The Exhibitor (1953)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri, and Southern Illinois, was held in the offices of the MPTO regional. Three cases were heard by the grievance panel, pre¬ sided over by Lester Kropp, secretary, regional organization. Other committee members in attendance were Tom Edwards, Farmington, Mo.; Bill Williams, Union, Mo., and John Meinardi and Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill., Bloomer is presi¬ dent and ex officio member of all its com¬ mittees, as is Tom Edwards, immediate past president. Neither chairman Kropp nor the other members of the panel could talk about the three cases. It had been reported that one of the cases to come up would involve the question of motion picture shows under church auspices. With the Missouri General Assembly in session, Jefferson City has been dis¬ carded as the place for the joint meet¬ ing to be held by the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois and the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association, Inc., during April. This was announced at the meeting of the officers and directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri, and Southern Illinois. A special feature of the meeting was a special screening of “The Hoaxsters.” The gathering was saddened by the news of the tragic death of Homer Strowig, Abilene, Kans., exhibitor. The officers and directors voted unanimously to name Dean Bill Davis as a member of the board to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father, Dean W. Davis, veteran West Plains, Mo., exhibitor. Ground-breaking ceremonies are to be held shortly for the new South Side Day Nursery for which Tent 4, Variety Club, has pledged itself to raise $50,000 or more to finance. Edward B. Arthur, Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amusement Company circuit, is the Chief Barker. In Waynesville, Mo., grading work was started for the new drive-in to be con¬ structed about one-quarter of a mile south of the junction of Highways 66 and 17 at the Fort Leonard Wood en¬ trance, according to an announcement by Ralph Pullen, manager, Fort Wood, Commonwealth Amusement Company Circuit. This drive-in is one of 19 to be constructed by the Commonwealth Cir¬ cuit, which has its headquarters in Kansas City. In Ava, Ill., the Ava was closed by its owner, Paul Burt Butts, due to the ill health of his wife. Butts, who also owns and operates the Grand Tower, Grand Tower, Ill., has offered to sell the Ava theatre. In Elsberry, Mo., the Orpheum was sold by Mrs. Cecil Cannon Gledney to State Senator Ed V. Long, Bowling Green, Mo., who also owns the Trojan, Troy, Mo. Senator Long is closing the Orpheum so that it can be modernized. In Carbondale, Ill., The Rodgers, Rodgers Theatres Circuit, suffered nominal damage from a fire. The Lewton Film Service, Inc., has been incorporated to engage in the trans¬ portation by motor vechicle of motion picture films and merchandise, etc. In¬ corporators are listed as M. Lewton, S. Lewton, and L. Lewton. Don Griffin, manager, Charleston Thea¬ tre Company, Charleston, Ill., Lincoln and Will Rogers, resigned, and Rino Bianchie, one of the partners in the Charleston and Mattoon, Ill., theatres companies, returned as Charleston resident manager after a two-year leave of absence. Out-of-town exhibitors seen included: Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill.; Tom Edwards and Frank Plumlee, Farmington, Mo.; Bill Waring, Jr., Cobden, Ill.; Bill Williams, Union, Mo.; Loren Cluster, Salem, Ill.; A. B. Magarian, East St. Louis, Ill.; Mrs. Regina Steinberg, Madi¬ son, Ill.; Eddie Clark, Metropolis, Ill.; Russell Armentrout, Louisiana, Mo.; Howard Bates, Cape Drive-In, Illmo, Mo.; Rowe Carney, Rolla, Mo.; Johnny Giachetto, Frisina Amusement Company, Springfield, Ill.; Bill Collins, DeSoto, Mo.; Charles Beninati, Carlyle, Ill.; Elmer Rhoden, Jr., and Walt Kirkham, Common¬ wealth Amusement Company, Kansas City; Wayne Lindsey, Carroll, Kevil, Ky.; Pete Dawson, American Drive-In Service Company, Louisville, Ky., which books for the Broadview Drive-In, Morganfield, Ky., and the 95-Drive-In, Murray, Ky.; Judge Frank X. Reller, Wentzville, Mo.; Otto Ingwersen, Montgomery City, Mo.; Joe Goldfarb, Alton, Ill.; Izzy Wienshienk, district manager, Publix, Alton, Ill.; George W. Sisson, State, Centralia, Ill.; Mrs. Margaret Sherman, Bloomfield, Mo., and Ed Campbell, Louisville, Ky. The Nu, Kane, Ill., is reported to have been sold. . . . Dave Arthur, head booker, Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amuse¬ ment Company, and family are vacation¬ ing in California. . . . Bill Griffin, bookerbuyer, Rodgers Theatres, Cairo, Ill., has been hospitalized. Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Rosecan, Hannibal, Mo., returned from a vacation trip to Florida. . . . Joe Lyman, Whitehall, Ill., returned home after an extended stay in a hospital at Jacksonville, Ill. Andy Dietz, through his Co-operative Theatres, now books and buys for the Carroll Theatre, Kevil, Ky. Dietz checked into St. John’s Hospital for some ex¬ tensive checking. . . . Henry Wendt, Osage, Kirkwood, Mo., returned home from the hospital. John Dugan has taken over the south¬ eastern territory for 20th Century-Fox. Maury Edgan resigned. Dugan recently left 20th-Fox for a short stay on the Warner sales staff out of Pittsburgh. . . . Southern Illinois police are looking for the armed bandit who obtained $100 plus in a stickup of Mrs. Mary Vaughn, Rodgers, Carbondale, III. . . . The Ritz, Carlyle, Ill,, has a new high intensity fibre screen, Charley Beninati, owner, reports. Paul McCarty, head, McCarty Theatre Supply Company, returned from a trip to Kansas City and Omaha. . . . Mrs. Bill Guinan, whose husband works for the McCarty Theatre Supply Company, was elected secretary, St. Louis chapter, Muscular Dystrophy Association of America. The chapter raised $13,350 in a drive for funds. Many of the drive-ins plan to open for the 1953 season on Easter Sunday, April 5. . . . National Theatre Supply sold Perma-screen facing for use in Frisina Amusement Company drive-ins, including the Frisina, Taylorville, Ill.; Skyway, Mattoon, Ill., and the CarBreeze, Carlyle, Ill., in which Charley Beninati, Carlyle, Ill., is coowner. National Theatre Supply sold a thirddimensional Walker Hi-intensity screen to the Ambassador, where “Bwana Devil” is to open a run, and also the first Walker panoramic screen to the American, Wentzville, Mo., owned by Judge Frank X. Reller. Salt Lake City Salt Lake theatregoers responded to “The March of Dimes” appeals to the amount of $6,226 in theatre collection boxes to help the 1953 campaign. Herbert Schoehardt, manager, Capitol, represent¬ ing Intermountain Theatres’ collec¬ tions made at the Capitol, Utah, Center, and Studio, presented a check for $3112.98. J. Lawrence Theatres’ Uptown, State, Villa, Rialto, Southeast, and Murray, collected $2974.21; J. A. Christensen, owner, Arcade, $105.00, and $24.72 was received from Dan Kostopulos, Broadway. Two police officers sat through a double feature, and then arrested an armed man in the lobby of the Rialto. He was wanted for passing bad checks. . . . Hearts and flowers set the romantic theme for the annual Valentine party given by the Ladies of Variety in the Hotel Utah. The elaborately planned dinner-dance was climaxed by a spot¬ light played on the oldest married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Peck, Jr., and the most recently married, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Trathen (Helen Ostler), who re¬ turned from a Sun Valley honeymoon to attend the affair. Mrs. Dan Kostopulos was general chairman, and Mrs. Jordan M. Friedman was ticket chairman. Mrs. Robert Braby is president of the auxiliai’y. San Antonio Police were investigating theft of $57.37 from the safe of the Sunset. . . . Bobby O’Donnell has been named man¬ ager, Josephine, according to an an¬ nouncement by Tom Sumner, owner. Antonio Badu, Mexican star, was mak¬ ing a personal appearance at the AlamedaNew representative for RKO, Dallas, is Jimmy Sippey. . . . Jack Williams has taken over duties as new manager, Var¬ sity Drive-In. A chiliburger and hot dog stand has been opened at the Guadalupe by the Zaragoza Amusement Company. The Tremont Theatre Corporation, headed by Ben Clark, purchased the Tremont, Galveston, Tex. The Tremont has been closed since 1951. The sales price was reported to be $19,474.28. . . . Eddie February 25, 1953