The Exhibitor (1954)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR tions. . . . Don Tibbs, branch manager, Allied Artists, returned from Denver. . . . Don Hallstrom, formerly of Film Row and son of Carl Hallstrom, veteran booker, is now booking for Allied Artists, Los Angeles. The annual crab stag dinner for the Variety Club was held. Arrangements were under the direction of Chief Barker Bus Campbell. Charles Lloyd was in charge of reservations. . . . Simons Amusement Companjy, Missoula, Mont., announced the sale of two installations. The Park, Poison, Mont., was sold to William Shell and A1 Parker, formerly of La Grande Ore., and the Royal, Martin City, Mont., was sold to Lewis Chestnick. . . . Mr. and Mrs. T. Gai, Cortez Theatres and Drive-In, Cortez, Colo., announced that daughter Dorothy will assume the operation of their installations in this city. George R. Armstrong has been previously in charge of the buying and booking and operating. . . . Robert Selig, Fox International Theatres, Denver, was in. San Antonio Ben no J. Kusenberger has been elected president, Local 407. Other officers include Alfred Pena, vice-president; Henry Villapadierma, secretary-treas¬ urer; W. B. Keeler, business agent; Manuel Ayala, member-at-large; and G. A. McElyea, member-at-large. . . . Arthur Landsman, president, Statewide Drive-In Theatres, announced that George Sanderson will produce a tworeel comedy. About 100 youngsters will be used in the cast. Otis Boyd, manager, Twin Vue DriveIn, featured a special “Talking Bible” program as a Sunday afternoon feature, a series of recordings of the New Testa¬ ment taking about 12 hours for playing. The program is given for two-and-a half hours each Sunday. . . . A. T. Boren, manager, east Texas Theatres, Henderson, Tex., announced that special identification tickets which will admit teenagers at the Palace and Circle Out¬ door for 35 cents were distributed in schools. Teenagers who are not students can also take advantage of the offer by picking up the special ticket at Boren’s office. A new wide-screen has been installed at the Angus, St. Augustine, Tex., according to Nelson Wade, manager. . . . J. C. Parker, Mission, Dalhart, Tex., and the Lions Club, played host to 800 youngsters. . . . Damage estimated at $6,000 was caused by a fire at the Taylor, Big Lake, Tex., according to Ford Taylor, who said that the loss was mostly covered, by insurance. “The Greatest Love” was scheduled to open simultaneously in 45 theatres of the Interstate, Long-, and Novy Circuits. . . . R. J. Cooper, owner, Palace, Kirbyville, Tex., announced that a remodeling program had started. The Neches, Port Neches, Tex., has new carpeting, new tiling, and an enlarged concession stand, according to Melvin Wilson, manager. ... A new screen has been installed at the Texan, Leo Miner, center, operator of theatres in Rice Lake, Chippewa Falls, and Lady¬ smith, all in Wisconsin, as partner in Miner Amusement Company, and Mrs. Miner, at his right, recently met up with stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly and producer-director Alfred Hitchcock on the set of Paramount’s “Rear Win¬ dow” in Hollywood. Hamilton, Tex., according to H. H. Stroud, Sr. Mo,-e than 100 theatre owners and operators honored S. M. Sachs, manager, RKO, Dallas, at a dinner in Houston, Tex. Jack Farr, Houston, was chairman, and Rubin Frels, Frels Theatres, Victoria, Tex., made the presentation speech. . . . Dick Wygant has been named president, the Houston, Tex., and Gulf Coast Theatre Owners Association. He succeeds Colonel Vic Barraco, Houston. Hugh Brandt was elected vice-president. