The Exhibitor (1954)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR Trenton The name of the Route 130 Drive-In has been changed to the Trenton DriveIn and the corporate name of the opera¬ tor is Mercer Drive-In Corporation. Wildwood Hunt’s Theatres, Inc., conducted dur¬ ing February its own “Bests of the Year’’ movie poll, under the direction of manager Merlin W. Paul, in which over 2,000 ballots were cast. The ballots were published in five area newspapers and on the regular theatre program. Results show Cape May County movie¬ goers termed “The Robe,’’ “Shane,’’ and “From Here To Eternity,” the three top pictures of 1953; Burt Lancaster, Richard Burton, and William Holden, best actors; Ava Gardner, Audrey Hep¬ burn, and Deborah Kerr, best actresses; and “Tom and Jerry,” “Bugs Bunny” and “Mr. Magoo,” best cartoon stars. Pennsylvania Allentown Harry Knowles, manager, Midway, is a patient at the Allentown Hospital. He was taken ill while at work in the theatre and is doing nicely. Woodwork trim on the outside of the Colonial, Henry Romig, manager, was given a renovation. Exeter The Liberty was reported closed. Harrisburg Manager Bernard J. Bispeck, Senate, arranged a special tieup with “National Save Your Vision Week” through the Central Pennsylvania Optometric Society, in conjunction with the 3-D “Taza, Son of Cochise.” Quotes from eye doctor members of the society were used in a newspaper advertising campaign. The society, in turn, plugged the film in TV shows and in the newspapers. A colorful lobby display also attracted attention. Loew’s manager William Riding moved his family, wife and three chil¬ dren here from Washington, D. C. . . . Dr. Samuel Goldstein, owner, Paxtang, Paxtang, Pa., is slated to enter the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, on April 12 to undergo a hernia operation. A new woven glass screen has been installed in the Rio. Reaction has been encouraging, manager Francis DeVerter reports. Mark Rubinsky, owner, Rubinsky Theatres, attended the annual Allied Theatre Owners meeting in Philadelphia. New Oxford The Crosskeys Drive-In is having buy¬ ing and booking handled through Mid¬ way Drive-In Theatre Corporation. Reading Theatremen were awaiting a decision by city authorities on a request for repeal of the city ordinance requiring theatres to have a projectionist on duty for every machine in a booth, regard¬ less of whether the machine is in opera¬ tion or not. The repeal, asked for by manager Emanuel S. Rosenberg, Park, with the approval of all other managers here, is concurred in by the projection¬ ists themselves as a means of protecting Reflecting again the generosity of thea¬ tremen in cooperating with charity events was the check that Washington showmen recently turned over to the District of Columbia “March of Dimes.” The theatre committee raised $27,978.73, and sho%vn above is Commissioner Sam¬ uel Spencer, president, Board of Com¬ missioners, and general chairman for the drive, receiving the check. From left to right are seen Orville Crouch, eastern division manager, Loew’s Inc.; Shepard Allen, District Theatres; Commissioner Spencer; Frank LaFalce, advertising and publicity director; A. Julian Brylawski, real estate department; and George A. Crouch, zone manager, the last three from Stanley Warner Theatres. the jobs of men regularly employed and fully protected by modern equipment. A favorable recommendation by the city’s legal department is looked for. Because of the wave of complaints to police about thefts of women’s handbags and purses in theatres, manager J. Lester Stallman, Astor, is showing on the screen at every picture show a warning to hold their handbags while in the theatre, and not to place them on seats beside them. ScpaEifon Tom Walker, Comerford Theatres, Inc., assisted on the invitations com¬ mittee of the 49th annual dinner of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Lacka¬ wanna County. ... At the 43rd annual meeting of the Congregation of B’nai Isreal, Harry Spiegel, Comerford adver¬ tising department was reelected secre¬ tary-treasurer. . . .Announcement has been made of the engagement of Miss Lois Regan, Comerford Theatres, Inc., to Cazimir Kaczmarczyk. . . . Betty Gilbridge, Comerford home office, is anxiously awaiting the arrival from Europe of her brother, Corporal Thomas Gilbridge. . . . M. B. Comerford, Comerford or¬ ganization, spent time serving on the jury. . . . Harry Hwazdicky, Granada, became the father of a baby girl, his second daughter, born to Mrs. Hwazdicky in the Mid-Valley Plospital . Larry Linnen, Granada, was bedded down with a touch of grippe. “Julius Caesar” is due to open at the Strand on March 25. A special screening will be held for all the high school teachers, including the public high schools as well as all the county and rural schools. A special show will be held for all the nuns of the county. Virginia Martinsville City Council voted unanimously to cut in half the city’s amusement tax as of July 1, start of the new fiscal year. The reduction of the rate from 10 to five per cent was requested by theatre owners. Richmond Following opposition from Virginia Motion Picture Theatre Owners Associa¬ tion, a bill to permit Roanoke County to tax drive-in admissions was killed by the Senate Finance Committee. It was indicated that the House General Laws Committee would kill a bill to allow 16-year-old girls to work in theatres. The bill would amend the state’s child labor law which now keeps girls under 18 out of theatre work. The Council of Women’s Organizations, juvenile judges, and several legislators stated they were opposed to “any whitt¬ ling away” of the child labor law. Variety Clubs Tcn'J 11, Washington Now attending the Variety Clubs International meet at Dallas, are Chief Barker and Mrs. Jack Fruchtman, Dele¬ gate Jake Flax, Delegate Nathan D. Golden, and Mr. and Mrs. Francis Storty. Chief Barker Fruchtman represents the tent as international canvasman. . . . Newest name approved by the member¬ ship committee for membership is John Benson, salesman at U-I. . . . Tent 11 will have a gay Latin American even¬ ing on April 10 in the Crystal Room of the Willard Hotel. There will be a Latin American orchestra playing rumba, mambo, tango, and samba music, and there will be dance team exhibitions and entertainment. . . . “Happy birthday” went to Peter Kaufman, Leonard Kir¬ sten, and Ivan Rosenbaum, on March 20; Stanley Barr, on March 21; Oscar Fetterman, on March 22; Harry Gold¬ man, Joseph Cherner, and David Young, on March 23; Ernest Schier, on March 25; Frank Grad, on March 27; Robert Enders, and Eric Shinkel, on March 29; John Hiser, on March 30; and Harold Hoff, on March 31. . . . The board of governors will meet on April 5 in the executive room of the Willard Hotel. . . . Morton Gerber, chairman, welfare com¬ mittee, and Mrs. Gerber are parents of a son, Marc David, born on March 5. Congratulations. Terafr 13, Philadelphia At the first “Kings For A Day” luncheon held by the tent and now scheduled for April, Earle Sweigert and James P. Clark are the first two barkers to be honored. “The Best Years Of Our Lives” was screened through the courtesy of RKO and “A Personal Affair” will be screened on March 28 through the courtesy of United Artists. Plans for redecorating and refurnish¬ ing’ the clubrooms have been completed. A voluntary $15 minimum assessment is needed to cover this work, according to Louis J. Goffman, chairman of the committee in charge. Attending the Dallas convention are William Banks, Harry Battin, Mchael Felt, Edward Emanuel, Pete McAuley, Ralph Pries, Bob Adleman, Jack Beresin, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Silverman, and Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Alesker. M^rch 2U, 195 4