The Exhibitor (1953)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 VBWS OF THK New York City Crosstown Donna Reed, in Columbia’s “From Here To Eternity,” arrived to begin a publicity tour in connection with the world premiere at the Capitol. Max E. Youngstein, United Artists vice-president, returned to New York after a month’s stay in Europe, accom¬ panied by his wife. Lane and Winard, attorneys, Tribune Theatre Corporation, operator, Tribune, announced that an anti-trust action brought by the company against WB and U-I has been settled under an agree¬ ment giving the house a neighborhood first-run. The Tribune previously had played films seven days after Skouras’ Academy of Music. A similar first neigh¬ borhood run was granted the Tribune earlier by RKO, and the suit is now pending against 20th-Fox and Skouras Theatres. The winners of the third week of the Century Theatres theatre operation drive were Brooklyn district, first, Marine, manager, Edgar Bernhardt; assistant, Albert Bagrash; second, Kingsway, man¬ ager, L. W. McEachern; assistant, Lester Goldberg, and third, Avalon, man¬ ager, Meyer Hudish; assistant, Anthony Oristano, and Long Island district, first, Shore, manager, Richard Tretler; assis¬ tant, Arthur Felton; second, Queens, manager, Bernard Seiden; assistant, Ronald Maggi, and third, Floral, man¬ ager, Jerome Thyberg, and assistant, Robert Collins. Richard Todd, star of Walt Disney’s Technicolor “The Sword and the Rose,” was guest of honor at a luncheon attended by top executives of the Walt Disney New York office and RKO officials. Barney Balaban, president, Paramount Pictures, and Spyros Skouras, president, 20th-Fox, have been named honorary chairmen of the Sophie Tucker Golden Jubilee Celebration, it has been an¬ nounced by chairman Harry Brandt. The celebration will be capped with a huge testimonial dinner marking her 50th year in show business at the Waldorf Astoria on Oct. 4. Seven other theatrical charities will share in the proceeds of the affair, which will be sponsored by the Jewish Theatrical Guild. Sadie Tandlich, mother of Karl Harte, U-I home office representative, died. Phil Hodes, retiring RKO New York exchange manager, is being given a testimonial luncheon today (Aug. 5) at the Hotel Astor by approximately 250 friends. Harold Klein, J. J. Theatres, is in charge of arrangements. Hodes spent his entire industry career with RKO and its predecessor, FBO, except for the years between 1916 and 1922, when he was with Universal. Cut-rate Tokens Lead To Plenty of Publicity NEW YORK — Albert L. Greene, Avenue U, Brooklyn, upped attendance at his theatre consider¬ ably last fortnight by selling 15 cent New York Transit Authority tokens, obtained through an unrevealed source, at the cut-rate price of a dime. The theatreman managed to wangle 5,000 tokens at a time when only a small number were available, and would not reveal the source of his supply. Greene offered a token at the cut price for every 65 cent admission or sold three for 25 cents with purchases of three admissions. Greene disposed of 1,000 tokens the first night he put the plan into operation, and said it was the best week-day business the theatre had enjoyed in years. Harold Warner, TA counsel, said he saw no grounds for legal action against Greene as long as the TA got 15 cents for each token. The stunt captured the city’s fancy to the extent that Greene reports many persons attended his theatre that he had never seen before, a man from The New Yorker came by to do a magazine article, and Greene was guest on a TV interview show. William L. Taub was elected president and managing director, Hispano, scheduled to open on Sept. 4 with a policy of first-run Mexican films and Latin American artists and stage shows. Walt Disney Productions designated Albert Margolies and Company to con¬ duct a special promotion campaign in connection with the New York release of “The Living Desert,” “Ben and Me,” and “Stormy.” Edward Mullen, United Artists branch office manager, announced his resignation after 30 years of service with the com¬ pany to enter his own business on the west coast. Mullen, who joined UA in 1923, has spent all of his career with the Film Distribution Company at the New York office. New Jersey Asbury Park A parachute jumper, boardwalk magician, and coffin were among the props employed by Ted Davidson, man¬ ager, Paramount, to ballyhoo “Houdini.” He hired a local magician to put on a magic demonstration on the boardwalk near the theatre several nights. He also dressed three aides in full-dress “mourn¬ ing” clothes, and had them push a borrowed coffin on a cart around town, with signs proclaiming that “Houdini” was inside the coffin, and would “escape” at the Paramount on the picture’s playdates. With an assist from city manager Bob Hynes, the best stunt was a tonguein-cheek item submitted to The Asbury Park Press that he was seeking someone who would jump by parachute from a plane just over the beaches in Asbury in straight-jacket. He got four written re¬ plies to the ad, which he turned over to the newspaper, and got a substantial feature story on the theatre page. Long Branch Walter Reade Theatres reopened its Paramount and Strand after they had shut down for a fortnight in a dispute with the City Commission over introduc¬ tion of burlesque at the Paramount. New York State Albany The memory and objectives of pioneer documentary producer Robert Flaherty will be perpetuated through the Robert Flaherty Foundation, Inc., which filed a certificate with the Secretary of State under the membership clause of the in¬ corporations law. Thirty years of topflight service to Warners and its predecessor, First National, were recognized when the staff of the former gave a party for Mrs. Carrie Rodgers, manager’s secretary. Mrs. Rodgers was praised by branch manager Ray Smith for “an important job, well done.” Doris Senecal, Warner cashier, arranged the party in her home. Mrs. Rodgers, who started with First National in the days when film ex¬ changes were located in the downtown Clinton Avenue section, left in the family car with her husband for a vaca¬ tion in Miami, Fla. John Brusseau, Delaware manager, left with his wife and family for an auto¬ mobile tour of the New England coast. He had been doubling into the Madison while Oscar J. Perrin vacationed. Bill With, Palace manager, was another who enjoyed the great outdoors during his annual. A. O. La Flamme, Strand man¬ ager, shoved off for a fortnight at Ocean Park, Me. Mrs. La Flamme accom¬ panied him. Johnny Wilhelm, 20th-Fox head booker, fattened his pocket book for an early-fall vacation in Pittsburgh by win¬ ning the bonus, two weeks’ salary, for going over quota in the “Terrytoons” drive during the second quarter. . . . A gag clothesline in the rear of 20th-Fox exchange, to advertise the company’s featurettes, has a local addition, a pair, of salesman Fred Sliter’s shorts. The other underwear displays were shipped from the home office. . . . The 19-year-old son of Ray Smith, Warner branch man¬ ager, plans to take a pre-medical course, possibly at the University of Vermont. The young man was recently graduated from Albany Boys Academy. He worked in a super market weekends. The will of Walter H. Wertime, Sr., owner, Chester, Chestertown, and Regent, Cohoes, admitted to probate in Warren County, showed an estate of $50,000 real and $30,000 personal. Testamentary letters were issued to two sons, Walter id Us Your Next Order! That Get You BEST RESULTS and Always Arrive ON TIME Is What You Get From August 5, 195S NEW YORK