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in to book were Edward Brady, owner, Palace, San Benito, Tex.; Humberto Gonzales, America, Bishop, Tex.; Marie Burkholder, Marine, Fort Worth, Tex.; Milton Lindner, National Screen Service, Dallas; Carmen Lopez, Encanto, Galves¬ ton, Tex.; and Frank Fletcher, Ritz, Houston, Tex. . . . Juan Solis and G. R. Garza are constructing a new 500-car drive-in at Alice, Tex. They will special¬ ize in Spanish language films. San Francisco F. S'. Hatcher closed the Dos Palos, Dos Palos, Gal. . . . Phil Zenovitch closed the Vista, Rio Vista, Cal. . . . The Arch Booking and Buying Service has the account of the Maribel, Weott, Cal., taken over by Roy B. Case from Roy Cheverton. . . . Walter Cnenoweth returned to the Curran as treasurer. He left there a few months ago for Ciner¬ ama. Charles Minehart, with Lippert Theatres at one time and more recently with the Diablo Guide, Walnut Creek, Cal., is now the treasurer at Cinerama, . . . John J. Ash, MGM auditor, was in from New York. . . . Ted Galanter was in Los Angeles and San Diego, Cal., making arrangements for the “Gypsy Colt” tour. John Norcop is handling the tour for Northern California. . . . The industry was saddened with the death of A1 Dunn, 38, who died at San Francisco Hospital. He had been in theatre management many years, having more recently worked as manager, Orpheum, and later with Fox West Coast Theatres. At the time of his death he had left the industry. Survivors are his mother, a son, and daughter. . . . Mrs. Rosemarie “Tony” Miller, wife of Jack Miller, resident manager, Cinerama, is recuper¬ ating following hospitalization. . . . Bill Fanning, Columbia booker, was confined with the flu. . . . The new biller at Republic is Dorothy Arguello, replacing Doreen Baer, resigned. . . . Daniel Scherer, formerly a resident of Los Angeles, replaced Mrs. Frances Johnson as stenographer at Paramount. Mrs. Johnson resigned to remain at home. . . . Robert Palmer, at one time publicist for United-Paramount Theatres and more recently in the navy, is now in the public relations division of the cerebral palsy organization i,n New York City. . . . Burglars broke into the 99 Drive-In snack bar near Stockton, Cal., and took $20 worth of cigarettes and $5 worth of candy and nuts. . . . The Bayview, formerly under the Lippert banner, is being operated by employees of George M. Mann’s Affiliated Theatres. . . . John M. Novak, 39, was sentenced to pay a $200 fine or serve 30 days in jail here for punching Donald Haley, manager, Paramount, last December, after he had became excited by a 3-D Indian massacre in “The Nebraskan.” . . . Something unusual was done two days before the opening of “The Wild One,” St. Francis. Artist Marge Thomas used a quote from The Chronicle drama editor William Hogan in her advance ads. This had not been done here before. Ad artists pre¬ viously had waited until the picture opened and used quotes from the reviews. . . . Exhibitors in were Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Massey, Loyalton, Cal., and Bob Reese, Lakeport, Cal. Seattle Northwest, through Jack J. Engerman, completed arrangements with Kroger Babb, president, Hallmark, to distribute the Hallmark product in this area. . . . Naomi Garcia, former secretary to Paramount branch manager Henry Haustein, was in. . . . Walt Thayer, United Theatres, returned from a vacation) trip. . . . Mercedes Cleveland retired from Northwest. Her spot will be taken by booker Esther Workman, formerly with Republic. Lois Tomcheck replaces Estelle Glover as cashier. . . . Sammy Siegel, Columbia field man, returned from Salt Lake City. . . . Allen Wieder, Metro exploitation man, was in Portland on “The Long, Long Trailer.” . . . Walter Hoffman, Paramount’s publicity director, was hitting Portland, Southern Oregon, and Spokane, Wash., on “Cease Fire.” . . . Ed Cruea, branch manager, Allied Artists, spent a week in Spokane, Wash., working with Bob Walker, his salesman. Cruea is $101 richer for a Valentine present in the form of a reward for finding the “Surprise Dollar” bill put ini circulation by a newspaper. . . . Hap Fredricks, U-I Eastern Washington salesman, was in. Joe Rosenfield, Spokane, Wash., was a visitor. . . . Zollie Volchok, Northwest, was in Portland. . . . Margaret Batie, recently in California, has been welcomed back at Allied Artists as cashier. Jud Kinberg, associate producer at MGM, was in on a coast tour of drum beating for “Julius Caesar.” February 21>, 1 954