The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

NT4 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced names of first of five pictures reviewed, and found favorable, for showing in wards of the church in the Salt Lake exchange area. All were reissues, but there is no certainty the council will not review first-run pictures if the occasion arises, it has been indi¬ cated. A suit to restrain one drive-in from using a name similar to that of another has been entered in Third District Court. The suit was filed by Eric C. Peterson, Motor-Vu, east of Salt Lake, who asked that Julian N. Bills, owner and operator, newly opened Bountiful Motor View be restrained from using that name or anything similar. Peterson asked that Bills be halted from using Motor Vu, Motor View or Motor Vieu. SAN ANTONIO The Southwest premiere showing of the new U-I western, starring “Red River” Dave, singing cowboy star of WOAI, Diane Hart, and other localites, and filmed on a ranch near here, and titled “Echo Ranch”, will be held at the Texas on June 10. . . . In response to requests of listeners in the Bastrop, Tex., area, “Red River” Dave, Tuffy Dale, and Lou Emerson, all of WOAI made a series of personal appearances at the Tower. . . . Chester Nunn is the new assistant manager, Texas, succeed¬ ing Charles Wolf, who has taken over new duties as manager, Harlandale. Bob Steele is making a series of per¬ sonal appearances in key Interstate cities. . . . W. F. Armstrong, Interstate booker for Mexican films of Dallas, was in. Others in to book Latin-American films included Mrs. Marie Burkholder, Marine, Fort Worth, Tex.; Dave J. Young, Brownsville, Tex., and Raymond Ruenes, Victoria Teatro, Brownsville, Tex. Mr. and Mrs. Lee Welch, Newkirk, Okla., purchased the Star, Rising Star, Tex., and the Plains, Cross Plains, Tex., including the buildings, from the Joy Houck interests. . . . Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Matson are planning on opening a 300car drive-in at Rockdale, Tex. W. H. McLemore, Jr., purchased the Melrose, Waco, Tex., from Annie Louise and Tom R. Coleman. . . . The Texas, Longview, Tex., owned and operated by William Morrow, was destroyed by fire. Morrow also owns the Colonial Drive-In. . . . The Del Norte Drive-In, El Paso, Tex., is trying to lure new patrons with a new summer program. On Saturday night, a late preview is held after the second show, which the patrons may attend at no extra cost. N. P. Rand was named to succeed Louis Vaughn, substituting for Bill Bohling, manager, Pershing, El Paso, Tex., on vacation. . . John Paxton, city manager, Interstate Theatres, El Paso, Tex., was quoted in the local paper in his stand against daylight saving time. . . . Bill Johnson, publicity direc¬ tor, Interstate Theatres, Houston, Tex., returned from his vacation, which took him to New York City. . . . A1 Adams, manager. River Oaks, Houston, Tex., spent his vacation at Randolph Field, Tex., for 10 days, where he was sta¬ tioned. Lew Bray, district manager, Interstate Theatres Circuit, Lower Rio Grande Valley, was in. . . . Fourth Army officials were taking extraordinary precautions to guard against spread of polio in San Antonio and at Fort Sam Houston. All children under 10 were barred from post theatres unless with their parents. . . . Sylvan K. Barry, with Interstate for 14 years, purchased the Ritz, a colored THE EXHIBITOR neighborhood house closed for several years, and reopened it. . . . The Joy installed a new glass boxoffice and other improvements. . . . Albert Salas Porras, president. Azteca Films, Los Angeles, flew in for a business conference with J. Truex. Doug Naylor, manager, Laurel, reports “Black Narcissus” did such a good busi¬ ness its scheduled run was extended. . . . Robert Shelton, manager, Josephine, announced that he will take a fling at foreign Aims. Lena Montez, Mexican film star made a personal appearance at the Follies. . . . Rollie Moore, former manager, Broad¬ way, has been named relief manager, Texas, both Interstate-owned. . . . Sam Katz has been named assistant manager, International Amusement Enterprises, which owns and operates the Teatro Nacional, Guadalupe, Zaragoza, and Maya, Latin-American houses. . . . William Smith has been named new southern Texas representative for Film Classics. He succeeds Bill Bugie, resigned. Howard Bland, owner, Howard and Ritz, Taylor, Tex., announced plans for a new 400-seat house. The Robb and Rowley Circuit also has an interest. . . . Floyd J. Barton with the Griffith circuit in New Braunfels, Tex., has been selected to set up an organiza¬ tion of local amateur radio operators to furnish organized emergency com¬ munications in time of disaster. . . . The Long Circuit announced start of the construction of a new 750-seat house at Taft, Tex., to replace the old Tex., which will cost an estimated $750,000. . . . James E. Faulkner is constructing a new theatre at Cold Springs, Tex. . . . George Franklin, El Paso, Tex., opened