The Exhibitor (1951)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR and facilities at that location. McDonald will increase the capacity of the spot by 75 or more cars. The Big Spring, Tex., Jet Drive-In opened, the fifth operating unit of Big Spring’s veteran Robb amusement sys¬ tem, located on San Angelo Highway just southeast of Veterans’ Hospital. Owner is J. Y. Robb and manager is H. C. Overt. Denver Harold Ironfield, 20th-Fox film sales¬ man from Omaha, has gone to work for Tom Bailey, owner, Lippert franchise. Ironfield will spend some time in the office before going on the road. Stickups got about $80 from the cash¬ ier at the Granada. . . . Oscar Cornwall will open his Palm Drive-In, Truth or Consequences, N. M., some time this month. His original permit was for an¬ other location but it was renewed after some delay. . . . Fred Brown, Black Hills Amusement Company film buyer and booker, is improved after his stay in St. Luke’s Hospital, where he went for treatment and blood transfusions. C. E. McLaughlin, Las Animas, Colo.; Albert Patry, Pagosa Springs, Colo., and Harry McDonald, Torrington, Wyo., were visitors. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the Cooper Foundation of Nebraska and Dr. and Mrs. J. N. Harber in owner¬ ship and leasing of the Liberty. The appellate court held that J. H. Cooper and Pat McGee, who ran the Criterion here for many years, were not trustees for Warners in handling the Liberty property. The opinion sustains the rights of the Harbers to the ownership of the property and the validity of the 10-year lease on the property of the Cooper Foundation. The Appellate Court also held that Cooper personally did not use the foundation as a device or cloak for his business transactions. Des Moines The damage suit of four film dis¬ tributors against G. Theodore Allen, former owner. Garden, Guthrie Center, la., has been dismissed in federal court. The federal court records showed that Allen has fully accounted to the distrib¬ utors. . . . Somebody stole about half of the fireworks at the Des Moines Drive-In, purchased for an exhibition on Memorial Day. . . . G. Ralph Branton, former general manager, Tri-States The¬ atre Corporation, purchased the Odeon and Casino, Marshalltown, la., from the S and M Corporation. Allied held a one-day session at the Ft. Des Moines Hotel. Following a ses¬ sion devoted to film trade practices, clearance, etc., an all-industry luncheon was held, with an afternoon meeting on boxoffice stimulants. Kansas City Fox-Midwest’s Granada, Kansas City, Kans., is first-run day-and-date with the three Fox-Midwest day-and-date houses in Greater Kansas City, the Fairway, Tower, and Uptown. In Wilmington, O., Kroger Babb, president. Hallmark Productions, Inc., announced the appointment of Julian and Anita Stewart as a traveling unit team. Stewart is a former assistant manager for Commonwealth Amusement Company. His wife was concession man¬ ager for Seguin Theatres, Inc., Seguin, Tex. H. L. Frost, for 10 years MGM’s cir¬ cuit sales manager in Milwaukee and Chicago, has been added to the Mono¬ gram-Allied Artists staff in an executive post. His appointment as branch man¬ ager at Kansas City was announced in Hollywood by Harold Wirthwein, com¬ panies’ western sales manager. Frost, who has long been identified with the business, will replace T. R. Thompson, recently resigned. Milwaukee A regional meeting of Allied Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin was held at the Wausau Hotel, Wausau, Wis., starting with a luncheon. Cochairman Larry Beltz and Sig Goldberg reported a good turnout of exhibitors. This was the third regional meeting in 1951. The board of directors also held its regular meeting at Wausau. The Rainbow, formerly owned by the Rainbow Theatre Company, was taken over by Fred Krueger, Ogden. Although re-seated, and with new equipment put in, the theatre was closed for only one day at the time of the transfer. . . . Eric Brown, Plymouth and Majestic, Plymouth, Wis., returned from a visit with his parents in California, accom¬ panied by his small son. Miss Hortense Brunner, head, FoxWisconsin advertising department, has set up her headquarters at the Palace. She was formerly located in the Varsity building. . . . When Joe Maltis takes a vacation, he really closes “shop.” He closed his Myra, bowling alleys, and res¬ taurant in Palmyra for a month so that he could completely enjoy his vacation. . . . Nat Marcus, branch manager, War¬ ners, and wife enjoyed a vacation in New York City. When the board meeting of Allied States Association was held in Kansas City, attending from Wisconsin were; Ben Marcus, S. J. Goldberg, Harold Pearson, Sam Costas, Bob Karatz, and Spyros Papas. This trip will long be remembered by Marcus as it was his first by air. From now on he intends to take more advantage of this means of transportation. . . . The Tivoli, closed for several months, reopened for week¬ end operation. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Albert, Strand, Mount Horeb, Wis., are anxiously awaiting word that their son, David, is on his way home. He is now attached to the British Royal Commando Raiders in Korea. Before entering the service, he was the assistant manager. Strand. . . . Fred Lienhardt, New Glarus, New Glarus, Wis., recently had his physical. He is a captain in the reserves. Charlie Hacker, a director of Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, New York City, formerly a district man¬ ager for Standard Theatres, visited with his bride of a few weeks. It is surprising the number of hidden talents some exhibitors have. Tony La Porte, Avalon, Franklin, and Park, is revealing a few of his. His first project will be to paint the interior of the Park, after which he will put new roofing on the Avalon. Due to the ill health of his wife, Har¬ lan Croy, Mosinee, Mosinee, Wis., is planning to move here where he hopes to get into some phase of the industry or into the advertising field. He has no intentions of giving up his theatre. . . . Clem Kraemer, Fern, recently lost his assistant manager, who returned to his home in northern Wisconsin. Harold Pearson, executive secretary, AITO, spent several weeks traveling in the northern part of the state. When he was in Brillion, he stopped to see Ernie Langemack, Colonial, Milwaukee, who suffered a stroke two years ago, and who is now living with his son. He is getting along fine. “Mack” McWilliams was busy doing his own office work during the absence of his secretary, on sick leave. . . . Mrs. Rose Vogel is installing new equipment in her Empire, Manitowoc, Wis. . . . Congratulations go to these two new fathers: Clem Kraemer, Fern, and A1 Camillo, district manager, Fox-Wisconsin. Tom Watson, Blanchard, Blanchardville, Wis., was in with his wife for a vacation. Ben Berger, visited his brother-in-law, Sid Goldberg, Hollywood and 29 DriveIn, Wausau, Wis. . . . Fires in both the Strand and Warner buildings were ex¬ tinguished without the knowledge of their patrons. There was a good turnout at the an¬ nual dance of the Reel Fellows Club, held in the Wisconsin Hotel. Morry An¬ derson, president, and George Edgerton, secretary-treasurer, acted as co-chair¬ men. The entertainment was furnished by Cliff Burmek. Minneapolis Listeners to the major Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., disc jockey shows heard quite a bit of two standard fav¬ orites, “Working on the Railroad” and “Casey Jones,” while Columbia’s “Santa Fe” was playing at the RKO Orpheum in those cities. Credit publicity managers Robert Whelan and Norman Wrobel with getting the recordings played. North Central Allied opened a drive to obtain 100 per cent membership among independent theatre owners in the film zone. “There are no ‘free rides’ to any place that is worth going to,” the bulletin warned exhibitors. The bulletin also reminded drive-in operators that after 60 days no new in-car speakers will be manufactured, and urged the theatremen to guard the speakers care Junc 13, 1951