The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 Phoenix Mrs. Polly Brown leased the Elk Hall and Theatre, Payson, to operators from Globe. Films are being shown Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights. . . . Knife-wielding vandals slashed the leatherette coverings of 17 seats in the front section of the Globe. Sf. Louis At the meeting of the officers and directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri, and Southern Illinois, five Japanese mo¬ tion picture men, handpicked by General Douglas MacArthur to tour the United States to study American production of motion picture, exhibition, and other data concerning the film industry were on hand. Mrs. A. F. Burt brought the Japanese to the MPTO meeting, presided over by Tom Edwards, Farmington, Mo., president. Topflight stars are to be routed to St. Louis on Nov. 13 and 14 to attend the annual meeting of the Motion Pic¬ ture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, East¬ ern Missouri, and Southern Illinois, it was revealed at the meeting of the offi¬ cers and directors of this regional MPTO group. President Edwards is to head a delegation of some 18 members of the regional MPTO organization to the an¬ nual meeting of the TOA in Houston, Tex. The meeting decided to send a letter to Harry C. Arthur, Jr., Fanchon and Marco president, congratulating him on his recent letter to Joseph Makiewicz. In Pittsfield, Ill., grand opening of the Zee, a 500-seater, will be held on Sept. 17, it was announced by Russell Armentrout, Louisiana, Mo., head, Armentrout Circuit. The Charles F. Vatterett Company, developer of the St. Ann’s Village proj¬ ect in St. Louis County, was awarded the contracts for the construction of a 600-seat theatre to be leased to the St. Louis Amusement Company, In Perryville, Mr. F. Val Mercier, owner, 650-seat Mercier, announced that he will take bids on the construction of and equipment for the 500-car drive-in that he contemplates building on a site fronting on Highway 25 about three miles north of Perryville. In Mexico, Mo., the Frisina Little Dixie Drive-In had its grand opening. The Frisina Amusement Company also operates the Liberty and Rex. Joe Nepote is the manager. Kerasotes Brothers, Springfield, Ill., opened their 700-car Pekin Drive-In on Route 88. . . . The 600-car drive-in at Lincoln, Ill., also was opened by Steve Bennis, Lincoln. Both the Pekin Ill. drive-in and the Lincoln, Ill., drive-in were designed and constructed by the Jones Construction Company, Lawrenceville. Ill. Two proposed new drive-ins for St. Louis County have been blocked, at least temporarily, by the forceful opposition of residents of the affected area. In Uni¬ versity City, City Council scheduled a public hearing on the pending petition for the rezoning of the site of the old Garden. A recommendation that the pe¬ tition be denied was voted by the Uni¬ versity City Plan Commission, .after many residents voiced their opposition. The Ansell Amusement Company, oper¬ ator of the Empress, Ritz, and Varsity, and University City Councilman John A. Rohan jointly held an option to pur¬ chase the site provided that a drive-in is permitted. In Jennings, Mo., the Jennings Board of Adjustment declined to issue a “nonconforming use permit” fo the construc¬ tion of a drive-in on a 65-acre tract, requested by Louis C. Lochmoeller Realty Company. Lechmoeller, however, reportedly was acting for Clarence Kaimann, who also is interested in the North Drive-In. In Illiopolis, Ill., many residents ral¬ lied to the support of Edward Griesheim in his efforts to finance the construction of a modern theatre to replace his Iliopolis, a 250-seater, destroyed in a fire. It is hoped that sufficient capital will be raised to assure an early start on the construction of the new theatre. In Taylorville, Ill., the premiere of a motion picture about Taylorville, its citizens and daily life, will be shown on the screen of the Capitol in the first or second week of October. The motion picture is being filmed by Art and John Struck, Mason City, Ill., and Glen Rogers. Mount