The Exhibitor (1951)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 BTEWS OF THE BRANCHES Atlanta For the second time, the screen at the Sunset Drive-In, Nashville, Ga., was blown down by windstorms. . . . Roxart Theatres, Sarasota, Fla., will take over the Art to show classic and foreign films. Stockholders are Mrs. Agnes B. Rogers, R. W. Scacklcford, and Rogers Morgan, Tampa, Fla. J. C. George, B. E. Addy, and Lanier J. Addy opened the Beach, Fort Screven, Ga. . . . S. Dunn, theatre owner of Flor¬ ida and Georgia, entered the contest for a vacancy in the State House of Representatives from Gadsen County. The Row is pulling for him. Ralph W. Tippett, 63, manager, Vogue, New Port Richey, Fla., died recently at the hospital in Bay Pines, Fla. The old love bug went to Birmingham, Ala., and W. H. McKenzie, Jr., Queen Feature Service and Helene Smith were married recently. Folks on Film Row wish the new couple the best things in life. Localites were sorry to hear that Hal Keeter, manager, ELC, was seriously ill in Charlotte. He was formerly with Warners here. Clarence Smith, manager, Scott, One¬ ida, Tenn., reopened the theatre. . . . Grover C. Schaefer, formerly with Re¬ public and ELC home office is now with Claughton Theatres, Miami, Fla., as auditor. Jim Bennett, formerly of the Saul Korman Circuit, Detroit, and his wife are manager and assistant, Flagler, Miami, Fla. . . . Lief Ericson, assistant manager, Florida, Miami, Fla., entered Uncle Sam’s payroll. Ta’gar Theatres, Jacksonville, Fla., announced that it has taken over the Capital, Plant City, Fla. Jesse L. Mar¬ lowe is manager. C. L. King is new manager, State, Plant City, Fla. . . . Called to the service was Judson Bell, U-I shipper, now with the marines. Added to the shipping de¬ partment at U-I were Bill Johns and Carl Slappey. RW Kelly, manager, and Jimmie Frew, southern district manager, U-I were back from New York, where they attended a sales meeting. . . . J. E. Hutchinson will open his new Isle-of-View Drive-In, Pan¬ Richard C. Settoon recently was ap¬ pointed manager, U-I’s Memphis branch. ama City, Fla., soon. . . . Lois Fincher, formerly with U-I, is booker at ELC. She replaces Ernie Compton, who re¬ turned to Uncle Sam. Gwenn Rogers, formerly with ELC, is now with the government. . . . David Goods' n, son of the late Clyde Goodson, is now in the booking department at Paramount. . . . Thomas Dodd, was added to the booking department at MGM. . . . The Row was glad to welcome back Roy Hall, formerly with MGM and Screen Guild, now in the booking de¬ partment cf RKO. Application was granted by the Na¬ tional Production Authority for the building in Miami, Fla., of the Liberty Drive-In at a cost of $110,000. . . . Ernie Pelegrin, office manager, Columbia, Jacksonville, Fla., returned there after a visit. . . . Miss Lillian Barnes, is back at Columbia as secretary to Dick John¬ son, office manager. . . . Harry Whitestone, former theatre owner, was in for a visit. Sheldon Mandell, manager, St. John, Jacksonville, Fla., recently promoted this navy submarine display for the outside of his theatre from the navy recruiting office for Warners’ “Operation Pacific.” On the Row visiting were: Joe Fink, Buckhead and Garden Hill, A. L. Bishop, Bishop Theatres, Columbus, Ga.; Sam George, Paramount; Howard Schuessler, Lam Amusement Company, Rome, Ga.; H. M. Ford, Ford, Lithonia, Ga.; R. H. Dunn, Camilla, Ga., and L. T. Sheffield, Rosemont, Headland, Ala. Others on the Row were: E. H. Mo:n, Peoples, Donaldsonville, Ga.; Wendell Welch, Strand, Dallas, Ga.; C. S. Pit¬ man, Pitman, Gadsden, Ala.; Tom Brett, Arcade, Sandersville, Ga., and R. J. LaCrosse, Ashland, Tenn. The Hamilton Drive-In, Fort Payne, Ala., reopened. D. P. Hamilton is ownermanager. . . . J. W. Powers, owner of the theatre in Cedar Bluff, Ala., is now mayor. . . . Alvin Sexton, manager, Lyric, Prattsville, Ala., resigned to go with the Moffitt Theatres as booker and general assistant to John Moffitt. Wilby-Kincey’s $310,000 Rogers, Chat¬ tanooga, Tenn., was recently opened. The 1,257-seat theatre, the first first-run to be built there in over 30 years, is named in honor of Emmett R. Rogers, district manager. Rogers has been in that area since 1917. In for a visit to Lippert was Joseph Smith, special representative. ... A parade of 1,000 men from Dobbins Air Force Base, a 50-piece band, and other military forces ushered in the southern premiere of “Air Cadet,” Loew’s Grand. Georgia Theatre Company President William K. Jenkins turned over $18,830 to the Georgia chapter National Foun¬ dation for Infantile Paralysis, taken up through audience collections in “The March of Dimes” by the theatres under Jenkins’ direction. Jenkins, who pio¬ neered in bringing southern theatres into the first “March of Dimes,” had urged his managers to cooperate with increased zeal to help meet the heavy increase in polio in recent years and the financial plight of the Georgia chapter. Kermit C. Stengel, vice-president, Crescent Amusement Company, Nash\ille, Tenn., returned after illness. . . . Wil-Kin Theatre Supply installed a Cycloramic screen in the Dixie, Buydstown, Tenn. Visiting were: Mack Jackson, Strand and Jackson, Alexander City, Ala.; Earnest Ingram, Ashland and Lineville; Paul Englar, Famous, Birmingham, Ala.; Bill Griffin, Cullman Amusement Company, Cullman, Ala.; R. E. Hook, Ala.; John Gaither, Heflin, Heflin, Ala.; John Moffett, Montgomery, Ala.; Hugh Martin, Martin Theatres; M. C. Moore, Riverside, Jacksonville, Fla.; W. R. Bos¬ well, Greenland, Greensboro, Ga.; M. Maddox, Hampton, Hampton, Ga.; Nat Hancock, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Ga. ; Mrs. March 28, 1951 SOUTHERN