The Exhibitor (1952)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 JYKWS OF THE Boston Crosstown Horace W. Beals, manager, Brockton, Brockton, Mass., played host to 90 of the city’s Pony League baseball players, which included members of the All-Star team which narrowly missed being National champs at the Washington, Pa., series. Also guests of the theatre were league officials, with the All-Stars pre¬ sented a trophy onstage. The Fresh-Pond Drive-In, Cambridge, Mass., has been chosen as the site for Archbishop Cushing’s fifth annual charity show on Sept. 15. All proceeds from tickets and the concession stand will go to the fund, which benefits the building of Nazareth Hospital for Crippled Children, one of the prelate’s pet charities. Admission is $5 a car, regardless of the number of occupants. Harry Feinstein, Warner Brothers Circuit Management Corporation zone manager, and his wife returned from a Maine and Cape Cod vacation. Eliminations revealed by the Bureau of Sunday Censorship included the folIpwing: “Big Jim McLain,” parts 1 to 9. (Deletions: Dialogue, “Bag, I’ll bet.”, in part 6. “A bag.”, in part 6.) Warners. Frank Loesser, well known composer, is due for a visit with music and drama critics. A luncheon will be held at the Ritz Carleton French Room, following which the composer will play his score from “Hans Christian Andersen.” Also invited to attend the luncheon-concei't are members of the composition class at New England Conservatory of Music. E. M. Loew reopened the Watertown, Watertown, Mass., and Strand, Peabody, Mass., both of which have been closed for the summer. . . . Sam Davidson reopened the Fairlawn, Pawtucket, R. I., also shuttered for the summer. The Hadley, Mass., Drive-In, a 400-car situation constructed by John Whitney, is expected to open in mid-September. . . . Andrew Tegu, circuit owner, pur¬ chased a site, and received a permit to construct an ozoner at Woodsville, N. H. His first ozoner, he expects to get under¬ way next spring, and plans a 400-car situation. Tegu also operates a conven¬ tional theatre in the same town. Art Moger, WB, and “Red” King, RKO, sent Peter Lorre, here in a strawhat production, a “Good Luck” wreath with greetings spelled out in bagels. It was signed by the Bagel Bakers Bund of America, a fancied organization dreamed up by Lorre his last time here about eight years ago. Dawn Addams, featured in MGM’s “Plymouth Adventure,” was in for a couple of days to meet the press, and also visit Plymouth, Mass., where she hoped to call on some of the numerous descendants of Mayflower passengers. With everybody in the town claiming relationship, that couldn”t be a difficult chore. Dan Finn, Astor, was conducting a heavy campaign amongst school children to attend “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.” Half price tickets are among the campaign lures. . . . What is be¬ lieved to be the first midnight show at an ozoner was held Labor Day eve at Lockwood and Gordon’s Concord Drive-In, Concord N. H., with a bill described as a “Horror Show.” Shown were “Werewolf of London” and “The Wolfman,” with the venture so successful that the owners plan to spot several similar shows next season. Business at the concession stand was big. A special screening of “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” was held for Jesuit priests and teachers of Boston College. . . . The Kenmore, which has been operating as an art house for some time, is switching policy temporarily, having scheduled two first-runs, “Under I he Paris Sky” and “The Full House.” According to reports. of Variety Club members who attended the annual dinner of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police at Cohasset, Mass., recently, Colonel William C. McCraw, Variety Clubs International executive director, made a tremendous hit. Kicking off the “Jimmy Fund” drive, Arthur H. Lockwood, general chairman for 1952, thanked the gendarmes for their coopera¬ tion in behalf of the film industry. Archbishop Richard J. Cushing also addressed the group, and heaped praise on the industry for the work achieved, and donated $1,000 to start this year’s campaign. Mayor John B. Hynes, Boston, donated $500, and the chiefs took up a collection amongst themselves, contribut¬ ing an additional $480. The Zeitz brothers traveled to Allen¬ town, Pa., to attend the birthday cele¬ bration of a niece. . . . Art Moger, WB tubthumper, chaperoned five femme critics to Quebec, where they watched the filming of sequences of the Alfred Hitch¬ cock thriller, “Confess.” Warner Theatres managerial awards for July were announced at a zone meet¬ ing at the Hotel Taft, New Haven. First place wound up in a tie between Murray Howard, Warner, Worcester, Mass., and Irving Hillman, Roger Sherman, New Haven. Second prize went to Jack Melincoff, Warner, Lawrence, Mass. Third prize to Guido Luminello, Palace, Lawrence, and fourth to George Carter, Strand, Woburn, Mass. Bob Fuller, Altec engineer, suffered painful injuries when he caught his arm in an outboard motor while cruising around a lake in Lawrence, Mass. . . . Lockwood and Gordon circuit reopened the Braintree, Braintree, Mass., installing Kenneth Amidon as manager, replacing Stanley Gavis, who resigned to enter the navy. . . . The Stuart, closed for several weeks, has been reopened following a facelifting job, which included painting, renovating, and installing some new seats. Harry Aaronson, former manager, Rialto, has taken over as manager. Film District With the first national meeting of AAMonogram branch managers, salesmen, bookers, and executives since 1946 scheduled for Sept. 24-26 at Chicago’s Hotel Blackstone, Boston will be well represented .Planning to plane out are franchise holder Herman Rifkin, district manager Ben Abrams, salesmen Nate Levin, Jerry Callahan, and Frank Hy¬ land, and booker Charles Wilson. Arthur Canton, MGM division press representative, was in. A meeting of the Film Row Bowling League committee to set up plans for the coming season was held at the affiliated office. Jack Hill has been appointed presi¬ dent, with the committee members Seth Field, Affiliated; Harry Smith, RKO; Max Burlone, UA, and Jack Freeman, Harry’s Snack Bar. Art Moger, WB exploiteer, and Harold Wheeler, editor, The Traveler, are ex¬ pending every effort to induce Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Marguerite Piazza, and Bill Hayes to attend the annual dinner dance of the Associated Press at the Sheraton Plaza in November. The Salesman’s Club has scheduled its first meeting of the season at the Metro screening room. A business meeting and screening are included in the agenda. Grace Sullivan Shreenan, formerly of Affiliated and Richmond-Stern, returned to the district as bookkeeper at UA. She replaces Morris Aldort, who resigned because of ill health. . . . Barbara Wolf, daughter of Joe Wolf, Embassy, was married on Aug. 20 to Alvin Role at the Southern House, Brookline, Mass. It is feared that the five-year-old son of Arthur H. Washington, Warner ex¬ change maintenance man, has been stricken with polio. . . . Herman Rifkin, AA-Monogram franchise holder, planed out to the coast to attend stockholders and board meetings. . . . Jack Hill, formerly booker at Lippert, has trans¬ ferred to a sales post at Wholesome Films, 16mm distributor. . . . Louis Gordon and his wife are on a two month trip to Europe, where they plan to visit Paris, London, Rome, and several Scandinavian countries. . . . Jack Saef, NET publicist, entered the hospital for minor surgery. New Haven Crosstown Maurice Bailey, president, Bailey Theatres, and his wife and the Lou Browns, Loew Poli New England Thea¬ tres, celebrated wedding anniversaries on the same day. . . . The son of Lee Rosenberg, engineer, Loew’s Poli, is recovering from an operation. . . . After three years, Lou Cohen, Poli, Hartford, finally is driving an auto. Usually his wife, Pose, handled the steering wheel. September 10, 1952 NEW ENGLAND