The Exhibitor (1951)

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EXHIBITOR NT-3 six of the industry’s public relations reels, “The Movies And You,’’ originally shown in theatres. These reels are on 16mm., and are available gratis to all exhibitors who wish to show them to service clubs and schools, to build up interest in motion pictures. The titles of the single reels, 10 minutes each, are “Let’s Go To The Movies,” “The Art Director,” “The Soundman,’’ “This Thea¬ tre and You,” “History Brought To Life,” and “Screen Actors.’’ Fred Herrington, secretai'y, Allied of Western Pennsylvania, spent a week in Harrisburg, Pa., watching the legisla¬ ture, and conferring on bills afFecting the industry. Donald Baecher has been named man¬ ager, Blatt brothers Drive-In at Lake Chatauqua, N. Y. John Bello has been transferred from the same circuit’s Al¬ bion house to Mercer, Pa. Mrs. Rose Benn, former assistant manager at Al¬ bion, was promoted to manager. Mrs. Harry Fleishman, Brighton, has been in Allegheny General Hospital with a heart ailment. . . . Fred Serrao, Circle, New Kensington, Pa., has been named a member of the city’s fact finding com¬ mission. Herb Pickman, special exploitation representative, Warners, has been in pre¬ paring the campaign for the world pre¬ miere showing of “I Was A Communist Spy for the FBI,” set for the Stanley. This is the story of Matt Cvetic, Pitts¬ burgher, who will tour with Pickman. They plan to make all the key cities and also sub-keys during the month for a big advance publicity build up, in addi¬ tion to appearing on Pittsburgh TV and radio programs, press interviews, and talks to civic clubs. The Twin Highway Drive-In had a formal opening. The entire receipts were turned over to the Robinson Township Civic Club. The local high school band was there, and entertained the audience an hour before opening. The old Granada, closed for many years, was almost completely gutted by fire. Crew members of the board of the Variety Club were hosts at the regular Friday Night “Family Night.” Dropping in during the evening were Senator Duff, John Boles, and bandmaster Baron Elliot. Film Row was saddened to learn of the passing of H. R. Cromwell, owner, Pitt and Bedford, Bedford, Pa. He had been ailing for some time. . . . Mr. and Mrs. William Finkel, Colonial and Ar¬ cade, celebrated their 35th wedding an¬ niversary with a private dinner. The Casino went back to straight bur¬ lesque shows after trying mixed vaude¬ ville and burlesque. . . . Harry Fry is closing the only theatre in Wampum, Pa. The theatre had been in operation in the town for 40 years. . . . Jim and Joe Tay¬ lor purchased the Green Garden DriveIn, Alliquippa, Pa., from the Julik brothers. Anthony Albino was named manager, Roxy, Monaca, Pa., by owners Glen Ford and Joe Huszar. . . . The 25-day run of “Born Yesterday” in the Squirrel Hill section is creating excitement on Film Row. A top boxoffice hypo aimed at theatres all over the country is the Hollywood “Star Discovery” Contest announced by Warners to be inaugurated here on April 28. The Warner Theatre zone will be the experimental ground for the region-wide contest which will be duplicated in all of the company’s theatre zone areas from coast to coast and in independent theatres. Co-sponsored here by Hamburg Brothers, the contest will offer top prizes of two six-month contracts at the War¬ ner studios in Burbank, Cal., plus a con¬ tract to make two records for RCA Vic¬ tor Recording Company to the best vocalist selected in the scheduled elimina¬ tion contest. The contest will be con¬ ducted on the stages of 35 Warner the¬ atres in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the test area, and in the the¬ atres of those independents invited to join the plan, and extensively publicized in all other of the company’s houses from as far north as Erie, Pa., and far south as Charleston, W. Va. M. A. Silver, zone manager, has appointed assistant zone manager Joseph Feldman to work out the contest arrangements with Lester Hamburg. A series of five weeks of indi¬ vidual theatre eliminations and semi¬ finals in the contest will be held in most of the company’s theatres in this terri¬ tory beginning on April 28. The zone will be divided into four districts, with winners of the semi-finals to travel to the four regional final contests to be held in