The Exhibitor (1951)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 Friedman Brothers, owners, are seeking the early run by negotiation. The request for a 28-day break has been in the hands of branch managers for over two months. A total of $15,000 was awarded to patrons of 34 Minneapolis neighborhood theatres in a “Bank Night” pool during the past year. The pool is operated by Mill City Theatres, Inc., organized to conduct “Bank Night” and other give¬ aways at member theatres. Officers of the group are Martin Lebedoff, presi¬ dent; Lyman Lee, vice-president; Mrs. Dolores Lundquist, secretary-treasurer; and Charles Rubenstein and Joe Podoloff, directors. Berger Amusement Company’s first venture in the outdoor field, a 370-car drive-in at Fergus Falls, Minn., is ex¬ pected to be ready for operation next spring. . . . Ralph Green and associates sold the Racine Drive-In, Racine, Wis., to the Pappas group, Milwaukee and Chicago. The Pappas group operates the Towne, Milwaukee, and a drive-in at Kenosha, Wis. William J. Heineman, UA distribution vice-president, visited Abott Swartz, branch manager. ... A gala four-day celebration marked the reopening of the Broadway, Albert Lea, Minn., following a complete remodeling program. Ben Marcus, Columbia midwest district manager, was in. . . . Bill Shirley Colum¬ bia exploiteer, was in for “The Mob,’’ Orpheum. . . . Kathy Berns, office manager’s secretary, MGM, is engaged to Jerry O’Neill. . . . Bob Anderson is the new shipper at Paramount. . . . Frank Campo, former Paramount shipper, is a booking trainee. . . . Joyce Marcus is the new booker’s stenographer at 20thFox. . . . Earl Lorenz, 20th-Fox, sales¬ man, is vacationing in Denver. Recent out-of-town exhibitors were: Dan Peterson, Brookings, S. D.; Max Edelstein, Hibbing, Minn.; Roy McMinn, Superior, Wis., and Cal Kaake, Duluth, Minn. . . . Ralph Pielow, Jr., branch manager, 20th-Fox, was in Milwaukee. . . . Lawrence Callahan, auditor, MGM, was in. . . . Jack Kelley, news and reprint supervisor, MGM, was at the exchange. Ralph Maw, Midwest district manager, MGM, and W. H. Workman, MGM branch manager, were in Chicago for the sales meeting. . . . New bookers’ secre¬ taries at MGM are Alice Longmore, Teresa Goulet, and Ann Olson. . . . Police are looking into the theft of 40 speakers from the Starlite and 30 from the East Park, two outdoor stands at Sioux Falls, S. D. . . . E. Warren Washburn is the new owner, Auditorium, Revillo, S. D. Edward MacMillan sold the Emerald, Biwabik, Minn., to Gilbert Tweit. . . . Hatling and Rustad are the new owners, Lee, Murdock, Minn. House formerly was operated by Lester Egerstrom. . . . Minnesota Amusement Company named Bert Forsy manager, Gopher, Hibbing, Minn. He’s an amateur magician. . . . The Legion, Sarles, N. D., installed new projection equipment. . . . Grant Roseth installed new sound equipment, at the Rose, Underwood, N. D. Portland The “Show Of Shows,” the annual event held under auspices of exhibitors, distributors and affiliated unions, will be held at the Mayfair on night of Oct. 31. The receipts will go to the maintenance fund of the Shrine Hospital. Among the managers participating are Lou Amacher, MGM; Charles Powers, 20th-Fox; A1 Oxtoby, Warners; James Beal, Colum¬ bia; A. J. Sullivan, United Artists; Richard Lang, RKO; Wayne Theriot, Paramount; Jack Partin, Republic; Jack Felix, Monogram; Arthur Greenfield, U-I, and R. O. Wilson, Lippert. Vaude¬ ville acts will be given without charge by the American Guild of Variety Artists, through Phil Downing, north¬ west theatrical agencies. The Mayfair is being made available by the J. J. Parker and Evergreen Theatres. The Colosseum is co-sponsor, with Jack O’Bryan, United Artists manager, com¬ pleting arrangements. St. Louis The governors of Illinois and Missouri and prominent members of Congress have been invited to attend the annual meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri, and Southern Illinois at the Chase Hotel on Nov. 5 and 6. Tom Edwards, Farmington, Mo., president, is to