The Exhibitor (1951)

EXHIBITOR i NT-1 JTKWS OF THE BRANCHES Atlanta In visiting were; M. C. Moore, River¬ side, Jacksonville, Fla.; Ed Beach, Ilan, Fernandina, Fla.; Mrs. Wallace Smith, Gem, Barnesville, Ga.; E. J. Hunter, Col¬ quitt, Colquitt, Ga.; Rufus Davis, Jr., Martin and Davis Theatres, Dotham, Ala., and Nat Williams, Interstate Amusement Company, Thomasville, Ga. Pal Amusement Company, Vidalia, Ga., will soon start work on a new drivein near Hainesville, Ga. On April 3, in Selma, Ala., the Rotarians gave R. B. Wilby a big time. Cooperating in the celebration was Roger Butler, Jr. Wilby opened his first thea¬ tre in Selma, Ala,, on April 3, 1911. Film Row wishes him many more years in the business. R. L. Wilburn is the new owner, Pacolet, Pacolet, S. C. Former owner is Tom Harmon. . . . V. D. Hunter has been appointed city manager, Florida State Theatres, Orlando, Fla. . . . The Roxy, Orlando, Fla., recently reopened. . . . The Park-Vue, Highland Park. Muscle Shoals, Ala., and the Hub Drive-In, Rebertsdale, Ala., reopened. . . . Roy Mitchell, owner. Mountain, Stone Moun¬ tain, Ga.. expects to start making shorts for television. Robert Davis leased from Middle-Tennessee Amusement Company the Arnold Drive-In Tullahoma. Tenn. . . . The Paramount, Alexandria, La., closed sev¬ eral weeks for repairs, reopened. . . . Boca Rat^n. Fla., will have the premiere of “The Barefoot Mailman” since it was made there. . . . Robert A. Early, who said he was 101 years old, said to an aide at the Florida, St. Petersburg, Fla., that his first movie was “Born Yester¬ day.” . . . Manager-owner. Boulevard Drive-In, Deland, Fla., is LeRoy Johnson. In Trenton, Tenn., Trenton’s second big fire in 14 months destroyed three buildings, including the Strand. About 800 moviegoers calmly filed out of the theatre. . . . Porter Epperson was in visiting. . . . Pete Howell, head shipper, Monogram, was back from a trip to Alabama. Walter L. King, Fort Myers, Fla., died. The stork passed over the house of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Hawker, he’s manager, Drive-In, Deland, Fla., and left a baby boy. . . . Alexander H. Rob¬ ertson, coowner, Majestic, Springfield, Ky., is now at Warm Springs Founda¬ tion, Warm Springs, Ga. Boyd Fry, manager, Loew’s Grand, has been appointed a colonel on the staff of Governor Herman Talmadge. Ted Toddy, president, Toddy, was in. . . . Visiting and booking were: A. L. Whitaker, Co-At-Co Theatres, Georgia; Emmett Grimsley, left, manager, Thomp¬ son, Hawkinsville, Ga., was the principal speaker at the recent meeting of the MPTOOG in Atlanta. At right is MPTOOG secretary John Thompson. John Thompson, Drive-In, Gainesville, Ga.; Mr. and Mrs. Theron Edwards, Eastman, Lumber City, Rhine, and Ches¬ ter, Ga.; W. M. Snelson, Co-At-Co The¬ atres, Toccoa, Ga. ; W. W. Mowbray, Royal, Blue Ridge, Ga., and Rufus Getzen, Spalding Drive-In, Griffin, Ga. The new 400-car drive-in at Riviera Beach, Fla., opened. Owners are A. F. D’Anna, with John L. Damm as manager. . . . New booker at RKO is Joe Austin from the shipping department. He re¬ places Bob Burnette, now on Uncle Sam’s payroll. . . . Mrs. Bob Langer, wife of the special representative, National Screen Service, is much better after illness. Roy Prewitt and Ted Malone, World’s Theatre Service, were visiting. . . . Added to the office force at MGM are Alma Hughes and Joan Nash. . . . Emery Austin, MGM publicity chief, was at his desk after illness. . . . Herman “Dusty” Rhodes, general manager, Dixie Drive-In Theatres, checked in at his office after a trip to Georgia and Florida. Rube Joiner, Joiner Booking Service, went to Tennessee. ... We on the Row are glad to hear that Hal Kester, ELC manager, Charlotte, is much better. . . . The new Air Show Drive-In, owned by the Giddens and Rester Circuit, opened at Chickasaw, A’a. . . . Leonard Vaughn, citv manager, Cannon, Live Oak. Fla., returned after a honeymoon in Miami, Fla. H. Moore, Standard Film Service, Charleston, W. Va., was in with J. M. Branderburg, theatre owner in Kentucky. . . . D. O. Brantley, formerly with the Martin Theatres and Gortatowsky The¬ atres, Albany, Ga., is confined to Vet¬ erans Hospital, Murfreesboro, Tenn. . . . L. T. Sheffield will soon open the Capital Drive-In, Albany, Ga., for 400 cars. The love bug went to Albany, Ga. James McClung, sales manager, Dixie Theatre and Supply Company, Albany, Ga., will marry Jo Ann Story. . . . New owner of the Ritz and drive-in at Wood¬ bury, Tenn., is W. B. Hamaker. Former owner was M. B. Hancock. ^ Jack Hunt, special sales representa¬ tive, Wil-Kin Theatre Supply, sold to the Dixie, Birdtown, Tenn., a Cycloramic screen. A1 Rook, ABC Booking Service, checked in after a fishing trip. . . . Mrs. Julia Olmstead, secretary, Columbia, was back after illness. Charlotte Queen City Booking Service announced the following drive-ins reopening: Mel¬ ody, Mamers, S. C.; Skyline, Wilming¬ ton, N. C.: Star, Brevard, N. C.: DriveIn, West Jefferson, N. C.; Model, Lumberton, N. C.; Kitty Fork, Clinton, N. C. E. A. Mahannah, chief engineer, atom bomb project, Aiken, S. C., is the new owner, drive-in, Aiken, S. C. Queen City Booking will handle the buving and book¬ ing. . . . Fuller Sams, Jr., Statesville Theatre Corporation, purchased three Miracle whips for drive-ins at Louisburg, Goldsboro, and Statesville, N. C. . . . Mrs. Hazel Resnik, booker, Queen City Booking Service, returned after a vacation in Florida. . . . The South 15 Drive-In, Hartsville, S. C., and Hi-Way 601, Lugoff, S. C., reopened. Exhibitor Service is doing the buving and booking. . . . Max Holland and E. L. Bost will open No. 1 Drive-In, Augusta, Ga., 300 cars, s°on, equipped by Theatre Equip¬ ment Company. Deepest sympathy goes to Fred Nittleton, cashier, Theatre Booking Service, in the passing of his mother in Carthage, N. Y. . . . W. E. Thomas, husband of Margie, booker, Queen Citv Booking Service, is now with Theatre Time Clock Service. . . . Queen City B-oking Service will handle buying and booking for the Fair-Vue. and all Negro drive-in, Kin¬ ston, N. C., scheduled for an early open Southern division and branch managers present at the recent Eagle Lion Classics sales convention in New York City were from left, Ernie Gnbble, Jack Schlaifer Organiza¬ tion; Jake Lutzer, Dallas and division manager; Jack I rye, Charlotte; Claude \ ork, Oklahoma City; Grover Parsons, Atlanta, and George Pabst, New Orleans exchange. April 11, 1951 SOUTHERN