The Exhibitor (1953)

EXHIBITOR NT-5 Neb., and the first half of “The Lawless Breed,” hadn’t arrived. He rearranged the schedule, and everything turned out okeh. Drive-in owners were bustling, with many shooting for an April 1 opening, including Adrian Muetting, Fonda, la., at his new layout at Paullina, la. Jack Renfro Theatre Booking Service, filled early April dates for the Town and Country Drive-In, Centerville, la. . . . Jack Andrews, Paramount salesman, received treatment for an infected hair on his cheek. Many exhibitors outside the range of TV in western Nebraska and southern South Dakota aren’t anxious to jump into 3-D operations at the present, Carl White, Quality Theatre Supply, reported after a visit in that area. He said the general feeling was to hold off. R. V. Fletcher, Hartington, Neb., ex¬ hibitor, returned from Florida. . . . Two Film Rowers will represent the industry in the state bowling tournament on the Pirrucello team, Paramount branch manager M. E. Anderson and 20th-Fox salesman Pat Holloran, doubles partners. Last year, they finished with 179 and 178 averages, top spot to Anderson. Ed Rostermundt, retired United Artists salesman who has been ill at home for a year, visited. . . . Mrs. Abbie Feldhans, ailing Schaller, la., exhibitor, was showing improvement. . . . Betty Kelberg joined the Warner staff as biller, and Marvin Johnson is assistant booker. Henry Saggau, Denison, la.; Ernest Kassebaum, Seward, Neb., and Dwaine Lockmon, Stuart, Neb., are among the latest to sign for 3-D. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Walter Creal are vacationing at Hot Springs, Ark. Creal has the Beacon and Center. Evidences of spring: Mrs. A. A. Renfro pointing with pride to newly cleaned Venetian blinds; word that the Yankton, S. D., Movieland Drive-In scheduled an April 28 opening, and the Golden Spike’s scheduled opening in late March or early April. Si. Louis Formal announcement of arrange¬ ments for the world premiere of Para¬ mount’s “Pony Express” was made by producer Nat Holt in Hollywood in a long-distance telephone conversation with Henry D. Bradley, president and pub¬ lisher, St. Joseph, Mo., dailies, The Gazette and The News-Press. A gala, Hollywood-style premiere for the picture, marked by the excitement of parades and civic ceremonies and with top stars in attendance, has been set for April 22 at the Missouri. Paramount is making arrangements to feature “in person’" appearances at the premiere by “Pony Express” stars Charlton Heston, Rhonda Fleming, Jan Sterling, and Forrest Tucker and guitarist Tony Romano. R. M. Savini, president, Astor, con¬ ferred with Gorelick and Phillips, re¬ spective heads, Realart, to take over the franchise to distribute all Astor product exclusively. In Macon, Mo., Mrs. Zelma Unger, formerly of Marion, Kans., has assumed her new duties as manager, Macon. The change in managers was made at the request of Mrs. Melvin Maddy, who managed the theatre for three years. Word from Cape Girardeau, Mo., is that tests of the 3-D equipment in¬ stalled by McCarty Theatre Supply Com¬ pany, at the Cape Drive-In, operated by Howard Bates et al near the Cape Girardeau airport, proved satisfactory. The equipment used by this drive-in con¬ sists of Century projectors, Motiograph sound; Motiograph 115/230 ampere generator, and Motiograph high intensity lamps, normally operating with 115 amperes at the arc, but for all of the 3-D tests and also with flat pictures the amperage was cut to 90 amperes. How¬ ever, for the 3-D presentation, a 100 ampere rectifier was added. The inter¬ lock used is the Motiograph mechanical type. The filters used in the tests were supplied by Century Projector Corpora¬ tion. The tests indicated that the modern automobile windshield does not nullify the polarization for 3-D pictures. A special trade showing of the drivein 3-D equipment will be announced soon through the McCarty Company. The new Star Drive-In, between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo., being com¬ pleted by Bates et al, also is to have similar 3-D equipment. In Benton, Ill., City Council approved a motion declaring that the