the Colonial Drive-In, Denton, Tex., at a cost of $75,000. Lester Dollison also opened the El Rancho Drive-In there. Interstate Theatres Circuit announced plans for the construction in Denton of a deluxe 1,250 seat ‘A’ house. The circuit now operates three houses there. . . . James Butler is building the Lincoln, Lufkin, Tex., for Negro patronage. Hall Industries, through its manager at Beevile, Tex., F. D. Nance, announced the opening of the 700-seat Rialto. . . . G. F. Lee and A. D. Fritz, coowners, in Portland, Tex., of the 500-seat Portland, dissolved partnership, and decided to sell the house through auction. . . . Robert Hooks announced that the Select, Mineola, Tex., would reopen. He rebuilt the house, and installed new projection and sound equipment. SAN FRANCISCO The need for developing cooperative measures between parents and the motion picture exhibitor was stressed by Irving M. Levin, divisional director, San Francisco Theatres, Inc., in a special address before the Motion Pic¬ ture Council of the Bay Area. Gene Paplock, manager, United Artists, was promoting “The Time of Your Life” by a tie-in with a local shopping-guide in a contest. . . . The Blumenfeld Circuit is opening a new drive-in, Motor Movies, near San Rafael, Cal. Whether it’s bucking broncos at a rodeo in Red Bluff, Cal., the jumping frogs at Angel’s Camp in Calaveras County, or a “Posy Parade” in a Peninsula town near San Francisco, youthful Gerald L. Karski, president, Motion Picture Service, and his camera¬ man, Harold Zell, are on the scene shoot¬ ing moving pictures. Capturing all the full flavor of Western celebrations on film is Karski ’s business. In a special arrangement with the visual educational department of Standard Oil. Karski follows western events and func¬ tions with his film equipment. When Red Bluff recently threw open the town to visitors for their annual Wild West festival and Rodeo, Karski and Zell had their camera mounted in the arena beside the plunging horses that were tossing local cowboys into the dust. Earlier in the day, Red Bluff’s parade, with all the city officials and merchant’s floats, had been filmed and the pictures were being processed while the rodeo was still jumping. Before the night was over, Red Bluff’s theatre, the State, was crowded with customers for its late show. Reason: Karski had completely finished the films he shot during the day, and was showing Red Bluff citizens pictures of themselves and their town on the same day they were taken. SEATTLE Driving a new car purchased at a Detroit factory, Arthur Slater, head, Northwest Film Service, returned from the National Film Carriers Convention in New York, accompanied by Mrs. Slater. . . . Bill Englen, former salesman for RKO, is recovering slowly from ill¬ ness. Victor Gauntlett, publicity and public relations director, Evergreen State The¬ atres, is a grandfather again, for the fourth time. The new arrival is a daughter, and the parents are Roderick and Kathryn Kirkwood. . . . Earl Collins, Western division manager, Republic, was here from Los Angeles to confer with Paul McElhinney, branch manager, and sales staff. . . . Pearl Chaikin, ac¬ counting department, Sterling Chain Theatres, was vacationing in Sacramen¬ to, Cal. Wally Rucker, branch manager, Eagle Lion, and his salesmen, Ken Melgren and Rob Cleveland, planed out for San Francisco. . . . Ralph Abbett, Monogram branch manager, and Ed Cruea, sales¬ man, were in Chicago. . . . A. S. Stusser, manager, real estate department, Sterl¬ ing Theatres, returned Horn an inspec¬ tion trip to Longview, Wash. . . . A1 Bloom, who operates his own candy com¬ pany supplying many theatres in the Spokane, Wash., district, was on The Row. For many years, Bloom was a salesman for Universal out of Seattle. . . . Barney Rose, westei'n district man¬ ager, Universal-International, was in. . . . Don Gillin, in charge of play dates for Warners, was here from New York. Jerry Safron, western district mana¬ ger, Columbia, was on The Row with Neal Walton, branch manager. . . . John Danz, head, Sterling Theatres, flew out for Los Angeles. . . . Madelyn Miller, contract department, Paramount, was recovering from an operation. . . . Sue Bates, head, inspection department, Paramount, is back after an operation. . . . Dick Lacey, manager, Elwha, Port Angeles, Wash., was in. . . . Ed Lamb, RKO branch manager, and Mrs. Lamb, are vacationing in Canada. . . . Russ Morgan, exploiteer, RKO, arranged a special preview of “I Remember Mama” for editors of high school papers and heads of their English departments. In return, the editors reviewed the picture for their respective school papers. State out-of-towners included Art and Mrs. Lundberg, Denver, with the Arthur Gollofons; Bill Conners, Fred Gamble, Les Theuerkauf, Tacoma; Bud Hamilton, Darrington; Walter Graham, Shelton; W. A. and Mrs. Cochrane, Snoqualmie; Keith Beckwith, North Bend; Eddie Snow, Mt. Vernon, and Mike Barovic Puyallup. June, 16, 1046