The Exhibitor (1954)

fnllDTCi 1 iyj 3j W! f-th i jjWi'iT. I vaRs i MiTiMIl | The recent gala Broadway, New York City, opening of United Artists’ “Act Of Love,” Astor, was hosted by French star Dany Robin and producer-director Anatole Litvak, top left, and among those present were, top center, UA President Arthur. B, Krim; Mrs. Germaine Gossler, Benagoss Produc¬ tions; Robert S. Benjamin, UA chairman of the board; and Henry Rogers, Benagoss Productions; and, top right, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Brandt and Mr. and Mrs. Irving Weisberger. On the bottom row, left to right, are seen Herbert J. Yates, president, Republic Pictures, with his wife, Vera Hruba Ral¬ ston; Rogers: Mrs. Gossler; William J. Heineman, UA vicepresident in charge of distribution; and Mrs. Heineman; and a shot of the impressive theatre front, showing throngs crowd¬ ing around the Times Square theatre to glimpse the celebrities attending the ceremonies attendant to the opening of the film, which was made in Europe. 1TOWS OF THE New York City Crosstown Russell V. Downing, president-manag¬ ing director, Radio City Music Hall, is chairman of the dinner committee for the Variety Club’s First Annual Heart Award Dinner, it was announced by Edward L. Fabian, chief barker, Variety Club Tent 35. The dinner will honor William J. German, president, Variety Club Foundation to Combat Epilepsy, which supports the Clinic for Children with Epilepsy at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. The dinner will be held in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on May 6. Brandt Theatres have purchased the 18 New Jersey houses of the St. Cloud Amusement Corporation from Harvey Newins, Irving Wormser, and Warner H. Mandell. Frank Fowler will stay on as general manager. The theatres are in Belvidere, Blairstown, Clinton, Flemington, Franklin, Frenchtown, Hackettstown, High Bridge Lambertville, Newton, Sparta, Sussex, and Washington. George Kallman, United Artists man¬ ager i,n Panama, arrived for home office conferences. ... A girl, seven pounds, twelve ounces, was born to Mrs. Charles S. Steinberg, wife of Warners’ assistant east coast publicity director, at Lenox Hill Hospital. The child, the couple’s first, was named Harriette Barbara. Jerry Sager, Criterion executive, was convalescing in Mount Sinai Hospital after major surgery. Purchase of the deluxe new 900-car Trenton Drive-In on Route 130, Trenton, Test Seen Likely On Jersey "Bingo” NEW YORK — It was learned last week that if theatres are not desig¬ nated as places of public assembly under the bill approving “Bingo” passed last fortnight by the New Jersey State Legislature, a test case will be brought in an effort to meet this new form of competition. The bill, providing for “Bingo” permis¬ sion in cases of legally constituted charities and under local option, is seen as certain to be signed by Gov¬ ernor Meyner as it is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. Harry Brandt, who purchased the St. Cloud Amusement Corporation houses in New Jersey, announced that he was prepared to bring such a test case after the bill is voted upon locally in conjunction with the state primaries on April 20. He made it clear that the test would be held only in a community which approves “Bingo” at the local elec¬ tion. If theatres are not considered as places of public assembly, such a test case would be necessary if thea¬ tres are to derive the benefits of the “Bingo” legislation. N. J., was announced by Walter Reade, Jr., president, Walter Reade Theatres. The new property swells to seven the number of outdoor theatres owned and operated by the Reade organization. The new drive-in gives the Reade organiza¬ tion two in Trenton. The deluxe 900-car Lawrence Drive-In north of the city has been in operation since 1950, and the new Trenton Drive-In is on the southeast side of Trenton. The Trenton Drive-In, which opened late last fall, was pur¬ chased from the Morris Ellis interests and W. Brock Whitlock. The theatre is located on New Jersey State Highway 130 between Robbinsville and Hardville and Hamilton Township. Individual in-car electric heaters will be installed in both theatres, Reade declared, to enable them to operate all year round instead of having to close for the winter. Reade also said that the restaurants in both theatres will for the first time be oper¬ ated directly by the Walter Reade organization. Edwin Gage, vice-president, Walter Reade Theatres, and Mrs. Gage are in Brazil to attend the Brazilian Film Festival and to see foreign films for Continental Distributors, Inc., the Reade film distributing affiliate. They will also vacation in South America. Harry Brandt, president, Brandt Thea¬ tres, has accepted a key position as vicechairman, 1954 Joint Defense Appeal (JDA) campaign, it was announced by Melvin A. Block and Julius S. Loewenthal, JDA associate chairmen in greater New York. The campaign, which seeks to raise half the national goal of $5,000,000 in the New York area, is February 24, 1954 NEW YORK