The Exhibitor (1951)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR legal department in the home office for 10 years. He comes here from the Walter Reade Circuit. Raymond Heagle will be his assistant. He is former manager, Sky Drive-In, Monrovia, Cal. New at Paramount are Mrs. Joyce Wasserback, ledger clerk, and Mrs. Rae Levie. Promotion of Herbert W. Schoenhardt to manager, Capitol, was announced by Ray M. Hendry and Sidney L. Cohen, associate general managers, Intermoun¬ tain Theatres, Inc. Assistant manager, Centre, for the past year, Schoenhardt replaces Howard Sorenson, transferred to Ogden, Wash., where he will serve as manager, Paramount. New assistant manager at the Centre is Tom D. Mceldowney, Boise, Idaho, who has been manager, Boise. The Women’s Motion Picture Club has been invited to send three delegates to the Women’s Legislative Council of Utah, and chosen are, Mrs. Dan S. Kostopulos, Mrs. William Seib, and Mrs. Harry Monsey. . . . The goblins were out when the Women’s Motion Picture Club staged a gala Hallowe’en party for husbands and friends at the Variety Club. Mrs. Gifford Davison was chair¬ man, assisted by Mrs. Charles J. Iacona, invitations, and Mrs. Don V. Tibbs, dec¬ orations. Hostesses were: Mrs. Dan S. Kostopulos, Mrs. Claud Hawk, Mrs. Irving Gillman, Mrs. Robert Braby, Mrs. Neison R. Bank, and Mrs. Jordan M. Friedman. Don V. Tibbs, branch manager, Mono¬ gram, returned from a visit to Chicago and Toronto. While in the Canadian city, he attended the mid-winter meeting of V ariety. San Antonio Approximately 2,000 persons attended the local premiere of “Mr. Texas,” Holly¬ wood’s first all-religious western film, at the Trinity Baptist Church’s open-air theatre. Mrs. Marie Ondarza has been added to the staff of Clasa-Mohme film exchange staff. . . . Latin-American film exchanges and exhibitors are solidly behind the “Movietime in Texas” campaign. They also have underway a Spanish version of the campaign, “Movietime en Tejas.” A special Spanish language trailer has been made, which is being used by all exhibitors who show Spanish or Mexican films, either full time or part time. Mr. and Mrs. Victor Farrar have taken over duties at Seminole, Tex. Farrar is manager, Tower. He was manager, Denver City, Tex., houses for three years, and has been employed for the past 14 years by Theatre Enterprise, Inc., Roswell, N. M. Mrs. Farrar will also be employed by Production Service Com¬ pany. . . . Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Garratt joined the staff of the Park Drive-In, Sweetwater, Tex. . . . Jack Trench has been named manager, Tower, Corpus Christi, Tex., reopened by Corpus Christi Theatres, Inc. The theatre was completely redecorated. The Osage Drive-In, Corpus Christi, Tex., has been purchased by the Corpus Christi Theatres, according to an an¬ nouncement made by Bruce Collins, president of the group which operates 11 standard theatres there. The Osage was opened by the Osage Corporation. . . . Roy Arnold has been named mana¬ ger, Twin City Drive-In, Rosenberg, Tex., according to an announcement made by Mart Cole, Sr., Cole Theatres. Arnold was formerly manager, Decker Drive-In, Baytown, Tex. . . . Construc¬ tion has been started on a new drive-in at Post, Tex., according to John Hopkins, being built on the site of the Rig. San Francisco New at General Theatrical are Mary Severi, receptionist, who replaced Sally Sanchez, resigned, and Kay Tsuda, book¬ keeper, who replaced Joann Corollo, re¬ signed. . . . Max Bercutt, Warner pub¬ licist, was in Salt Lake City, and salesman W. C. Wheeler was scheduled to return from Eureka, Calif. . . . Betty Chase, a former employee of Warners, is back there temporarily, and Olga Hilliard, assistant cashier, was expected back from sick leave. Roy Fehner, United Artists sales manager, retired to open a roadside inn near Woodlake, Calif., on the road to Sequoia National Park. Frank Harris, former salesman, was promoted to suc¬ ceed Fehner. . . . Angus