The Exhibitor (1951)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Dallas L. N. Crim, Jr., left for Detroit and Chicago, and planned to drive back a new automobile. . . . Robert Hartgrove, B and B Booking Service; Grace Thompson, Delta Airline hostess, and Harvey Jordan and his wife spent a pleasant three days visiting Hartgrove’s parents in Old Mexico. . . . The Overton, Overton, Tex., is having the booth modernized with completely new equip¬ ment, including RCA sound and RCA BX 100 projectors. Installation was made by Southwestern Theatre Supply Company. The Strand, B house in Overton, Tex., is being remodeled. Boyd Prather, Hale Center, Tex., was to have opened a new drive-in. South¬ western Theatre Supply handled the equipment. . . . L. F. McNally, man¬ ager, Varsity, returned with his family from a pleasant vacation. Richard Sharpe, assistant manager, Delman, returned from a pleasant trip to Arransas Pass with his parents. He went deep sea fishing. Rev. William Alexander, one of the main speakers at the Majestic bally, is a former vaudeville actor who gave up a successful career in show business to enter the ministry. Two years ago, a short of Rev. Alexander’s career and his “Youth Center” project was made from a story he wrote. It was shown in many theatres, but did not have wide circulation. R. J. O’Donnell, general manager, Interstate Theatres, with whom Rev. Alexander will travel to 15 key cities as speaker for the “Movie¬ time” campaign, has become interested in the story of the pi’oject. He plans to bring it to the attention of film pro¬ ducers. According to plan, a percentage of the feature film’s earnings will go to the Oklahoma City Youth Center for improvements and upkeep. A new western stage show, created by Harold “Cuz” Goodman, KRLD disc jockey, was presented on the stage of the Samuells Boulevard Drive-In. In the contest conducted by Para¬ mount for artistic conception of scenes from “Samson and Delilah,” the Texas winners were chosen by a panel of three artist judges on the Gerry John¬ son “Variety Fair” show Friday via KRLD-TV. An exhibition, “From Ritual to Broadway,” was shown at the Coronet Theatre. Prepared by the editors of Life, it was under the direction of Miss Sarah Lee Cabell, art director of the theatre. The exhibition undertook to suggest some of the reasons for the theatre’s perennial and universal appeal. Harry Ballance, southern division manager, 20th-Fox, was a brief Dallas visitor accompanied by his wife and two children. The mother of Ray Beall, Ray Beall Advertising, Mrs. Eugene R. Beall, passed away at the home of her daugh¬ ter, Augusta, Ga. Paramount’s branch office has been moved to new headquarters at 400 North Preston Street from its previous loca¬ tion at 412 South Harwood Street. Robert J. O’Donnell, Interstate The¬ atres, made special arrangements with Herman Robbins, president, and George F. Dembow, vice-president in charge of sales, NSS, to have Paul Short, divi¬ sion manager, work with Interstate’s Raymond Willie on the west coast in reediting and working up the promo¬ tional material on ‘“Tembo,” starring Howard Hill, world famous archer. Short and Willie returned after spend¬ ing two-and-a-half weeks on the west coast. The picture, after reediting and a new sound track made, showed im¬ provement, and O’Donnell said he had been approached by three major com¬ panies for national distribution but he is not going to make a deal until it has run in Texas theatres. All the photogra¬ phy was taken on location in the wilds of Africa. Descriptive comments were made by Westbrook Van Voorhis, voice of “The March of Time.” Richard Owen, Hollywood publicity and exploitation man, will handle the openings in Texas, with Hill making personal appearances. Luncheons will be held in each town. It is planned to have the premiere at the Melba on Sept. 20. Denver Grant County, New Mexico, now has its first drive-in, built by Ray and Her¬ bert Johnson, four miles east of Silver Springs. About 800 attended the initial meeting of the “Movietime, U. S. A.” campaign at the Denham, with all exchanges and other Film Row business houses closing for the event. The meeting was chairmanned by Pat McGee, general chair¬ man, who first introduced Rev. Bill Alexander, Oklahoma City pastor, who gave the group an inspirational talk. He was followed by Bob O’Donnell, na¬ tional head of the drive. Dick Fullem, formerly a Republic salesman, has returned from Texas to sell for Republic again succeeding Jack McElhinney, resigned. . . . Mrs. Floyd Brethour, secretary, Lippert, will leave her employment soon to start raising a family, with the first on its way. Among recent participants in the Vari¬ ety Club Tent 25 golf tournament at Lakeside Country Club, Los Angeles, were, left to right, Hugh Bruen, Herb Turpin, A. Calizones, and J. Benedict, Des Moines Some 700 Iowa film employees at¬ tended a state-wide “Movietime, in Iowa, U. S. A.” meeting at the Para¬ mount, and heard the Rev. William Alexander, Oklahoma City, declare that the industry has only reached about 35 per cent of its possible public. Colonel William McCraw, Dallas, declared that movies are as American as apple pie. Leo Wolcott, Eldora, la., and A. H. Blank, head, Tri-States Theatre Cor¬ poration, also spoke. Tri-States Theatre Corporation has launched its “Greatest Movie Season” campaign with $3,600 in prize money. The contest will close on Nov. 23. . . . Myrtle McCullough is the new biller at Paramount, replacing Jean Ricketts, leaving for Denver to join her husband, Jimmy, ti’ansferred by Paramount. Kansas City Elmer C. Rhoden, Jr., was named chairman of the annual fall convention of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Associa¬ tion on Nov. 6-7 at the Hotel President. Rhoden, associated with Commonwealth Theatres, replaces Jack Braunagle. Farley Granger and Shelley Winters, stars of Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna’s RKO release “Behave Yourself!,” will be here on Sept. 10 for a day’s promotion. The picture is scheduled to world-premiere at the Missouri on Sept. 19. Activities of the pair will include an early morning radio broadcast, followed by a personal appearance at the Honey¬ moon House at Macy’s. They will at¬ tend a luncheon attended by writers from The Kansas City Star and other newspapers, and will broadcast over another radio program. They will make several personal appearances from the stage of the Missouri during the evening performances. Seen on Film Row were: Ben Adams, Star-Vue Drive-In, Eldorado, Kans., and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Jeans, Roxy, Warsaw, Kans. . . . Louis Sutter, Castle, flew to Minneapolis to attend the Na¬ tional Convention of the American Hel¬ lenic Educational Progressive Associa¬ tion. . . . Linda Baker, daughter of George Baker, Consolidated Agencies, won second prize in two events at the Saddle and Sirloin Club Horse Show. . . . Ernie Block, Civic, Sabetha, Kans., was around. . . . Geroge Summers, whose Loyal, Unionville, Mo., burned, an¬ nounced the opening date, Sept. 12. Clarence Schultz, George Baker, and R. R. Biechele, Consolidated Agencies, drove to Manhattan, Kans. Monogram and Allied Artists execu¬ tives will hold a two-day meeting start¬ ing on Sept. 4 at the Muehlebach Hotel to discuss production, sales, and adver¬ tising plans for the 1952 season. Los Angeles Jack Sherriff, VinnicotT booker, moved to Realart, where he takes over as office manager-booker. . . . Henry Slater, War¬ ner sales department, resigned after 23 September 5, 1951