The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

NT-2 THE EXHIBITOR (Continued from preceding page) the most coonerat.ive theatre owner. The Rosemary was the first theatre to show Council-approved and sponsored matinees. Central High School Photo¬ play Club award was for the excellent job in conducting a poll of 1500 stu¬ dents at the school to determine movie tastes of adolescents. Harry Martin, amusement editor, The Commercial Ap¬ peal, and Edwin Howard, dramatic critic, The Press-Scimitar, also re¬ ceived "Oscars”. Martin’ s was for "his faithful and continued cooperation with the Council since its inception 16 years ago;”, and Howard’s for his outstanding coverage of the group’ s special children matinee through fea¬ ture stories. Theatre passes were awarded 15 persons for their services to the Council during the year, and Miss Jean Lightman, daughter of M.A. Lightman, was presented a gift for serving as lady-in-waiting represent¬ ing the Council during the festivities of Cotton Carnival week. The partyf and awards were held at the home of' Mrs. Carrington Jones. Visiting Film Row were: Ernest Pol¬ lock, Hohenwald, Tenn.; W.H. Gray, Rutherford, Tenn. ; Guy B. Amis, Lex¬ ington, Tenn.; J.T. James, Cotton Plant, Ark.; H.W. Pickens, Carlisle, Ark., and James T. Bent, Sr., Senatobia, Miss. Back at her post at 20th Century-Fox after an appendectomy was Mrs. Thomas Dean Eubanks, assistant cashier. Film Row feminine employes were ad¬ miring the beautiful ring of Mrs. Ralph Bowden, joint owner, Joiner, Ark., theatre. Mrs. Bowden was until last week Mrs. Sara Kinkle. Bowden is one of Mississippi County’ s largest planters and implement dealers at Joiner. They will make their home in Memphis, and commute daily to Joiner. Booking were J. F. Adams, coldwater, Miss.; W. A. Rush, Houston, Miss.; Jeff Singleton, Tyronza, Ark.; J.C. Bonds, Hernando, Miss.; J. H. Moore, Crenshaw, Miss.; J.F. Adams, Como, Miss., and Mrs. John Keller, Joiner, Ark., part owner with Mrs. Bowden in the Joiner house. Wedding bells rang at National Screen Service when Miss Georgia Roy married Fred Kemper on June 6. The wedding took place at the home of Miss Roy’ s parents, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Roy, Drew, Miss. They will make their home in Memphis, where the bride will continue at her post of booker at National Screen Service. Paramount reported that branch mana¬ ger L.W. McClintock, who is on a leave of absence in California for his health, will not return until Septem¬ ber. His doctor has ordered him to take an extra rest. Acting branch manager Tom. W. Bridge, salesmen Joe Young and Tom Donahue, and head booker Robert Kilgore attended a sales meeting in Chicago. Fred Curd, booker, was on vacation. Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Gray, Rutherford, Tenn., have a young son born on May 19, whom they have named Mark. Vacationing was Hazel Briggs, cashier at Eagle Lion and Mrs. Elizabeth Goss, contract clerk, U-I, visiting her old home in Covington, Tenn. Two new additions to Film Row are United Artists, 410 South Second Street, TonyTedesco, sales representa¬ tive and SRO, with Charles “Babe” Rounsaville, sales representative. Both can be found at the above address, which is Kay Films branch, until they secure off ice space on the Row. Grover Wray, who has opened a booking and buying business, will be located with Film Transit, 3 1 1 South Second Street. Space on the Row is difficult to se¬ cure Skating proved costly to Miss Ann Yarbrough, booker-stenographer, RKO. She broke her arm, but is bravely serving at her desk. Two members of the colony have brought new homes, Elliott Johnson, publicity director for Malco, and Fred Ford, district publicity director for RKO Memphis and New Orleans. Ford will have Mrs. Ford back home in a short while. She has been living in Houston, Texas, with her daughter for the past several months, due to a serious eye condition. Bill Ruder, publicity director for Sam Goldwyn. new *ork, „<ib in m the interest of a reshowing of “The Best Years of Our Lives”, Malco. Vacationing from posts on the Row were Janis Long, biller, Warner; Mrs. Orville Wolfe, inspectress, 20th Century-Fox, who will take a trip to