The Exhibitor (1953)

NT-6 EXHIBITOR gomery City, Mo.; Keith Coleman, Mount Carmel, Ill.; Bob Johnson, Fairfield, Ill.; Bernard Temborius, Breese, Ill.; Tony Beninati, Pinekneyville, Ill.; Loren Cluster, Salem, Ill.; Izzy Wienshienk, Publix Great States, Alton, Ill., and Jack Keiler, Columbia Amusement Company, Paducah, Ky. The opening of the 1953 drive-in season in the territory gives confusinganswers to those persons who have here¬ tofore voiced the belief that ours is a “dying industry that has seen its best days.” Last year, the exchanges pro¬ vided motion pictures for no less than 112 drive-ins, all of which are expected to reopen during late March or early April. In addition, 18 other drive-ins are under actual construction, and several of these have definite plans for grand openings within the next several weeks. Seven other drive-ins are in the definitely planned stage, and actual construction is to start soon. The mother of Mike Lee, manager, United Artists, died in Casper, Wyo. , . . Members of the St. Louis Variety Club, Tent 4, gave a farewell dance to Herb Bennin, manager, MGM, promoted to manager, Washington, D. C., office. Bennin is being succeeded by Tom Bailey, assistant branch manager, Charlotte. Salt Lake City Arthur Israel, assistant to Barney Balaban, president, Paramount Pictures, was in. San Antonio A quiz show is being originated from the stage of the Alameda each Thurs¬ day and Friday nights over KCOR. . . . Interstate was host to Anika Van Koy, in in connection with “Desert Legion,” Majestic. . . . Carl Bernal was given a farewell party by the staff of ClasaMohme as he left to become a member of the armed forces. Eva Reinhardt, 15-year-old high school student and aide of the Josephine, was instrumental in thwarting the robbery of the Josephine. Tommy Powers, manager, Texas, held a special preview showing of “Breaking The Sound Barrier” to air force per¬ sonnel. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in to book were: Mike Garcia, Hut and Garmon, Rio Grande City, Tex.; Ignacio Luna, Luna, Crystal City, Tex.; Ramon Ruenes, new owner-operator, Rio, Mis¬ sion, Tex.; Raul Pena Serna, Rau-Con Drive-In, Escobares, Tex.; H. R. Garza, Mexico, Rio Grande City, Tex., and Genaro Trevino, Alta Vista, Beeville, Tex. The Star, Hillsboro, Tex., is under¬ going an extensive remodeling job. Ed Brin is one of the owners of the build¬ ing which has housed the Star. . . . E. T. Simpson, McKinney, Tex., has been named new general manager, Walmur Amusement Company, Bristow, Okla., which operates the Walmur and Princess. . . . Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Sterbenz sold their Follett, Follett, Tex., to L. A. Troutt. Bobby Jack Hamm, manager, Rogue, Matador, Tex., and his wife announced the arrival of their first baby, Bobby Max. Hamm will start construction on a new drive-in on the edge of the town. . . . Phil Isley announced that 3-D equipment is to be installed at the Capitan, Pasadena, Tex. . . . C. C. Hamm, owner, Queen, Quitaque, Tex., and Harry Barnhill, owner, Gem, Tur¬ key, Tex., combined to start construction of a 200-car capacity drive-in between their towns. Construction will be started on the Cherokee Drive-In, Longview, Tex. W. B. Goates, owner, stated that he ex¬ pected to be ready for the opening on May 1. Goates, who has owned and operated 14 drive-ins in various sections of the state, including two at Fort Worth and one in Mineral Wells, is moving to Longview. The new drive-in will have a 600-car capacity. San Francisco A special meeting of area exhibitors was shown a cut portion of Paramount’s 3-D Technicolor production, “Sangaree,” and heard an address by William H. Pine, the picture’s co-producer, on 3-D productions in general. Pine was invited to bring them up-to-date on 3-D develop¬ ments. Neil East, Paramount branch manager, introduced him. Jack Allen, manager, Stage Door, returned from a vacation. James Sims, who relieved, remains as night manager. . . . First showings on the coast of “The Little World of Don Camillo” will be on April 10 at the