The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

NT-2 THE EXHIBITOR nickel to $1. Russell Downing, execu¬ tive vice-president, said that in¬ creased operating costs were responsi¬ ble for the hike. New Jersey ASBURY PARK What is believed to be the world’s first air age drive-in opened near here. It can accommodate 25 planes as well as 500 cars. Landing at the air¬ strip adjoining the theatre, planes are taxied to a ramp facing the screen. When the plane is ready to leave, a jeep service hauls it back to the field. New York State ALBANY Announcement has been made by Neil Heilman, general manager, FabianHellman Drive-In Theatres, that the company is to erect an 800-car modern drive-in on the Albany-Troy Road. Option has been secured on three par¬ cels of land, and as soon as a de¬ cision has been reached on the most suitable site, work is to be started. With weather permitting, Heilman an¬ nounces that the drive-in will prob¬ ably be opened during the 1948 season, and will make a total of 16 theatres operated by Hellman-Fabian interests in the Capitol District area. HankBaylis, Warner Theatres’ screen¬ ing room projectionist, became a grandpappy for the first time when his daughter, Jane O’Neil, gave birth to a daughter, Patti, at the Troy Hospi¬ tal recently. ... The Variety Club, Tent 9, will hold its sixth annual golf tournament and gala banquet on June 21 at the Shaker Ridge Country Club. . . . Condolences are being extended to Mary Flynn, Upstate Theatres, Inc., upon the death of her father on May 29 ....Charlie Debie, Warner Theatres’ Sign Shop, spent a weekend in Utica attending the Moose convention. Bob Ferber, Eagle Lion office mana¬ ger and booker, was on vacation. . . . Charlie Kosco, 20th Century-Fox branch manager, Buffalo, was in to confer with Max Friedman, Warner Theatres’ film buyer.... Ted Friedman,' Strand assistant manager, resigned, and ex¬ pects to enter Syracuse University in the fall.... Paul Broderick, Paramount home office representative, was in the Albany exchange for a few weeks. . . . Margaret McCrumb, Paramount reports girl, was vacationing at Lake Champlain for two weeks. ... Claire Krumanacker, daughter of Paul Krumanacker, Warners branch manager, Pittsburgh, visited. . COMPLETE MARQUEE SERVICE DESIGN — FABRICATE — INSTALL MONROE SIGN CORP. Since 1921 Stainless Steel — Vitrolite — Porcelain THEATRE FRONTS Drive-In Theatre Attraction Signs 253-9 Hackensack St. E. Rutherford, N. J. TEL. Rutherford 2-8200 Passaic 2-4600 The following drive-ins opened: John Free’ s Riverside, Ogdensburg; Donald Gilson’ s Sunset Drive-Ins, Macena and Canton, and Alex Papyanakous’ Moonlight, Pottsdam. -M.E.B. BUFFALO Edward, son of John Scully, U-I district manager, was in from Milton, Mass., to spend the holiday weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Francis Burke.... Nettie Price, U-I office staff, was at the Millard Fillmore Hospital. Francis Maxwell, RK0 Rochester salesman, sporting a new car with a banged fender, good-naturedly reports, "My young daughter is learning to drive”. ... Helen Rubauch, Republic, is back on the job after undergoing a tonsilectomy at Lafayette General Hospital. Rose Andelora, contract clerk, Mono¬ gram, was recuperating after an ap¬ pendectomy at Columbus Hospital.... Shirley Lux, daughter of Nina and Councilman-at-large Elmer Lux and a senior at Stephens College, received one of the highest honors. She was named to the year book honor roll of outstanding seniors. Only 38 seniors from a graduating class of 877 were chosen. James v. Mancuso, vice-president, Mancuso Theatre, Inc. , issued invi¬ tations to attend a preview of the eastern premiere performance of “The Emperor Waltz”, at the new Mancuso, Batavia, on June 4. George Mason opened his SkywayDrive-In, Wallington. Capacity is 500 cars. ... Walter Dion opened his Lockport Drive-In, Gasport. Capacity is 300 cars.... Mrs. Anne Schick opened her Star Drive-In, Blasdell. Capacity is 350 cars. S. Goldfinger, Eton Publishing Cor¬ poration, has renamed his Vogue, Buf¬ falo, the Telenews. ... John McSweeney is the new owner, Rainbo, Niagara Falls. ... James V. Mancuso, vice-presi¬ dent, Mancuso, had the grand opening of his 1588-seat Mancuso, Batavia _ William Brett opened his new Sky-Vue Drive-In, Athol Springs, with a 600car capacity. -M.G. OSWEGO Jim 0’ Shea recently promoted a full page of co-op. ads in The PalladiumTimes on Paramount’ s "Unconquered”. ROCHESTER Former projectionist Jack Boyd be¬ came a full-fledged impressario, leas¬ ing the Embassy for a straight film policy, four changes a week, at 44 cents top and 12 cents for children. Seeking to emphasize the change from burlesque, he put on two Saturday morning 15-cartoon shows for kids at a nickel admission, in contrast to usual two bits or 30 cents for similar shows hereabouts. In the lobby, he spotted a new vend, Inc. , cold drink dispenser serving Coca Cola and root beer, in addition toacigaret machine and candy stand. TRADE SCREENINGS ALBANY RK0 (1052 Broadway) June 22, 10:30, "Mystery in Mexico”; 22, 2:30, "Race Street”; 23, 8:00 p.m., “Your Red Wagon”. BUFFALO RK0 (290 Franklin) June 22, 10:30, “Mystery in Mexico”; 22, 2:30, “Race Street”; 23, 10:30, "Your Red wagon”. NEW YORK CITY RKO (630 Ninth) June 22, 11:00, "Mystery in Mexico”; 22, 2:30, “Race Street”; 23, 2:30, “Your Red Wagon’” Louis W. Thompson, manager, left on a 17-day vacation cruise to Guatemala. An enthusiastic amateur photographer, he took plenty of Kodak equipment along. Kenneth Robinson, assistant manager, Paramount, took charge of the Regent. Arrival of warm weather sockoed theatre business, but Don Whitington, Lincoln, was reported raking in at Sexton’ s hots and ice cream stand, oldest refreshment spot at the lakefront, which he recently took over. Manager Lester Pollock, Loew’ s, used the “world’ s greatest dancer” lobby voting gag as a plug for Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire films . . .Norman Slotnick, manager, Clinton, was re¬ ported about to commit matrimony. . . . Jack Boyd, Embassy, was doing publi¬ city for Bill Tishkoff’ s Central Drive-In, and Don Whitington’ s Lincoln. Robert Cockburn, assistant manager, Loew’ s, whose wife came from British Columbia, planned a vacation trip to the west coast .... Edmund Howard, manager, RKO Temple, finds three-day holdover of RKO Palace programs, then a complete new show for four days, starting on Sundays, a very successful policy. ... Frank Cunningham, Loew’ s, planned to visit his sons in New York and Washington during his vacation ....Don Whitington, Lincoln, dropped "Bingo” for the summer, but expected to resume come fall. -D.R. SCHENECTADY Neil Heilman, general manager, Fabian-Hel lman Drive-In Theatres, Inc., announced that a $250, 000 drivein will be constructed on the Troy Road. It will hold 800 cars and the company hopes to have the theatre in operation this season. SYRACUSE Dewey Lederer, head, Schine mainten¬ ance department, and John McNamara, New York architect, were in to check the remodeling and redecorating of Schine’ s Paramount. ... Harry H. Unter(Continued on page NT-4) June 16, 1948