preside. Pro¬ minent on the agenda for this year’s meeting will be final action on a pro¬ posal by the officers and board of directors that it set up a grievance com¬ mittee to pass on various allegedly “un¬ fair” trade practices. After a protest from Local 143, the St. Louis Public Library decided not to resume its free motion picture shows at the Central Branch Library. The union objected because regular employees of the library were serving as projectionists at these shows instead of members of the union. Rev. Leo C. Byrne, Archdiocesan Director of Family Life for the Catholic Church in the St. Louis Archdiocese, speaking on “Family Life and Amuse¬ ment” at a meeting of the Better Films Council of Greater St. Louis, expressed the opinion that television, even with greatly improved programs, will effec¬ tively stop the trend of the American family seeking its entertainment, amuse¬ ment, and recreation outside of the home. Paul Krueger, co-general manager, Wehrenberg Theatres, and son-in-law of the late Fred Wehrenberg, recently pur¬ chased a one-third interest in Triangle Film Distributors, Inc. The other stock¬ holders are Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill., and Cliff Mantle. The annual cinema tea of the Better Films Council of Greater St. Louis took place at the Melba. In llliopolis, Ill., the new Illiopolis is scheduled to open soon, Edward Griesheim, manager and principal owner an¬ nounced. The new 360-seat theatre replaces a theatre destroyed in an $86,000 explosion and fire. In Assumption, Ill., the Scenic makes an attractive appearance since its ex¬ terior has been redecorated. W. Robert Johnson is owner. In Jackson, Mo., progress is being made in the construction of the 325-car drive-in on Highway 25, just north of Hubble Creek, by William Sherman, Bloomfield, Mo., who also operates thea¬ tres in Advance, Mo., and Bloomfield, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman have named the new drive-in after their daughter, Jackie Linn, born the same day they broke ground for the theatre. In Springfield, Ill., one of those too frequent jurisdictional disputes between union building and construction mechan¬ ics and laborers recently resulted in carpenters striking on the drive-in on U.S. 66 south of the city being built for Kerasotes Brothers Theatres, Springfield, Ill., by S. R. Stanley, Crossville, Ill. Morgan Hudgins, MGM publicity man, was here in conjunction with “Quo Vadis.” The film is to open here on Nov. 20. Out-of-town exhibitors in included: Harry Miller, Festus, Mo.; Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill.; Loren Cluster, Salem, Ill.; Russell Armentrout, Louisiana, Mo.; A. B. Magarian, East St. Louis, Ill.; Charles Beninati, Carlyle, Ill.; Joe Goldfarb, Alton, and Marc Steinberg, East Alton, Ill. Salt Lake City The case of Camark vs. the distribu¬ tors under the anti-trust laws was dis¬ missed with prejudice. Grant Bagley was the attorney. Brought in as a witness was George A. Smith, Paramount divi¬ sion manager, who found the suit settled by the time he arrived. The Egyptian, Park City, Utah, has been undergoing remodelling. Added is a snackbar. In Wendell, Idaho, The Ace, has been leased to Don Mendenhall, owner-operato, Rex, Hagerman, Idaho. The Redwood Drive-In leads the parade of ozoners closing in this terri¬ tory. . . . O. J. Hazen, manager, Service Theatre Supply, states that the direct theatre television recently, has affected business locally. With the addition of the Gem, the new circuit being built by Consolidated Thea¬ tres is up to 10 showhouses and outdoor theatres. Those in the circuit are the Gem, Holiday, Cinema Art, and Highland Drive-In, Redwood Drive-In, Autorium, and Airport Drive-In, this city, and Geneva Drive-In, Orem, Utah, Spur, Ketchum, Idaho, half-a-mile from Sun Valley, and Gooding, Gooding, Idaho. Several additional theaters are under consideration for purchase. Richard P. Morgan is operation manager, and Mel Smart is in charge of buying and book¬ ing. Morgan was with the Paramount October 31, 1951