Pulaski, Ill., for the Cap¬ itol. William Grant, city manager, P’risina Theatres, announced. Joseph Ansell. Ansell Amusement Company, and Chief Barker, Variety Club, was dedication chairman in the impressive ceremonies that marked the three-day program in connection with the formal opening of the Congrega¬ tion B’nai Amoona’s new $750,000 syna¬ gogue. . . . The St. Louis Loge, Colos¬ seum of Motion Picture Salesman of America, was to meet in the clubrooms at the Screenland Cafeteria to elect dele¬ gates to the national convention in Cincinnati. Bob Lightfoot, Monogram, heads the loge. Lee McCarthy, a brother of Bernard McCarthy, Eagle Lion Classics sales¬ man. was in. Lee McCarthy contemn'ates the early erection of a large firstrun at Las Vegas, N. M. . . . Cliff Mantle, Triangle Film Company, was doing a lot of walking and telenhoning since someone stole his new Oldsmobile from in front of his home. The film colony was grieved to learn of the sudden death in Brazil, Ind., of Mrs. M. W. Jessup, who with her hus¬ band, owned and operated the 200-seat Joy, Kansas, Ill. . . . The Lyn opened in the former 600 Club building at 3631 Grandel Square. The price scale is 60 cents for adults and 20 cents for chil¬ dren. Sam Nieberg is the manager. Jim Hill, Warner salesman, had the bad luck to hit a constable’s automobile in Freeburg, Ill. To protect himself, the constable added insult to injury by tak¬ ing Hill to Belleville, Ill., where he booked the Warner salesman on a charge of careless driving. Hill’s car was badly damaged. Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Film Row included: Rani Padrucci, fea¬ ture booker, Frisina Amusement Com¬ pany, Springfield, Ill.; Sam and Forrest Pirtle, Pirtle Amusement Company, Jerseyville, Ill.; Charley Beninati, Car¬ lyle, Ill.; Harry Plount, Potosi, Mo.; Dean Davis, West Plains, Mo. D. B. Stout, Karnak, Ill.; Arlington, and Wickliffe, Ky. ; Bill Williams, Union, Mo.; Pete Medley, McCutcheon Circuit, Sikeston, Mo.; Russell Armentrout and Roger Meyer, Armentrout Circuit, Louisiana, Mo.; Ed Clarke, Mattoon, Ill.; Harry Miller, Festus, Mo.; Lee Norton, Sullivan, Ill.; Tom Edwards and Frank Plumlee, Edwards and Plumlee Theatres, Farmington, Mo.; Robert Marchbank, Commonwealth Circuit, Washington, Mo.; Izzy Wienshienk, dis¬ trict manager, Publix Great States; Alton. Ill.; Tom Bloomer. Belleville, Ill., and Mrs. Regina Steinberg, Madison, Ill. Saif Lake City Henry Ungerleider, Intermountain Theatres, left to assume new duties with Evergreen Theatres in Kansas City, and Mr. and Mrs. Ungerleider were honored guests at a farewell party given by members of the Motion Picture Club. . . . 0. J. Hazen. Service Theatre Supply, was vacationing in Los An¬ geles. . . . Russ Dauterman. Isis. Green River, Wyo.. was vacationing in Cali¬ fornia. . . .Don Tibbs, branch manager. Monogram, was vacationing in Portland. . . . Harriet Rich. Monogram office man¬ ager. returned from Sun Valley, Idaho. . . . Roy Pickre'l. 20th-Fox office mana¬ ger. was vacationing in California. . . . Exhibitors in town included Joe Rosenfield. Snokane. Wash., and Mrs. M. G. Price, Paris, Idaho. San Anfonio statewide Drive-In Theatres held its second annual company picnic. Arthur Landsman is president. The event also marked five years of growth for State¬ wide. From one theatre, employing 15 persons, the circuit now extends from Fort Worth, Tex., to the Rio Grande Valley, and employs more than 200 persons. Statewide owns and operates five drive-ins. Features of the picnic was a baseball game between the “oldtimers,” “Movies Are Better Than Ever,” and the “kids,” the “Double Features.” Samuel Katz has been named manager, Guadalupe, while Fermin Sara has been named manager, Alameda Teatro, both owned and operated by G. Lucchese. . . . Eph Charninsky, head. Southern Theatres Company, announced that the circuit has renewed its lease on the Palace property for another five-year period. ' j Among the out-of-town exhibitors in were Esteban Fraga, Azteca, Natalia, Tex.; Ernesto Ramirez, Roma, Roma, Tex.; Hernan R. Garza, Mexico, Rio September 13, 1950