The Exhibitor (1951)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Louis Bujak, manager, Martha, Wash¬ ington, for Martha Manteuffel, took a leave of absence. . . . Milton Hale, Para¬ mount exploiteer, bought a new automo¬ bile so he can drive around visiting stars. J. J. Lee, manager, 20th-Fox, was back from a Florida vacation. . . . Eunice Nammberg is a new staff member at Allied Theatres. The Lansing Drive-In, Lansing, Mich., opened. Free souvenirs were given on opening night. The Michigan IATSE registered its approval of President E. Clyde Adler’s management of the last two years by electing him to a new two-year term. Adler will be aided by vice-presidents Earl Ramsey, Jackson, and Earl Ross, Pontiac, and Harry Slout, Battle Creek, as secretary-treasurer. The Michigan IA is looking forward to its next quar¬ terly meeting to be held in May and probably in Detroit. Highlight of that program is expected to be discussion of hospitalization for members. If there is anyone in Adrian, Mich., who doesn’t know that R. B. Tuttle is going to have a new drive-in this season, he must be deaf, dumb, and blind. Tuttle has been plugging his new Sky Drive-In with every medium possible. A 30-foot Wagner attraction panel with 17-inch letters is pulling plenty of attention. Radio listeners get in on his spots which have a telephone tie-in of the quiz type. If the person called knows the name of the current Sky Drive-In feature, he gets a pass. Window cards and news¬ paper advertising have been used on a big scale. Tuttle has a double-barrelled program to draw the kids. He has a tiein with a safety show but the big feature is the bottle cap auction. The kids bid their bottle caps for passes to the show, and around Adrian a bottle cap these days is hard to find. The first-run Downton, closed for sev¬ eral days, reopened. . . . J. Oliver Brooks, publicity and advertising director, But¬ terfield, is back from a vacation in Florda. . . . Harry N. Smith, Hollywood, is in California. . . . Arthur Weisberg, formerly with the Korman Circuit, formed the A and W Theatres Circuit. He is taking over the Senate and Crystal from Samuel Sevin and Benjamin Crandall. Condolences are extended to Charles Dietz, MGM field press representative, on the passing of his wife. The public returns to the movies for its main entertainment after about a year of television in the home, according to results of a survey conducted here by veteran exhibitor Earl J. Hudson’s thea¬ tre staff. Hudson summarized his find¬ ings with the statement that home TV, after it has passed the novelty stage, is a competitor of theatres only in terms of quality entertainment offered, and not because of the convenience of the home set. The survey indicated that television owners show more discrimination in their choice of programs after about three months, which Hudson considers the novelty period, and begin attending thea¬ tres more regularly thereafter until, in about a year, they return to their form¬ er theatre-going habits. Indianapolis Salesmen in Louisville, Ky., were com¬ pelled to do their own maid service be¬ cause of a strike. . . . Charles Feldman, domestic sales manager; Maurice Berg¬ man, U-I home office staff, and A. E. Daff, world-wide director, were in, and held a general sales meeting. After the meeting, a luncheon was held at the Keys. Guests were Trueman Rembusch, prexy, Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, Inc., and A1 Blocher, Y and W Manage¬ ment Corporation. Evansville, Ind., joined in the “Doris Day’s Day” celebration, with the Grand, Premiere Theatres Circuit, boosting “Lullaby of Broadway.” Ike Sollers, Lyric, Covington, Ind., left the Decatur, Ill., hospital. . . . Henry Harmenson, Brook, Brook, Ind., took over the Hebron, Hebron, Ind. . . . William Wallace, Veedersburg, Ind., and Cozy, Dugger, Ind., was looking after the Cozy, while his manager was sick. . . . National Theatre Supply erected a new marquee at the new Warren, Wil¬ liamsport, Ind. . . . Clyde Smith, Dream, was recuperating after an operation in Methodist Hospital. Carl Kemp assumed the duties of Smith during his absence. The following committees were named by the Colosseum for its annual dinner