The Exhibitor (1954)

EXHIBITOR Nt-2 vention at Dallas are Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lett, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh M. Sykes, Jr., and John H. Vicker. Jacksonville “Beneath The 12-Mile Reef,” made in Florida, has had many fine openings in the state, reported 20th-Fox’s Marvin Skinner. For the first-run at the Florida, Robert Skaggs had thousands of colored heralds distributed. He also had TV and radio spots, and a complete set of deep-sea diving equipment was on display. Following the success of a Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida regional meeting in Tampa, President Horace Denning scheduled a second regional meeting for Miami in April. Pursuing an aggressive course of action, Denning, assisted by LaMar Sarra, MPEOF legislative chairman, has been marshalling exhibitor strength behind the move to abolish the 20 per cent ad¬ missions tax. Corporal David E. Fortune, a prisoner of the Chinese Reds for 31 months, and Captain Helen Dunn, an army nurse who saw front-line service in Korea, were the guests of George Krevo, Palace manager, when they appeared on the stage on the opening night of “Cease Fire” and were interviewed by Larry Glick, announcer, WRHC. The Edgewood was to become the first house in Florida for the second-run of CinemaScope pictures. Manager Hal Stanton had “The Robe” booked for a March 31 opening. Buford Styles, U-I branch manager, was extremely pleased by the accept¬ ance of “The Glenn Miller Story.” . . . Calling at theatres and offices were Jack Demestra, president, Southeastern Thea¬ tre Supply, from Atlanta, and Walt Woodward, salesman, Wil-Kin Theatre Supply, from Miami, Fla. State exhibitors at MGM included Jean Wulfekuhler, Dixie Drive-In, DeLand, and Bob Blotchi, City Drive-In, Fort Myers. . . . Alfred Terranova, MGM booker, has been assigned to the large Florida State Theatres account. 20th-Fox Notes — Office manager Ken¬ neth Jackson left for Miami, Fla., as George Hoover, Paramount Theatres, and Walter Jacobs, Miami Beach, Fla., recently greeted stars Aldo Ray, James Whitmore, Van Heflin, and Tab Hunter at the Miami International Airport while enroute to Vieques Island, P. R., to film Warners’ “Battle Cry.” George Cooper, auditor from New York, arrived at the branch for a stay. . . . Madelaine Farr, boxoffice clerk, resigned to return to her home in Hawaii. Her place was taken by Linda Fleming. . . . Harold Popped, Telco Theatres, West Palm Beach, Fla., and Ray Dunn, U. S. Drive-In, Daytona Beach, Fla., were here on booking trips. . . . Louis A. Pauza, well-known booker, set March 19 as his wedding date with Miss Patricia Stevens, formerly of Boston. They were to be married in St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Jacksonville Beach. , . . Gail Travis is Max-vin Skinner’s new secretary. Many personal appearances were made hex*e by Coley Wallace, star of “The Joe Louis Stoiy,” prior to the firstrun at the Strand. Bill Wallace was in chai'ge of Benton Biothers film terminal while Frank Ben¬ ton toured south. . . . IATSE business manager John N. Spearing had to call in stage hands from other cities when, at the same time, “South Pacific” was on the Florida stage, “Ice Follies” was at the Swisher Gym, and a ballet troupe was at the George Washington auditori¬ um. . . . Earl Griffin has gome into the Edgewood as the assistant manager. Bob Ingram, Columbia division man¬ ager, arrived here as Paul Hargette, branch manager, returned from New York. . . . Marvin Schubert, Columbia To exploit Republic’s “Jubilee Trail,” William Butterfield, Lake Drive-In, Pascagoula, Miss., recently had the entire concession room, right, placarded with one-sheets and stills and decorated with firearms of the frontier era and horses, taken from the drive-in’s playland merry-go-round. On the right, the drive-in attendants, dolled up in appropriate costumes, got in the bally hoo spirit of things a week prior to playdate. booker, reported that Harlow Land, Alachua, Fla.; S. E. McDaniels, Mari¬ anna, Fla.; and Lee Sherwood, Zebulon, Ga., were among visiting exhibitors. . . . Donald Wright is a new booker at Columbia. Memphis Frank Cai-ter, Memphis, former man¬ ager, Warners, has helped foim Paris Paving Company, Inc. His partner is J. H. Hayes, Pai’is, Tenn. . . . Jimmy Gillespie, exploitation man, 20th-Fox, was in in conjunction with “New Faces.” . . . Herod Jimerson, Liberty, North Little Rock, Ark., sold his Airway, Little Rock, Ark., to Ira and Claude May. . . . T. A. Shillings, foi-mer owner, Pastime, Danville, Ark., was in to say “hello” to all his old friends. Columbia head shipper Corrine Walsh was in the hospital with a dislocated disc. Visitors wei'e Carl Ingle, Riverside, Clifton, Tenn.; H. N. Haddad, Munford, Munford, Tenn.; John Hurd, Maxie, Trumann, Ark.; Nate Reiss, Missouri, Campbell, Mo.; Valerie Gullett, Benoit, Miss., who just returned from Las Vegas, Nev.; Roy Dillard, Dillard, Wardell, Mo.; Moses Sliman, Lux, Luxora, Ax-k.; Paul Harrington, Calvert DriveIn, Calvert City, Ky.; Doug Pierce, Rand, Pocahontas, Ark.; Gordon Hutchins, State, Corning, Ark.; C. J. Collier, Globe, Shaw, Miss.; Clara Mae Davis, Globe, Drew, Miss.; Billy Ruffin, Jr., Ruffin Amusement Company, Covington, Tenn.; Mi’s. Glen Moser, Gay, Olive Branch, Miss.; Mrs. Jack Watson, Pal¬ ace, Tunica, Miss.; C. Burkebyle, Bel¬ mont, Belmont, Miss.; A. D. Webb, Webb, Ripley, Tenn.; and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Lloyd, 8 Drive-In, Houston, Miss. Douglas Taussig, exploitation man, United Ai-tists, was in for “Act of Love.” Jeff Hunter and producer Leonard Goldstein are to be in Memphis on March 26, according to Malco manager Watson Davis. They will make an appearance that night on the Malco stage. Among those from Tent 20 attending the Variety Clubs International con¬ vention at Dallas are Mr. and Mrs. Ben During the recent personal appearance of Keenan Wynn at the world premiere of MGM’s “Tennessee Champ,’’ Loew’s State, Memphis, manager Arthur Groom arranged a lobby broadcast interview over WMPS. March 24, 1954