The Exhibitor (1953)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR Fadal, Coronet, returned from .a visit to the Coronet, Dallas. . . . The Surf DriveIn was opened at Corpus Christi, Tex. . . . The Plano Wildcat Band sponsored a film and stage show at the Palace, Plano, Tex. Funds gained will be used to raise funds to pay for the insurance fee for the band’s many expensive instruments. At the Kirby, Houston, Tex., a man walked up to the glass enclosed ticket booth handed the aide an envelope and a note, and ordered her to hand over the money. She put in $19, and the man fled. Gary L. Pedderson was handed a 20year sentence in prison at Houston, Tex., for the robbery of the Alabama, there. . . . James Neely has taken over duties as assistant manager to Jack Dickerson, who operate the Rialto and Trot, Cuero, Tex. . . . Mrs. R. T. Hooks, Select, Mineola, Tex., died. She was 80. The Goodfellow Air Force Base at San Angelo, Tex., went all out in cooperation with John D. Jones, city manager, Rowley United Theatres at San Angelo, Tex. During the showing of “Above and Beyond,” Texas, the air base sent its orchestra for a special concert. A jet engine was placed on display in front of the Texas on a special trailer, and an em¬ ployee was outfitted with the latest flying suit, and handed out special pamphlets. Joseph Botello, 16, Ritz, Corpus Christi, Tex., was knocked down from a ladder while he was changing the marquee sign and broke both arms. A motorist backed into the ladder. . . . H. E. Gum, Amusu, Corpus Christi, Tex., caught a 16-year-old youngster who threw a smoke bomb into the theatre. The boy admitted the deed to local police. San Francisco Mr. and Mrs. H. Bradley Fish, owners and operators, Clovis, Clovis, Cal., sold the theatre to E. A. Giannaros, who has traveled extensively throughout the world in private engineering practice. The transaction was handled by J. D. Arakelian, theatre broker. In were Dan Terrell, head, publicity and advertising, MGM, visiting manager Boyd Sparrow, Loew’s Warfield; “Doc” Henn¬ ing and Ed Stokes, Lippert Theatres; Bill Peters, Manteca, Cal.; C. J. Remington, Fair Oaks, Cal., and A1 Lourice, Palo Alto, Cal. . . . Away from the city were: Guy Meek, president, Guy Meek Theatres, recalled to the navy, now in Korea; man¬ ager Jack Marpole and salesmen Isadore Wolfe and Ray Richman, in Los Angeles Service Pacific Coast branch managers for sales meeting of National Screen and salesmen under chairmanship of George Dembow, vice-president. Fox West Coast Theatres Peninsula district manager C. E. MacDonald re¬ signed to join a brother in the restaurant business in Oregon, replaced by Fay Reeder, former advertising-publicity chief and San Francisco district mana¬ ger. Reeder will continue to head the San Francisco district, and Herman Kersken, resident manager, Fox, takes over the advertising-publicity desk. . . . Teddy Gelber, 20th-Fox branch office, takes over management of Guy Meek’s new 500-car Studio Drive-In, San Mateo, Cal., when he resigns his present posi¬ tion on March 1. . . . Gerda Mueller, former secretary to Fox West Coast Theatres Northern California manager Spence Leve, resigned. She was replaced by Dorothy Dragon, new to the industry. . . . Janis Welch, biller, Columbia, re¬ signed to be with her husband, stationed with the navy in San Diego, Cal. . . . LaRayne McQuillan, formerly of U-I, replaced Verla Manning at the Columbia switchboard. . . . Margaret Bowyer, formerly of Canada, replaced Mary Orr, secretary, in the northwestern district office of Columbia. . . . Juanita Cook, who left NSS two years ago to work for the company in Chicago, is returning to the city. . . . Catherine Daubert was away from NSS because of illness. . . . Emma Whitten, clerk-typist, Blumenfeld Thea¬ tres, resigned. . . . Harry Seipel, formerly with FWC and now with Hoyt’s Theatres, Australia, is visiting. . . . Theatre news includes the Clovis, Clovis, Cal., going from H. Bradley Fish to Emmanuel A. Giannaros. . . . Blumenfeld Theatres re¬ opened the Cerrito, El Cerrito, Cal. . . . Golden State’s Irving went over to a onechange a week policy. . . . Rotus Harvey returned from a trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nev. The Northern California Theatre Owners decided on a definite policy