dance on June 2 in the Indianapolis Athletic Club: George Devine, chairman, entertainment; Gayle and Herman Black, tickets, and Herman Hallberg and James Smith, program. Jack Griffis, son of James Griffis, Bos¬ well, Boswell, Ind., spent the holidays with his parents. A student at Marmee Military Academy, in Illinois, he has been given a scholarship at the Virginia Military Academy when he graduates. . . . Harris Dudelson, district manager, Lippert, Detroit, was in. Exhibitors seen on Film Row were : Harry VanNoy, Van Noy, Middletown, Ind.; W. T. Studebaker, Logan, Logansport, Ind.; Floyd Morrow, Drive-In, Shively, Ky. ; K. Suhre, Lyons, Lyons, Ind.; Matt Scheidler, Hartford, Hart¬ ford City, Ind.; John Austin, Austin, Versailles, Ind., and Guy Hancock, Pre¬ witt, Plainfield, Ind. Manager Gene Tunick, ELC, spent several days in Chicago. . . . Ellen War¬ ren, mother of Frank Warren, salesman, U-I, died at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Chicago. . . . Roger Wright and wife were in. . . . Dick Hand and George Banta, Melody Drive-In, Knox, Ind., were in buying and booking. . . . Two new company cars for U-I salesmen arrived. Moe Esserman and Frank Warren will do the driving. Warner exchange has a new Hammer¬ man booking booth. Each exhibitor does his booking in private. . . . Laddie Han¬ cock, a former film salesman, opened a liquor shoppe at 3432 North Illinois Street. Gordon Craddock, Jr., representing Samuel Goldwyn, arrived, making his headquarters at RKO. . . . Lorraine Toney, manager’s secretary, and Louise Munson, cashier, Columbia, were vaca¬ tioning in Miami, Fla. . . . Wayne Good¬ win, Butler, Butler, Ind., was reported recovering from an attack of virus pneu¬ monia. . . . Bernard Brager, Republic manager, was a business visitor in Chicago. Division manager Ray Moon, 20th-Fox, was in. . . . Sam Switow, Switow Circuit, held a meeting concerning the Will Rogers Memorial Fund. . . . National Theatre Supply reported the following in¬ stallations: Peerless Magnarc lamps and Hertner transverter, to Angelo Chairenza, Grand, Cambridge City, Ind.; Walker plastic screen, Community, Car¬ thage, Ind., and Strong Mighty 90 lamps and Hertner transverter, H. and P. Drive-In, Connersville, Ind. Exhibitors on Film Row were: A. Moritz, Cincinnati; A. C. Kalafat, TriHigh Drive-In, Garrett, Ind.; K. Ball, Royal, Brownstone, Ind.; E. E. Smith, Devon, Francesville, Ind.; William T. Studebaker, Logan, Logansport, Ind.; Harry Van Noy, Van Noy, Middletown, Ind.; William Handley, Rembusch Cir¬ cuit, Franklin, Ind., and Sam S\yitow, Switow Circuit, Louisville, Ky. Maurice Brazee, former manager for Warner Theatres in Oklahoma City, be¬ came city manager for Greater Indian¬ apolis Amusement Company as a result of changes coming from the purchase of Ted Gamble’s interest by Denham The¬ atres, Denver. Dave Cockerill, president, Denham, was in to set policy with repre¬ sentatives of the Fourth Avenue Amuse¬ ment Company, Louisville, Ky., which now shares ownership of the Indiana, Circle, Lyric, and Keith’s with Denham. Kenneth T. Collins, retiring city man¬ ager, plans to enter a hospital for an operation. Pittsburgh Five distributors filed separate per¬ centage suits here against Antonio R. Acquilina, Joseph T. Birocco, and Joseph A. Birocco. Actions were instituted by Warners, U-I, United Artists, Loew’s, and Columbia in the U. S. District Court for Western Pennsylvania. The theatres involved are the Garby, Clarion, Pa., and the Emlen, Emlenton, Pa., while it was allegedly operated by the defendants un¬ til about January, 1947. Loew’s is rep¬ resented by Smith, Buchanan and Ingersoll, and the other distributors by Reed, Smith, Shaw and McClay, with Sargoy and Stein, New York, as counsel. Clarence Brown, MGM producer-direc¬ tor, returned to the coast. He was here to visit Forbes Field in preparation for the filming of “The Angels and the Pirates.” Vincent Corso, buying and booking agent, added the Brighton, New Brigh¬ ton, Pa., and the Tusca Drive-In, Beaver, Pa., to his accounts. The Colosseum will hold its second an¬ nual dinner and dance on May 6 at the Roosevelt. Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania has purchased April 11, 1951