Larkin, here; Vagabond, Los Angeles, and the Guild, Portland. . . . James McMillan, assist¬ ant, Loew’s Warfield, returned from vacation. George Uribe was doing his work. . . . The Warfield is the only theatre, including neighborhoods, that has its own janitorial staff. Therefore, it had to go along with the deal made between AFL Building Service Em¬ ployees Union and the American Build¬ ing Maintenance Company, which pro¬ vides for wage increases and pension plan increases for 400 Northern Cali¬ fornia theatre janitors. The current wage was $72.75 for a five-day week, 40 hours. Under the new scale, a two and one-half cents an hourly pay raise is retroactive to last Feb. 15, and another seven and one-half cents an hour raise will apply on Feb. 15. In addition, em¬ ployers will contribute five cents more an hour to a joint pension trust fund, to which they have been contributing $6 a month per man. . . . Edward Sullivan has been named Vallejo, Cal., city man¬ ager, Fox West Coast, replacing Phil Garber, resigned. . . . Mike Newman, Columbia field man, was in town for the world premiere of “The Glass Wall,” Orpheum. . . . B. F. Shearer Company installed 3-D equipment at the Vogue, Salinas, Cal., Center, Watsonville, Cal., and Ray Syufy’s Rita, Vallejo, Cal. Russell Osborn and Roy Carier took over the Peralta, Oakland, Cal., from Robert Wells. . . . Blumenfeld Theatres took over the Kayvon Drive-In, Napa, Cal., from E. M. Graves. . . . Neal East, Paramount manager, married Melda Major, former secretary in the Fox West Coast booking department. Miss Major resigned from FWC a few weeks ago. . . . Biller Evelyn Zichosch, UA, is expecting the stork. The Row was saddened by news of the death of the father of Helen Roberti, U-I cashier. . . . State visitors were: A1 Klokkenvold, Colfax; Verne Paddock, Armona; Mr. and Mrs. William Peters, Manteca; Leslie Pancake, Central Valley, and Pete Garrette, Woodland. Jack Frazier, former booker, Fox West Coast, is now with the Westland Theatre Circuit, and is working with Ed Coffey at the Laurel, San Carlos, Cal. . . . Bob Broadbent has been named manager, Esquire, by North Coast dis¬ trict manager Graham Kislingbury, and George Brand has returned to his former post as assistant manager, Orpheum. Sol Lesser’s 3-D Box Office Attrac¬ tions distribution outlets include Sey¬ mour Poe, New York, to handle the eastern part of the country; Max Roth, Chicago, midwest; Herman Beiersdorf, Dallas, south, and A1 Grubstick, San Francisco, west. Home office of Box Office Attractions is in Los Angeles. Seattle Zollie Volchok, Northwest, visited the Portland office. . . . Harry Plunkett, NST salesman, was in Portland and Astoria. . . . Metro’s Allen Wieder was in Oregon as was Paramount’s Walter Hoffman, working on “Come Back Little Sheba.” . . . Chris Poulsen, Denali, Anchorage, Orpheum, Kodiak, and Liberty, Seward, all in Alaska, was in. . . . Lottie Jame¬ son, assistant to Sterling advertising manager Clinton McFarland, was vaca¬ tioning in Oklahoma. . . . Headed South for a vacation was Ernie Rose, manager, Colonial. . . . Charlie Lawson, Film Delivery, returned after the flu. . . . Also back on the job is Mollie Larson, receptionist, 20th-Fox, recovered from a bus accident. . . . Vete Stewart, Warners branch manager, returned from Cali¬ fornia. . . . On the sick list was Guy Maxey, Warners’ office manager. . . . Robert Anderson, Sterling’s assistant to Fred Danz, returned from an inspection trip. . . . The Nome, Dream, Alaska, burned. It was owned by Charlie Code, Seattle. . . . Jim Brooks, office manager, celebrated his 30th year with 20th-Fox. . . . Mickey Rooney blew in to help pro¬ mote “All Ashore.” . . . On the Row were Miriam Dickey, Corbin Ball, Miriam Goodrich, and Sid Dean. All of the five drive-ins in Spokane, Wash., are now open for the season, the Y Drive-In, West End, AutoVue, East Sprague Drive-In, and the MotorIn. The Y has been enlarged to accom¬ modate 200 more cars, and playground equipment has been added. The West End, newest of Spokane’s drive-ins, ac¬ commodates 600 cars. March 25, 1953