Mexico and California, and Bob Pique, booker, 20th Century-Fox. H. C. Wertzsmith, salesman. Republic, ’and Mrs. Wertzsmith are the proud parents of a young son, born on May 15. They named him Robert. G.W. Jones and B.F. Busby, Little Rock Amusement Company, was visiting Monarch Theatre Supply. . . . S. M. Perrin, salesman for the Arkansas territory for Monarch Theatre Supply was in.... Al Rothchild, branch manager, National Screen Service, was attending a con¬ vention in Los Angeles. ... On the Row were Henry D. Furr, Booker T, Cleveland, Miss. , and Fritz Farris, who owns a house at Clarksville, Miss. New Orleans Executive heads and sales and pro¬ motion personnel of Eagle Lion had a conference recently for a discussion of sales and promotion of forthcoming productions. Six southern branches represented, New Orleans, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Memphis. Officials included William J. Heineman, vice-president in charge of distribution, and his assistant, L. “Jack” Schlaifer; MaxE. Youngstem, vice-president in charge of advertis¬ ing, publicity, and exploitation, ana Herman R. Biersdorf, divisional sales manager for the south and west. The first anniversary of the Allied Theatre Owners of the Gulf States was observed on June 1 at a Founders Day celebration at the Lakewood Country Club. A banquet at 8 p. m. climaxed an all -day program, which included a twohour business session in the morning, a luncheon at noon, golf, swimming, tennis, cards, refreshments, and amuse¬ ments in the afternoon, and cocktails in the evening. William L. Ainsworth, president. National Allied, was the principal speaker. He described how the Allied group was instrumental in securing a reduction of the amusement tax in Mississippi, and the recent victories' over ASCAP and the film distributing monopolies. Over 100 theatre owners and their families took part in business sessions and in the celebration’s program of activities, coming from all over Louisiana and the Gulf Coast area. Other speakers in¬ cluded Truman Rembusch, vice-president. National Allied, and Colonel H. A. Cole, a past president. Maurice J. Artigues, general manager. Gulf States, handled the arrangements. Artigues said that the National Allied convention may be neld here next November. The local grouD is going all out to get the meeting. The new first-run Dalton opened re¬ cently in Baton Rouge, La. , built and operated by T.A. Pittman, New Orleans contractor. Features include latest RCA sound equipment, comfortable chairs, and a paved parking area for 1000 cars. This makes third large theatre for Pittman to open in Louisi¬ ana during the past two and a half years, the others being the Rex and Delta here. Pittman’s son, Al Pittman, former LSU football player and Marine Corps veteran, will manage the new theatre. Fire in the cooling system of the Orpheum caused little damage and plenty excitement. More than 950 early afternoon patrons left the house when informed by the management that a minor fire took place. They returned a short time later when firemen said all danger was removed. Film Classics paid a bonus to em¬ ployees. Milton Dureau, manager, and Mamie Lass, office manager, have reason to smile these days. Business has picked up considerably despite the fact that this is the newest ex¬ change on the row. Charles Levy has assumed his duties as manager, Dixie Films.... The DriveIn which opened recently at Shrews¬ bury, a New Orleans suburb, installed a crying room equipped with bottle warmers and baby sitters. Business has been big. This is the only such theatre in this area. New Drive-Ins recently opened at Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson and Laurel, Miss. ... Gaston Dureau, Paramount-Richards executive, returned from a business trip east. ... Alberta bchindler, Elaine Lambour, and Kay Kaiser, secretaries in exchange of¬ fices along the row, are sporting tans acquired during their recent fishing trip to Grand Isle in the Gulf of Mexico. ... Leonard Duchworth, Darden pop corn exec, is back after a busi¬ ness trip throughout the LouisianaMississippi territory. ... Recent visi¬ tors to the row included Doyle May¬ nard, general manager, Don George Cir June 9, 1948