Collins, booker, Golden State, returned after illness. . . . Jack Foley, Golden State booker, an¬ nounced the birth of a son. . . . Jimmie Stainton is now servicing contracts. Hortense Morton, drama editor, The San Francisco Examiner, will be in New York with her mother on Nov. 5 to begin a three-week vacation there. At MGM, manager L. C. Wingham was back from a company meeting in Chicago, and Kay Hackett, booker, was on vacation with her sister Florence, Consolidated Amusement. . . . Susan Orndoff has been transferred from MGM, Los Angeles, to secretary to Lila Goodin, office manager, local exchange. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Hatch, Patio, Half Moon Bay, Calif., were visiting, as was A1 Adolph, prominent Klamath Falls, Ore., exhibitor. . . . Tiger Thompson was ap¬ pointed publicist for “The Well,” United Artists, in addition to handling publicity for “The River,” Stage Door. . . . Stewart Klein, brother of Columbia’s sales mana¬ ger, Mel Klein, is company manager for “The River.” . . . Stage Door mana¬ ger Jack Allen sold out “The River” for a Sunday matinee to the Indian Famine Relief Committee. Allen reports things are a bit different that the new baby has arrived. His mother-in-law is living with him and his wife to help take care of the little one. . . . Hulda McGinn, public relations director, Cali¬ fornia Theatres Association, was ex¬ pected back from a Chicago vacation. . . . Edward Smythe, branch manager, U-I, and Betty Gamble, head booker, attended the convention in Los Angeles. . . . Sam Lyles, North Coast Theatres artist, celebrated his 17th wedding an¬ niversary and his birthday. . . . Changes in managerial posts at San Francisco Shown as they arrived in Austin, Tex., recently on a “Movietime, U.S.A.” junket are, from left, Ann Robin, Virginia Hall, Laura Elliott, Jesse Lasky, John Wayne, currently starred in RKO’s “Flying Leathernecks,” and area showman Bill McCraw. The radio announcer at right makes a special broadcast of the event. Theatres, Inc., include Russell Wheeler, former manager, closed Coliseum, now managing the Harding, replacing Jack Brittain who took over management of the Metro. Lester Dewitt, former Metro manager, is now managing the Amazon for the Golden State Theatre Circuit. Seattle Hollywood celebrities not connected with “Movietime, U.S.A.” treks were the center of interest. Rita Hayworth arrived for a visit with wounded veterans ac¬ companied by Major James Wilson, San Francisco, and her secretary, Miss Mar¬ garet Parker. . . . Beverly Michaels, young Columbia starlet, here for a per¬ sonal appearance in conjunction with, “Pickup,” Coliseum, joined the welcom¬ ing committee to greet Korean war veterans. ... A third visitor was Herbert Heyes, veteran character actor. Ralph Hayden, head booker-office manager, Paramount, resigned. Hayden had been with Paramount 14 years, and is leaving for Odessa, Mo., where he has bought a chicken ranch. The office staff was hosting a farewell party. Bill Kostenbader, B. F. Shearer Company staff, has been appointed manager, Varsity, University district. He succeeds Matt Knighton, going to Tacoma, Wash., to join Mike Barovic’s theatre. . . . John Olson, manager, Capitol, Sterling Circuit, resigned. Lucien Sutton succeeds him. . . . After being closed for two years, the Mission, Georgetown, Seattle suburb, has been re¬ opened by Sterling. It seats 500. Everett Johnson, who manages the Beacon, will also manage the Mission. Ed Cruea, Monogram branch manager; his booker, Gordon Wallinger, and sales¬ man, Bob Walker, flew out for Los Angeles. . . . Dave Silverman, manag¬ ing editor, The Minneapolis Star, stopped over for a visit with Walter Hoffman, Paramount exploitation representative. . . . Miriam Dickey, Lathrop interests, Alaska, here from Fairbanks, attended the Washington-Oregon football game, Portland. . . . Harry Blatt, salesman for U-I, and his wife, Celia Blatt, booker, 20th-Fox, returned from a New York vacation. October 31, 1951