The Exhibitor (1951)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 ager, Hartford Drive-In, Newington. The Hartford Drive-In, Milford Drive-In, Norwich-New London Drive-In, and Riverdale Drive-In resumed operations. Other managers are: Milford, Carl Halpin, recently back from a Florida vaca¬ tion; Norwich-New London, Bruno Weingarten, and Riverdale, Harold Cum¬ mings. Two new drive-ins will open shortly in the Landers division, the 800car capacity Farmington Drive-In, Farm¬ ington, managed by Hector Frascadore, former acting manager, Hartford DriveIn, Newington, and the 1000-car capac¬ ity drive-in at West Boylston, Mass. Loew-Poli New England Theatres hosted Morgan Hudgins, MGM publicist, at a press luncheon at The Bond Hotel. Slides of numerous “Quo Vodis” scenes were included in the program, hosted by Harry F. Shaw, division manager, and Lou Cohen, manager, Loew-Poli. Jim Smith, sales promotion chief, Stern and Company, Columbia Records distributor, lined up plenty of coopera¬ tion on “Lullaby of Broadway,” with campaign stressing songs by Doris Day. Connie Cudo is new at the Crown, re¬ placing Joyce Christiana, promoted to cashier. . . . Assistant manager Frank Quinlan, Bushnell, is back following long illness. George E. Landers, division manager, E. M. Loew’s Theatres, announced the appointment of Louise Irons as his sec¬ retary. Miss Phyllis Spivack, New Haven, is engaged to Leonard Greenberg, son of the owner, Center. New at the Webb is Kathleen Cahill. Arthur Bassaell is the new maintenance manager. John Gilberto resigned as projection¬ ist, E. M. Loew’s. . . . Albert Donovan, at one time a manager under George E. Landers, division manager, E. M. Loew’s Theatres, is now managing the Uptown, Lynn, Mass. Back from California were three exStrand aides, Charlie Atamian, formerassistant ; his wife, Janet Chicano Ata¬ mian, and Tony Cassenta, who succeeded Atamian as assistant manager. The Atamians planned to go back into the the¬ atre business. H. F. Shaw, division manager; Morris Mendlesohn, legal aide, and Lou Brown, ad-publicity chief, Loew-Poli New Eng¬ land Circuit, huddled with Lou Cohen, Loew-Poli, and Fred Greenway, LoewPoli Palace. . . . Dorn Suriano, former assistant manager, Strand, is now as¬ sistant manager, Broadway, Western Massachusetts Circuit house, Springfield, Mass. The Joe Shulmans, Shulman Circuit, were planning to leave on that longanticipated European vacation trip. William O’Sullivan, formerly with the Hartford Theatre Circuit, had been named manager, Plaza, Waterbury. Lou Brown, division publicity head, Loew Poli New England Theatres, recently effected a tiein with a baking company in Waterbury, Conn., as part of a nation¬ al tieup between MGM and the Quality Bakers of America, and Brown, left, is seen at a meeting of baking company representatives in Waterbury, with Bob Carney, right of poster, manager, Poli. Manchester Olive Recave has been upped to as¬ sistant manager, State, succeeding John Mancini, resigned. State manager Jack Sanson disclosed that the Wurlitzer organ has been sold. Meriden Paul S. Purdy, general manager, Kounaris-Tolis Theatres, announced the appointment of William Spencer, stu¬ dent, New Britain State Teachers Col¬ lege, as assistant manger, Meriden. The Capitol, operated by Leo Ricci, closed down for a few days for altera¬ tions. The Pike Drive-In opened for the season. . . . The Palace recently invited members of the Meriden High School and Wilcox Tech basketball teams as guests. Middletown Mike Adorno has been named assistant to Sal Adorno, Jr., manager, Palace and Capitol. Anthony Basile is observing his 20th year as projectionist in this city. He is on the projection staff at the Capitol. Milford Manager Carl Halpin, E. M. Loew’s Milford Drive-In, got back from a vaca¬ tion in Florida. The Palace, New Britain, Conn., recently used this simple but effective false front to call attention to U-I’s “Deported.” New Britain The State Management Corporation, New Haven, Lou Ginsburg, president, and Bernard Levy, secretary, leased the State frcm Dr. George W. McMahon and Margaret T. McMahon for a period of 10 years. The corporation has agreed to pay a total amount of $88,000 for the 10 year period. Otto Tefts has operated the theatre under a lease during the past five years. Newington Mr. and Mrs. Lou Rogow, local Pike Drive-In, and Pine Drive-In, Waterbury, were back from Florida. Paul W. Amadeo, general manager, Pike Drive-In, announced his staff: chief cashier, Fred R. Johnson, and projec¬ tionists, Tom Harries, Harry Albee. Plainfield One of the more unique drive-ins opened for business. The project, the Plainfield Drive-In and Indoor Theatre, is situated on the former site of the Plainfield Airport, and is operated by Edward Lord. Through a patented pro¬ cess, the projector throws films simul¬ taneously on the screens of an outdoor theatre, capacity 750 cars, and an indoor theatre, capacity, 450. Wethersfield Named student manager at the Webb Playhouse was Les Brown, ex-projection¬ ist, Webb. Windsor Private William Dougherty, ex-Plaza manager, has been assigned to a film unit with the Connecticut Air National Guard, recently federalized. He will be a projectionist. Maine Houlton Richard C. Welch has been appointed manager, Temple, by L. H. Bridgham, Bridgham, Dover, N. H., who recently took possession of the theatre from New England Theatres, Inc. Welch started in show business as an aide in his home town theatre, the old Comique, Camden, Me., gradually working up to become projectionist, a position he held for eight years in the Comique and the New Cam¬ den which replaced it. He has served as projectionist in theatres in Rockland, Me., and Presque Isle, Me., and was man¬ ager, Gem, Lyndonville, Vt., for a yearand-a-half, and assistant manager, Mag¬ net, Barre, Vt. The Temple has been renovated considerably. Massachusetts Fall IRiver The Somerset Family Drive-In re¬ opened for the season. John Pirani is man¬ ager. . . . George Daab, manager, led his staff in alterations made to the Capi¬ tol during a three-day closing. . . . The New Yorkers are returning to the Somerset Summer Theatre. . . . Nathan Yamins’ new outdoor theatre, under construction in nearby Westport, Mass., on the Fall River-New Bedford, Mass., Highway, is expected to open early in May. April 11, 1951