star, was in for two personal appearances at the Rocket, and also appeared at the Iowa State Fair. He presented Stetson Arizona cowboy hats at a luncheon to A. H. Blank, head, Tri-States Theatre Corporation, and Mayor A. B. Chambers. . . . Joel McCrea, Ann Blyth, Joaquin Garay, Rock Hudson, Carol Varga, and Leonard Goldstein were in for the pre¬ miere of “Saddle Tramp,” Paramount. Kansas City Keynote of the 21st annual showman¬ ship meeting of Fox Midwest Theatres at the Hotel Muehlebach was “Time For A Change.” Elmer C. Rhoden, Fox Midwest head, said he was convinced that Hollywood producers were provid¬ ing pictures to fulfill the slogan “Movies Are Better Than Ever,” and this will be September IS, 1950 M ID WEST-WESTER N