Park DriveIn, in the Lake Benton Park, would not be allowed to open for the 1953 season until an audit of the drive-in’s records for the 1952; season is presented by the theatre’s management to the City treasurer. The theatre is operated under a lease with the city by Dr. Sam Stuart Marshall, Tamaroa, Ill. In Cave-in-Rock, Ill., the Ohio will be closed pending completion of the re¬ pairs and refurnishing resulting’ from fire damage. Damage to the theatre building and its contents has been esti¬ mated at from $20,000 to $25,000 by owners Tom Partain and Carl Humm. In Columbia, Ill., the State, 351-seater was gutted by a fire that swept through the Masonic Hall building. No one was in building at the time because the theatre, owned and operated by Eddie Rudolph, had been closed. In Newman, Ill., Victor H. and Hazel E. Recker, Illinois, filed a suit in the Circuit Court of Douglas County, Tus¬ cola, against R. H. and Joyce J. Welsh, Wood River, Ill., former owners. The petition seeks to set aside the deal with the Welshes for the purchase of the building and equipment for $40,000, and for the return of Macoupin County real estate with an unencumbered value of $10,000, assigned to the defendants, and the $5000 in cash also paid on the pur¬ chase price, also reimbursement for the losses they alleged were sustained since taking over the property from the Welshes, and also an accounting of the earnings of the Macoupin County real estate since it has been in the possession of the defendants. In Clayton, Mo., the suit for an injunction to halt picketing of the LaCosa was continued for hearing before Circuit Judge Brackman. Out-of-town exhibitors seen included : Pete Medley, Sikeston, Mo.; Bob Marchbank, Commonwelath, Washington, Mo.; Bill Waring, Jr., Cobden, Ill. ; A. B. Magarian, East St. Louis, Ill.; A. T. Wohlert, Altamont, Ill.; Bill Williams, Union, Mo.; Mrs. Regina Steinberg, Madison, Ill.; Charles Weeks, Jr., Dex¬ ter, Mo.; Eddie Clark, Metropolis, Ill.; Tom Edwards and Frank Plumlee, Farmington, Mo.; Tom Bloomer, Belle¬ ville, Ill.; Lee Norton, Sullivan, Ill.; Curtis F. Downen, Sunset Drive-In, McLeansboro, Ill.; Carl Humm, Ohio, Cave-in-Rock, Ill.; Dave Forbes, Rex, Freeburg, Mo.; Charley Beninati, Car¬ lyle, Ill.; Bill Collins, DeSoto, Mo., and Joe Goldfarb, Alton, Ill. Nathan Lending, brother of Theodore Lending, manager, Kirkwood, Kirkwood, Mo., died. In McLeansboro, Ill., the Sunset Drive-In will be opened for business early in April, Curtis F. Downen, owner, said. In Murray, Ky., Enido Nucci, owner, 95 Drive-In, hopes to open his new 250car drive-in near Dresden, Tenn., within the next few weeks. In Vienna, Ill., Turner Farrar Thea¬ tres hopes to open its new 400-car drivein in June or early July. ... In Free¬ burg’, Mo., Mr. and Mrs. Dave Forbes, Columbus, Kans., are reopening the 200seat Rex, closed by former operators E. Levtkemeyer and Ed Poettgen. April 28 and 29 are the tentative dates set for the joint regional meet¬ ing of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri, and Southern Illinois and the KansasMissouri Theatre Association, Inc., at Bagnell Dam on the Lake of the Ozarks, Central Missouri. Cinerama will be showing in from 20 to 25 cities by the end of 1953, Hazard E. Reeves, New York City, president, Cinerama, Inc., declared at a meeting of a group of prospective investors in the process. Reeves spoke at a dinner at¬ tended by about 50 businessmen, bankers, brokers, etc., arranged by White and Company, investment brokers. John B. Giachetto, general manager, Frisina Amusement Company, Springfield, Ill., was vacationing in Florida, as was Loran Cluster, Salem, Ill. Leo Keiler, president, Columbia Amusement Company, Paducah, Ky., was vacationing in Havana. . . . The 1500seat Arena, Paducah, Ky., has been sold by the Western Amusement Company, headed by Hot Gilliam, to undisclosed business interests who eventually plan to convert the building to other uses. Other out-of-town exhibitors reported along Film Row included: Bud Mercier, Fredericktown, Mo.; Tom Partain, Cave-in-Rock, Ill.; Homer Hulsey, St. Clair, Mo.; Otto Ingwersen, Mont March 25, 1953