for future meetings following abolishment of the office of president of the association. A rotating chairman will have charge of the monthly exhibitor meetings in addi¬ tion to the monthly board meetings. Chairmen will be named in alphabetical order, the first under this new system to be Dave Bolton, Trans-California Theatres. It was also decided that the day-to-day work of the association will be carried on by the executive secretary, Hannah Oppie, under direction of the entire board. It was a prestige opening for “Anna” at the St. Francis, with 250 social leaders invited as guests of the theatre and IFE. A deal was closed whereby Judy DeaneKNBC, interviewed guests upon arrival at the theatre, and this program was re¬ broadcast in a 15-minute presentation promoted free of charge. Kleig lights, in addition to the lobby radio interviews and a miniature sidewalk screen with con¬ tinuous projection of a trailer in front of the theatre, added up. Other media used were car cards, heavy newspaper schedule, records planted with all disc jockeys, radio announcements, and an out¬ standing lobby. Assisting district man¬ ager Earl Long was west coast manager Alx Cooperman, IFE; Edward Penn, IFE; St. Francis manager Hargis L. Arnett, and publicist Jimmy Lyons. Mark Ailing, manager, and Bill Blake, publicist, Golden Gate, for “Androcles and The Lion,” advertised in college newspapers, and found that it paid off. A special screening was also held for English and drama teachers and pro¬ fessors of the schools and colleges. The local school board was very cooperative, and had the film plugged in English and drama classes. A special TV broadcast was arranged, RKO buying a half hour on KGO-TV on a Sunday afternoon prior to opening, and Ailing and Blake put together a forum discussion on George Bernard Shaw and the picture. Drama editors, professors, and ministers, were members of the panel. Stills from the picture were shown on this TV program. Seattle Several state drive-ins were slated for opening, the Starlight, Sunnyside, oper¬ ated by Lloyd Honey; the Starlight and Fife, Tacoma, and the Duwamish, Aurora, and Midway, here. Already reopened is the Highland, Kennewick. State Film Row visitors included Harry Ulsh, Anacortes, and Eddie Snow, Mount Vernon. Z.ol lie Volchok, former general mana¬ ger, Sterling Theatres, joined forces with Jack J. Engerman in a reorganization of Engerman’s Lippert Pictures of the Northwest as Northwest Releasing Corporation. Volchok has spent 19 years as a theatre executive with major circuits in the Northwest, and Engerman has been nine years in the advertising and distribution phase of the industry. Fully staffed offices will be maintained in both Port¬ land and Seattle. Sterling Theatres took over the opera¬ tion of three theatres in neighboring communities, the Lake City, Bel Vue, and Gateway, Kirkland, leased to Sterling by Pete Higgins. Articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State at Olympia by Riverview Theatre Corporation, Walla Walla, Wash., capital $1,000, by James Levey, E. T. Churchman, both of Pasco, Wash., and Lewis Harris, Chicago. Korean veteran Corporal William Zupon, bearer of the Purple Heart for injuries experienced in front line combat with the 45th infantry division, has been named assistant manager, Evergreen Theatres’ State, Spokane, Wash. J. J. Rosenfield was in from Spokane, Wash., where he operates the Post, Granada, and East Sprague Drive-In. . . . Also in town was Corbin Ball, Columbia Basin Theatres. . . . Jack Tartin, Republic branch manager, Port¬ land, visited Fred Danz, Sterling. . . . Peter Barnes, who has offices in Toronto, Ontario, and who operates the Ruby, Spokane, Wash., was in on a buying and booking junket, accompanied by his manager, Martin Falletto, Chelan, Wash. . . . C. G. Manley, Manley Corporation, was here from Kansas City with W. H. Turpie, Los Angles, to handle some local changes. L. O. Seley, former district manager, was promoted to the east, in¬ cluding New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He replaces Sam Horenstein, retiring after being with the company since 1932. Phil Blake, formerly with Northwest Automatic Candy Company, takes over Seley’s spot in the Northwest. Seley will head¬ quarter in Boston. February 25, 1953