Erie, Greensburg, Pa.; Clarksburg, W. Va., and Pittsburgh, and later com¬ pete in the grand final on the stage of the Stanley. Judges will be Harry Mayer, Warner talent department, and repre¬ sentatives of Carnegie Tech Drama De¬ partment, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, and RCA Victor officials. Elaborate plans for the world prem¬ iere of Warner’s “I Was A Communist Spy for the FBI,” which will be held at the Stanley on April 19, are already under way as set up by Mort Blumenstock, Warner ad. and pub. chief. Pitts¬ burgh was selected as the site for the premiere because the activities of Matt Cvetic as related to Pete Martin in a recent series of articles in The Saturday Evening Post. Following the premiere, the picture will open within 10 days in 200 theatres in the surrounding area, including other Pennsylvania cities, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Al¬ bany. Cvetic will make a whirlwind tour of 38 selected cities, whei’e he will talk to press, radio, and syndicate represen¬ tatives on his experiences as a commu¬ nist poseur for the FBI. Press and radio representatives of cities surrounding his personal appearances have been invited to cover for interviews locally. All of Cvetic’s appearances have been planned to precede local bookings of the picture. As part of his tour, Cvetic will also visit and addi’ess Kiwanis and Lions Clubs, schools, women’s clubs, etc. Kentucky Louisville A. Edward Campbell relinquished his interest in the Twin Drive-In. However, he retained his full interest in the Sky¬ way Drive-In, Buechel, Ky., and in¬ creased his interest in the Theatair Twin Drive-In, Jeffersonville, Ind., and Twin Drive-In, Indianapolis. Campbell, along with R. P. Dawson, owner, Rodeo and Shawnee, Louisville, is presently en¬ gaged in the American Drive-In Thea¬ tres Service, a booking and buying or¬ ganization for drive-ins, listing approxi¬ mately 20 in the Atlanta, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Memphis areas. R. P. “Pete” Dawson, owner-manager, Rodeo, had book matches printed with the face cover printed as a free ticket to the theatre, subject to tax. Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Miles, Eminence, Eminence, Ky., returned from a visit south. . . . Luther Knifley, Knifley, Ky., reopened for a full operating schedule. Visitors included: Lewis Baker, Star, West Point, Ky. ; R. L. Gaines, Homer Wirth, Crane, Crane, Ind.; W. E. Cross, St. Clair, Lebanon Junction, Ky. ; Bob Enoch, State and Grand, Elizabethtown, Ky.; J. E. Elliott, Jr., Cardinal, Hodgenville, Ky. ; Tex Richards, State, Crouthersville, Ind., and A. O. Perkins, Lynn, Woodbine, Ky. Joining the Twin Drive-In and the Kenwood Drive-In in opening for the current season were the Parkway DriveIn, under the direction of John Nolan, the Dixie and East Drive-Ins, under the executive direction of Floyd Morrow, and the Skyway Drive-In, Bucehel, Ky., with Lou Arru as the guiding hand. In addition to managing and coowning the Majestic, Springfield, Ky., Ralph Quarles is co-director of a local band. . . . The Lost River Drive-In, Bowling Green, Ky., under the supervision of Alton Rush, opened. Johnson Musselman, executive direc¬ tor, Rialto, took advantage of a tiein with Lovebright’s Diamond Rings’ $100,000 “Bird of Paradise” contest to herald the opening of “Bird of Paradise.” Lou Arru’s Twin Drive-In resumed full operation. The Kenwood returned to full operation a short time ago. Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Miles, Eminence, Eminence, Ky., are vacationing in Flor¬ ida. . . . Seen on the Row were: Oscar Hopper, Arista, Lebanon, Ky. ; Ralph Quarles, Majestic, Springfield, Ky. ; J. T. Kennedy, Jr., Stanton, Stanton, Ky. ; Buddy Arnold, Arco and Melody, Bardstown, Ky. ; J. C. Smith, Bloom, Bloomfield, Ky. ; J. A. Ball, Bel Vista Drive-In, Springfield, Ky. ; J. B. Minnix, Southland, London, Ky. ; Alton Rush, Lost River Drive-In, Bowling Green, Ky., and W. E. Gross, St. Clair. Lebanon Junction, Ky. Alexander H. Robertson, coowner, Ma¬ jestic, Springfield, Ky., was scheduled to leave for the Warm Springs Founda¬ tion, Warm Springs, Ga. Johnson Mussellman, besides handling a full-time job in managing the first-run Rialto, still finds time to put on his per¬ formances as “Aska, the Magician” in nearby theatres, schools, and civic auditoriums. April 11, 1951